# US 10,770,345 B2 · Integrated circuit and fabrication method thereof > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,770,345 B2 - Document ID: US10770345B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/112,955 - Filed: 2018-08-27 - Published: 2020-02-27 - Granted: 2020-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2018-08-27 - Assignees: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd. - Applicants: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Tai-Yen Peng; Chang-Sheng Lin; Chien-Chung Huang; Yu-Shu Chen; Sin-Yi Yang; Chen-Jung Wang; Han-Ting Lin; Chih-Yuan Ting; Jyu-Horng Shieh - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10770345B2 ## CPC - H10W 20/092: {by smoothing the dielectric parts} - H10B 61/22: {of the field-effect transistor [FET] type} - H10B 63/30: {comprising selection components having three or more electrodes, e.g. transistors} - H10N 50/01: Manufacture or treatment - H10N 50/80: Constructional details - H10N 70/011: {Manufacture or treatment of multistable switching devices} - H10N 70/20: Multistable switching devices, e.g. memristors - H10N 70/826: {adapted for essentially vertical current flow, e.g. sandwich or pillar type devices} - H10N 70/8833: {Binary metal oxides, e.g. TaOx} - H10P 95/066: {the removal being a selective chemical etching step, e.g. selective dry etching through a mask} - H10W 20/081: {by forming openings in the dielectric parts} - H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 - H10B: ELECTRONIC MEMORY DEVICES - H10N: ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract A method for fabricating an integrated circuit is provided. The method includes depositing a first polish stop layer above a memory device, in which the first polish stop layer has a first portion over the memory device and a second portion that is not over the memory device; removing the second portion of the first polish stop layer; depositing an inter-layer dielectric layer over the first polish stop layer after removing the second portion of the first polish stop layer; and polishing the inter-layer dielectric layer until reaching the first portion of the first polish stop layer. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for fabricating an integrated circuit, comprising: depositing a first inter-layer dielectric layer over a memory device, wherein the first inter-layer dielectric layer has a first portion over the memory device and a second portion adjacent the first portion of the first inter-layer dielectric layer; depositing a first polish stop layer over the first inter-layer dielectric layer, wherein the first polish stop layer has a first portion over the memory device and a second portion over the second portion of the first inter-layer dielectric layer; removing the second portion of the first polish stop layer and the second portion of the first inter-layer dielectric layer, wherein the first portion of the first polish stop layer is at least partially directly above the first portion of the first inter-layer dielectric layer and a top electrode of the memory device after removing the second portion of the first polish stop layer; depositing a second inter-layer dielectric layer over the first polish stop layer after removing the second portion of the first polish stop layer and the second portion of the first inter-layer dielectric layer; and polishing the second inter-layer dielectric layer until reaching the first portion of the first polish stop layer. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein removing the second portion of the first polish stop layer comprises: forming a resist layer over the first portion of the first polish stop layer; and etching the second portion of the first polish stop layer. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein depositing the first polish stop layer is performed such that the first polish stop layer is an anti-reflection layer. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: forming a second polish stop layer over the second inter-layer dielectric layer before polishing the second inter-layer dielectric layer, wherein the second polish stop layer is not over the memory device, and the second polish stop layer has a higher resistance to polishing the second inter-layer dielectric layer than that of the second inter-layer dielectric layer. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein forming the second polish stop layer comprises: depositing a polish stop material over the second inter-layer dielectric layer; and removing a portion of the polish stop material over the memory device. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein removing the portion of the polish stop material comprises: non-conformally forming a coating layer over the polish stop material; and etching back the coating layer and the portion of the polish stop material. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein forming the second polish stop layer is performed such that the second polish stop layer is an anti-reflection layer. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: forming a metallization pattern in the second inter-layer dielectric layer after polishing the second inter-layer dielectric layer. ### Claim 9 A method for fabricating an integrated circuit, comprising: forming a first polish stop layer above a memory device; depositing a first inter-layer dielectric layer over the first polish stop layer, wherein the first inter-layer dielectric layer has a first portion over the first polish stop layer and a second portion that is not over the first polish stop layer; forming a second polish stop layer over the second portion of the first inter-layer dielectric layer, wherein the second polish stop layer is not over the first portion of the first inter-layer dielectric layer, wherein a bottom surface of the first polish stop layer is at least partially at a position higher than a top surface of a top electrode of the memory device after forming the second polish stop layer; and polishing the first inter-layer dielectric layer until reaching at least one of the first polish stop layer and the second polish stop layer. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein forming the second polish stop layer is performed such that the second polish stop layer is at a position level with that of the first polish stop layer. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein forming the second polish stop layer is performed such that the second polish stop layer is made of the same material as that of the first polish stop layer. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, further comprising: forming a second inter-layer dielectric layer around the memory device before depositing the first inter-layer dielectric layer. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein polishing the first inter-layer dielectric layer is performed such that the first inter-layer dielectric layer has a portion over the first polish stop layer. ### Claim 14 An integrated circuit, comprising: a first inter-layer dielectric layer having a plurality of conductive features therein; a plurality of memory devices respectively over the conductive features, wherein each of the memory devices comprises a bottom electrode, a resistance switching element over the bottom electrode, and a top electrode over the resistance switching element; a second inter-layer dielectric layer, wherein the second inter-layer dielectric layer has a raised portion surrounding the memory devices and an extending portion extending from the raised portion, and the raised portion has a top surface higher than a top surface of the extending portion; and a polish stop layer having a first portion extending along the top surface of the extending portion and a second portion extending along a side surface of the raised portion, wherein a top surface of the first portion of the polish stop layer is lower than a top surface of the top electrodes of the memory devices. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The integrated circuit of claim 14, wherein the polish stop layer is not over the top surface of the raised portion of the second inter-layer dielectric layer. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The integrated circuit of claim 14, wherein the polish stop layer is an anti-reflection layer. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The integrated circuit of claim 14, wherein the top surface of the raised portion of the second inter-layer dielectric layer is substantially coplanar with a top end of the second portion of the polish stop layer. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The integrated circuit of claim 14, further comprising: a dielectric layer over the second inter-layer dielectric layer, wherein the polish stop layer and the second inter-layer dielectric layer are connected with a bottom surface of the dielectric layer. ### Claim 19 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein polishing the first inter-layer dielectric layer is performed such that a top surface of the first polish stop layer is substantially coplanar with a top surface of the second polish stop layer after polishing the first inter-layer dielectric layer. ### Claim 20 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein polishing the first inter-layer dielectric layer is performed such that a top surface of said at least one of the first polish stop layer and the second polish stop layer is substantially coplanar with a top surface of the first inter-layer dielectric layer after polishing the first inter-layer dielectric layer.