Layer-by-layer formation of through-substrate via

1 . A device, comprising:

a substrate;

a multi-layer interconnect structure disposed over a first side of the substrate in a vertical direction, wherein the multi-layer interconnect structure includes a plurality of metal layers;

a first portion of a through-substrate via (TSV) disposed over the first side of the substrate in the vertical direction, wherein the first portion of the TSV includes a plurality of conductive components belonging to the plurality of metal layers of the multi-layer interconnect structure; and

a second portion of the TSV that extends through the substrate in the vertical direction from the first side to a second side opposite the first side, wherein the second portion of the TSV is electrically coupled to the first portion of the TSV, and wherein the second portion of the TSV is aligned with the first portion of the TSV in the vertical direction.

2 . The device of claim 1 , wherein:

the conductive components of the first portion of the TSV include a plurality of metal lines and a plurality of conductive vias; and

the conductive vias are disposed between the metal lines vertically and electrically connect the metal lines with one another.

3 . The device of claim 2 , wherein:

the conductive components of the first portion of the TSV further include a plurality of barrier layers; and

each of the barrier layers is disposed at a bottom surface of a respective one of the metal lines.

4 . The device of claim 2 , wherein:

the metal lines have a first average lateral dimension;

the conductive vias have a second average lateral dimension; and

a ratio of the first average lateral dimension and the second average lateral dimension is in a range between about 1:1 and about 1.5:1.

5 . The device of claim 2 , wherein the metal lines includes a plurality of lateral protrusions, respectively, wherein each of the lateral protrusions protrude laterally beyond the conductive vias disposed between the metal lines in a cross-sectional view.

6 . The device of claim 5 , further comprising a non-conductive material disposed over the first side of the substrate, wherein the non-conductive material is disposed above and below each of the lateral protrusions of the metal lines.

7 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the TSV is wider than the second portion of the TSV, such that a first side surface of the first portion of the TSV protrudes beyond a first side surface of the second portion of the TSV laterally, a second side surface of the first portion of the TSV protrudes beyond a second side surface of the second portion of the TSV laterally, wherein the first side surface of the first portion of the TSV is opposite the second side surface of the first portion of the TSV, and wherein the first side surface of the second portion of the TSV is opposite the second side surface of the second portion of the TSV.

8 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the TSV has a mesh structure.

9 . The device of claim 8 , wherein:

the mesh structure includes at least a first metal layer and a second metal layer;

the first metal layer is disposed closer to the second portion of the TSV than the second metal layer;

the first metal layer includes a plurality of first metal lines each having a first lateral dimension and separated from adjacent ones of the first metal lines by a first spacing;

the second metal layer includes a plurality of second metal lines each having a second lateral dimension and separated from adjacent ones of the second metal lines by a second spacing; and

the first lateral dimension is smaller than the second lateral dimension, or the first spacing is smaller than the second spacing.

10 . The device of claim 9 , wherein the mesh structure is defined at least in part by a plurality of concentric circular structures or a plurality of rectangular structures in a top view.

11 . A structure, comprising:

a substrate that contains a semiconductive material;

a plurality of transistors formed over a front side of the substrate;

a solid conductive structure that extends vertically through the substrate, wherein the solid conductive structure is laterally spaced apart from the transistors; and

a plurality of metal layers formed over the front side of the substrate;

wherein:

the metal layers are stacked vertically over one another;

each of the metal layers includes a first region and a second region that is laterally spaced apart from the first region;

the metal layers in the first region are vertically aligned with, and electrically coupled to, the transistors; and

the metal layers in the second region are vertically aligned with, and electrically coupled to, the solid conductive structure.

12 . The structure of claim 11 , wherein at least some of the metal layers in the second region have a mesh structure.

13 . The structure of claim 12 , wherein at least some of the metal layers in the mesh structure have different pitches from other metal layers in the mesh structure.

14 . The structure of claim 11 , wherein:

each of the metal layers in the second region has a continuous structure; and

each of the metal layers is wider than the solid conductive structure in a cross-sectional view.

15 . A device, comprising:

a substrate;

a multi-layer interconnect structure disposed over a first side of the substrate in a vertical direction in a cross-sectional side view, wherein the multi-layer interconnect structure includes a stack of interconnect elements and a stack of conductive vias disposed between the interconnect elements in the vertical direction in the cross-sectional side view, wherein the interconnect elements are aligned with one another, and wherein the conductive vias are aligned with one another in the cross-sectional side view; and

a single piece of conductive material that extends through the substrate in the vertical direction in the cross-sectional side view, wherein the single piece of conductive material is electrically coupled to, and aligned with, one of the interconnect elements in the vertical direction, wherein the single piece of conductive material has a smaller lateral dimension than at least one of the conductive vias in the cross-sectional side view.

16 . The device of claim 15 , wherein at least one of the interconnect elements is at least partially surrounded by a barrier layer.

17 . The device of claim 15 , wherein an average lateral dimension of the stack of interconnect elements is greater than an average lateral dimension of the stack of conductive vias.

18 . The device of claim 15 , wherein the interconnect elements and the conductive vias have a same geometric shape in a top view.

19 . The device of claim 15 , wherein at least one of the interconnect elements or at least one of the conductive vias has a mesh structure in a top view.

20 . The device of claim 19 , wherein the mesh structure comprises a plurality of concentric circles or a plurality of concentric rectangles in the top view.