Battelle Memorial Institute

Christopher Andrew Coyle

Suresh Baskaran

Glen E Fryxell

Jerome C Birnbaum

Jun Liu

Xiaohong Shari Li

Zhenguo Yang

Lawrence Andrew Chick

Ralph E Williford

Glen C Dunham

Karel Domansky

Nathan J Kohler

Shari Li Xiaohong

Suntharampillai Thevuthasan

Porous ceramic and hybrid ceramic films are useful as low dielectric constant interlayers in semiconductor interconnects. (Hybrid ceramic films are defined as films that contain organic and ceramic molecular components in the structure, as, for example, organosilicates). This invention describes the usefulness of humidity treatments (using specific temperature/humidity treatments as illustrative examples) in increasing mechanical integrity of porous dielectric films with minimal detrimental effect on film porosity or dielectric constant and with no adverse impact on film quality. The efficacy of such treatments is illustrated using surfactant-templated mesoporous silicate films as an example. This invention also describes a specific family of additives to be used with highly pure alkali-metal-free ceramic and hybrid precursors for such dielectric films that will enable better control of the film porosity and quality and lower dielectric constants with the required mechanical integrity. The efficacy of such additives is illustrated using surfactant-templated mesoporous silicate films as a model example. The invention should be broadly applicable to any cross-linked ceramic or hybrid ceramic films (including silicate and organosilicate films, and especially highly porous forms of the films for low-dielectric constant applications). The invention has been found to be particularly effective with surfactant-templated silicate films with nanometer-scale porosity. The invention in either embodiment should also be applicable to evaporation-induced formation of other cross-linked shapes such as fibers and powders.

Method for producing high purity low dielectric constant ceramic and hybrid ceramic films

A method of joining metal and metal, or metal and ceramic parts, wherein a first metal part is selected and then processed to form a bond coat that will effectively bond to a sealing material which in turn bonds to a second metal or ceramic part without degrading under the operating conditions of electrochemical devices. Preferred first metal parts include alumina forming alloys from the group consisting of ferritic stainless steels (such as Fecralloys), austinetic stainless steels, and superalloys, and chromia forming alloys formed of ferritic stainless steels. In the case of chromia forming ferritic stainless steels, this bond coat consists of a thin layer of alumina formed on the surface, with a diffusion layer between the first metal part and this thin layer. The bond coat provides a good bonding surface for a sealing layer of glass, braze or combinations thereof, while at the same time the diffusion layer provides a durable bond between the thin alumina layer and the first metal part. In the case of alumina forming alloys, the bond coat consists of cauliflower-like growths of an aluminum oxide nodules embedded in the surface of the alumina forming alloys.

Gas-tight metal/ceramic or metal/metal seals for applications in high temperature electrochemical devices and method of making

The present invention is a mesoporous silica film having a low dielectric constant and method of making having the steps of combining a surfactant in a silica precursor solution, spin-coating a film from this solution mixture, forming a partially hydroxylated mesoporous film, and dehydroxylating the hydroxylated film to obtain the mesoporous film. It is advantageous that the small polyoxyethylene ether surfactants used in spin-coated films as described in the present invention will result in fine pores smaller on average than about 20 nm. The resulting mesoporous film has a dielectric constant less than 3, which is stable in moist air with a specific humidity. The present invention provides a method for superior control of film thickness and thickness uniformity over a coated wafer, and films with low dielectric constant.

Mesoporous silica film from a solution containing a surfactant and methods of making same

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Pasco, WA, United States of America

Christopher Andrew Coyle