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. 01, 2008
Filed:
Sep. 30, 2005
Lei LI, Richardson, TX (US);
Edgardo R. Hortaleza, Garland, TX (US);
Lei Li, Richardson, TX (US);
Edgardo R. Hortaleza, Garland, TX (US);
Texas Instruments Incorporated, Dallas, TX (US);
Abstract
A metal structure for an integrated circuit, which has copper interconnecting metallization () protected by an overcoat layer (). A portion of the metallization is exposed in a window () opened through the thickness of the overcoat layer. The metal structure comprises a patterned conductive barrier layer () positioned on the copper metallization, wherein this barrier layer forms a trough with walls () conformal with the overcoat window. The height () of the wall is less (between 3 and 20 %) than the overcoat thickness (), forming a step (). A plug () of bondable metal, preferably aluminum, is positioned in the trough and has a thickness equal to the trough wall height ().