Local interconnect structure self-aligned to gate structure

US8455932B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• International Business Machines Corporation · US

Inventors

• Ali Khakifirooz · Los Altos, US
• Kangguo Cheng · Schenectady, US
• Bruce B. Doris · Brewster, US
• Wilfried E. Haensch · Somers, US
• Balasubramanian S. Haran · Watervliet, US
• Pranita Kulkarni · Slingerlands, US

Key dates

• Filing date: May 6, 2011
• Grant date: Jun 4, 2013
• Expiry date: Sep 20, 2031

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H10D84/038
• WIPO field: Semiconductors
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A common cut mask is employed to define a gate pattern and a local interconnect pattern so that local interconnect structures and gate structures are formed with zero overlay variation relative to one another. A local interconnect structure may be laterally spaced from a gate structure in a first horizontal direction, and contact another gate structure in a second horizontal direction that is different from the first horizontal direction. Further, a gate structure may be formed to be collinear with a local interconnect structure that adjoins the gate structure. The local interconnect structures and the gate structures are formed by a common damascene processing step so that the top surfaces of the gate structures and the local interconnect structures are coplanar with each other.