Selective deposition of a protective layer to reduce interconnect structure critical dimensions

1. An integrated chip comprising:

a lower conductive structure arranged over a substrate;

an etch stop layer arranged over the lower conductive structure;

a first interconnect dielectric layer arranged over the etch stop layer;

an interconnect via extending through the first interconnect dielectric layer and the etch stop layer to directly contact the lower conductive structure;

a protective layer contacting outer vertically extending sidewalls of the interconnect via and also contacting the first interconnect dielectric layer;

an interconnect wire arranged directly over the interconnect via and laterally surrounded by the first interconnect dielectric layer;

wherein one of the outer vertically extending sidewalls of the interconnect via is coupled to a curved sidewall of the interconnect via; and

wherein the curved sidewall of the interconnect via is coupled to a bottommost surface of the interconnect wire.

2. The integrated chip of claim 1 , wherein a first portion of the protective layer is arranged on a first one of the outer vertically extending sidewalls of the interconnect via, wherein a second portion of the protective layer is arranged on a second one of the outer vertically extending sidewalls of the interconnect via, and wherein a width measured between outermost sidewalls of the first portion and the second portion of the protective layer is greater than a width of the lower conductive structure.

3. The integrated chip of claim 1 , wherein the protective layer has a curved surface that laterally surrounds the interconnect via and that extends to an outermost edge disposed directly over an upper surface of the first interconnect dielectric layer.

4. The integrated chip of claim 1 , further comprising:

an additional dielectric layer arranged on the first interconnect dielectric layer, wherein the protective layer comprises a sidewall that laterally contacts a sidewall of the additional dielectric layer and that is directly coupled to a lower surface of the protective layer that vertically contacts an upper surface of the first interconnect dielectric layer.

5. The integrated chip of claim 1 , wherein outermost sidewalls of the interconnect wire directly contact the first interconnect dielectric layer.

6. The integrated chip of claim 1 , wherein an upper surface of the protective layer is vertically below the curved sidewall of the interconnect via and is vertically separated from the bottommost surface of the interconnect wire by a non-zero vertical distance.

7. The integrated chip of claim 1 , wherein the protective layer has a slower removal rate by an etchant than the etch stop layer.

8. The integrated chip of claim 1 ,

wherein the protective layer has an inner sidewall;

wherein the etch stop layer has an inner sidewall;

wherein the lower conductive structure has an outer sidewall; and

wherein a continuous vertical line runs along the inner sidewall of the protective layer, the inner sidewall of the etch stop layer, and the outer sidewall of the lower conductive structure, the continuous vertical line being normal to an upper surface of the etch stop layer.

9. The integrated chip of claim 1 ,

wherein the interconnect via extends to a first maximum vertical height;

wherein the protective layer extends to a second maximum vertical height; and

wherein the first maximum vertical height is greater than the second maximum vertical height.

10. An integrated chip comprising:

a lower conductive structure arranged over a substrate;

an etch stop layer arranged over the lower conductive structure;

a first interconnect dielectric layer arranged over the etch stop layer;

an interconnect via extending through the first interconnect dielectric layer and the etch stop layer to contact the lower conductive structure;

an interconnect wire extending through the first interconnect dielectric layer and coupled to the interconnect via;

a protective layer surrounding outermost sidewalls of the interconnect via; wherein the protective layer comprises a bottommost surface that directly contacts an upper surface of the etch stop layer; and

wherein the protective layer continuously extends from the upper surface of the etch stop layer to an upper surface of the interconnect wire in a direction normal to the upper surface of the etch stop layer.

11. The integrated chip of claim 10 , wherein the etch stop layer is arranged on a lower interconnect dielectric layer, and wherein the protective layer is arranged directly over the lower interconnect dielectric layer.

12. The integrated chip of claim 10 , wherein the protective layer is arranged directly below bottom surfaces of the interconnect wire.

13. The integrated chip of claim 10 , further comprising:

a diffusion barrier layer separating the interconnect via from the protective layer.

14. The integrated chip of claim 10 , wherein the protective layer comprises a dielectric material.

15. The integrated chip of claim 10 , wherein the protective layer comprises aluminum oxide.

16. An integrated chip comprising:

a lower interconnect arranged within and contacting a lower dielectric layer over a substrate;

an etch stop layer arranged over the lower dielectric layer;

an upper dielectric layer arranged over the etch stop layer;

an upper interconnect arranged directly between sidewalls of both the upper dielectric layer and the etch stop layer;

a protective layer separating outermost sidewalls of the upper interconnect from the upper dielectric layer, wherein the upper interconnect continuously extends from directly between sidewalls of the protective layer to below a bottommost surface of the protective layer;

wherein the upper interconnect has a first pair of opposing sidewalls as viewed from a first cross-sectional view extending along a first direction;

wherein the upper interconnect has a second pair of opposing sidewalls as viewed from a second cross-sectional view extending along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction;

wherein the first direction and the second direction are both parallel to a top surface of the etch stop layer;

wherein the protective layer continuously extends from the etch stop layer to a top of the upper interconnect along the first pair of opposing sidewalls; and

wherein the protective layer continuously extends from the etch stop layer to an upper surface that is a non-zero distance below the top of the upper interconnect along the second pair of opposing sidewalls.

17. The integrated chip of claim 16 , wherein the protective layer has a greater maximum height along the first pair of opposing sidewalls than along the second pair of opposing sidewalls.

18. The integrated chip of claim 16 ,

wherein the upper interconnect comprises an interconnect via and an interconnect wire over the interconnect via, the protective layer arranged along the first pair of opposing sidewalls continuously extending from the etch stop layer to a top of the interconnect wire, and

wherein the upper surface of the protective layer that is along the second pair of opposing sidewalls is below the interconnect wire.

19. The integrated chip of claim 16 , wherein the upper interconnect comprises a barrier layer and a conductive core, the barrier layer comprising one or more interior surfaces arranged along sidewalls and a lower surface of the conductive core and further comprising one or more exterior surfaces covering sidewalls of the etch stop layer and the protective layer.

20. The integrated chip of claim 16 ,

wherein the upper interconnect has a portion with a first width and a portion with a second width, the portion with the first width overlying the portion with the second width and the first width being greater than the second width;

wherein a width of the upper interconnect gradually transitions from the portion with the first width to the portion with the second width, creating a curved profile; and

wherein the bottommost surface of the protective layer is laterally offset from an upper surface of the lower interconnect.