Patent · US Expired

Air gap dielectric in self-aligned via structures

US6281585A · kind A · utility

43Cited by
12References
13Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateNov 12, 1999
Grant dateAug 28, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 12, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01L2924/0002
  • WIPO fieldSemiconductors
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A high speed interconnect structure and methods for making the structure are provided. The interconnect structure includes a first metallization layer having a plurality of metallization lines and a conductive via metallization layer defined over the first metallization layer. The conductive via metallization layer is configured to define self-aligned conductive vias. A non-conformal oxide layer is defined over the first metallization layer and the conductive via metallization layer such that air gaps are positioned between the plurality of metallization lines. A cap oxide layer is then defined over the non-conformal oxide. In this example, a CMP operation can be performed to expose the top surfaces of the conductive vias before a next metallization layer is defined. It should be noted that air gaps are defined without the problems associated with conductive via misalignment.

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