Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Comp. Ltd.

Chih-Hsiang Yao

Tai-Chun Huang

Jye-Yen Cheng

Wen-Kai Wan

Chin-Chiu Hsia

Kuan-Shou Chi

Yi-Chun Huang

Min-Hwa Chi

Chen-Hua Douglas Yu

Mong-Song Liang

Chung-Hsing Wang

Wen-Hao Chen

Hua-Tai Lin

Chen-Nan Yeh

Ken-Yu Chang

King-Ho Tam

Yen-Pin Chen

Chung-Kai Lin

Jeng-Shiun Ho

Ying-Wen Huang

Syun-Ming Jang Jang

Tien-I Bao

Ching-Hua Hsieh

Yung-Cheng Lu

Ming-Hsing Tsai

Chih-Tang Peng

Lain-Jong Li

Ming-Ta Lei

Wen-Chuan Chiang

Minghsing Tsai

Cheng-Cheng Kuo

Tung-Ching Tseng

Chih-Cherng Jeng

Tzu-Chun Lo

Bi-Trong Chen

Ming-Shuoh Liang

Yih-Hsiung Lin

Cheng Cheng Kuo

Luke Lo

Yun-Cheng Lu

Bi-Troug Chen

Syun-Ming Jan

In a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, a first dielectric layer is formed over a substrate. A first set of recesses is formed in the first dielectric layer. A metal layer is formed in the first set of recesses. A set of metal wirings is formed from the metal layer in the first set of recesses. A second set of recesses is formed in the first dielectric layer. A second dielectric layer is formed over the set of metal wirings and in the second set of recesses. A third set of recesses is formed in the first dielectric layer and the second dielectric layer. A third dielectric layer is formed over the metal wirings and in the third set of recesses.

Semiconductor device and manufacturing method thereof

A method of designing a circuit includes designing a first layout of the circuit based on a first plurality of corner variation values for an electrical characteristic of a corresponding plurality of back end of line (BEOL) features of the circuit. Based on the layout, a processor calculates a first delay attributable to the plurality of BEOL features and a second delay attributable to a plurality of front end of line (FEOL) devices of the circuit. If the first delay is greater than the second delay, a second layout of the circuit is designed based on a second plurality of corner variation values for the electrical characteristic of the corresponding plurality of BEOL features. Each corner variation value of the first plurality of corner variation values is obtained by multiplying a corresponding corner variation value of the second plurality of corner variation values by a corresponding scaling factor.

Circuit design method and system

An embodiment semiconductor device includes a first conductive feature in a dielectric layer and a second conductive feature over the dielectric layer and electrically connected to the first conductive feature. The second conductive feature includes a dual damascene structure and further includes a top portion within both a line portion and a via portion of the second conductive feature and a bottom portion in the via portion of the second conductive feature. The bottom portion comprises a different conductive material than the top portion, and a thickness of the bottom portion is at least about twenty percent of a total thickness of the via portion of the second conductive feature.

Interconnect structures and methods of forming same

A method of generating a techfile corresponding to a predetermined fabrication process is disclosed. The method includes determining a typical value and a corner variation value usable to model an electrical characteristic of a layer of back end of line (BEOL) features to be fabricated by the predetermined fabrication process, based on measurement of one or more sample integrated circuit chips fabricated by the predetermined fabrication process. A reduced variation value is calculated based on the corner variation value and a scaling factor. The techfile is generated based on the typical value and the reduced variation value.

Method of generating techfile having reduced corner variation value

Semiconductor integrated circuit line structures for improving a process window in the vicinity of dense-to-isolated pattern transition areas and a technique to implement the line structures in the layout process are described in this disclosure. The disclosed structure includes a semiconductor substrate, and a material layer above the substrate. The material layer has a closely spaced dense line structure, an isolated line structure next to the dense line structure, and a dummy line shoulder structure formed in the vicinity of the dense line and the isolated line structures. One end of the dummy line shoulder structure connects to the isolated line structure and another end extends away from the isolated line structure in an orientation substantially perpendicular to the isolated line structure.

Method for line stress reduction through dummy shoulder structures

A semiconductor device is prepared by an annealing process to interconnect at least two components of the device by a conductor line surrounded by an insulator material. The annealing process results in formation of residual stresses within the conductor line and the insulator material. One or multiple notches are designed in the layout on a selective portion of the mask for patterning conductor line. The existence of the notch or notches on the selective portion generates extra stress components within the conductor line than would exist without the existence of the notch. The position of the notch is selected so that the extra stress components substantially counteract the residual stresses, thereby causing a net reduction in the residual stresses. The reduction in the residual stresses results in a corresponding mechanical stress migration and therefore improvement in the reliability of the device.

Conductor layout technique to reduce stress-induced void formations

A semiconductor device is prepared by an annealing process to interconnect at least two components of the device by a conductor line surrounded by an insulator material. The annealing process results in formation of residual stresses within the conductor line and the insulator material. A notch is designed in the layout on a selective portion of the mask for patterning conductor line. The existence of a shape of notch on the selective portion generates extra stress components within the conductor line than if without the existence of the notch. The position of the notch is selected so that the extra stress components substantially counteract the residual stresses, thereby causing a net reduction in the residual stresses. The reduction in the residual stresses results in a corresponding mechanical stress migration and therefore improvement in the reliability of the device.

Dummy shoulder structure for line stress reduction

A device includes a dielectric layer, a metal line in the dielectric layer, and a via underlying and connected to the metal line. Two dummy metal patterns are adjacent to the metal line, and are aligned to a straight line. A dummy metal line interconnects the two dummy metal patterns. A width of the dummy metal line is smaller than lengths and widths of the two dummy metal patterns, wherein the width is measure in a direction perpendicular to the straight line. Bottoms of the two dummy metal patterns and the dummy metal line are substantially level with a bottom surface of the metal line.

Metal line and via formation using hard masks

A method for an integrated circuit structure includes providing a semiconductor substrate; forming a metallization layer over the semiconductor substrate; forming a first dielectric layer between the semiconductor substrate and the metallization layer; forming a second dielectric layer between the semiconductor substrate and the metallization layer, wherein the second dielectric layer is over the first dielectric layer; and forming a contact plug with an upper portion substantially in the second dielectric layer and a lower portion substantially in the first dielectric layer. The contact plug is electrically connected to a metal line in the metallization layer. The contact plug is discontinuous at an interface between the upper portion and the lower portion.

Method for stacked contact with low aspect ratio

An integrated circuit structure includes a semiconductor substrate; a metallization layer over the semiconductor substrate; a first dielectric layer between the semiconductor substrate and the metallization layer; a second dielectric layer between the semiconductor substrate and the metallization layer, wherein the second dielectric layer is over the first dielectric layer; and a contact plug with an upper portion substantially in the second dielectric layer and a lower portion substantially in the first dielectric layer. The contact plug is electrically connected to a metal line in the metallization layer. The contact plug is discontinuous at an interface between the upper portion and the lower portion.

Stacked contact with low aspect ratio

An outer border, and a seal ring substantially co-extensive with and spaced from the outer border is disclosed. A plurality of fault detection chains extend from adjacent the outer border to within the seal ring. At least a first one of the plurality of fault detection chains includes a contact pad, a first metal feature coupled to the contact pad by a first via in a passivation layer, a second metal feature coupled to the first metal feature by a second via, and a substrate contact coupled to the second metal feature by a third via.

Semiconductor device fault detection system and method

Growing community of inventors

Taipei, Taiwan

Chih-Hsiang Yao