Optical property changes in low-k films upon ultraviolet-assisted curing

Ultraviolet-assisted curing (UV curing) has been applied recently to enhance the mechanical properties of low-k films. Knowledge about which UV energies are most effective is still limited and the consequences of applying the UV-curing process to integrated stacks in on-chip interconnects are unknown. To clarify these open questions, we investigated the optical properties of a SiCOH low-k layer by purged UV spectroscopic ellipsometry in the energy region 2-9 eV. The complex refractive index of the low-k film shows an absorption edge with a superimposed absorption band at 6.4 eV that vanishes upon UV-assisted curing. A comparison with Fourier transform infrared transmission demonstrates that the absorption at 6.4 eV must be attributed to the organic porogens, which also influence the absorption edge. Further analysis reveals the redshift of the absorption edge of silica-based low-k films with the presence of carbon species. The measured optical properties permit simulation of the standing wave pattern of light within the films in differently configured stacks. (C) 2008 The Electrochemical Society.