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Patent US6083818A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US6083818A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Electronic devices with strontium barrier film and process for making same
Assignee: United States Department of the Navy
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Filing: 1998-12-18
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Granted: 2000-07-04
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Expires: 2018-12-18
Abstract
Abstract A semiconductor device having a barrier film comprising an extremely thin film formed of one or more monolayers each comprised of a two-dimensional array of metal atoms. In one exemplary aspect, the barrier film is used for preventing the diffusion of atoms of another material, such as a copper conductor, into a substrate, such as a semiconducting material or an insulating material. In one mode of making the semiconductor device, the barrier film is formed by depositing a precursor, such as a metal halide (e.g., BaF 2 ), onto the substrate material, and then annealing the resulting film on the substrate material to remove all of the constituents of the temporary heteroepitaxial film except for a monolayer of metal atoms left behind as attached to the surface of the substrate. A conductor, such as copper, deposited onto the barrier film is effectively prevented from diffusing into the substrate material even when the barrier film is only one or several monolayers in thickness. The extremely thin barrier film makes possible a significant increase in the component density and a corresponding reduction in the number of layers in large scale integrated circuits, as well as improved performance.
Inventors
- 👤 Michael F. Stumborg
- 👤 Francisco Santiago
- 👤 Tak Kin Chu
- 👤 Kevin A. Boulais
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 01:50
CPC Classifications
C; C23; C23C; C23C14/00; C23C14/58; C23C14/5806; C23C14/02; C23C14/024; C23C14/025; C23C14/06; C23C14/14; C23C14/18; C23C16/00; C23C16/02; C23C16/0272; C23C16/0281; C23C16/06; C23C16/08; C23C16/14; H; H10; H10W; H10W20/00; H10W20/01; H10W20/031; H10W20/032; H10W20/033; H10W20/035
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 24
Claim 1
Independent Claim
54 words
A process for making a semiconductor device comprising the steps of: forming, on a surface of a substrate material, a barrier film having a thickness less than approximately 20 Å and including a monolayer of strontium atoms immediately adjacent said surface of the substrate material; and depositing a conducting material onto said barrier film.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
54 words
A process for making a semiconductor device comprising the steps of: forming, on a surface of a substrate material, a barrier film having a thickness less than approximately 20 Å and including a monolayer of strontium atoms immediately adjacent said surface of the substrate material; and depositing a conducting material onto said barrier film.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
70 words
A process for making a semiconductor device comprising the steps of: forming, on a surface of a substrate material, a barrier film having a layer of elemental strontium atoms immediately adjacent said surface of the substrate material; and depositing a conductor, having a tendency to diffuse into the substrate material, onto said barrier film, wherein said layer of elemental strontium atoms inhibits diffusion of the conductor into the substrate material.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
70 words
A process for making a semiconductor device comprising the steps of: forming, on a surface of a substrate material, a barrier film having a layer of elemental strontium atoms immediately adjacent said surface of the substrate material; and depositing a conductor, having a tendency to diffuse into the substrate material, onto said barrier film, wherein said layer of elemental strontium atoms inhibits diffusion of the conductor into the substrate material.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
39 words
A process according to claim 2, in which the step of forming said barrier film comprises depositing a monolayer precursor compound on said substrate by molecular beam epitaxy, and then annealing said monolayer precursor compound to form said monolayer.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
37 words
A process according to claim 2, in which the step of forming said barrier film comprises depositing a monolayer precursor compound on said substrate by sputtering, and then annealing said monolayer precursor compound to form said monolayer.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
39 words
A process according to claim 2, in which the step of forming said barrier film comprises depositing a monolayer precursor compound on said substrate by physical vapor deposition, and then annealing said monolayer precursor compound to form said monolayer.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
25 words
A process according to claim 2, in which the substrate material is selected from the group consisting of a semiconductor material and an insulating material.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
13 words
A process according to claim 2, in which the conductor comprises metallic copper.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
41 words
A process for making a semiconductor device comprising the steps of: forming, on a surface of a substrate material, a barrier film comprising strontium atoms having a thickness less than 100 Å; and depositing a conducting material onto said barrier film.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
41 words
A process for making a semiconductor device comprising the steps of: forming, on a surface of a substrate material, a barrier film comprising strontium atoms having a thickness less than 100 Å; and depositing a conducting material onto said barrier film.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
42 words
A process according to, claim 8, in which the step of forming said barrier film comprises depositing a monolayer precursor compound on said substrate by molecular beam epitaxy, and then annealing said monolayer precursor compound to form a monolayer comprising strontium atoms.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
40 words
A process according to claim 8, in which the step of forming said barrier film comprises depositing a monolayer precursor compound on said substrate by sputtering, and then annealing said monolayer precursor compound to form a monolayer comprising strontium atoms.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
42 words
A process according to claim 8, in which the step of forming said barrier film comprises depositing a monolayer precursor compound on said substrate by physical vapor deposition, and then annealing said monolayer precursor compound to form a monolayer comprising strontium atoms.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
25 words
A process according to claim 8, in which the substrate material is selected from the group consisting of a semiconductor material and an insulating material.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
13 words
A process according to claim 8, in which the conducting material comprises copper.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
46 words
A process for making a semiconductor device comprising the steps of: forming, on a surface of a substrate material, a barrier film having a layer of elemental strontium atoms immediately adjacent said surface of the substrate material; and depositing a conducting material onto said barrier film.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
46 words
A process for making a semiconductor device comprising the steps of: forming, on a surface of a substrate material, a barrier film having a layer of elemental strontium atoms immediately adjacent said surface of the substrate material; and depositing a conducting material onto said barrier film.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
42 words
A process according to claim 14, in which the step of forming said barrier film comprises depositing a monolayer precursor compound on said substrate by molecular beam epitaxy, and then annealing said monolayer precursor compound to form a monolayer comprising strontium atoms.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
40 words
A process according to claim 14, in which the step of forming said barrier film comprises depositing a monolayer precursor compound on said substrate by sputtering, and then annealing said monolayer precursor compound to form a monolayer comprising strontium atoms.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
42 words
A process according to claim 14, in which the step of forming said barrier film comprises depositing a monolayer precursor compound on said substrate by physical vapor deposition, and then annealing said monolayer precursor compound to form a monolayer comprising strontium atoms.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
25 words
A process according to claim 14, in which the substrate material is selected from the group consisting of a semiconductor material and an insulating material.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
14 words
A process according to claim 14, in which the conducting material comprises metallic copper.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
41 words
The process according to claim 14, wherein said step of forming said barrier film is sequentially repeated a plurality of times before the depositing step to provide a barrier film comprised of a stack of contiguous layers comprising elemental strontium atoms.
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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) | 2003-07-04 | 2004-01-03 | 2004-07-04 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2007-07-04 | 2008-01-03 | 2008-07-04 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2011-07-04 | 2012-01-03 | 2012-07-04 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |