Globalfoundries Inc.

Advanced Micro Devices Corporation

Qimonda Ag

Infineon Technologies Ag

Other

Globalfoundries U.S. Inc.

Robert Seidel

Ralf Richter

Franz Kreupl

Carsten Peters

Frank Feustel

Axel Preusse

Thomas Werner

Juergen Boemmels

Torsten Huisinga

Markus Nopper

Thomas Foltyn

Kai Frohberg

Thomas Gregory Mckay

Keith Donegan

Heike Salz

Tibor Bolom

Andrew Graham

Georg Duesberg

Michael Friedemann

Matthias Zinke

Ronald Naumann

Ralf Masuch

Gernot Steinlesberger

Berit Freudenberg

Tobias Barchewitz

Andreas Wolf

Georg Düsberg

The present disclosure relates to semiconductor structures and, more particularly, to a semiconductor structure with a substantially straight contact profile and methods of manufacture. The structure includes a block material comprising an upper oxidized layer at an interface with an insulating material; and an interconnect contact structure with a substantially straight profile through the oxidized layer of the block material.

Semiconductor structure with substantially straight contact profile

Disclosed are integrated circuit (IC) structure embodiments with a three-dimensional (3D) metal-insulator-metal capacitor (MIMCAP) in back-end-of-the-line (BEOL) metal levels. The MIMCAP includes a plurality of high aspect ratio trenches that extend through at least one relatively thick dielectric layer within the metal levels. Conformal layers of a metal, an insulator and another metal line the trenches and cover the top of the dielectric layer in the area of the MIMCAP. Different configurations for the bottom and top electrode contacts can be used including, for example, one configuration where the top electrode contact is a dual-damascene structure within an ultra-thick metal (UTM) level above the MIMCAP and another configuration where both the top and bottom electrode contacts are such dual-damascene structures. Also disclosed are method embodiments for forming IC structures with such a MIMCAP and these method embodiments can be readily integrated into current BEOL processing, including UTM-level dual-damascene processing.

Three-dimensional (3D) metal-insulator-metal capacitor (MIMCAP) and method

A semiconductor device includes a first metallization layer including a first dielectric layer. A first conductive layer and a first conductive structure are embedded in the first dielectric layer. A second dielectric layer is disposed on the first metallization layer. A second conductive layer is disposed on the second dielectric layer and has a lateral dimension in a lateral direction larger than a lateral dimension of the first conductive layer in the lateral direction. A third dielectric layer is disposed on the second conductive layer. A first contact is disposed in the third dielectric layer and extends through the second conductive structure in a first peripheric region thereof that does not overlap the first conductive layer to contact the first conductive structure. A capacitor structure includes the first conductive layer, the second dielectric layer and the second conductive layer.

Embedded metal-insulator-metal capacitor

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising a capacitor structure is provided, including the steps of forming a first metallization layer comprising a first dielectric layer and a first conductive layer functioning as a lower electrode for the capacitor structure over a semiconductor substrate, forming a barrier layer functioning as a capacitor insulator for the capacitor structure on the first metallization layer, forming a metal layer on the barrier layer and etching the metal layer to form an upper electrode of the capacitor structure.

Method of forming an embedded metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitor

One method disclosed herein includes forming a layer of insulating material above a semiconductor substrate, forming a hard mask layer comprised of a metal-containing material above the layer of insulating material, forming a blanket protection layer on the hard mask layer, forming a masking layer above the protection layer, performing at least one etching process on the masking layer to form a patterned masking layer having an opening that stops on and exposes a portion of the blanket protection layer, confirming that the patterned masking layer is properly positioned relative to at least one underlying structure or layer and, after confirming that the patterned masking layer is properly positioned, performing at least one etching process through the patterned masking layer to pattern at least the blanket protection layer.

Methods of forming a protection layer to protect a metal hard mask layer during lithography reworking processes

In sophisticated metallization systems, air gaps may be formed on the basis of a self-aligned patterning regime during which the conductive cap material of metal lines may be protected by providing one or more materials, which may subsequently be removed. Consequently, the etch behavior and the electrical characteristics of metal lines during the self-aligned patterning regime may be individually adjusted.

Microstructure device including a metallization structure with self-aligned air gaps between closely spaced metal lines

Interlayer connections, i.e., vertical connections, may be formed on the basis of a hard mask material, which may be positioned below, within or above an interlayer dielectric material, wherein one lateral dimension is defined by a trench mask, thereby obtaining a desired interlayer connection in a common patterning process. Furthermore, the thickness of at least certain portions of the metal lines may be adjusted with a high degree of flexibility, thereby providing the possibility of significantly reducing the overall resistivity of metal lines in metal levels, in which device performance may significantly depend on resistivity rather than parasitic capacitance.

Semiconductor device and method for patterning vertical contacts and metal lines in a common etch process

A circuit is disclosed. The circuit includes at least one nanostructure and a carbon interconnect formed by a substantially carbon layer, wherein the nanostructure and the carbon interconnect are directly coupled to one another.

Electrical circuit with a nanostructure and method for producing a contact connection of a nanostructure

In sophisticated semiconductor devices, contact elements in the contact level may be formed by patterning the contact openings and filling the contact openings with the metal of the first metallization layer in a common deposition sequence. To this end, in some illustrative embodiments, a sacrificial fill material may be provided in contact openings prior to depositing the dielectric material of the first metallization layer.

Contact elements of semiconductor devices comprising a continuous transition to metal lines of a metallization layer

In sophisticated metallization systems, vertical contacts and metal lines may be formed on the basis of a dual inlaid strategy, wherein an edge rounding or corner rounding may be applied to the trench hard mask prior to forming the via openings on the basis of a self-aligned via trench concept. Consequently, self-aligned interconnect structures may be obtained, while at the same time providing superior fill conditions during the deposition of barrier materials and conductive fill materials.

Metallization system of a semiconductor device comprising rounded interconnects formed by hard mask rounding

When forming contact levels of sophisticated semiconductor devices, a superior bottom to top fill behavior may be accomplished by applying an activation material selectively in the lower part of the contact openings and using a selective deposition technique. Consequently, deposition-related irregularities, such as voids, may be efficiently suppressed even for high aspect ratio contact openings.

Contact elements of semiconductor devices formed on the basis of a partially applied activation layer

In a sophisticated metallization system, self-aligned air gaps may be provided in a locally selective manner by using a radiation sensitive material for filling recesses or for forming therein the metal regions. Consequently, upon selectively exposing the radiation sensitive material, a selective removal of exposed or non-exposed portions may be accomplished, thereby resulting in a highly efficient overall manufacturing flow.

Microstructure device including a metallization structure with self-aligned air gaps and refilled air gap exclusion zones

In a dual stress liner approach, the surface conditions after the patterning of a first stress-inducing layer may be enhanced by appropriately designing an etch sequence for substantially completely removing an etch stop material, which may be used for the patterning of the second stress-inducing dielectric material, while, in other cases, the etch stop material may be selectively formed after the patterning of the first stress-inducing dielectric material. Hence, the dual stress liner approach may be efficiently applied to semiconductor devices of the 45 nm technology and beyond.

Technique for reducing topography-related irregularities during the patterning of a dielectric material in a contact level of closely spaced transistors

A semiconductor power switch and method is disclosed. In one Embodiment, the semiconductor power switch has a source contact, a drain contact, a semiconductor structure which is provided between the source contact and the drain contact, and a gate which can be used to control a current flow through the semiconductor structure between the source contact and the drain contact. The semiconductor structure has a plurality of nanowires which are connected in parallel and are arranged in such a manner that each nanowire forms an electrical connection between the source contact and the drain contact.

Semiconductor power switch having nanowires

A conductive cap material for a copper region may be provided with enhanced etch resistivity by taking into consideration the standard electrode potential of one or more of the species contained therein. For example, instead of a conventionally used CoWP alloy, a modified alloy may be used, by substituting the cobalt species by a metallic species having a less negative standard electrode potential, such as nickel. Consequently, device performance may be enhanced, while at the same time the overall process complexity may be reduced.

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Dresden, Germany

Robert Seidel