SiOCH

SiOCH refers to a class of materials that are a hybrid of silicon, oxygen, and carbon. These materials are typically amorphous solids with a disordered structure, unlike crystalline silicon dioxide (silica) or silicon carbide. The specific properties of SiOCH materials depend on the relative proportions of silicon, oxygen, and carbon, as well as the bonding arrangements within the material.

SiOCH materials are often synthesized using chemical vapor deposition (CVD) techniques, particularly plasma-enhanced CVD (PECVD). Precursor gases containing silicon, oxygen, and carbon are introduced into a reaction chamber where they decompose and deposit onto a substrate. The process parameters, such as gas flow rates, pressure, temperature, and plasma power, are carefully controlled to tailor the composition and structure of the resulting SiOCH film.

A key characteristic of SiOCH materials is their tunable dielectric constant. By incorporating carbon, which has a lower atomic density and polarizability compared to oxygen, the dielectric constant of the material can be reduced. This makes SiOCH highly attractive for applications in microelectronics, where low-k dielectric materials are needed to reduce parasitic capacitance and improve device performance. They can also exhibit good thermal stability and mechanical properties, depending on their composition. Applications beyond low-k dielectrics include protective coatings and membranes.