Patent ID: 8753449

Claim:
A method for processing a substrate, comprising: depositing an ultra low-k dielectric layer having a dielecric constant of less than about 2.5 on a substrate supported by a substrate support in a deposition chamber; and subjecting the deposited ultra low-k dielectric layer to a ultraviolet (UV) curing process in a UV processing chamber, comprising: stabilizing the UV processing chamber by flowing a purge gas and an oxygen gas into the UV processing chamber at a flow ratio of about 1 (oxygen gas):6400 (purge gas) to about 1 (oxygen gas):300 (purge gas), wherein the oxygen gas is flowed into the UV processing chamber at a flow rate of about 1.0 sccm to about 30 sccm for a 300 mm diameter substrate; exposing the deposited ultra low-k dielectric layer to UV radiation; terminating flow of the oxygen gas while still flowing purge gas into the UV processing chamber with UV radiation turned off or remains on; and pumping residues and unwanted produces out of the UV processing chamber.