Recessed metal lines for protective enclosure in integrated circuits

US6812141B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignees

• Infineon Technologies AG · DE
• International Business Machines Corporation · US

Inventors

• Michael C. Gaidis · Yorktown Heights, US
• Joachim Nuetzel · Fishkill, US
• Walter Glashauser · Munich, DE
• Eugene J. O'Sullivan · Nyack, US
• Gregory Costrini · Hopewell Junction, US
• Stephen L. Brown · Detroit, US
• Frank Findeis · Munich, DE
• Chanro Park · Clifton Park, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jul 1, 2003
• Grant date: Nov 2, 2004
• Expiry date: Jul 1, 2023

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H10B61/00
• WIPO field: Semiconductors
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

Encapsulating areas of metallization in a liner material, such as Tantalum, Tantalum Nitride, Silicon Carbide allows aggressive or harsh processing steps to be used. These aggresive processing steps offer the possibility of fabricating new device architectures. In addition, by encapsulating the areas of metallization, metal ion migration and electromigration can be prevented. Further, the encapsulated areas of metallization can serve as a self-aligning etch mask. Thus, vias etched between adjacent areas of metallization allow the area of the substrate allocated to the via to be significantly reduced without increasing the possibility of electrical shorts to the adjacent areas of metallization.