Effects of Postdeposition in situ Heat Treatment on the Properties of Low Dielectric Constant Plasma Polymer Films Deposited Using Decahydronaphthalene and Tetraethyl Orthosilicate as the Precursors

Abstract

We investigated effects of postdeposition heat treatment (HT) on the properties of plasma polymer films deposited by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition using a mixture of decahydronaphthalene and tetraethyl orthosilicate as the precursors, which were referred to as plasma-polymerized decahydronaphthalene:tetraethyl orthosilicate (PPDHN:TEOS) films. HTs at 350, 450, and 500 °C decreased the relative dielectric constant k of the PPDHN:TEOS films from 3.16, the k value of the as-deposited film, to 2.82, 2.72, and 3.02, respectively. The change of k value as a function of HT temperature was correlated with the change of Fourier transform infrared absorption peaks of O–H, C = O, and Si-related groups. As the HT temperature increased, the thermal stability of the PPDHN:TEOS film increased. PPDHN:TEOS films, as-deposited or heat treated, showed leakage current density in the order of 10−7 A/cm2 at 1 MV/cm.