Abstract: Structures employing siloxane epoxy polymers as diffusion barriers adjacent conductive metal layers are disclosed. The siloxane epoxy polymers exhibit excellent adhesion to conductive metals, such as copper, and provide an increase in the electromigration lifetime of metal lines. In addition, the siloxane epoxy polymers have dielectric constants less then 3, and thus, provide improved performance over conventional diffusion barriers.

Abstract: A method for treating the surfaces of materials to improve wettability and adhesion of subsequently deposited polymer layers is disclosed. Suitable materials for practice of the method include polymeric materials and silicon-containing materials is disclosed. The method involves contacting at least a portion of the surface of the material with an aqueous solution of sulfuric acid or phosphoric acid, followed by rinsing with water. After the acid treatment, the contact angle of the surface decreases, and subsequently deposited polymer coatings easily wet the material's surface and exhibit enhanced adhesion. The method may be used to fabricate useful structures, such as semiconductor structures, optical waveguide structures, and coated articles.

Abstract: Semiconductor devices employing siloxane epoxy polymers as low-? dielectric films are disclosed. The devices include a semiconductor substrate, one or more metal layers or structures and one or more dielectric films, wherein at least one dielectric film in the devices is a siloxane epoxy polymer. Use of siloxane epoxy polymers is advantageous, in part, because the polymers adhere well to metals and have dielectric constants as low as 1.8. Thus, the disclosed semiconductor devices offer much better performance than devices fabricated using conventional dielectric materials. Furthermore, the siloxane epoxy polymer dielectrics are fully curable at low temperatures, exhibit low leakage currents, and remain stable at temperatures greater than 400° C.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for forming a conformal coating having a reactive surface. In the method, an ultrathin layer composed of a polymer having repeating units derived from unsubstituted p-xylylene, substituted p-xylylene, phenylene vinylene, phenylene ethynylene, 1,4-methylene naphthalene, 2,6-methylene naphthalene, 1,4-vinylene naphthalene, 2,6-vinylene naphthalene, 1,4-ethynylene naphthalene, 2,6-ethynylene naphthalene, combinations thereof, precursors therefor or combinations of precursors therefor, is deposited on a substrate by a thermal CVD process. The ultrathin layer is optionally exposed to a source of oxygen and then exposed to a reagent selected from ammonium hydroxide, tetramethylammonium hydroxide, ammonium sulfide, dimethyl sulfide, thioacetic acid, sodium hydrosulfide, sodium sulfide, hydrazine, acetamide and combinations thereof. The surface may be modified readily after the treatment.

Abstract: Structures and methods for preventing fluorine diffusion from a fluorinated dielectric material having a low dielectric constant are disclosed. Various fluorine diffusion barriers are described, each of which comprises doped or undoped silicon in combination with tantalum, tantalum nitride, tantalum silicide, cobalt, cobalt silicide, or mixtures thereof. Fluorine diffusion from fluorinated dielectrics is stopped by the barriers at temperatures as high as 450° C. In practice, one of the disclosed fluorine diffusion barriers is positioned between a fluorine-containing insulator and a conductive metal interconnect or metal interconnect diffusion barrier, thereby preventing diffusion of the fluorine atoms into the adjacent interconnect/barrier.

Abstract: An ultrafast all-optical nonlinear switch. The switch has as components a substrate and a material disposed on the substrate. In one embodiment, the material includes a plurality of single-walled carbon nanotubes and a polymer forming a composite. Preferably, the polymer is polyimide. In another embodiment, the material includes a plurality of single-walled carbon nanotubes incorporated into a silica. The nanotube loading in the material is less than about 0.1 wt %. The material is a substantially transparent, third-order nonlinear optical material. The switch has a switching speed of less than 1 picosecond for light with a wavelength of about 1.55 micrometers. Also disclosed is a process for preparing the ultrafast all-optical nonlinear switch.

Abstract: A method for preventing migration of metal ions into a dielectric layer comprising low-&kgr; siloxane polymer includes treating at least one surface of the dielectric layer with a plasma selected from nitrogen, nitrogen oxides, noble gases and mixtures thereof, and forming on the treated surface a barrier layer. The barrier layer prevents migration of metal ions into the dielectric layer.

Abstract: Structures and methods for preventing fluorine diffusion from a fluorinated dielectric material having a low dielectric constant are disclosed. Various fluorine diffusion barriers are described, each of which comprises doped or undoped silicon in combination with tantalum, tantalum nitride, tantalum silicide, cobalt, cobalt silicide, or mixtures thereof. Fluorine diffusion from fluorinated dielectrics is stopped by the barriers at temperatures as high as 450° C. In practice, one of the disclosed fluorine diffusion barriers is positioned between a fluorine-containing insulator and a conductive metal interconnect or metal interconnect diffusion barrier, thereby preventing diffusion of the fluorine atoms into the adjacent interconnect/barrier.

Abstract: Cobalt thin films were prepared by atomic layer deposition (ALD). The precursor cobalt(II) acetylacetonate [Co(C5H7O2)2] was used to selectively deposit films onto iridium substrates using hydrogen reduction. Cobalt growth was observed on SiO2, silicon, fluorinated silica glass (FSG), and tantalum when silane was used as a reducing agent.

Abstract: Materials and surfaces terminated with sulfur, phosphorous, antimony, selenium, tellurium, bromine and/or iodine atoms are suitable for the manufacture of metallic thin films by deposition of highly polarizable transition metals over an atomic passivation layer or a self-assembled layer.

Abstract: An ultrafast all-optical nonlinear switch. The switch has as components a substrate and a material disposed on the substrate. In one embodiment, the material includes a plurality of single-walled carbon nanotubes and a polymer forming a composite. Preferably, the polymer is polyimide. In another embodiment, the material includes a plurality of single-walled carbon nanotubes incorporated into a silica. The nanotube loading in the material is less than about 0.1 wt %. The material is a substantially transparent, third-order nonlinear optical material. The switch has a switching speed of less than 1 picosecond for light with a wavelength of about 1.55 micrometers. Also disclosed is a process for preparing the ultrafast all-optical nonlinear switch.

Abstract: Cobalt thin films were prepared by atomic layer deposition (ALD). The precursor cobalt(II) acetylacetonate [Co(C5H7O2)2] was used to selectively deposit films onto iridium substrates using hydrogen reduction. Cobalt growth was observed on SiO2, silicon fluorinated silica glass (FSG), and tantalum when silane was used as a reducing agent.

Abstract: A method of depositing a polymer film onto a semiconductor wafer is provided which includes the steps of connecting the wafer to one terminal of a voltage source, connecting an electrode to an other pole of the voltage source and placing the electrode and substrate in superposed orientation to form a parallel plate capacitor, wherein an electric field is produced between the electrode and substrate. The parallel plate capacitor is placed in a chamber where pressure andc temperature are maintained at predetermined levels and gaseous monomers of the desired film to be polymerized are introduced into the chamber. The gaseous monomers are then permitted to flow between the electrode and wafer while the voltage of the electric field is maintained at a level sufficient to polarize the monomers without breaking their chemical bonds wherein the polarized monomers react to form a polymer film on the wafer at an enhanced rate.

Abstract: A partially ionized beam (PIB) deposition technique is used to heteroepitally deposit a thin film of CoGe.sub.2 (001) on GaAs (100) substrates 14. The resulting epitaxial arrangement is CoGe.sub.2 (001) GaAs (100). The best epitaxial layer is obtained with an ion energy 1100 eV to 1200 eV and with a substrate temperature of approximately 280.degree. Centigrade. The substrate wafers are treated only by immersion in HF:H.sub.2 O 1:10 immediately prior to deposition of the epitaxial layer. Contacts grown at these optimal conditions display ohmic behavior, while contacts grown at higher or lower substrate temperatures exhibit rectifying behavior. Epitaxial formation of a high melting point, low resistivity cobalt germanide phase results in the formation of a stable contact to n-GaAs.

Abstract: A PA-F polymer film is formed using a mixture of 1,4-bis (trifluoromethyl) benzene (TFB) and a halogen initiator. This mixture is provided to a low pressure reactor containing a metal catalyst. The reactor is operated at a sufficient temperature to form a reactive monomer by a chemical reaction at the surface of the catalyst. The reactive monomer is condensed on the surface of a substrate cooled to a temperature sufficiently low to induce polymerization of the reactive monomer to form a PA-F polymer film. In general, the proportion of halogen initiator is about 0.25 to 50% by volume relative to the total volume of the TFB/halogen initiator mixture. The reactor is operated at a temperature of about 200.degree. to 700.degree. C. and a pressure of less than about one torr. In addition, the surface of the substrate is maintained at a temperature of about -30.degree. C. to room temperature.

Abstract: A high ionization efficiency process for partially ionized beam deposition of metals or metal alloys on substrates such as semiconductor wafers is described. Metal vaporized from a crucible is partially ionized at the crucible exit, and the ionized vapor is drawn to the substrate by an imposed bias. Control of substrate temperature allows non-conformal coverage of stepped surfaces such as vias or trenches. When higher substrate temperatures are used, stepped surfaces are planarized.