Etch profile control of interconnect structures

1. A method, comprising:

forming a stack comprising:

depositing an etch stop layer on a substrate;

depositing a liner on the etch stop layer; and

depositing a metal oxide layer on a top surface of the liner;

depositing a dielectric layer on the stack;

depositing a nitrogen-free protective layer on the dielectric layer;

forming patterned structures on the nitrogen-free protective layer;

forming an organic layer between and over the patterned structures;

depositing a capping layer over the organic layer; and

forming a via opening over the capping layer aligned to a spacing between the patterned structures.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

forming, through the via opening, a first opening in the organic layer that traverses through the organic layer and the nitrogen-free protective layer, wherein the first opening is partially formed within the dielectric layer and is narrower than the spacing between the patterned structures;

removing the capping layer and the organic layer to expose the nitrogen-free protective layer between the patterned structures; and

etching, between the patterned structures, the nitrogen-free protective layer and the dielectric layer to form a second opening in the dielectric layer, wherein the second opening is formed on the first opening, overlaps with the first opening, and is wider than the first opening.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein etching to form the second opening comprises etching the dielectric layer through the first opening to expose a top surface of the substrate.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein etching to form the second opening comprises forming the second opening with a width substantially equal to the spacing between the patterned structures.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein etching to form the second opening comprises forming the second opening so that a ratio of its width to its height is greater than 1.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the patterned structures comprises:

depositing a stack of hard mask layers; and

patterning the stack of hard mask layers to form the patterned structures.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the patterned structures comprises forming the patterned structures so that the spacing between the patterned structures varies between pairs of patterned structures.

8. A method, comprising:

forming a stack comprising:

depositing an etch stop layer in contact with conductive structures in a substrate;

depositing a liner on the etch stop layer; and

depositing a metal oxide layer on the liner;

depositing a dielectric layer on the stack;

depositing a nitrogen-free protective layer on the dielectric layer;

forming first patterned structures and second patterned structures on the nitrogen-free protective layer, wherein a spacing between the first patterned structures is larger than a spacing between the second patterned structures;

forming an organic layer between and over the first and second patterned structures;

depositing a capping layer over the organic layer; and

forming an opening over the capping layer aligned to the spacing between the first patterned structures.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

forming, through the opening, a first opening in the organic layer that traverses through the organic layer and the nitrogen-free protective layer, wherein the first opening is partially formed within the dielectric layer and is narrower than the spacing between the first patterned structures;

exposing the nitrogen-free protective layer between the first and second patterned structures; and

etching, between the first and second patterned structures, the nitrogen-free protective layer and the dielectric layer to form a second opening above the first opening between the first patterned structures and a third opening between the second patterned structures.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein etching the nitrogen-free protective layer and the dielectric layer to form the second opening comprises forming the second opening wider than the first opening and with a width substantially equal to the spacing between the first patterned structures.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein etching the nitrogen-free protective layer and the dielectric layer to form the third opening comprises forming the third opening with a width substantially equal to the spacing between the second patterned structures.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein etching the nitrogen-free protective layer and the dielectric layer to form the second opening comprises etching the dielectric layer through the first opening to expose a top surface of the substrate.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein etching the nitrogen-free protective layer and the dielectric layer to form the second and third openings comprises forming the second and third openings with an equal height and different widths.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein etching the nitrogen-free protective layer and the dielectric layer to form the second opening comprises etching the dielectric layer through the first opening to expose the conductive structures in the substrate.

15. A method, comprising:

forming a first stack; comprising:

depositing an etch stop layer on a substrate;

depositing a liner on the etch stop layer; and

depositing a metal oxide layer on a top surface of the liner;

depositing a dielectric layer on the first stack;

forming patterned structures on the dielectric layer;

forming an organic layer to embed the patterned structures within the organic layer;

forming a second stack on the organic layer; and

masking portions of the second stack so that non-masked portions of the second stack are aligned with a spacing between the patterned structures and with conductive structures in the substrate.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein forming the second stack comprises:

depositing an oxide layer on the organic layer;

depositing a first silicon-based layer on the oxide layer;

depositing a capping layer on the first silicon-based layer;

forming an other organic layer on the capping layer; and

depositing a second silicon-based layer on the other organic layer.

17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

etching the non-masked portions of the second stack to form first openings in the organic layer, wherein the first openings traverse through the organic layer between the patterned structures and extend into the dielectric layer;

removing the second stack and the organic layer; and

etching the dielectric layer to form second openings above the first openings.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein etching the dielectric layer to form the second openings comprises forming the second openings between the patterned structures and extending the first opening through the dielectric layer and the first stack to expose the conductive structures in the substrate.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein etching the dielectric layer to form the second openings comprises forming the second openings wider than the first openings.

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein forming the second stack comprises depositing four silicon-based layers on the organic layer.