Reflectance and substrate currents of dielectric layers under vacuum ultraviolet irradiation

The reflectance of low-k porous organosilicate glass (SiCOH) as a function of photon energy under synchrotron vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) radiation was measured using a nickel mesh reflectometer. The authors found that during VUV irradiation, the reflectance of SiCOH and the substrate current were inversely correlated. Thus, reflectance can be inferred from substrate current measurements and vice versa. The authors conclude that reflectance or substrate current measurements can determine the photon energies that are absorbed and, therefore, cause dielectric damage during processing. Thus, reducing the flux of deleterious photon energies in processing systems can minimize dielectric damage. (C) 2010 American Vacuum Society. [DOI: 10.1116/1.3488594]