Defect chemistry and electronic transport in low-κ dielectrics studied with electrically detected magnetic resonance

Abstract

Defect mediated electronic transport phenomena in low-κ dielectric films are of great technological interest for state-of-the-art and next generation microprocessors. At the present time, the leading low-κ interlayer dielectrics and etch-stop layers are based upon a-SiOC:H and a-SiCN:H, respectively. In this study, we utilize electrically detected magnetic resonance (EDMR), a derivative of electron paramagnetic resonance, to provide physical insight into electronic transport, as well as the nature and origin of defects in dense and porous a-SiOC:H and dense a-SiCN:H films. Resonance measurements are performed before and after the removal of sacrificial porogens via UV treatments to understand the role of specific defect centers in electronic transport in a-SiOC:H systems, and the nature of defects created by UV treatments. Unfortunately, a-SiOC:H and a-SiCN:H EDMR spectra are relatively broad and featureless. These featureless spectra are consistent with fairly complex a-SiOC:H and a-SiCN:H systems. We argue that physical insight may be gleaned from featureless spectra via multiple frequency EDMR. Baseline multiple frequency EDMR measurements are performed in a-Si:H and a-C:H to illustrate the nature of line broadening mechanisms of silicon and carbon related defects.