IP Library Granted Patent US 10,157,841
Granted Patent B2
US 10,157,841 · App. 15/489,311 · Granted Dec 18, 2018

Construction of integrated circuitry and a method of forming an elevationally-extending conductor laterally between a pair of structures

Inventor: Silvia Borsari (Boise, ID)
Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
H01L23/5283H01L21/02126H01L21/02164H01L23/5226H01L27/10814H01L27/10882
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,157,841
App. No.
15/489,311
Granted
Dec 18, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method includes forming insulative material along the opposing sides of a conductive via and a conductive line in a vertical cross-section comprising forming a laterally-inner-insulator material comprising silicon, oxygen, and carbon laterally-outward of the opposing sides of the conductive via and the conductive line in the vertical cross-section. A laterally-intervening-insulator material comprising silicon and oxygen is formed laterally-outward of opposing sides of the laterally-inner-insulator material in the vertical cross-section. The laterally-intervening-insulator material comprises less carbon, if any, than the laterally-inner-insulator material. A laterally-outer-insulator material comprising silicon, oxygen, and carbon is formed laterally-outward of opposing sides of the laterally-intervening-insulator material in the vertical cross-section. The laterally-outer-insulator material comprises more carbon than the laterally-inner-insulator material. Elevationally-extending-conductor material is formed laterally between and along the insulative material in the vertical cross-section. Additional method aspects, including structure independent of method of fabrication, are disclosed.

Claims (40)

1. A method of forming an elevationally-extending conductor laterally between a pair of structures, comprising:

forming a pair of structures individually comprising an elevationally-extending-conductive via and a conductive line electrically coupled to and crossing above the elevationally-extending-conductive via, the conductive line and the elevationally-extending-conductive via respectively having opposing sides in a vertical cross-section;

after forming said pair of structures, forming elevationally-extending-insulative material along the opposing sides of the elevationally-extending-conductive via and the conductive line in the vertical cross-section, the forming of the elevationally-extending-insulative material comprising:

forming a laterally-inner-insulator material comprising silicon, oxygen, and carbon laterally-outward of the opposing sides of the elevationally-extending-conductive via and the conductive line in the vertical cross-section;

forming a laterally-intervening-insulator material laterally outward of and laterally along the laterally-inner-insulator material, the laterally-intervening-insulator material comprising silicon and oxygen laterally-outward of opposing sides of the laterally-inner-insulator material in the vertical cross-section;

the laterally-intervening-insulator material comprising from 0 atomic percent carbon to greater than 0 atomic percent carbon and if greater than 0 atomic percent carbon being less than an amount of atomic percent carbon in the laterally-inner-insulator material; and

forming a laterally-outer-insulator material laterally outward of and laterally along the laterally-intervening-insulator material, the laterally-outer-insulator material comprising silicon, oxygen, and carbon laterally-outward of opposing sides of the laterally-intervening-insulator material in the vertical cross-section; the laterally-outer-insulator material comprising more carbon than the laterally-inner-insulator material; and

forming elevationally-extending-conductor material laterally between and laterally along the elevationally-extending-insulative material in the vertical cross-section.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the laterally-intervening-insulator material has 0 atomic percent carbon therein.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the laterally-intervening-insulator material comprises carbon.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the laterally-intervening-insulator material comprises at least 1.0 atomic percent carbon.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the laterally-inner-insulator material comprises greater than 4.0 atomic percent carbon and less than 9.0 atomic percent carbon, the laterally-intervening-insulator material comprises no more than 4.0 atomic percent carbon, and the laterally-outer-insulator material comprises at least 9.0 atomic percent carbon.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the laterally-intervening-insulator material comprises carbon.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the laterally-outer-insulator material comprises no more than 25 atomic percent carbon.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the laterally-outer-insulator material comprises no more than 15 atomic percent carbon.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the laterally-inner-insulator material has k greater than 4.2 and less than 4.5, the laterally-intervening-insulator material has k no greater than 4.1, and the laterally-outer-insulator material has k of at least 4.5.

10. The method of claim 1 comprising forming the elevationally-extending-insulative material onto a substrate comprising the pair of structures; the forming of the elevationally-extending-insulative material comprising sequentially forming the laterally-inner-insulator material, the laterally-intervening-insulator material, and the laterally-outer-insulator material in situ in a deposition chamber without removing the substrate from the deposition chamber between starting to form the laterally-inner-insulator material to starting to form the laterally-outer-insulator material.

11. The method of claim 1 comprising forming the laterally-outer-insulator material directly against the laterally-intervening-insulator material.

12. The method of claim 1 comprising forming the laterally-intervening-insulator material directly against the laterally-inner-insulator material.

13. The method of claim 12 comprising forming the laterally-outer-insulator material directly against the laterally-intervening-insulator material.

14. The method of claim 1 comprising reducing lateral thickness of the laterally-outer-insulator material before forming the elevationally-extending-conductor material.

15. The method of claim 1 comprising removing the laterally-intervening-insulator material from being laterally between the pair of structures to form a pair of void spaces that individually are laterally between the laterally-inner-insulator material and the laterally-outer-insulator material in a finished circuit construction.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein at least a majority of the removing occurs after forming the conductor material.

17. The method of claim 1 comprising leaving the laterally-intervening-insulator material in a finished circuit construction.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the laterally-inner-insulator material and the laterally-outer-insulator material at least as initially formed consists essentially of silicon, oxygen, carbon.

19. A construction of integrated circuitry, comprising:

a pair of structures individually comprising an elevationally-extending-conductive via and a conductive line electrically coupled to and crossing above the elevationally-extending-conductive via, the conductive line and the elevationally-extending-conductive via respectively having opposing sides in a vertical cross-section;

elevationally-extending-insulative material along the opposing sides of the elevationally-extending-conductive via and the conductive line in the vertical cross-section, the elevationally-extending-insulative material comprising:

a laterally-inner-insulator material comprising silicon, oxygen, and carbon laterally-outward of the opposing sides of the elevationally-extending-conductive via and the conductive line in the vertical cross-section;

a laterally-intervening-insulator material laterally outward of and laterally along the laterally-inner-insulator material, the laterally-intervening-insulator material comprising silicon and oxygen laterally-outward of opposing sides of the laterally-inner-insulator material in the vertical cross-section;

the laterally-intervening-insulator material comprising from 0 atomic percent carbon to greater than 0 atomic percent carbon and if greater than 0 atomic percent carbon being less than an amount of atomic percent carbon in the laterally-inner-insulator material; and

a laterally-outer-insulator material laterally outward of and laterally along the laterally-intervening-insulator material, the laterally-outer-insulator material comprising silicon, oxygen, and carbon laterally-outward of opposing sides of the laterally-intervening-insulator material in the vertical cross-section, the laterally-outer-insulator material comprising more carbon than the laterally-inner-insulator material; and

elevationally-extending-conductor material laterally between and laterally along the elevationally-extending-insulative material in the vertical cross-section.

20. A construction of integrated circuitry, comprising:

a pair of structures individually comprising an elevationally-extending-conductive via and a conductive line electrically coupled to and crossing above the elevationally-extending-conductive via, the conductive line and the elevationally-extending-conductive via respectively having opposing sides in a vertical cross-section;

elevationally-extending-insulative material along the opposing sides of the elevationally-extending-conductive via and the conductive line in the vertical cross-section, the elevationally-extending-insulative material comprising:

a laterally-inner-insulator material comprising silicon, oxygen, and carbon that is everywhere laterally-outward of the opposing sides of the elevationally-extending-conductive via and the conductive line in the vertical cross-section;

a laterally-outer-insulator material laterally outward of and laterally along the laterally-inner-insulator material, the laterally-outer-insulator material comprising silicon, oxygen, and carbon laterally-outward of opposing sides of the laterally-inner-insulator material in the vertical cross-section, the laterally-outer-insulator material comprising more carbon than the laterally-inner-insulator material; and

a void space laterally between and extending elevationally along at least a majority of elevational thickness of the laterally-inner-insulator material and of elevational thickness of the laterally-outer-insulator material in the vertical cross-section; and

elevationally-extending-conductor material laterally between and laterally along the elevationally-extending-insulative material in the vertical cross-section.

Assignments (5)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 12, 2019
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.; MICRON SEMICONDUCTOR PRODUCTS, INC.
Reel/Frame 051028/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 9, 2019
From: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 050702/0451 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 13, 2018
From: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.; MICRON SEMICONDUCTOR PRODUCTS, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 047540/0001 →
SUPPLEMENT NO. 4 TO PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded May 4, 2017
From: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC.
Reel/Frame 042405/0909 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 17, 2017
From: BORSARI, SILVIA
To: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 042030/0952 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20180301412A1 · Oct 18, 2018
Cited By (1)
US 12,419,042