# US 10,770,537 B2 · Metal resistor structures with nitrogen content

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- Number: US 10,770,537 B2
- Document ID: US10770537B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/690,923
- Filed: 2017-08-30
- Published: 2018-03-22
- Granted: 2020-09-08
- Earliest claimed: 2016-09-19
- Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation
- Applicants: International Business Machines Corporation
- Inventors: Chih-Chao Yang
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10770537B2

## CPC

- H10D 1/474: {comprising refractory metals, transition metals, noble metals, metal compounds or metal alloys, e.g. silicides}
- H10P 95/00: Generic processes or apparatus for manufacture or treatments not covered by the other groups of this subclass
- H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

Resistor elements and methods of forming the resistor elements generally include increasing resistivity by diffusing nitrogen ions from an underlying dielectric layer into a metal resistor layer defining the resistor elements. One or more embodiments include a first resistor element and at least one additional resistor element disposed on a first dielectric material and at least one additional dielectric material, respectively, of a dielectric layer. The first dielectric material is different from the at least one additional dielectric material, and the first resistor element has a different resistivity than the at least one additional resistor element.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A semiconductor structure, comprising:
a first resistor element and at least one additional resistor element disposed on a dielectric layer formed of a first dielectric material including regions of at least one additional dielectric material within the dielectric layer, wherein the first resistor element is on the first dielectric material and the at least one additional resistor element is on the regions of the at least one additional dielectric material, wherein the first dielectric material is different from the at least one additional dielectric material, wherein the first dielectric material has a percentage of nitrogen ions at a penetration depth between 2 percent and 10 percent and the at least one additional dielectric material has a percentage of nitrogen ions at the penetration depth between 0.5 percent and 1.5 percent, wherein the penetration depth is less than about 10 Angstroms, and wherein the first resistor element has a different resistivity than the at least one additional resistor element.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor structure of claim 1, wherein the first resistor element and the at least one additional resistor element are formed of the same metal with differing amounts of nitrogen.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor structure of claim 1, wherein the first resistor element and the at least one additional resistor element comprise titanium, tantalum, tungsten, nitrides thereof, or alloys thereof.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor structure of claim 1, wherein the first resistor element and the at least one additional resistor element further comprise a capping layer disposed thereon, wherein the capping layer comprises silicon nitride, silicon dioxide, or silicon carbide.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor structure of claim 1, wherein the first resistor element overlying the first dielectric material has a resistivity of 150 μΩ-cm to 400 μΩ-cm and the at least one additional resistor element overlying the at least one additional dielectric material has a resistivity of 400 μΩ-cm to 800 μΩ-cm.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor structure of claim 1, wherein the first dielectric material comprises a silsesquioxane or a carbon doped oxide including atoms of Si, C, O and H, and the at least one additional dielectric material comprises a silicon dioxide or tetraorthosilicate.