Method for Producing an Integrated Circuit Device with Enhanced Mechanical Properties
First Claim
1. A method for producing an integrated circuit device comprising a front-end-of-line portion and a back-end-of-line portion, the BEOL portion comprising a metallization stack comprising metallization layers, each metallization layer comprising a layer of dielectric material with metal lines and/or metal vias embedded in the dielectric layer, the stack having a stack surface area, the method comprising the steps of:
- building the metallization stack by a sequence of processing steps wherein subsequent metallization layers are formed;
during or after the sequence, producing a mask layer on the partially or fully completed stack, the mask layer covering one or more portions of the stack surface area and leaving one or more portions of the stack surface area exposed; and
performing a treatment that changes the elastic modulus of the dielectric material of one or more of the metallization layers on which the mask layer is produced, only in the exposed portion(s) of the stack surface area.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Devices and methods for producing an integrated circuit device, comprising a front-end-of-line (FEOL) portion and a back-end-of-line (BEOL) portion, are disclosed. The metallization layers comprise dielectric layers, preferably low-k dielectric layers, with metal conductors and/or interconnect structures incorporated within the dielectric layers. In an exemplary device, in at least some of the metallization layers of the BEOL stack, the elastic modulus of the dielectric material varies from one area of the layer to one or more other areas of the layer. In some implementations, a mask layer is applied on the BEOL stack or on one of the metallization layers during fabrication of the stack, the mask layer covering portions of the stack area and exposing other portions of the area. Then, a treatment is performed that changes the elastic modulus of the dielectric material in one or more of the metallization layers, but only in areas uncovered by the mask layer.
20 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for producing an integrated circuit device comprising a front-end-of-line portion and a back-end-of-line portion, the BEOL portion comprising a metallization stack comprising metallization layers, each metallization layer comprising a layer of dielectric material with metal lines and/or metal vias embedded in the dielectric layer, the stack having a stack surface area, the method comprising the steps of:
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building the metallization stack by a sequence of processing steps wherein subsequent metallization layers are formed; during or after the sequence, producing a mask layer on the partially or fully completed stack, the mask layer covering one or more portions of the stack surface area and leaving one or more portions of the stack surface area exposed; and performing a treatment that changes the elastic modulus of the dielectric material of one or more of the metallization layers on which the mask layer is produced, only in the exposed portion(s) of the stack surface area. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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15. An integrated circuit device comprising:
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a front-end-of-line portion; and a back-end-of-line portion, the BEOL portion comprising a metallization stack of metallization layers, each metallization layer comprising a dielectric layer with metal lines and/or metal vias embedded in the dielectric layer, wherein in at least one of the metallization layers of the metallization stack, the elastic modulus of the dielectric layer varies from one area of the dielectric layer to one or more other areas of the dielectric layer.
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Specification