Application of deuterium exchange to analyze moisture uptake characteristics of porous low-dielectric-constant SiOCH films

In this work, deuterium exchange was used as a chemical marker to monitor moisture uptake in ash-damaged, low-k spin-on and chemical vapor deposited SiOCH films. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was performed to detect differences in deuterium adsorption. A broad-band in the 2550-3050 cm(-1) range and peaks at approximately 1350 and 1460 cm(-1) were found after D2O adsorption. The spectral distribution of the deuterium species giving rise to the detected bands is investigated as a function of plasma treatment and surface topography. These results demonstrate the utility of the deuterium exchange as a potentially useful technique for characterization of the moisture uptake properties of low-k materials. (C) 2008 The Electrochemical Society.