Patent ID: 7691756

Claim:
A semiconductor device comprising: a semiconductor substrate; and a passivated dielectric layer formed on the semiconductor substrate; wherein the dielectric layer is passivated with a passivating coupling material, the coupling material comprising an organosilane, according to the general formula: in which: n is an integer equal to or greater than 1, each Si is a silicon atom; X 1 is a functional group able to react with a surface hydroxyl site of the dielectric material, Y 1 is either: X 2 , which is a further functional group able to react with a surface hydroxyl site of the dielectric material, H, which is a hydrogen atom, or R 1 , which is an organic apolar group or branch; Y 2 is either: X 3 , which is a further functional group able to react with a surface hydroxyl site of the dielectric material, H, which is a hydrogen atom, or R 2 , which is an organic apolar group or branch, B, the presence of which is optional, is a bridging group, Z 1 is either: R 3 , which is an organic apolar group or branch, H, which is a hydrogen atom, or L 1 , which is a ligand having an electron donor functionality and is able to act as a metal nucleation site, Z 2 is either: R 4 , which is an organic apolar group or branch, H, which is a hydrogen atom, or L 2 , which is a ligand haying an electron donor functionality and which is able to act as a metal nucleation site, and L is a ligand able to act as a metal nucleation site.