Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Comp. Ltd.

Lawrence Lin

Chin-Hsiang Lin

Kuei Shun Chen

Vencent Chang

Jhun Hua Chen

Lai Chien Wen

Yung-Sung Yen

Kuei-Shun Chen

Chia-Hsiang Lin

Tsung Hsien Lin

An integrated circuit device and method of making the integrated circuit device are disclosed. An exemplary apparatus includes: a semiconductor layer; and a dielectric layer on the semiconductor layer, the dielectric layer having conductive vias and dummy vias formed therein, wherein the conductive vias and dummy vias extend varying distances into the dielectric layer, the conductive vias extending through the dielectric layer to the semiconductor layer, and the dummy vias extending through the dielectric layer to a distance above the semiconductor layer.

Dummy vias for damascene process

A method of making an integrated circuit includes providing a low-k dielectric layer on a substrate, the low-k dielectric layer including or adjacent to a plurality of conductive features; patterning the low-k dielectric layer to form trenches; patterning the low-k dielectric layer to form conductive vias and dummy vias, wherein each of the conductive vias is aligned with at least one of the plurality of the conductive features and at least one of the trenches, and each of the dummy vias is a distance above the plurality of conductive features; filling the trenches, conductive vias, and dummy vias using one or more conductive materials; and planarizing the conductive material(s).

An isotropic-diffusion filling method uses a thermal process on a result structure comprising a photoresist layer and an organic material layer to create a cross-linking layer there between, which minimizes step height differences between isolated and dense via-pattern regions for optimizing a subsequent trench process and simplifying process steps.

Method of improving via filling uniformity in isolated and dense via-pattern regions

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Zhubei, Taiwan

Lawrence Lin