A novel technology to form air gap for ULSI application

In this letter, we develop a novel process to fill the interline space with air (dielectric constant=1). A silicon wafer, whose face is downward, patterned with metal lines, is placed on the top of another silicon wafer coated with dry polyimide. Hydrogen silsesquioxanes (HSQ), FOx-16, is diluted and trickled through the slit between the metal lines and the polyimide. Then the HSQ forms an ultrathin liquid layer on the dry polyimide and contacts with the top of the metal lines. After the liquid HSQ becomes dry, the air gap is formed. The dry polyimide has good adhesion to silicon substrate but not to the dry FOx-16, so we can separate the polyimide from the dry FOx-16 and get the air gap. The liquid property of HSQ and its high selective adsorption between the metal lines and the polyimide are utilized to form the air gap.