Dual damascene manufacturing process

• US 6,174,804 B1
• Filed: 09/24/1998
• Issued: 01/16/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: United Microelectronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: United Microelectronics Corporation
• Inventors: Hsu, Chen-Chung
• Primary Examiner(s): Niebling, John F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zarneke, David A.
• Application Number:
  US09/159,912
• Time in Patent Office: 845 Days
• Field of Search: 438/620, 438/622, 438/627, 438/628, 438/629, 438/633, 438/637, 438/638, 438/643, 438/644, 438/645, 438/648, 438/653, 438/654, 438/656, 438/666, 438/672, 438/675, 438/685, 438/687, 438/688
• US Class Current: 438/638
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76807 for dual damascene structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76885 By forming conductive members before deposition of protective insulating material, e.g. pillars, studs
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76897 Formation of self-aligned vias or contact plugs, i.e. involving a lithographically uncritical step self-aligned silicidation on field effect transistors H01L29/665
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2221/1026 the via being formed by burying a sacrificial pillar in the dielectric and removing the pillar

Abstract

A dual damascene process for forming interconnects such as contact plugs or vias. A first metal line is formed on a substrate structure. A first metal line is formed on the substrate structure. At least a stud is formed to cover a part of the first metal line. An insulation layer is formed to cover the substrate structure, the first metal line and the stud. A part of the insulation layer is removed to expose the stud. The expose stud is removed to form a contact window to expose the part of the first metal line. A metal layer is formed to fill the contact window.

Claims

1. A dual damascene process, comprising:

providing a substrate structure;

forming a first metallic layer and a first insulation layer on the substrate structure in sequence;

patterning the first insulation layer and the first metallic layer, so that a metallic line covered by a conformal first insulation layer is formed;

removing a part of the conformal first insulation layer to form a first metal line and a second metal line of the first metallic line, the first metal line being exposed by removing the part of the conformal first insulation layer and the second metal line being covered by the remaining first insulation layer;

forming a second insulation layer to cover the substrate structure, the first metal line, and the remaining first insulation layer;

patterning the second insulation layer to form a trench aligned over the second metal line and to expose the remaining first insulation layer;

removing the remaining first insulation layer to form a via hole under the trench to expose the second metal line;

forming a second metallic layer over the insulation layer and filling the trench and the via; and

planarizing the second metallic layer until the second insulation layer is exposed.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising the further step of forming the first metallic layer by depositing at least one of copper, aluminum and aluminum-copper alloys.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising the further step of forming the first insulation layer by silicon nitride.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising the further step of patterning the first insulation layer and the first metallic layer using reactive ion etching.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising the further step of removing the first insulation layer using reactive ion etching.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising the further step of forming the second insulation layer by silicon oxide.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the distance between a top surface of the second insulation layer and a top surface of the remaining first insulation layer is approximately the same as the height of the remaining first insulation layer.

8. The method of claim 1, comprising the further step of patterning the second insulation layer using reactive ion etching.

9. The method of claim 1, comprising the further step of removing the remaining first insulation layer using wet etching method.

10. The method of claim 1, comprising the further step of removing the remaining first insulation layer with a higher selectivity of the first insulation than the second insulation layer.

11. The method of claim 1, comprising the further step of forming a glue/barrier layer conformal to the trench and the via hole before forming the second metallic layer.

12. The method of claim 11, comprising the further step of forming the conformal glue/barrier layer by at least one of titanium/titanium nitride and tantalum/tantalum nitride.

13. The method of claim 1, comprising the further step of forming the second metallic layer by at least one of copper, aluminum and aluminum-copper alloy.

14. The method of claim 1, comprising the further step of planarizing the second metallic layer by a chemical-mechanical polishing method.

20. The method of claim 1, the step of forming the first metallic line covered by the conformal insulation layer further comprising:

forming a first metallic layer over the substrate structure;

forming a first insulation layer on the first metallic layer; and

patterning the first insulation layer and the first metallic layer.

21. The method of claim 20, comprising the further step of forming the first metallic layer by depositing at least one of copper, aluminum and aluminum-copper alloys.

22. The method of claim 20, comprising the further step of forming the first insulation by silicon nitride.

23. The method of claim 20, comprising the further step of forming the first insulation layer and the first metallic layer using reactive ion etching.

31. The method of claim 1, comprising the further step of removing the remaining stud with a higher selectivity of the stud than the second insulation layer.

15. A method for use of a dual damascene process, comprising:

providing a substrate structure;

forming a first metallic line covered by a conformal insulation layer over the substrate structure;

patterning the conformal insulation layer to form at least one stud covering a second metal line of the first metallic line, the exposed first metallic line being as a first metal line;

forming a second insulation layer to cover the substrate structure, the first metal line, and the stud;

forming an opening aligned over the second metal line within the second insulation layer and to expose the stud; and

deepening the opening by removing the stud.

16. The method of claim 15, comprising the further step of forming a contact via within the opening after removing the stud.

17. The method of claim 16, the step of forming a contact via within the opening further comprising:

forming a glue/barrier layer on and conformal to the opening; and

forming a metal layer on the glue/barrier layer to fill the opening.

18. The method of claim 17, comprising the further step of forming the conformal glue/barrier layer by at least one of titanium/titanium nitride and tantalum/tantalum nitride.

19. The method of claim 16, comprising the further step of forming the second metallic layer by at least one of copper, aluminum and aluminum-copper alloy.

24. The method of claim 15, comprising the further step of forming the first metallic line by at least one of copper, aluminum and aluminum-copper alloys.

25. The method of claim 15, comprising the further step of forming the conformal insulation layer by silicon nitride.

26. The method of claim 15, comprising the further step of removing the conformal insulation layer using reactive ion etching.

27. The method of claim 15, comprising the further step of forming the second insulation layer by silicon oxide.

28. The method of claim 15, wherein the distance between a top surface of the second insulation layer and a top surface of the stud is approximately the same as the height of the stud.

29. The method of claim 15, comprising the further step of patterning the second insulation layer using reactive ion etching.

30. The method of claim 15, comprising the further step of removing the stud using wet etching method.

32. The method of claim 15, wherein the conformal insulation layer and the second insulation layer are made from different materials.

33. A method for forming at least an interconnect over a substrate structure, comprising:

forming a first metal line on the substrate structure;

forming at least a stud to cover a part of the first metal line;

forming an insulation layer to cover the substrate structure, the first metal line and the stud;

removing a part of the insulation layer to expose the stud;

removing the expose stud to form a contact window to expose the part of the first metal line; and

forming a metal layer to fill the contact window.