# US 10,504,775 B1 · Methods of forming metal layer structures in semiconductor devices > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,504,775 B1 - Document ID: US10504775B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 15/993,691 - Filed: 2018-05-31 - Published: 2019-12-05 - Granted: 2019-12-10 - Earliest claimed: 2018-05-31 - Assignees: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd. - Applicants: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Ethan Hsiao; Chien Wen Lai; Chih-Ming Lai; Yi-Hsiung Lin; Cheng-Chi Chuang; Hsin-Ping Chen; Ru-Gun Liu - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10504775B1 ## CPC - H10W 20/089: {using processes for implementing desired shapes or dispositions of the openings, e.g. double patterning} - H10D 84/0149: {Manufacturing their interconnections or electrodes, e.g. source or drain electrodes} - H10D 84/0193: {the components including FinFETs} - H10D 84/038: {using silicon technology, e.g. SiGe} - H10P 50/283: {by chemical means} - H10P 50/73: {using masks for insulating materials} - H10P 76/2043: {using an anti-reflective coating} - H10P 76/405: {characterised by their composition, e.g. multilayer masks} - H10P 76/4085: {characterised by the processes involved to create the masks} - H10P 76/4088: {Processes for improving the resolution of the masks} - H10W 20/056: {by filling conductive material into holes, grooves or trenches} - H10D 84/0158: {the components including FinFETs} - H10P 95/062: {involving a dielectric removal step} - H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 - H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract A method includes providing a substrate comprising a material layer and a hard mask layer; patterning the hard mask layer to form hard mask lines; forming a spacer layer over the substrate, including over the hard mask lines, resulting in trenches defined by the spacer layer, wherein the trenches track the hard mask lines; forming a antireflective layer over the spacer layer, including over the trenches; forming an L-shaped opening in the antireflective layer, thereby exposing at least two of the trenches; filling the L-shaped opening with a fill material; etching the spacer layer to expose the hard mask lines; removing the hard mask lines; after removing the hard mask lines, transferring a pattern of the spacer layer and the fill material onto the material layer, resulting in second trenches tracking the pattern; and filling the second trenches with a conductive material. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of forming a semiconductor device, comprising: providing a workpiece having a substrate, a material layer over the substrate, and a hard mask layer over the material layer; patterning the hard mask layer to form a first plurality of hard mask lines; forming a spacer material layer over the first plurality of hard mask lines, resulting in a second plurality of trenches defined by the spacer material layer, wherein the second plurality of trenches tracks the first plurality of hard mask lines; forming an antireflective layer over the spacer material layer, including over the second plurality of trenches; forming an L-shaped opening in the antireflective layer, thereby exposing at least two of the second plurality of trenches; filling the L-shaped opening with a fill material; etching the spacer material layer to expose the first plurality of hard mask lines; removing the first plurality of hard mask lines; after removing the first plurality of hard mask lines, transferring a pattern of the spacer material layer and the fill material onto the material layer, resulting in trenches tracking the pattern; and filling the trenches with a conductive material. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the L-shaped opening includes a first line portion and a second line portion, wherein the second line portion extends from an end of the first line portion and is perpendicular to the first line portion. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein a width of the first line portion is greater than about a width of one of the second plurality of trenches and less than about a pitch of the first plurality of hard mask lines. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the first line portion extends parallel to and is over one of the second plurality of trenches. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the second line portion extends across at least two of the second plurality of trenches. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the forming of the L-shaped opening in the antireflective layer comprises forming the L-shaped opening over more than one of the second plurality of trenches. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the removing of the first plurality of hard mask lines includes removing a portion of the first plurality of hard mask lines, thereby resulting in a leftover hard mask segment, wherein the transferring the pattern of the spacer material layer and the fill material onto the material layer includes transferring a pattern of the leftover hard mask segment on the material layer. ### Claim 8 A method of forming a semiconductor device, comprising: forming a first plurality of hard mask lines over a material layer on a substrate, the first plurality of hard mask lines extending along a first direction; forming a spacer material layer over the first plurality of hard mask lines, resulting in a second plurality of trenches extending along the first direction, each of the second plurality of trenches having sidewalls formed of the spacer material layer, wherein the second plurality of trenches tracks the first plurality of hard mask lines; forming a antireflective layer over the second plurality of trenches; forming a first line-shaped opening in the antireflective layer; filling the first line-shaped opening with a fill material, wherein the first line-shaped opening extends along the first direction; etching the spacer material layer to expose the first plurality of hard mask lines; removing the first plurality of hard mask lines; after removing the first plurality of hard mask lines, transferring a pattern of the spacer material layer and the fill material onto the material layer, resulting in trenches tracking the pattern; and filling the trenches with a conductive material. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising: forming a second line-shaped opening in the antireflective layer, wherein the second line-shaped opening extends from an end of the first line-shaped opening and along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; and filling the second line-shaped opening with the fill material. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the first line-shaped opening extends over one of the second plurality of trenches. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the second line-shaped opening extends across at least two of the second plurality of trenches. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein a width of the first line-shaped opening is greater than about a width of one of the second plurality of trenches and less than about a pitch of the first plurality of hard mask lines. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the forming of the first line-shaped opening in the antireflective layer comprises forming the first line-shaped opening over one of the second plurality of trenches. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the removing of the first plurality of hard mask lines includes removing a portion of the first plurality of hard mask lines, thereby resulting in a leftover hard mask segment, wherein the transferring the pattern of the spacer material layer and the fill material onto the material layer includes transferring a pattern of the leftover hard mask segment on the material layer. ### Claim 15 A method of forming a semiconductor device, comprising: providing a workpiece having a substrate, a material layer over the substrate, and a hard mask layer over the material layer; patterning the hard mask layer, thereby forming a first plurality of hard mask lines; forming a spacer material layer over the first plurality of hard mask lines, resulting in a second plurality of trenches that tracks the first plurality of hard mask lines; forming an antireflective layer over the spacer material layer, including over the second plurality of trenches; forming an L-shaped opening in the antireflective layer, wherein the L-shaped opening includes a first line portion and a second line portion perpendicular to the first line portion, wherein the first line portion extends parallel to and is over one of the second plurality of trenches; filling the L-shaped opening with a fill material; etching the spacer material layer to expose the first plurality of hard mask lines; removing the first plurality of hard mask lines; after removing the first plurality of hard mask lines, transferring a pattern of the spacer material layer and the fill material onto the material layer, resulting in trenches tracking the pattern; and filling the trenches with a conductive material. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the second line portion extends from an end of the first line portion and is perpendicular to the first line portion. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the second line portion extends across at least two of the second plurality of trenches. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein a width of the first line portion is greater than about a width of one of the second plurality of trenches and less than about a pitch of the first plurality of hard mask lines. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the removing of the first plurality of hard mask lines includes removing a portion of the first plurality of hard mask lines, thereby resulting in a leftover hard mask segment, wherein the transferring the pattern of the spacer material layer and the fill material onto the material layer includes transferring a pattern of the leftover hard mask segment on the material layer. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein, after the removing of the first plurality of hard mask lines, the fill material comprises a line-shaped portion that fills one of the second plurality of trenches.