| Patent application number | Description | Published |
|---|
| 20090166867 | METAL INTERCONNECT STRUCTURES FOR SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES - Cu interconnect structures using a bottomless liner to reduce the copper interfacial electron scattering and lower the electrical resistance are described in this application. The interconnect structures comprise a nucleation layer and a liner layer that may be formed by an oxide or nitride. The bottom portion of the liner layer is removed to expose the nucleation layer. Since the liner is bottomless, the nucleation layer is exposed during Cu deposition and serves to catalyze copper nucleation and enable selective growth of copper near the bottom (where the nucleation layer is exposed), rather than near the liner sidewalls. Thus, copper may be selectively grown with a bottom-up fill behavior than can reduce or eliminate formation of voids. Other embodiments are described. | 07-02-2009 |
| 20090169760 | COPPER METALLIZATION UTILIZING REFLOW ON NOBLE METAL LINERS - Methods for making copper (Cu) interconnects in semiconductor devices for interconnect dimensions less than 50 nm are described. The processes form Cu interconnects using a sequence of barrier layer, liner layer, and Cu deposition layer depositions, followed by a thermally assisted Cu reflow of the Cu deposition layer, and then a chemical mechanical polish (CMP) to removed excess portions of the reflowed Cu. The liner layer comprises noble metals such as Ru, Ir, Os, Rh, Re, Pd, Pt, and Au. Such processes avoids the formation of voids in copper interconnects with dimensions less than 50 nm. | 07-02-2009 |
| 20090321934 | SELF-ALIGNED CAP AND BARRIER - A semiconductor device comprising an insulator layer formed on a substrate; a via formed by etching into the insulator layer to a first depth; a first metal layer formed over the insulator layer; a second metal layer deposited on the first metal layer to substantially fill the via; a metal-dopant alloy layer deposited over the second metal, wherein the dopant is diffused by annealing through the second metal layer and the first metal layer deposited in the via, such that the dopant migrates to a boundary between the first metal layer and the insulator to form a barrier; and an etch stop layer deposited over the via after planarization of the via and the insulator layer to form a barrier cap. | 12-31-2009 |
| 20090321935 | Methods of forming improved electromigration resistant copper films and structures formed thereby - Methods and associated structures of forming a microelectronic structure are described. Those methods may comprise forming a doping material on an overburden region of a conductive structure, diffusing a portion of the doping material into a portion of the conductive structure, and then removing the overburden region. | 12-31-2009 |
| 20100022083 | CARBON NANOTUBE INTERCONNECT STRUCTURES - A method including forming an interconnect of single-walled carbon nanotubes on a sacrificial substrate; transferring the interconnect from the sacrificial substrate to a circuit substrate; and coupling the interconnect to a contact point on the circuit substrate. A method including forming a nanotube bundle on a circuit substrate between a first contact point and a second contact point, the nanotube defining a lumen therethrough; filling a portion of a length of the lumen of the nanotube bundle with an electrically conductive material; and coupling the electrically conductive material to the second contact point. A system including a computing device comprising a microprocessor, the microprocessor coupled to a printed circuit board, the microprocessor including a substrate having a plurality of circuit devices with electrical connections made to the plurality of circuit devices through interconnect structures including carbon nanotube bundles. | 01-28-2010 |
| 20100244252 | Self Forming Metal Fluoride Barriers for Fluorinated Low-K Dielectrics - A device and method of forming fluoride metal barriers at an interface of a fluorinated low-K dielectric and Cu or Cu alloy interconnects is disclosed. The fluoride metal barriers may prevent interconnects from reacting with the fluorinated low-K dielectric. The method may include depositing a thin film of metal or metal alloy on the fluorinated low-K dielectric. The thin film may include a metal or metal alloying element that reacts with free fluorine and/or fluorine compounds from the fluorinated low-K dielectric to form fluoride metal barriers. | 09-30-2010 |
