FLUORINE-FREE PLASMA CURING PROCESS FOR POROUS LOW-K MATERIALS

摘要

Low dielectric constant porous materials with improved elastic modulus and material hardness. The process of making such porous materials involves providing a porous dielectric material and plasma curing the porous dielectric material with a fluorine-free plasma gas to produce a fluorine-free plasma cured porous dielectric material. Fluorine-free plasma curing of the porous dielectric material yields a material with improved modulus and material hardness, and with comparable dielectric constant. The improvement in elastic modulus is typically greater than or about 50%.