MICROSTRUCTURE DEVICE INCLUDING A METALLIZATION STRUCTURE WITH SELF-ALIGNED AIR GAPS BETWEEN CLOSELY SPACED METAL LINES
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method, comprising:
- forming a recess in a dielectric material of a metallization layer of a semiconductor device, said recess extending between two neighboring metal regions formed in said dielectric material;
forming a spacer element on sidewalls of said recess; and
forming a gap between said two neighboring metal regions by using said spacer element as an etch mask.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Air gaps may be provided in a self-aligned manner with sub-lithography resolution between closely spaced metal lines of sophisticated metallization systems of semiconductor devices by recessing the dielectric material in the vicinity of the metal lines and forming respective sidewall spacer elements. Thereafter, the spacer elements may be used as an etch mask so as to define the lateral dimension of a gap on the basis of the corresponding air gaps, which may then be obtained by depositing a further dielectric material.
222 Citations
25 Claims
-
1. A method, comprising:
-
forming a recess in a dielectric material of a metallization layer of a semiconductor device, said recess extending between two neighboring metal regions formed in said dielectric material; forming a spacer element on sidewalls of said recess; and forming a gap between said two neighboring metal regions by using said spacer element as an etch mask. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
-
-
13. A method comprising:
-
forming a recess between a first metal line and a second metal line, said first and second metal lines formed in a dielectric material of a metallization layer of a microstructure device; defining a reduced width of said recess by depositing a spacer layer into said recess; and forming a gap between said first and second metal lines on the basis of said reduced width. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
-
-
20. A microstructure device, comprising:
-
a first metal line formed in a dielectric material of a metallization layer; a second metal line formed in the dielectric material of said metallization layer laterally adjacent to said first metal line; an air gap located in said dielectric material between said first and second metal lines; a first spacer element formed at a portion of a first sidewall of said first metal line that faces a second sidewall of said second metal line; and a second spacer element formed at a portion of said second sidewall of said second metal line. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
-
Specification