Conductive via and metal line end fabrication and structures resulting therefrom

A method of fabricating an interconnect structure for an integrated circuit, the method comprising:

• forming a first cross-grating structure comprising a first sacrificial cross-grating on a first film stack, wherein the first sacrificial cross-grating structure includes a plurality of potential gate via locations that include a gate via placeholder material, and wherein a subset of the potential gate via locations are activated gate via locations that include gate via openings from which the gate via placeholder material has been removed;
• removing first film stack material from a bottom of the activated gate via locations through to a gate contact;
• filling the activated gate via location with a first conductive material to form a gate via;
• removing the first sacrificial cross-grating, to expose a surface of a first ILD layer of the first film stack and a surface of the gate via in the first ILD layer, wherein removal of the first sacrificial cross-grating includes removal of a remainder of the first film stack above the first ILD layer;
• forming on the surface of the first ILD layer a second cross-grating structure comprising a second sacrificial cross-grating on a second film stack, wherein the second sacrificial cross-grating includes a first portion, a second portion, and a plurality of potential plug locations that include a plug placeholder material, and wherein a subset of the potential plug locations are activated plug locations that include a plug opening from which the plug placeholder material has been removed;
• filling the activated plug locations with a plug placeholder material to form a plug;
• removing the second portion of the second sacrificial cross-grating, to form, in the first portion of the second sacrificial cross-grating, a metal line end under the plug, wherein the metal line end includes ILD material of an ILD layer of the second film stack, and further to form ILD lines on the surface of an etch stop layer (ESL) of the second film stack, and wherein the ILD lines include the ILD material;
• forming on the ESL a third cross-grating structure comprising a third sacrificial cross-grating, wherein the third sacrificial cross-grating includes a plurality of potential diffusion via locations that include a diffusion via placeholder material, and wherein a subset of the potential diffusion via locations are activated diffusion via locations that include an opening from which the diffusion via placeholder material has been removed;
• removing ESL material and first ILD material from a bottom of the activated diffusion via location through to a diffusion via guide section in a hardmask layer in the first film stack;
• removing the third sacrificial cross-grating, to form trenches between the ILD lines on the surface of the ESL;
• removing the diffusion via guide section;
• filling the activated diffusion via locations with a second conductive material to form diffusion vias;
• filling the trenches with the second conductive material to form a metal line, wherein the surface of the gate via is in contact with the metal line;
• and removing a sacrificial material of a sacrificial layer of the second film stack, to expose a surface of the metal lines, the ILD lines, the metal line ends, and the diffusion via, and wherein a removal of the sacrificial material of the sacrificial layer of the second film stack includes a removal of the plugs.

A method of fabricating an interconnect structure for an integrated circuit, the method comprising:

• forming a first cross-grating structure comprising a sacrificial cross-grating on a first film stack, wherein the first cross-grating structure includes a plurality of potential gate via locations that include a gate via placeholder material, and wherein a subset of the potential gate via locations are activated gate via locations that include gate via opening from which the gate via placeholder material has been removed;
• removing first film stack material from a bottom of the activated gate via locations through to a gate contact;
• forming a gate via in a first ILD layer of the first film stack, wherein the gate via includes a first conductive material in the activated gate via location;
• exposing a surface of the first ILD layer;
• forming on the first ILD layer a second cross-grating structure comprising a second sacrificial cross-grating on a second film stack wherein the second sacrificial cross-grating includes a first portion, a second portion, and a plurality of potential plug locations that include a plug placeholder material, and wherein a subset of the potential plug locations are activated plug locations that include an opening from which the plug placeholder material has been removed;
• forming a plug that includes a plug material in the activated plug locations;
• forming, on a surface of an etch stop layer (ESL) of the second film stack, a metal line end under the plug, by removing the first portion of the second sacrificial cross-grating, wherein the metal line end includes ILD material of an ILD layer of the second film stack;
• forming ILD lines on the surface of the ESL by removing the first portion of the second sacrificial cross-grating, wherein the ILD lines include the ILD material of the ILD layer;
• forming on the ESL a third cross-grating structure comprising a third sacrificial cross-grating, wherein the third sacrificial cross-grating includes a plurality of potential diffusion via locations that include a diffusion via placeholder material, and wherein a subset of the potential diffusion via locations are activated diffusion via locations that include an opening from which the diffusion via placeholder material has been removed;
• removing ESL material and the ILD material from a bottom of the activated diffusion via location through to a diffusion contact;
• depositing a diffusion via placeholder material in the activated via locations;
• forming trenches between the ILD lines on the surface of the ESL;
• forming a diffusion via that includes a second conductive material in the activated diffusion via locations;
• forming a metal line that includes the second conductive material in the trenches, wherein the surface of the gate via is in contact with the metal line;
• and
• removing a sacrificial material of a sacrificial layer of the second film stack, to planarize a surface of the metal line, the ILD lines, the metal line end, and the diffusion via, wherein a removal of the sacrificial material of the sacrificial layer of the second film stack includes a removal of the plugs.