US6291885B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Thin metal barrier for electrical interconnections
Assignee: GlobalFoundries Inc
•
Filing: 1997-07-18
•
Granted: 2001-09-18
•
Expires: 2017-07-18
Abstract
Abstract An interconnect structure and barrier layer for electrical interconnections is described incorporating a layer of TaN in the hexagonal phase between a first material such as Cu and a second material such as Al, W, and PbSn. A multilayer of TaN in the hexagonal phase and Ta in the alpha phase is also described as a barrier layer. The invention overcomes the problem of Cu diffusion into materials desired to be isolated during temperature anneal at 500° C.
Inventors
- 👤 Cyril Cabral, Jr.
- 👤 Patrick William DeHaven
- 👤 Daniel Charles Edelstein
- 👤 David Peter Klaus
- 👤 James Manley Pollard, III
- 👤 Carol L. Stanis
- 👤 Cyprian Emeka Uzoh
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 03:23
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10W; H10W20/00; H10W20/01; H10W20/031; H10W20/032; H10W20/033; H10W20/035; H10D; H10D64/00; H10D64/60; H10D64/66; H10D64/661; H10D64/662; H10D64/663; H10W20/40; H10W20/41; H10W20/425; H10W20/44; H10W20/4403; H10W20/4421; H10W20/4424; H10W20/45; H10W20/48; H10W72/00; H10W72/01; H10W72/012; H10W70/00; H10W70/60; H10W72/20; H10W72/251; H10W72/90; H10W72/921; H10W72/923; H10W72/951; H10W72/952
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 26
Claim 1
Independent Claim
34 words
A barrier layer comprising: a layer of TaN in the hexagonal phase positioned between a first material to be confined and a second material whereby said second material is isolated from said first material.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
34 words
A barrier layer comprising: a layer of TaN in the hexagonal phase positioned between a first material to be confined and a second material whereby said second material is isolated from said first material.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
28 words
The barrier layer of claim 1 wherein said first material is selected from the group consisting of Cu, alloys of Cu, Al, alloys of Al, W, and PbSn.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
45 words
The barrier layer of claim 1 wherein said second material is selected from the group consisting of SiO 2 , spin-on-glass, Si 3 N 4 , polyimide, diamond-like carbon (DLC), and fluorinated diamond-like carbon (F-DLC), WSi 2 , CoSi 2 , TiSi 2 , PtSi.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
29 words
The barrier of claim 1 wherein said layer of TaN in the hexagonal phase is highly oriented having a resistivity in the range from 150 to 300 micro ohm-cm.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
25 words
The barrier of claim 1 wherein said layer of TaN in the hexagonal phase is non-highly oriented having a resistivity greater than 300 micro ohm-cm.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
18 words
The barrier layer of claim 1 further including a Ta layer formed adjacent to said layer of TaN.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
15 words
The barrier layer of claim 6 wherein said Ta layer is in the alpha phase.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
17 words
The barrier layer of claim 7 wherein said Ta layer is formed on said layer of TaN.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
22 words
The barrier layer of claim 8 wherein said Ta layer has a resistivity in the range from 15 to 60 micro ohm-cm.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
56 words
A metal diffusion barrier in a semiconductor chip comprising: a layer consisting of TaN in the hexagonal (h) phase and a body centered cubic (bcc) phase between a first material and a second material whereby said first and second materials are isolated from each other, said hexagonal phase being in the range from 50 to 100%.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
56 words
A metal diffusion barrier in a semiconductor chip comprising: a layer consisting of TaN in the hexagonal (h) phase and a body centered cubic (bcc) phase between a first material and a second material whereby said first and second materials are isolated from each other, said hexagonal phase being in the range from 50 to 100%.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
29 words
The metal diffusion barrier of claim 10 wherein said first material is selected from the group consisting of Cu, alloys of Cu, Al, alloys of Al, W, and PbSn.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
29 words
The metal diffusion barrier of claim 11 wherein said second material is selected from the group consisting of Cu, alloys of Cu, Al, alloys of Al, W, and PbSn.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
47 words
The metal diffusion barrier of claim 11 wherein said second material is selected from the group consisting of SiO 2 , spin-on-glass, Si 3 N 4 , polyimide, diamond-like carbon (DLC), and fluorinated diamond-like carbon (F-DLC), WSi 2 , CoSi 2 , TiSi 2 , and PtSi.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
51 words
The metal diffusion barrier of claim 11 further including a layer of Ta consisting of Ta in the alpha phase adjacent said layer of TaN and between said layer of TaN and said first material to provide a redundant conductive path to said first material and adhesion to said first material.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
69 words
The metal diffusion barrier of claim 11 wherein said second material is an insulation layer having an upper and lower surface and having a plurality of grooves having respective sidewalls and a bottom formed in said upper surface, said layer of TaN formed on said sidewalls and bottom of said plurality of grooves; said first material formed in said plurality of grooves to substantially fill said plurality of grooves.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
50 words
The metal diffusion barrier layer of claim 15 further including a layer Ta consisting of Ta in the alpha phase adjacent said layer TaN and between said layer of TaN and said first material to provide a redundant conductive path to said first material and adhension to said first material.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
38 words
The metal diffusion barrier layer of claim 15 wherein some of said plurality of grooves have regions extending to said lower surface to expose respective conducting surfaces, said layer of TaN formed on said exposed respective conducting surfaces.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
17 words
The metal diffusion barrier of claim 11 wherein said layer of TaN consists of 100% hexagonal phase.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
47 words
The metal diffusion barrier of claim 10 wherein said second material is selected from the group consisting of SiO 2 , spin-on-glass, Si 3 N 4 , polyimide, diamond-like carbon (DLC), and fluorinated diamond-like carbon (F-DLC), WSi 2 , CoSi 2 , TiSi 2 , and PtSi.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
17 words
The metal diffusion barrier of claim 10 wherein said layer of TaN consists of 100% hexagonal phase.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
51 words
The metal diffusion barrier of claim 20 further including a layer of Ta consisting of Ta in the alpha phase adjacent said layer of TaN and between said layer of TaN and said first material to provide a redundant conductive path to said first material and adhesion to said first material.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
33 words
The metal diffusion barrier of claim 10 wherein said layer of TaN includes a mixture of at least 50% hexagonal (h) phase and the remaining TaN in the body centered cubic (bcc) phase.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
55 words
The metal diffusion barrier of claim 22 further including a layer of Ta consisting of Ta in the alpha phase adjacent said layer of TaN and between said layer of TaN in the hexagonal phase and said first material to provide a redundant conductive path to said first material and adhesion to said first material.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
22 words
The metal diffusion barrier of claim 22 wherein said layer of TaN has N in the range from 30 to 60 at.%.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
EP0024863A2
Cited
US4385116A
Cited
EP0568108A1
Cited
US4789648A
Cited
US4944836A
Cited
US5316974A
Cited
WO1992007968A1
Cited
US5221449A
Cited
US5281485A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2004-09-17 | 2005-03-19 | 2005-09-18 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2008-09-17 | 2009-03-19 | 2009-09-18 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2012-09-17 | 2013-03-19 | 2013-09-18 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |