International Business Machines Corporation

Advanced Micro Devices Corporation

Massud A Aminpur

Unoh Kwon

Kai Frohberg

Rajasekhar Venigalla

Michael P Belyansky

Matthias Schaller

Michael Vincent Aquilino

Christopher D Sheraw

Daewon Yang

Methods for controlling the height of semiconductor structures are disclosed. Amorphous carbon is used as a stopping layer for controlling height variability. In one embodiment, the height of replacement metal gates for transistors is controlled. In another embodiment, the step height of a shallow trench isolation region is controlled.

Method for controlling structure height

During the formation of a metal line in a low-k dielectric material, an upper portion of a trench formed in a capping layer and the low-k dielectric material is treated to provide enlarged tapering or corner rounding, thereby significantly improving the fill capabilities of subsequent metal deposition processes. In one particular embodiment, an additional etch process is performed after etching through the capping layer and the low-k dielectric layer and after resist removal.

Technique for enhancing the fill capabilities in an electrochemical deposition process by edge rounding of trenches

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Hopewell Junction, NY, United States of America

Massud A Aminpur