Interuniversitair Microelektronica Centrum (imec)

Interuniversitair Micorelektronica Centrum (imec, Vzw)

Other

Texas Instruments Corporation

Imec

Interuniversitair Micro-elektronica Centrum Vzw

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Comp. Ltd.

Imec Vzw

Gerald Beyer

Eric Beyne

Chao Zhao

Karen Irma Maex

Zsolt Tokei

Sywert Brongersma

Victor C Sutcliffe

Steven Demuynck

Soon-Wook Kim

Roger Palmans

Jean Paul Gueneau De Mussy

Lan Peng

Robert Miller

Joris Proost

Patrick Verdonck

Yu Chen-Hua

Chung-Shi Liu

The present invention relates to a method for obtaining enlarged Cu grains in small trenches. More specifically it related to a method for creating enlarged copper grains or inducing super secondary grain growth in electrochemically deposited copper in narrow trenches and/or vias to be used in semiconductor devices.

Method to create super secondary grain growth in narrow trenches

A method for producing narrow trenches in semiconductor devices. The narrow trenches are formed by chemically changing the properties of a first dielectric layer locally, such that the side walls of a patterned hole in the first dielectric layer is converted locally and becomes etchable by a first etching substance. Subsequently a second dielectric material is deposited in the patterned structure and the damaged part of the first dielectric material is removed such that small trenches are obtained.

Method for creating narrow trenches in dielectric materials

Methods for the production of airgaps in semiconductor devices and devices produced using such methods are disclosed. An example semiconductor device includes a damascene stack formed using such methods. The damascene stack includes a patterned dielectric layer including an interconnect structure, where the dielectric layer is formed of a dielectric material including Si, C and O. The damascene stack also includes a converted portion of the dielectric layer, where the converted portion is adjacent to the at least one interconnect structure and has a lower carbon content than the dielectric material. The damascene stack also includes an airgap formed adjacent to the interconnect structure, the airgap being formed by removing at least part of the converted portion using an etch compound.

Methods for selective integration of airgaps and devices made by such methods

A method for the production of airgaps in a semiconductor device and device produced therefrom. The formation of airgaps is accomplished, in part, by chemically and/or mechanically changing the properties of a first dielectric layer locally, such that at least part of said first dielectric layer is converted locally and becomes etchable by a first etching substance. The local conversion of the dielectric material may be achieved during anisotropic etching of the material in oxygen containing plasma or ex-situ by performing an oxidizing step (e.g., a UV/ozone treatment or supercritical carbon dioxide with addition of an oxidizer). Formation of airgaps is achieved after creation of conductive lines and, alternatively, a barrier layer by a first etching substance. The airgaps are formed in a dual damascene structure, near the vias and/or the trenches of the damascene structure.

Method for the production of airgaps in a semiconductor device, the semiconductor device comprising a stack of layers, the stack of layers comprising at least one iteration of a sub-stack of layers.

The present invention is about a method for filling an opening in an insulating layer in a fast and highly reliable way and can be used to fill openings such as trenches and via holes simultaneously. This method is based on the principle of reaction enhanced wetting and simultaneous seed layer formation. The idea is, in contrast to trying to avoid the TiAl,formation, to use this reaction to its advantage for the creation of an ultra-thin continuous Al-containing seed layer. The latter allows a bottom to top fill during the subsequent Al-containing metal deposition. As a consequence, the filling process proceeds much faster and is production worthy.

Method of filling an opening in an insulating layer

Growing community of inventors

Leuven, Belgium

Gerald Beyer