Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Comp. Ltd.

Su-Chen Fan

Hsueh-Chung Chen

Chine-Gie Lou

Chien-Jung Wang

Ding-Da Hu

Ping-Liang Liu

Alignment methods of IC device substrates. A first IC device substrate has a first front side for defining a plurality of first IC features, a first backside opposite the first front side, and a first alignment pattern formed on the first front side or the first backside. A second IC device substrate has a second front side for defining a plurality of second IC features, a second backside opposite the second front side, and a second alignment pattern formed on the second front side or the second backside. A first optical detector and a second optical detector are applied to detect the first and second alignment patterns, so as to align the first and second IC device substrates. Specifically, the first and second alignment patterns face toward the first and second optical detectors in opposite directions.

Three dimensional IC device and alignment methods of IC device substrates

An improved interconnect structure and method of making such a device. The improved interconnect electrically connects two otherwise separate areas on a semiconductor wafer. The interconnect preferably uses a copper conductor disposed within a trench and via structure formed in a low-k hybrid dielectric layer using a dual damascene process. Each contact region is served by a plurality of vias, each in communication with the trench conductor portion. The entry from the trench to the via is rounded for at least one and preferably all of the via structures.

Interconnect structure and method of fabricating same

A wiring structure with improved resistance to void formation and a method of making the same are described. The wiring structure has a first conducting layer that includes a large area portion which is connected to an end of a protrusion with a plurality of 'n' overlapping segments and at least one bending portion. The other end of the protrusion is connected to the bottom of a via which has an overlying second conducting layer. A bend is formed by overlapping the ends of two adjacent segments at an angle between 45&#xb0; and 135&#xb0;. The protrusion may also include at least one extension at a segment end beyond a bend. A bending portion and extension are used as bottlenecks to delay the diffusion of a vacancy from the large area portion to the vicinity of the via and is especially effective for copper interconnects or in a via test structure.

Wiring structure to minimize stress induced void formation

A method for treating a silicon substrate is described. The silicon substrate is placed into a sputtering equipment. A sputtering step is performed to simultaneously dry clean and amorphize the silicon substrate surface by using the sputtering equipment. A titanium film is deposited on the silicon substrate by the sputtering equipment.

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Tao-Yuan, Taiwan

Su-Chen Fan