Self-aligned backside contact module for 3DIC application
Disclosed are integrated circuit structures with through-substrate vias (TSVs) processed through self-aligned contact modules. As a result, much smaller and/or denser TSVs are formed with low mechanical stress. The denser TSVs allow for more flexible wiring options.
1 . An integrated circuit (IC) structure, comprising:
a substrate;
a frontside insulation on a front surface of the substrate;
a transistor on the substrate and in the frontside insulation;
one or more frontside metal layers in the frontside insulation on a frontside of the transistor, at least one frontside metal layer electrically coupled to the transistor;
a through-substrate-via (TSV) in the substrate and in the frontside insulation, the TSV comprising:
a frontside contact in the frontside insulation and electrically coupled with a frontside metal layer; and
a backside contact in the substrate and electrically coupled with the frontside contact;
a backside insulation on the back surface of the substrate opposite the front surface of the substrate; and
one or more backside metal layers in the backside insulation,
wherein a back surface of the backside contact and a back surface of the substrate are coplanar, and
wherein the substrate comprises a buried oxide (BOX) layer.
2 . The IC structure of claim 1 ,
wherein the frontside contact is formed from one or more of tungsten (W), copper (Cu), aluminum (Al), cobalt (Co), palladium (Pd), nickel (Ni), gold (Au), tantalum (Ta), tantalum nitride (TaN), titanium (Ti), titanium nitride (TiN), bismuth (Bi), antimony (Sb), molybdenum (Mo), and ruthenium (Ru), or
wherein the backside contact is formed from one or more of W, Cu, Al, Co, Pd, Ni, Au, Ta, TaN, Ti, TiN, Bi, Sb, Mo, and Ru, or
both.
3 . The IC structure of claim 1 , wherein a width of the frontside contact is narrower than a width of the backside contact.
4 . The IC structure of claim 1 , wherein the TSV further comprises:
a through-connect in between the frontside contact and the backside contact, the through-connect electrically coupling the frontside contact and the backside contact.
5 . The IC structure of claim 4 ,
wherein a front surface of the through-connect is in physical contact with a back surface of the frontside contact, and
wherein a back surface of the through-connect is in physical contact with a front surface of the backside contact.
6 . The IC structure of claim 4 , wherein the through-connect is formed from silicide.
7 . The IC structure of claim 4 , wherein the through-connect is partially in the frontside insulation and partially in the substrate.
8 . The IC structure of claim 4 , further comprising:
a source connect, a drain connect, a gate connect, or any combination thereof,
wherein the source connect is electrically coupled with a source of the transistor,
wherein the drain connect is electrically coupled with a drain of the transistor, and
wherein the gate connect is electrically coupled with a gate of the transistor.
9 . The IC structure of claim 8 , wherein any one or more of the source connect, the drain connect, and the gate connect are formed from a same material as the through-connect.
10 . The IC structure of claim 1 , further comprising:
a source contact, a drain contact, a gate contact, or any combination thereof,
wherein the source contact is formed in the frontside insulation and is electrically coupled with a source of the transistor,
wherein the drain contact is formed in the frontside insulation and is electrically coupled with a drain of the transistor, and
wherein the gate contact is formed in the frontside insulation and is electrically coupled with a gate of the transistor.
11 . The IC structure of claim 10 , wherein any one or more of the source contact, the drain contact, and the gate contact are formed from same one or more materials of the frontside contact.
12 . The IC structure of claim 1 , wherein the backside metal layer is in physical contact with the backside contact.
13 . The IC structure of claim 1 ,
wherein the backside insulation is formed from same one or more materials of the frontside insulation.
14 . The IC structure of claim 1 ,
wherein the frontside insulation comprises a frontside dielectric layer.
15 . The IC structure of claim 1 , wherein the backside contact extends from the back surface of the substrate towards the front surface of the substrate.
16 . The IC structure of claim 1 , wherein the one or more frontside metal layers are formed from one or more of tungsten (W), aluminum (Al), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), palladium (Pd), nickel (Ni), gold (Au), tantalum (Ta), tantalum nitride (TaN), titanium (Ti), titanium nitride (TiN), bismuth (Bi), antimony (Sb), molybdenum (Mo), and ruthenium (Ru).
17 . The IC structure of claim 1 , wherein the IC structure is incorporated into an apparatus selected from the group consisting of a music player, a video player, an entertainment unit, a navigation device, a communications device, a mobile device, a mobile phone, a smartphone, a personal digital assistant, a fixed location terminal, a tablet computer, a computer, a wearable device, an Internet of things (IoT) device, a laptop computer, a server, and a device in an automotive vehicle.
18 . The IC structure of claim 1 , wherein the backside contact is formed from a single conductive element in contact with the substrate.
19 . The IC structure of claim 1 , wherein the frontside contact is in physical contact with a metal line in a first metal layer of the at least one frontside metal layer and is directly coupled to a drain contact or a source contact of the transistor in physical contact with the metal line.