| This study was undertaken to produce low dielectric constant thin films having high thermal stability using the pulsed plasma polymerization technique. Perfluorotoluene was employed as the monomer. It was observed that polymerized films, obtained from pure perfluorotoluene, exhibited relatively poor thermal stabilities. However, a gas mixture, involving addition of hydrogen or methane to the perfluorotoluene, produced significant improvement in the thermal stabilities of these polymers. Wide changes in film compositions were observed with changing plasma duty cycles for mixtures of fixed composition, all other plasma variables held constant. Spectroscopic analysis of these film are consistent with increasing polymer cross-linking with increasing duty cycle. These composites exhibited thermal stabilities to 350°C, with only a few weight percent loss at 400°C. The thermal stabilities of these films, coupled with their relatively low dielectric constants, are encouraging with respect to use of such composites in future microelectronic applications. |
