This paper describes a comparison between capacitance-voltage (CV) and spectral ellipsometry (SE) measurements of the dielectric constant of fluorinated amorphous carbon films. Whereas CV measurements require the construction of metal-insulatorsemiconductor (MIS) structures, SE measurements can be made on as-deposited films, and are much easier to implement. An examination of the results indicate that under certain conditions, the SE measurements give values that are in reasonable agreement with the more direct measurements based on the electrical (CV) response of the dielectric layer. The films reported on here had dielectric constants ranging from 3 – 5, and, in some cases, show promising characteristics for use as low-k dielectrics in semiconductor devices.
In situ observation of the plasma properties during deposition of fluorinated amorphous hydrogenated carbon (FLAC) and unfluorinated amorphous hydrogenated carbon are performed. The relationship between film properties and impinging ion energy and incident ion momentum is discussed within the framework of existing models of diamond-like carbon (DLC) formation. The DLC films are deposited in a low pressure radio frequency discharge operating at 13.57 MHz with methane and carbon tetra-fluoride as the source gases. Thermostability, stress, and mechanical properties are investigated. The films are elevated to 400 degrees C in order to investigate thermostability. Thin film stress and nano-hardness are also studied. The film density is investigated by gravimetric methods. The fluorinated film stoichiometry is explored with x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.
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