Patent · US Expired

Integrated circuit structure having an air dielectric and dielectric support pillars

US5798559A · kind A · utility

85Cited by
6References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 3, 1997
Grant dateAug 25, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 3, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S438/926
  • WIPO fieldSemiconductors
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method of making an integrated circuit interconnect structure having air as the effective dielectric between metallization layers includes the steps of: a) providing an air dielectric formation layer of a sacrificial material over a substrate; b) forming a pillar holes in the air dielectric formation layer; c) filling the pillar holes with a non-sacrificial material; d) constructing a metallization layer over the sacrificial air dielectric formation layer and nonsacrificial material pillars; and e) applying an isotropic etchant to the interconnect structure to remove the sacrificial material, leaving the non-sacrificial material pillars for mechanical support of the metallization layer. An interconnect structure having an air dielectric includes a bottom metallization layer, a top metallization layer, and a plurality of pillars separating the bottom and top metallization layers and mechanically supporting the top metallization layer. Additional similar interconnect structures can be stacked over a base interconnect structure.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.