Multilevel metallization process for integrated circuits

Claim 2

A process for fabricating electrical connections on an integrated circuit structure between a lower electrically conducting layer and a next upper electrically conducting layer with the material of said lower and next upper layers being selected from the group including metals and alloys, the process comprising: forming electrically conductive first material on the integrated circuit structure in at least one location where the lower and the next upper layer are to be electrically connected, the first material being inert to etchants for the lower and the next upper layer, the area of contact between the lower and next upper layers being less than the area of the first material; depositing the lower layer over first portions of the integrated circuit structure and over the first material; depositing a dielectrical material over all of the lower layer and the first material; etching the dielectric material over at least part of the first material using a process to which the first material is not as susceptible as the dielectric materials, and forming the next upper layer over second portions of the integrated circuit structure and in contact with the lower layer exposed by the step of etching dielectric material.

Claim 3

A process as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first material is one of the class of materials comprised of undoped polycrystalline silicon, doped polycrystalline silicon, refractory metals and refractory metal silicides.

Claim 4

A process as set forth in claim 1, wherein the step of removing insulating material is performed by chemically etching the insulating material.

Claim 5

A process as set forth in claim 3, wherein the insulating material is an oxide of silicon.

Claim 6

A process as set forth in claim 1, wherein the lower layer and the next upper layer comprise aluminum.

Claim 7

A process for multilevel metallization for allowing high density interconnects in bipolar, Schottky bipolar and MOS integrated circuits comprising: providing a semiconductor wafer; depositing on said wafer a layer of a material selected from the group including undoped polycrystalline silicon, doped polycrystalline silicon, refractory metal silicide, and refractory metal; etching a pattern comprised of a number of pads of said material with the pads being at locations where the first and second layers of metal will make contact with each other through vias, the physical sizes of the pads being larger than the vias; etching and opening contacts to the semiconductor substrate of the wafer; depositing a metal suitable for ohmic and Schottky contact formation on sintering material of the wafer; sintering the deposited metal to form contact material and etching the excess unreacted metal; depositing a first layer of metal interconnect to material onto the wafer, the pads and the metal; etching patterns in the first layer material; depositing a dielectric layer on the first metal layer; etching and open contacts through the dielectric layer to the first layer metal in alignment with the pads; and depositing second layer interconnect metal over the dielectric layer, whereby the first and second metal layers contact each other through said pads.

Claim 8

A process for multilevel metallization for allowing high density interconnects in bipolar, Schottky bipolar and MOS integrated circuits comprising: providing a semiconductor wafer; depositing on said wafer a layer of a material selected from the group including undoped polycrystalline silicon, doped polycrystalline silicon, refractory metal silicide, and refractory metal; etching a pattern comprised of a number of pads of said material with the pads being at locations where the first and second layers of metal will make contact with each other through vias, the physical sizes of the pads being larger than the vias; etching and opening contacts to the semiconductor substrate of the wafer; depositing a metal suitable for ohmic and Schottky contact formation on sintering material of the wafer; sintering the deposited metal to form contact material and etching the excess unreacted metal; depositing a first layer of metal interconnect to material onto the wafer, the pads and the metal; etching patterns in the first layer material; depositing a dielectric layer on the first metal layer; etching and open contacts through the dielectric layer to the first layer metal in alignment with the pads; and depositing second layer interconnect metal over the dielectric layer, whereby the first and second metal layers contact each other through said pads.