Patent ID: 8871650

Claim:
A method of patterning a low-k dielectric film, the method comprising: etching a low-k dielectric layer disposed above a substrate with a first plasma process, the etching comprising forming a fluorocarbon polymer on the low-k dielectric layer; surface-conditioning, with a second plasma process, the low-k dielectric layer to remove the fluorocarbon polymer and to form an Si—O-containing protecting layer on the low-k dielectric layer, wherein surface-conditioning the low-k dielectric layer with the second plasma process comprises using a plasma derived from an oxygen radical source and a silicon source, and wherein the silicon source is a molecule that reacts with an oxygen radical to form a silicon oxide layer on the low-k dielectric layer, the silicon source selected from the group consisting of silicon tetrafluoride (SiF 4 ), silicon tetrachloride (SiCl 4 ), silane (SiH 4 ) dimethylsilane ((CH 3 ) 2 SiH 2 ), trimethylsilane ((CH 3 ) 3 SiH), and N -(Trimethylsilyl)dimethylamine ((CH 3) 3 SiN(CH 2 ) 2 ); and removing the Si—O-containing protecting layer with a third plasma process.