US5675186A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Construction that prevents the undercut of interconnect lines in plasma metal etch systems
Assignee: GlobalFoundries Inc
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Filing: 1996-06-28
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Granted: 1997-10-07
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Expires: 2016-06-28
Abstract
Abstract A Ti x N y layer, not necessarily stoichiometric, is interposed between a titanium or aluminum interconnect layer to improve adhesion and prevent re-entrant undercutting and lifting of the interconnect layer during the process of patterning and plasma etching to form interconnect lines on a substrate, such as an oxide.
Inventors
- 👤 Lewis Shen
- 👤 Sheshadri Ramaswami
- 👤 Mark Chang
- 👤 Robin Cheung
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 02:35
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10W; H10W20/00; H10W20/40; H10W20/41; H10W20/425; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S257/00; Y10S257/915
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 5
Claim 1
Independent Claim
71 words
A multi-layer interconnect line structure formed on an oxide substrate, wherein said oxide substrate consists essentially of an inter-metal layer dielectric, said multi-layer interconnect line structure comprising: (a) in either order, a nitrogen-containing titanium layer and a titanium layer wherein said nitrogen-containing titanium layer is not stoichiometric thereby having a composition given by Ti x N y , where x≠y; (b) an aluminum layer; and (c) a titanium nitride anti-reflection layer.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
71 words
A multi-layer interconnect line structure formed on an oxide substrate, wherein said oxide substrate consists essentially of an inter-metal layer dielectric, said multi-layer interconnect line structure comprising: (a) in either order, a nitrogen-containing titanium layer and a titanium layer wherein said nitrogen-containing titanium layer is not stoichiometric thereby having a composition given by Ti x N y , where x≠y; (b) an aluminum layer; and (c) a titanium nitride anti-reflection layer.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
45 words
The structure of claim 1 consisting essentially of said titanium layer formed on said oxide substrate, said nitrogen-containing titanium layer formed on said titanium layer, said aluminum layer formed on said nitrogen-containing titanium layer, and said titanium nitride anti-reflection layer formed on said aluminum layer.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
37 words
The structure of claim 1 wherein said nitrogen-containing titanium layer has a composition given by Ti x N y , where x+y≦2 and where the amount of nitrogen is at least 10 atomic percent of said composition.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
22 words
The structure of claim 1 wherein said nitrogen-containing titanium layer is formed to a thickness ranging from about 0.01 to 0.1 μm.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2000-10-06 | 2001-04-07 | 2001-10-07 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2004-10-06 | 2005-04-07 | 2005-10-07 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2008-10-06 | 2009-04-07 | 2009-10-07 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |