As dictated by the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors, there is an immediate need to develop low dielectric materials for use in metalization and packaging schemes in integrated circuits. The etching characteristics of a family of low dielectric polymers, the parylenes, are discussed. These are good models for polymer dielectrics, and are attractive for packaging applications. Three types of parylene are studied: parylene-N, parylene-C, and parylene AF-4. Parylene films on silicon substrates were etched in a downstream microwave oxygen plasma system. The goal was to characterize the chemical reactions that occurred on the parylene in the afterglow of the microwave oxygen plasma. The effect of temperature on the etch rate of each polymer was studied and an apparent activation energy was determined. The apparent activation energy for the etch process is approximately 7.0 kcal/mol for each polymer. Infrared analysis showed carbonyl formation during etching in the parylene-N and -C. Based on these analyses and the calculated activation energies, it was determined that a likely rate-limiting step in the etching was the ring opening.
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July 2003
This content was originally published in
Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology B: Microelectronics and Nanometer Structures Processing, Measurement, and Phenomena
Research Article|
July 24 2003
Downstream oxygen etching characteristics of polymers from the parylene family Available to Purchase
Russell R. A. Callahan;
Russell R. A. Callahan
Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287-6006
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Kristin G. Pruden;
Kristin G. Pruden
Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287-6006
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Gregory B. Raupp;
Gregory B. Raupp
Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287-6006
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Stephen P. Beaudoin
Stephen P. Beaudoin
Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287-6006
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Russell R. A. Callahan
Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287-6006
Kristin G. Pruden
Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287-6006
Gregory B. Raupp
Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287-6006
Stephen P. Beaudoin
Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287-6006
J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B 21, 1496–1500 (2003)
Article history
Received:
August 02 2002
Accepted:
May 19 2003
Citation
Russell R. A. Callahan, Kristin G. Pruden, Gregory B. Raupp, Stephen P. Beaudoin; Downstream oxygen etching characteristics of polymers from the parylene family. J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B 1 July 2003; 21 (4): 1496–1500. https://doi.org/10.1116/1.1591744
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