# US 10,121,740 B2 · Advanced e-Fuse structure with hybrid metal controlled microstructure > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,121,740 B2 - Document ID: US10121740B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/407,209 - Filed: 2017-01-16 - Published: 2017-09-28 - Granted: 2018-11-06 - Earliest claimed: 2016-03-28 - Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation - Applicants: International Business Machines Corporation - Inventors: Daniel C Edelstein; Chih-Chao Yang - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10121740B2 ## CPC - H10W 20/493: {Fuses, i.e. interconnections changeable from conductive to non-conductive} - H10P 95/80: Electrical treatments, e.g. for electroforming - H10W 20/435: {Cross-sectional shapes or dispositions of interconnections} - H10W 20/4421: {the principal metal being copper} - H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract A structure of an e-Fuse device in a semiconductor device is described. The e-Fuse device includes an anode region, a cathode region and a fuse element which interconnects the anode and cathode regions in a dielectric material on a first surface of a substrate. The fuse element has a smaller cross section and a higher aspect ratio than the anode and cathode regions. The anode and cathode regions are comprised of a large grained copper layer and an aspect ratio reducing layer, and the fuse element is comprised of a fine grained copper structure. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An e-Fuse device comprising: an anode region, a cathode region and a fuse element region which interconnects the anode and cathode regions in a trench in a dielectric material on a first surface of a substrate, wherein the fuse element region has a smaller cross section and a higher aspect ratio than the anode and cathode regions; an anode in the anode region; a cathode in the cathode region; a fuse element in the fuse element region; and wherein the anode and cathode are comprised of a large grained copper layer and an aspect ratio reducing layer, and the fuse element is comprised of a fine grained copper structure, where respective aspect ratios of anode, cathode and fuse element regions are respective ratios of a height of the trench divided by a width of the trench and the aspect ratio reducing layer reduces the aspect ratios of portions of the trenches in the anode and cathode regions used for the large grained copper layer; and wherein the aspect ratio reducing layer fills a bottom portion of the anode and cathode regions, wherein the bottom portion comprises 30-50 percent of the anode and cathode regions and is absent from an upper portion of the anode and cathode regions, wherein the upper portion comprises a large grain copper layer of 50 to 70 percent of the anode and cathode regions and the aspect ratio reducing layer is absent from the trench in the fuse element region. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The device as recited in claim 1, further comprising a liner material disposed between the aspect ratio reducing layer and the dielectric material in the anode and cathode regions and between the fine grained copper structure and the dielectric material in the fuse element region. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The device as recited in claim 2, wherein the liner material is selected from the group consisting of Ta, Ti, W, Co, Ru, TaN, TiN, WN, CoN, and RuN. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The device as recited in claim 1, further comprising a metal cap layer disposed over the large grained copper layer in the anode and cathode regions and the fine grained copper structure in the fuse element region. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The device as recited in claim 4, wherein the metal cap layer is selected from the group consisting of Co, W, Rh, and Ru. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the aspect ratio reducing layer causes the difference in aspect ratios between portions of the trenches used for copper in the fuse element region and the anode and cathode regions to be greater than 0.5. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The device as recited in claim 2, wherein the fine grained copper structure in the fuse element region directly contacts the liner material and has a greater height than the large grained copper layer in the cathode and anode regions. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the large grained copper layer is a bamboo structure and the fine grained structure is a polycrystalline structure of copper. ### Claim 9 (depends on 4) The device as recited in claim 4, wherein the metal cap layer controls the electromigration properties preventing surface diffusion electromigration inside the large grained copper layer and the fine grained copper structure. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the large grained copper layer in the anode and cathode regions has a higher EM-resistance than the fine grained copper structure in the fuse element region. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the aspect ratio reducing layer is comprised of conductive, EM-resistant material. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The device as recited in claim 11, wherein the aspect ratio reducing layer is selected from the group consisting of W, Co, Rh, Ru, Au, Ag, and Al. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The device as recited in claim 1, wherein a cumulative height of the large grained copper layer and the aspect ratio reducing layer in the anode and cathode is substantially equal to a height of the fine grained copper structure in the fuse element. ### Claim 14 (depends on 2) The device as recited in claim 2, wherein the fine grained copper structure fills an entire remainder portion of a depth of the trench in the fuse element region which remains after liner material is deposited. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the aspect ratio reducing layer is a reflowed metal layer.