Spectroscopic ellipsometry of porous low-κ dielectric thin films

Variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry (VASE) measurements from 30 μm (infrared) to 150 nm (vacuum ultraviolet) were used to measure the thickness, pore volume fraction, gradation in the refractive index and chemical bonding of porous 1OW-K films. The VUV spectroscopic ellipsometry measurements were used to determine the pore volume fraction and gradation in the refractive index of the porous low-κ films. Bruggeman's effective medium approximation was used to calculate the total pore volume fraction. The IR spectroscopic ellipsometry measurements were used to characterize the chemical bonding of the porous low-κ samples. Absorption coefficients in the IR wavelength were used to characterize the chemical bonding in the porous low-κ films. © 2009 American Institute of Physics.