Novel approach to form and pattern sol-gel polymethylsilsesquioxane-based spin-on glass thin and thick films

In this paper, the applications of sol-gel materials and process to semiconductor industry are introduced. Based on the sol-gel technique, the spin-on glass (SOG) fabrication techniques to realize thin and thick films are presented hereby. The thin films were patterned by liquid embossing techniques. For thick films, the film thickness can reach more than 200 mum. The whole process is a novel fabrication technique for thick SOG films, which can be performed at very low temperature without using molds. It is excluded from the original thermal deposition techniques required very high temperature or vacuum facilities. Furthermore, the requirement of the sol-gel process for equipments is simple and much less expensive. The desired microstructure can be obtained directly by organic solvent development after deep X-ray lithography (DXRL). Finally, the film structures were investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), which shows that the films have the same characteristics of the thermal silicon dioxide after DXRL.(C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.