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Materials 2010, 3(1), 536-562; doi:10.3390/ma3010536

Review

Porous Dielectrics in Microelectronic Wiring Applications

Vincent McGahay

International Business Machines Corporation, 2070 Route 52, Hopewell Junction, NY 12533, USA

Received: 7 December 2009; in revised form: 1 January 2010 / Accepted: 14 January 2010 / Published: 18 January 2010

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Porous Materials)

Download PDF Full-Text [349 KB, uploaded 18 January 2010 15:30 CET]

Abstract: Porous insulators are utilized in the wiring structure of microelectronic devices as a means of reducing, through low dielectric permittivity, power consumption and signal delay in integrated circuits. They are typically based on low density modifications of amorphous SiO₂ known as SiCOH or carbon-doped oxides, in which free volume is created through the removal of labile organic phases. Porous dielectrics pose a number of technological challenges related to chemical and mechanical stability, particularly in regard to semiconductor processing methods. This review discusses porous dielectric film preparation techniques, key issues encountered, and mitigation strategies.

Keywords: porosity; dielectric; interconnect; microelectronic; integrated circuit; semiconductor

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