| abstract |
In accordance with the present invention, an improved method and structure is provided for integrating polymer and other low dielectric constant materials, which may have undesirable properties, into integrated circuit structures and processes, especially those requiring multiple levels of interconnect lines. Since the bond is typically weak between low-k materials such as polymers 18 and traditional dielectrics such as SiO2 22, the weak bonding may cause delamination or other problems during subsequent processing. The present invention increases yield and simplifies processing subsequent to application of the low-k material by providing an adhesion/protective layer 20 between the low-k material 18 and the intermetal dielectric 22. A preferred embodiment is a spun-on layer 20 of HSQ cured on a hotplate prior to application of the SiO2 intermetal dielectric. |