US5744865A
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US
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Highly thermally conductive interconnect structure for intergrated circuits
Assignee: Texas Instruments Inc
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Filing: 1996-10-22
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Granted: 1998-04-28
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Expires: 2016-10-22
Abstract
Abstract A method and structure for improving the thermal conductivity and therefore the heat dissipation of densely interconnected semiconductor circuits, particularly those utilizing low dielectric constant materials by placing a layer of highly thermally conductive material such as diamond film 26 between layers of interconnect metal 22. An embodiment of the present invention allows increased thermal conductivity from the upper levels of metalization to the substrate 10 where structure of the present invention is repeated to form multiple levels of interconnects stacked one upon the other. Further, the diamond layer of the present invention may be used as an effective etch stop or planarization stop. The present invention can be used with known low dielectric constant materials, interlevel dielectrics 30 and planarization techniques with the added benefit of highly thermally conductive diamond film.
Inventors
- 👤 Shin-puu Jeng
- 👤 Mi-Chang Chang
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 19:13
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10W; H10W40/00; H10W40/20; H10W40/22; H10W40/226; H10W20/00; H10W20/01; H10W20/071; H10W20/074; H10W20/077; H10W40/25; H10W40/254; H10W20/098
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
97 words
A microelectronic structure comprising: (a) a semiconductor substrate; (b) a high thermal conductivity material on a said semiconductor substrate; (c) a plurality of interconnects on said high thermal conductivity material on said semiconductor substrate wherein the thickness of said high thermal conductivity material not directly below said interconnects is thinner than in areas directly below said interconnects; (d) a dielectric material between at least two of said interconnects and between said high thermal conductivity material in said thinner areas; and (e) an interlevel dielectric layer on said high thermal conductivity material, said interconnects and said dielectric material.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
97 words
A microelectronic structure comprising: (a) a semiconductor substrate; (b) a high thermal conductivity material on a said semiconductor substrate; (c) a plurality of interconnects on said high thermal conductivity material on said semiconductor substrate wherein the thickness of said high thermal conductivity material not directly below said interconnects is thinner than in areas directly below said interconnects; (d) a dielectric material between at least two of said interconnects and between said high thermal conductivity material in said thinner areas; and (e) an interlevel dielectric layer on said high thermal conductivity material, said interconnects and said dielectric material.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
24 words
The structure according to claim 1, further comprising an adhesion layer between at least one of said interconnects and said high thermal conductivity material.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
20 words
The structure of claim 1, wherein said dielectric material between said at least two interconnects is a low dielectric material.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
17 words
The structure of claim 3 wherein said dielectric material has a dielectric constant of less than 3.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
21 words
The structure of claim 1 wherein said interlevel dielectric is a planarized layer of nonconductive semiconductor material formed on said interconnects.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
17 words
The structure of claim 1 further comprising a cap layer on at least two of said interconnects.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
30 words
The structure of claim 1 wherein said high thermal conductivity material is selected from the group consisting of: diamond film, boron nitride, aluminum nitride, diamond-like-carbon, beryllium oxide, and aluminum oxide.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
13 words
The structure of claim 7 wherein said diamond film is formed by CVD.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
14 words
The structure of claim 7 wherein said diamond film is formed by laser ablation.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
34 words
The structure of claim 4 wherein said low dielectric constant material is selected from the group consisting of: Polyimide, Polysilsequioxane, Benzocyclobutene, Parylene N, Florinated polyimide, Parylene F, Polynaphthalene, Amorphous Telflon, Polymer foams, Aerogel, Xerogel.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
17 words
The structure of claim 1 wherein said high thermal conductivity material is only directly below said interconnects.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
98 words
A microelectronic structure comprising: (a) a semiconductor substrate; (b) at least two interconnects on said semiconductor substrate; and (c) a low dielectric material between said interconnects on said substrate; (d) a high thermal conductivity material on a said interconnects wherein the thickness of said high thermal conductivity material not directly below said interconnects is thinner than in areas directly below said interconnects and said low dielectric material is also between said high thermal conductivity material in said thinner areas; and (e) an interlevel dielectric layer over said high thermal conductivity material, said interconnects and said low dielectric material.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
98 words
A microelectronic structure comprising: (a) a semiconductor substrate; (b) at least two interconnects on said semiconductor substrate; and (c) a low dielectric material between said interconnects on said substrate; (d) a high thermal conductivity material on a said interconnects wherein the thickness of said high thermal conductivity material not directly below said interconnects is thinner than in areas directly below said interconnects and said low dielectric material is also between said high thermal conductivity material in said thinner areas; and (e) an interlevel dielectric layer over said high thermal conductivity material, said interconnects and said low dielectric material.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
19 words
The structure according to claim 12, further comprising a liner layer between said interconnects and said low dielectric material.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
23 words
The structure of claim 12, wherein said low dielectric material between said at least two interconnects has a dielectric constant less than 3.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
34 words
The structure of claim 14 wherein said low dielectric constant material is selected from the group consisting of: Polyimide, Polysilsequioxane, Benzocyclobutene, Parylene N, Florinated polyimide, Parylene F, Polynaphthalene, Amorphous Telflon, Polymer foams, Aerogel, Xerogel.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
24 words
The structure of claim 12 wherein said dielectric layer is a planarized layer of nonconductive semiconductor material formed on said high thermal conductivity material.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
30 words
The structure of claim 12 wherein said high thermal conductivity material is selected from the group consisting of: diamond film, boron nitride, aluminum nitride, diamond-like-carbon, beryllium oxide, and aluminum oxide.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
14 words
The structure of claim 17 wherein said diamond film is an etch stop layer.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
23 words
The structure of claim 12 further comprising multiple layers of the structure described by (b) through (e) in claim 13 on said substrate.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
33 words
The structure of claim 12, wherein said high thermal conductivity material is only directly below said interconnects and said low dielectric material is also between said high thermal conductivity material on said interconnects.
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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) | 2001-04-27 | 2001-10-27 | 2002-04-28 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2005-04-27 | 2005-10-27 | 2006-04-28 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2009-04-27 | 2009-10-27 | 2010-04-28 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |