Effect of material properties on integration damage in organosilicate glass films

Most organosilicate glass (OSG), low dielectric constant (low-κ) films contain Si–R groups, where R is an organic moiety such as −CH₃. The organic component is susceptible to the chemically reactive plasmas used to deposit cap layers, etch patterns, and ash photoresist. This study compares a spin-on, mesoporous OSG film with a completely connected pore structure to both its nonmesoporous counterpart and to another low-density OSG film deposited by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. The results show that the film with connected pores was much more susceptible to integration damage than were the nonmesoporous OSG films.