The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 10, 2001
Filed:
Dec. 03, 1997
Applicant:
Inventor:
Melvin Joseph DeSilva, Dallas, TX (US);
Assignee:
STMicroelectronics, Inc., Carrollton, TX (US);
Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Assistant Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
H01L 2/348 ; H01L 2/352 ; H01L 2/940 ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
H01L 2/348 ; H01L 2/352 ; H01L 2/940 ;
Abstract
The present invention provides a method for minimizing voids in a plug. The process begins by forming a conformal barrier layer within the hole and then forming a metal plug within the hole. Thereafter, a cap layer is formed over the metal plug in which the cap layer has a lower thermal expansion coefficient than the metal plug. The hole is heated such that the metal in the hole flows to eliminate the void as a result of the compressive stress generated by the cap layer on the metal plug.