Conductive interconnect structures incorporating negative thermal expansion materials and associated systems, devices, and methods
Semiconductor devices having interconnects incorporating negative expansion (NTE) materials are disclosed herein. In one embodiment a semiconductor device includes a substrate having an opening that extends at least partially through the substrate. A conductive material having a positive coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) partially fills the opening. A negative thermal expansion (NTE) having a negative CTE also partially fills the opening. In one embodiment, the conductive material includes copper and the NTE material includes zirconium tungstate.
1. A semiconductor device, comprising:
a substrate;
an interconnect structure disposed over the substrate, the interconnect structure including:
an inner material having a negative coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), and
an outer material disposed around the inner material, the outer material having a positive CTE.
2. The semiconductor device of claim 1 wherein the inner material includes Zr(WO 4 ) 2 .
3. The semiconductor device of claim 1 wherein the inner material includes ZrV 2 O.
4. The semiconductor device of claim 1 wherein the inner material includes ZrMo 2 O 8 , ZrW 2 O 8 , HfMo 2 O 8 , or HfW 2 O 8 , or a combination thereof.
5. The semiconductor device of claim 1 wherein the inner material includes Zr 2 (MoO 4 ) 3 , Zr 2 (WO 4 ) 3 , Hf 2 (MoO 4 ) 3 , Hf 2 (WO 4 ) 3 , or a combination thereof.
6. The semiconductor device of claim 1 wherein the interconnect structure is a conductive trace.
7. The semiconductor device of claim 6 , wherein the outer material is a conductive material arranged in parallel lines, and wherein the inner material is between the parallel lines.
8. The semiconductor device of claim 1 wherein the interconnect structure is a contact pad.
9. The semiconductor device of claim 8 wherein the outer material is a conductive material arranged in a square pattern and wherein the inner material is in the center of the square pattern.
10. The semiconductor device of claim 1 wherein the interconnect structure is an interlevel dielectric.
11. The semiconductor device of claim 10 wherein the outer material is a dielectric material and wherein the inner material is configured as a via.
12. The semiconductor device of claim 11 wherein the via does not include an outer conductive material.
13. The semiconductor device of claim 1 wherein the interconnect structure is configured so that at a first temperature, the inner material contracts at a same ratio at which the outer material expands.
14. The semiconductor device of claim 1 wherein the interconnect structure is configured so that at a second temperature, the inner material expands at a same ratio at which the outer material contracts.
15. The semiconductor device of claim 1 wherein the inner and outer materials together have a composite CTE that is less than the positive CTE, but greater than the negative CTE.
16. The semiconductor device of claim 15 wherein the composite CTE is less than zero.
17. The semiconductor device of claim 15 wherein the composite CTE is equal to about zero.
18. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising:
disposing an inner material over a substrate, wherein the inner material has a negative coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE); and
disposing an outer material over the substrate and around the inner material, wherein the outer material has a positive CTE.
19. The method of claim 18 wherein the inner material includes Zr(WO 4 ) 2 .
20. The method of claim 18 wherein the inner material includes ZrV 2 O.
21. The method of claim 18 wherein the inner material includes ZrMo 2 O 8 , ZrW 2 O 8 , HfMo 2 O 8 , or HfW 2 O 8 , or a combination thereof.
22. The method of claim 18 wherein the inner material includes Zr 2 (MoO 4 ) 3 , Zr 2 (WO 4 ) 3 , Hf 2 (MoO 4 ) 3 , Hf 2 (WO 4 ) 3 , or a combination thereof.
23. The method of claim 18 wherein at a first temperature, the inner material contracts at a same ratio at which the outer material expands.
24. The method of claim 18 wherein at a second temperature, the inner material expands at a same ratio at which the outer material contracts.
25. The method of claim 18 wherein the inner and outer materials together have a composite CTE that is less than the positive CTE, but greater than the negative CTE.
26. The method of claim 25 wherein the composite CTE is less than zero.
27. The method of claim 25 wherein the composite CTE is equal to about zero.