Patent ID: 8551892
Filing Date: 2013-10-08
Classification: C23C,H01L

Abstract:
1. A method for reducing a dielectric constant of a film, comprising (i) forming a dielectric film on a substrate; (ii) treating a surface of the film without film formation, and (III) curing the film, wherein: step (i) comprises forming a dielectric film containing a porous matrix and a porogen on a substrate using capacitively-coupled electrodes, step (ii) comprises, prior to step (iii), treating the dielectric film with charged species of hydrogen generated by plasma without film deposition so as to remove a porogen weakly coupled with a film matrix of the dielectric film and inhibit aggregation of a porogen in the film matrix, said plasma being generated using the capacitively-coupled electrodes, said charged species of hydrogen containing both excited hydrogen radicals and hydrogen ions, and step (iii) comprises UV-curing the dielectric film to remove at least partially the porogen from the film.