Patent ID: 7977256

Claim:
A method of preparing a porous low dielectric constant (low-k) film on a substrate, comprising: forming a low-k dielectric film on a substrate, wherein said low-k dielectric film as-formed on said substrate comprises a structure-forming material and a cross-linking inhibitor; exposing said low-k dielectric film to infrared (IR) radiation to remove at least part of said cross-linking inhibitor, wherein said exposing to said IR radiation occurs prior to any exposure of said low-k dielectric film to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, and said IR radiation contains substantially monochromatic electromagnetic (EM) radiation having a narrow band of wavelengths; selecting one or more IR properties of said exposing said low-k dielectric film to infrared (IR) radiation to adjust a residual amount of said cross-linking inhibitor remaining in said low-k dielectric film in order to tune a mechanical property of said low-k dielectric film, an electrical property of said low-k dielectric film, an optical property of said low-k dielectric film, a pore size of said low-k dielectric film, or a porosity of said low-k dielectric film, or a combination of two or more thereof; exposing said low-k dielectric film to ultraviolet (UV) radiation following said exposing said low-k dielectric film to infrared (IR) radiation; and exposing said low-k dielectric film to second IR radiation during said exposing said low-k dielectric film to ultraviolet (UV) radiation.