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US 10,950,497 B2Granted
Electrical connection for semiconductor devices
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorsKuo-Chiang Tsai, Jyh-Huei Chen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In one example, a method includes performing a first etching process to pattern a dielectric layer and expose a contact etch stop layer, performing a second etching process to remove the etch stop layer and expose a top surface of an underlying feature, performing a third etching process to laterally recess the etch stop layer, and depositing a conductive material over the underlying feature to create a conductive feature in direct contact with the underlying feature.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- forming a first conductive feature within a dielectric layer;
- selectively etching back the conductive feature so that an entire top surface of the first conductive feature is lower than a top surface of the dielectric layer;
- forming an etch stop layer on the first conductive feature and the dielectric layer, the etch stop layer being at a different level over the first conductive feature than over the dielectric layer;
- patterning the etch stop layer to expose a top surface of the first conductive feature;
- laterally etching the etch stop layer below the top surface of the dielectric layer to expose the entire top surface of the first conductive feature;
- and
- depositing a conductive material over the first conductive feature to form a second conductive feature.
4 more elements
A method comprising:
- etching back an underlying feature within a first dielectric layer so that an entire top surface of the underlying feature is lower than a top surface of the first dielectric layer;
- performing a first etching process to pattern a second dielectric layer and expose a contact etch stop layer;
- performing a second etching process to remove the etch stop layer below the top surface of the first dielectric layer and expose the entire top surface of the underlying feature;
- performing a third etching process to laterally recess the etch stop layer;
- and
- depositing a conductive material over the underlying feature to create a conductive feature in direct contact with the underlying feature.
3 more elements
A semiconductor device comprising:
- a first conductive feature embedded in a first dielectric layer such that a top surface of the first dielectric layer is higher than an entire top surface of first conductive feature;
- a contact etch stop layer (CESL) disposed on the first dielectric layer;
- a second conductive feature embedded in a second dielectric layer, the second dielectric layer disposed on the CESL, the second conductive feature extending through the CESL and being in direct contact with the first conductive feature, the second conductive feature converging to a narrow point from above and below, the narrow point being lower than a top surface of the etch-stop layer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.