| abstract |
A method of forming an organosilicate low dielectric constant insulating layer ( 40 ) in an integrated circuit, and an integrated circuit structure having such a low-k insulating layer ( 40 ), are disclosed. In the case where the low-k dielectric material of the insulating layer ( 40 ) comprises an organosilicate glass, subsequent plasma processing has been observed to break bonds between silicon and organic moieties, either by replacing an organic group with a hydroxyl group or with hydrogen, or by leaving a dangling bond. Eventually, the damaged insulating layer ( 40 ) includes silanol molecules, which results in a degraded film. The disclosed method exposes the damaged insulating layer ( 40 ) to a silylation agent such as hexamethyldisilazane, which reacts with the damaged molecules, and forms molecules that restore the properties of the film. |