IP Library Granted Patent US 10,276,434
Granted Patent B1
US 10,276,434 · App. 15/860,166 · Granted Apr 30, 2019

Structure and method using metal spacer for insertion of variable wide line implantation in SADP/SAQP integration

Inventors: Hsueh-Chung Chen (Cohoes, NY); James Kelly (Schenectady, NY); Yann Mignot (Slingerlands, NY); Cornelius Brown Peethala (Slingerlands, NY); Lawrence A. Clevenger (Rhinebeck, NY)
Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
H01L21/7688H01L21/76885H01L23/528
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,276,434
App. No.
15/860,166
Granted
Apr 30, 2019
Kind
B1
Abstract

Semiconductor devices and methods to fabricate the devices are provided. For example, a semiconductor device includes a back-end-of-line (BEOL) structure formed on a semiconductor substrate. The BEOL structure further includes at least one metallization layer comprising a pattern of elongated parallel metal lines. The pattern of elongated metal lines comprises a plurality of metal lines having a minimum width and at least one wider metal line having a width which is greater than the minimum width.

Claims (39)

1. A method comprising:

forming metal spacers on sidewalls of a pattern of elongated sacrificial structures on a substrate, wherein the metal spacers are of a first metallic material;

removing the elongated sacrificial structures while leaving the metal spacers on the substrate to form a pattern of elongated metal lines on the substrate; wherein each of the elongated metal lines have a minimum width;

depositing a first insulating layer on the substrate and the elongated metal spacers;

patterning the first insulating layer to form at least one opening in the first insulating layer which exposes a space between two adjacent elongated metal lines, wherein the step of patterning the first insulating layer comprises patterning the first insulating layer to form at least two openings in the first insulating layer, wherein each opening exposes a space between two adjacent elongated metal lines;

filling the space between the two adjacent elongated metal lines with a second metallic material to form a metal line having a width greater than the minimum width of each of the elongated metal lines; and

removing the insulating layer.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pattern of elongated sacrificial structures are a pattern of elongated mandrel structures.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein removing each of the elongated sacrificial structures comprises anisotropic or isotropic etching.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the metal spacers comprises:

forming a conformal layer of the first metallic material on the substrate and over the pattern of elongated sacrificial structures on the substrate; and

patterning the conformal layer of the first metallic material to form the metal spacers on sidewalls of the elongated sacrificial structures.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the elongated sacrificial structures, and the conformal layer of the first metallic material are dissimilar materials.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first metallic material and the second metallic material are independently selected from the group consisting of cobalt, copper, ruthenium, titanium, tantalum, tungsten, manganese, aluminum, nickel, platinum, and titanium nitride.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the width of the metal line having a width greater than the minimum width of each of the elongated metal lines is at least 3× wider than the minimum width.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first insulating layer is an organic planarizing layer, a photo resist, an optical planarization layer (OPL), an amorphous silicon material, an amorphous carbon material or a nitride material.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising filling each space between the two adjacent elongated metal lines with the metallic material to form a metal line having a width greater than the minimum width of each of the elongated metal lines.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising forming a coplanar second insulating layer on the substrate and exterior surfaces of the metal lines.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the second insulating layer is a low-k dielectric material.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second metallic material is different than the first metallic material.

13. A method comprising:

forming metal spacers on sidewalls of a pattern of elongated sacrificial structures on a substrate, wherein the metal spacers are of a first metallic material;

removing the elongated sacrificial structures while leaving the metal spacers on the substrate to form a pattern of elongated metal lines on the substrate; wherein each of the elongated metal lines have a minimum width;

depositing a first insulating layer on the substrate and the elongated metal spacers;

patterning the first insulating layer to form at least one opening in the first insulating layer which exposes a space between two adjacent elongated metal lines, wherein the step of patterning the first insulating layer comprises:

depositing a cut mask over at least a portion of the insulating layer;

patterning the cut mask for forming the at least one opening in the insulating layer; and

etching the cut mask and the insulating layer to form the at least one opening in the insulating layer and exposing the space between the two adjacent elongated metal lines;

filling the space between the two adjacent elongated metal lines with a second metallic material to form a metal line having a width greater than the minimum width of each of the elongated metal lines; and

removing the insulating layer.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the pattern of elongated sacrificial structures are a pattern of elongated mandrel structures.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein removing each of the elongated sacrificial structures comprises anisotropic or isotropic etching.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein forming the metal spacers comprises:

forming a conformal layer of the first metallic material on the substrate and over the pattern of elongated sacrificial structures on the substrate; and

patterning the conformal layer of the first metallic material to form the metal spacers on sidewalls of the elongated sacrificial structures.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the elongated sacrificial structures, and the conformal layer of the first metallic material are dissimilar materials.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein the first metallic material and the second metallic material are independently selected from the group consisting of cobalt, copper, ruthenium, titanium, tantalum, tungsten, manganese, aluminum, nickel, platinum, and titanium nitride.

19. The method of claim 13 , wherein the width of the metal line having a width greater than the minimum width of each of the elongated metal lines is at least 3× wider than the minimum width.

20. The method of claim 13 , wherein the first insulating layer is an organic planarizing layer, a photo resist, an optical planarization layer (OPL), an amorphous silicon material, an amorphous carbon material or a nitride material.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 4, 2020
From: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
To: ELPIS TECHNOLOGIES INC.
Reel/Frame 052561/0161 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 2, 2018
From: CHEN, HSUEH-CHUNG; KELLY, JAMES; MIGNOT, YANN; PEETHALA, CORNELIUS BROWN; CLEVENGER, LAWRENCE A.
To: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 044517/0112 →
Cited By (1)
US 12,243,820