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:
Oct. 17, 2017
Filed:
Nov. 12, 2015
Qualcomm Incorporated, San Diego, CA (US);
Vladimir Machkaoutsan, Wezemaal, BE;
Stanley Seungchul Song, San Diego, CA (US);
John Jianhong Zhu, San Diego, CA (US);
Junjing Bao, San Diego, CA (US);
Jeffrey Junhao Xu, San Diego, CA (US);
Mustafa Badaroglu, Leuven, BE;
Matthew Michael Nowak, San Diego, CA (US);
Choh Fei Yeap, San Diego, CA (US);
QUALCOMM Incorporated, San Diego, CA (US);
Abstract
Self-aligned metal cut and via for Back-End-Of-Line (BEOL) processes for semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) fabrication, and related processes and devices, is disclosed. In this manner, mask placement overlay requirements can be relaxed. This relaxation can be multiples of that allowed by conventional BEOL techniques. This is enabled through application of different fill materials for alternating lines in which a conductor will later be placed. With these different fill materials in place, a print cut and via mask is used, with the mask allowed to overlap other adjacent fill lines to that of the desired line. Etching is then applied that is selective to the desired line but not adjacent lines.