# US 10,312,140 B1 · Dielectric gap fill evaluation for integrated circuits

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- Number: US 10,312,140 B1
- Document ID: US10312140B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 15/847,005
- Filed: 2017-12-19
- Published: 2019-06-20
- Granted: 2019-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2017-12-19
- Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation
- Applicants: International Business Machines Corporation
- Inventors: Isabel Cristina Chu; Lawrence A. Clevenger; Leigh Anne H. Clevenger; Ekmini Anuja De Silva; Gauri Karve; Fee Li Lie; Nicole Adelle Saulnier; Indira Seshadri; Hosadurga Shobha
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10312140B1

## CPC

- H10W 20/098: {by filling between adjacent conductive parts}
- H10P 50/00: Etching of wafers, substrates or parts of devices
- H10P 74/207: {Electrical properties, e.g. testing or measuring of resistance, deep levels or capacitance-voltage characteristics}
- H10W 20/056: {by filling conductive material into holes, grooves or trenches}
- H10W 20/067: {by modifying the pattern of conductive parts}
- H10W 20/092: {by smoothing the dielectric parts}
- H10W 20/42: Vias, e.g. via plugs
- 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

Apparatus and methods for dielectric gap fill evaluations are provided. In one example, a method can comprise providing a gap fill substrate over one or more interlayer dielectric trenches of a dielectric layer and over a first material located in the one or more interlayer dielectric trenches. The method can also comprise depositing a gap fill candidate material within one or more gap fill substrate trenches of the gap fill substrate. Furthermore, the method can comprise etching the gap fill candidate material until a void within the first material is identified. Additionally, the method can comprise filling the one or more gap fill substrate trenches with a second material to form one or more contacts with the first material to measure a leakage current of one or more pitches.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method, comprising:
providing a gap fill substrate over one or more interlayer dielectric trenches of a dielectric layer and over a first material located in the one or more interlayer dielectric trenches;
depositing a gap fill candidate material within one or more gap fill substrate trenches of the gap fill substrate;
etching the gap fill candidate material within the one or more gap fill substrate trenches until a void within the gap fill candidate material is identified that exposes part of the first material; and
filling the one or more gap fill substrate trenches with a second material to form one or more contacts with the first material via at least the void to measure a leakage current of one or more pitches.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
performing lithography on the interlayer dielectric to create the one or more interlayer dielectric trenches.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the leakage current is measured as a function of voltage.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the leakage current is measured at the first material of a pitch of the one or more pitches.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
detecting the void associated with a pitch of the one or more pitches as a function of a line space.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
smoothing a surface of the interlayer dielectric and the first material via a chemical-mechanical planarization step.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
patterning the gap fill substrate to form the one or more gap fill substrate trenches.

### Claim 8

A method, comprising:
depositing an interlayer dielectric on a silicon substrate;
depositing a first metal within one or more interlayer dielectric trenches of the interlayer dielectric;
etching a gap fill material, that has been deposited in one or more gap fill substrate trenches of a gap fill substrate disposed on the first metal and the interlayer dielectric, until a void within the gap fill material is reached that exposes part of the first metal; and
filling the one or more gap fill substrate trenches with a second metal to form one or more contacts with the first metal via at least the void to measure a leakage current between the first metal and the one or more contacts.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, further comprising:
patterning the interlayer dielectric to form the one or more interlayer dielectric trenches.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, further comprising:
patterning the gap fill substrate to form the one or more gap fill substrate trenches.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the patterning comprises a lithographic step to pattern the interlayer dielectric.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, further comprising:
smoothing a surface of the interlayer dielectric and the first metal via a chemical-mechanical planarization step.