Selective electroless-plated copper metallization
First Claim
1. An electronic circuit, comprising:
- a plurality of individual electrical devices interconnected by a plurality of metallic conductor lines;
a plurality of electrical contact areas on a top surface of the plurality of individual electric devices;
each of the plurality of electrical contact areas in contact with a first metallic layer;
the metallic layer in contact with a plurality of substantially vertical metal columns;
a top surface of the substantially vertical metal columns in contact with at least one of a second metallic layer and a portion of a bottom surface of a plurality of substantially horizontal metal lines; and
a diffusion barrier layer covering substantially the entirety of a top surface, side surfaces and all portions of the bottom surface not in contact with the top surface of the vertical metal columns of the plurality of substantially horizontal metal lines, and the diffusion barrier layer covering substantially the entirety of sidewalls of the vertical metal columns.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Structures and methods are provided which include a selective electroless copper metallization. The present invention includes a novel methodology for forming copper vias on a substrate, including depositing a thin film seed layer of Palladium (Pd) or Copper (Cu) on a substrate to a thickness of less than 15 nanometers (nm). A number of via holes is defined above the seed layer. A layer of copper is deposited over the seed layer using electroless plating to fill the via holes to a top surface of the patterned photoresist layer. The method can be repeated any number of times, forming second, third and fourth layers of copper. The photoresist layers along with the seed layers in other regions can then be removed, such as by oxygen plasma etching, such that a chemical mechanical planarization process is avoided.
125 Citations
33 Claims
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1. An electronic circuit, comprising:
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a plurality of individual electrical devices interconnected by a plurality of metallic conductor lines;
a plurality of electrical contact areas on a top surface of the plurality of individual electric devices;
each of the plurality of electrical contact areas in contact with a first metallic layer;
the metallic layer in contact with a plurality of substantially vertical metal columns;
a top surface of the substantially vertical metal columns in contact with at least one of a second metallic layer and a portion of a bottom surface of a plurality of substantially horizontal metal lines; and
a diffusion barrier layer covering substantially the entirety of a top surface, side surfaces and all portions of the bottom surface not in contact with the top surface of the vertical metal columns of the plurality of substantially horizontal metal lines, and the diffusion barrier layer covering substantially the entirety of sidewalls of the vertical metal columns. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An integrated circuit, comprising:
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a substrate including a plurality of transistors each having electrical contact areas;
individual ones of the plurality of transistors electrically interconnected by air bridge conductors comprising;
a plurality of metallic regions formed on the electrical contact areas of the plurality of transistors including a layer comprising at least one of palladium (Pd) and copper (Cu) having a thickness of less than 15 nanometers (nm);
each of the plurality of metallic regions contacting a vertical copper via formed above and contacting a bottom portion of one of a plurality of horizontal copper interconnect line; and
a diffusion barrier layer comprising surrounding the vertical copper vias and the horizontal copper interconnect except for the top and bottom surfaces of the vertical copper vias and the bottom contact points between the horizontal copper interconnect lines and the top surface of the vertical copper vias. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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18. An integrated circuit, comprising:
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a plurality of devices formed in a semiconductor substrate;
a dielectric layer disposed over the semiconductor substrate including a plurality of contact holes;
a first metallic layer contacting portions of a surface of the semiconductor substrate exposed by the plurality of contact holes in the dielectric layer;
each of the plurality of contact holes including a substantially vertical metal column contacting the first metallic layer and extending above a top surface of the dielectric layer;
a second metallic layer contacting a top portion of the substantially vertical metal columns;
a plurality of substantially horizontal metal lines formed above and contacting the second metallic layer proximate to the top of the substantially vertical metal columns;
a diffusion barrier covering substantially the entirety of a top surface, a side surface and portions of a bottom surface of the substantially horizontal metal lines not in contact with the second metallic layer; and
the diffusion barrier covering substantially the entirety of portions of a sidewall of the substantially vertical metal columns not in contact with the dielectric layer. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. An integrated circuit, comprising:
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a plurality of devices formed in a semiconductor substrate;
a dielectric layer disposed over the semiconductor substrate including a plurality of contact holes;
a first metallic layer contacting portions of a surface of the semiconductor substrate exposed by the plurality of contact holes in the dielectric layer;
each of the plurality of contact holes including a substantially vertical metal column contacting the first metallic layer and extending above a top surface of the dielectric layer to form a first plurality of substantially vertical metal columns;
a second metallic layer contacting a top portion of each of the first plurality of substantially vertical metal columns;
a first plurality of substantially horizontal metal lines formed above and contacting the second metallic layer proximate to the top of the first plurality of substantially vertical metal columns;
a third metallic layer contacting a portion of a top surface of the first plurality of substantially horizontal metal lines;
a second plurality of substantially vertical metal columns disposed contacting the third metallic layer and the top surface of the substantially horizontal metal lines;
a fourth metallic layer contacting a top portion of each of the second plurality of substantially vertical metal columns;
a second plurality of substantially horizontal metal lines formed above and contacting the fourth metallic layer proximate to the top of the second plurality of substantially vertical metal columns; and
a diffusion barrier covering substantially the entirety of any portion of the first and second plurality of substantially vertical columns not in directly contact with the dielectric layer or the first or second substantially horizontal metal lines, and the diffusion barrier covering substantially the entirety of any portion of the first and second substantially horizontal metal lines not in contact with the first and second substantially vertical columns. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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Specification