Intel Corporation

Timothy White

Jeremy D Ecton

Nicholas S Haehn

Oscar Ojeda

Arnab Roy

Suddhasattwa Nad

Hsin-Wei Wang

Changhua Liu

Techniques and mechanisms for providing anisotropic etching of a metallization layer of a substrate. In an embodiment, the metallization layer includes grains of a conductor, wherein a first average grain size and a second average grain size correspond, respectively, to a first sub-layer and a second sub-layer of the metallization layer. The first sub-layer and the second sub-layer each span at least 5% of a thickness of the metallization layer. A difference between the first average grain size and the second average grain size is at least 10% of the first average grain size. In another embodiment, a first condition of metallization processing contributes to grains of the first sub-layer being relatively large, wherein an alternative condition of metallization processing contributes to grains of the second sub-layer being relatively small. A grain size gradient across a thickness of the metallization layer facilitates etching processes being anisotropic.

Method, device and system for providing etched metallization structures

The systems and methods described herein use at least one etchant and at least one photochemically active material in conjunction with electromagnetic energy applied simultaneous with the etchant and photochemically active material during the etching process. The interaction between the electromagnetic energy and the photochemically active material preferentially increases the etch rate in a direction along the axis of incidence of the electromagnetic energy, thereby permitting the anisotropic formation of voids within the semiconductor substrate. These anisotropic voids may be more closely spaced (i.e., arranged on a tighter pitch) than the isotropic voids produced using conventional etching technologies. By placing the voids in the semiconductor substrate on a tighter pitch, greater component density may be achieved.

Anisotropic etching systems and methods using a photochemically enhanced etchant

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Chandler, AZ, United States of America

Timothy White