US6300233B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method of making a fuse in a semiconductor device
Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
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Filing: 2000-11-16
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Granted: 2001-10-09
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Expires: 2020-11-16
Abstract
Abstract The present invention provides a fuse of a semiconductor device and a method of forming a fuse of a semiconductor device. The method of the invention includes forming an underlying metal conductor on a semiconductor substrate, forming an insulating film over the underlying metal conductor, and selectively etching regions of the insulating film. One of the regions of the insulating film is etched to form a via contact region exposing the underlying metal conductor. A second region is etched to form a groove in the insulating film for the fuse metal. Metal is buried within the second etched region of the insulating film and the via contact region to respectively form a fuse metal pattern and a via contact metal layer. The fuse metal pattern can be formed from copper and/or tungsten.
Inventors
- 👤 Dong-Hun Lee
- 👤 Jong-Hyon Ahn
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 06:55
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10W; H10W20/00; H10W20/40; H10W20/49; H10W20/493; H10W20/494
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
118 words
A method of forming a fuse in a semiconductor device, comprising the steps of: forming an underlying metal conductor on a semiconductor substrate; forming an insulating film over the underlying metal conductor; selectively etching a first region of said insulating film to form a conductive metal region; selectively etching a second region of said insulating film to a predetermined depth; burying metal within the first and second etched regions to form a conductive metal and a fuse metal, respectively, the metal comprising copper; and planarizing the metal and the insulating layer including the second etched region and the conductive metal region to form the fuse metal in a rectangular planar shape, said planarizing comprising chemical mechanical polishing (CMP).
Claim 2
Independent Claim
118 words
A method of forming a fuse in a semiconductor device, comprising the steps of: forming an underlying metal conductor on a semiconductor substrate; forming an insulating film over the underlying metal conductor; selectively etching a first region of said insulating film to form a conductive metal region; selectively etching a second region of said insulating film to a predetermined depth; burying metal within the first and second etched regions to form a conductive metal and a fuse metal, respectively, the metal comprising copper; and planarizing the metal and the insulating layer including the second etched region and the conductive metal region to form the fuse metal in a rectangular planar shape, said planarizing comprising chemical mechanical polishing (CMP).
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method of forming a fuse in a semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the metal further comprises tungsten.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method of forming a fuse in a semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the predetermined depth is approximately 300-4000 Å.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
132 words
A method of forming a fuse in a semiconductor device, comprising the steps of: forming an underlying metal conductor on a semiconductor substrate; forming an insulating film over of said underlying metal conductor; selectively etching a first region of said insulating film to form a via contact region exposing said underlying metal conductor; selectively etching a second region of said insulating film; and burying metal within the second etched region of said insulating film and said via contact region to respectively form a fuse metal pattern and a via contact metal layer, said buried metal comprising copper; and planarizing the metal and the insulating layer including the second etched region and the via contact region to form the fuse metal in a rectangular planar shape, said planarizing comprising chemical mechanical polishing (CMP).
Claim 6
Independent Claim
132 words
A method of forming a fuse in a semiconductor device, comprising the steps of: forming an underlying metal conductor on a semiconductor substrate; forming an insulating film over of said underlying metal conductor; selectively etching a first region of said insulating film to form a via contact region exposing said underlying metal conductor; selectively etching a second region of said insulating film; and burying metal within the second etched region of said insulating film and said via contact region to respectively form a fuse metal pattern and a via contact metal layer, said buried metal comprising copper; and planarizing the metal and the insulating layer including the second etched region and the via contact region to form the fuse metal in a rectangular planar shape, said planarizing comprising chemical mechanical polishing (CMP).
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
51 words
A method of forming a fuse of a semiconductor device as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the first region of said insulating film is a region in which a via contact, which connects the metal conductors on different layers in a semiconductor device of a multi-layered structure, will be formed.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
49 words
A method of forming a fuse of a semiconductor device as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the second region of said insulating film is a region in which a fuse metal pattern, for repairing defect cells of a semiconductor memory device when they are generated, will be formed.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
39 words
A method of forming a fuse in a semiconductor device as claimed in claim 4 , wherein an etching depth of at least one of the first and the second regions of said insulating film is approximately 300-4000 Å.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
36 words
A method of forming a fuse in a semiconductor device as claimed in claim 4 , wherein said underlying metal conductor is formed before an upper metal conductor in a semiconductor device having a multi-layered structure.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method of forming a fuse in a semiconductor device as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the metal further comprises tungsten.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method of forming a fuse in a semiconductor device as claimed in claim 4 , wherein said planarizing comprises an etch back process.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
23 words
A method of forming a fuse in a semiconductor device as claimed in claim 4 , wherein said planarizing comprises a reflow process.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
87 words
A method of forming a fuse in a semiconductor device as claimed in claim 4 , further comprising: after formation of said fuse metal pattern and said via contact metal layer, sequentially forming a barrier metal layer and a metal layer on the upper portion of said insulating film; and patterning the barrier metal layer and the metal layer on the upper portion of said insulating film to form an upper metal conductor that is connected to said underlying metal conductor through said via contact metal layer.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
35 words
A method of forming a fuse in a semiconductor device as claimed in claim 12 , wherein said upper metal conductor is a final metal conductor of a semiconductor memory device having a multi-layered structure.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2004-10-08 | 2005-04-09 | 2005-10-09 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2008-10-08 | 2009-04-09 | 2009-10-09 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2012-10-08 | 2013-04-09 | 2013-10-09 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |