# US 11,908,798 B2 · Integrated circuit devices having improved contact plug structures therein > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,908,798 B2 - Document ID: US11908798B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/406,887 - Filed: 2021-08-19 - Published: 2022-06-23 - Granted: 2024-02-20 - Earliest claimed: 2020-12-23 - Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Won Kyu Han; Myeongsoo Lee; Rakhwan Kim; Woojin Jang - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11908798B2 ## CPC - H10W 20/435: {Cross-sectional shapes or dispositions of interconnections} - H10W 20/039: {also covering sidewalls of the conductive structures} - H10W 20/063: {by forming conductive members before forming protective insulating material} - H10W 20/42: Vias, e.g. via plugs - H10D 84/0186: {Manufacturing their interconnections or electrodes, e.g. source or drain electrodes} - H10D 84/0195: {the components including vertical IGFETs} - H10D 84/038: {using silicon technology, e.g. SiGe} - H10D 84/837: {comprising vertical IGFETs} - H10D 84/85: Complementary IGFETs, e.g. CMOS - H10W 20/034: {bottomless barrier, adhesion or liner layers} - H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 - H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES ## Abstract An integrated circuit device includes a substrate and a first electrically insulating layer on the substrate. An electrically conductive contact plug is provided, which extends at least partially through the first electrically insulating layer. The contact plug includes a protrusion having a top surface that is spaced farther from the substrate relative to a top surface of a portion of the first electrically insulating layer extending adjacent the contact plug. An electrically conductive line is provided with a terminal end, which extends on a first portion of the protrusion. A second electrically insulating layer is provided, which extends on a second portion of the protrusion and on the first electrically insulating layer. The second electrically insulating layer has a sidewall, which extends opposite a sidewall of the terminal end of the electrically conductive line. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An integrated circuit device comprising: a first interlayer insulating layer on a substrate; an electrically conductive line on the first interlayer insulating layer; a second interlayer insulating layer, which extends on the first interlayer insulating layer and opposite a sidewall of the line; and an electrically conductive contact plug, which at least partially penetrates the first interlayer insulating layer and is electrically connected to a portion of the line, said contact plug comprising a protrusion that extends into a space between: (i) the line, which overlaps a first portion of the protrusion, and (ii) the second interlayer insulating layer, which overlaps a second portion of the protrusion; wherein the protrusion protrudes from an underlying body portion of the contact plug in a direction perpendicular to a top surface of the substrate, and is in direct contact with the body portion; wherein the contact plug further comprises a contact barrier pattern, which extends between the first interlayer insulating layer and the body portion; and wherein the protrusion covers and contacts a topmost surface of the contact barrier pattern. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the protrusion and the body portion of the contact plug comprise the same metal; and wherein the contact barrier pattern comprises a different material from that of the protrusion and the body portion of the contact plug. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, further comprising a line barrier pattern extending between the sidewall of the line and the second interlayer insulating layer; and wherein the line barrier pattern extends on a top surface of the protrusion. ### Claim 4 An integrated circuit device comprising: a first interlayer insulating layer on a substrate; an electrically conductive line on the first interlayer insulating layer; a second interlayer insulating layer, which extends on the first interlayer insulating layer and opposite a sidewall of the line; an electrically conductive contact plug, which at least partially penetrates the first interlayer insulating layer and is electrically connected to a portion of the line, said contact plug comprising a protrusion that extends into a space between: (i) the line, which overlaps a first portion of the protrusion, and (ii) the second interlayer insulating layer, which overlaps a second portion of the protrusion; a line barrier pattern extending between the sidewall of the line and the second interlayer insulating layer; and wherein the line barrier pattern extends on a top surface of the protrusion; and an etch stop layer extending between the second interlayer insulating layer and the first interlayer insulating layer, and extending between the second interlayer insulating layer and the protrusion; and wherein the line barrier pattern extends between the line and a portion of the etch stop layer. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The device of claim 4, wherein the sidewall of the line is inclined at an obtuse angle relative to the top surface of the protrusion. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The device of claim 4, further comprising a capping layer extending between the etch stop layer and the protrusion, and also extending between the line and the protrusion. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The device of claim 6, wherein the capping layer comprises a different material relative to the contact plug. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The device of claim 6, wherein the line barrier pattern extends between the capping layer and the line, and between the line and the first interlayer insulating layer. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The device of claim 6, wherein the line barrier pattern comprises: a first portion between the sidewall of the line and the second interlayer insulating layer; and a second portion between the line and the first interlayer insulating layer, wherein the line is in contact with the capping layer. ### Claim 10 (depends on 4) The device of claim 4, further comprising a capping layer extending between the etch stop layer and the protrusion; wherein the line barrier pattern extends on the protrusion; and wherein the capping layer extends between a portion of the line barrier pattern and the top surface of the protrusion. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The device of claim 10, wherein the line barrier pattern extends between the protrusion and the line, and between the first interlayer insulating layer and the line. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The device of claim 10, wherein the line barrier pattern comprises: a first portion between the sidewall of the line and the second interlayer insulating layer; and a second portion between the line and the first interlayer insulating layer; and wherein the line is in contact with the protrusion. ### Claim 13 (depends on 4) The device of claim 4, wherein the line barrier pattern is in contact with the protrusion, and extends between the protrusion and the line and between the first interlayer insulating layer and the line. ### Claim 14 (depends on 4) The device of claim 4, wherein the line barrier pattern comprises: a first portion between the sidewall of the line and the second interlayer insulating layer; and a second portion between the line and the first interlayer insulating layer; and wherein the line is in contact with the protrusion. ### Claim 15 (depends on 4) The device of claim 4, wherein the line barrier pattern comprises: a first portion between the sidewall of the line and the second interlayer insulating layer, and a second portion between the line and the first interlayer insulating layer; wherein the etch stop layer comprises: a first portion between the second interlayer insulating layer and the first interlayer insulating layer, and a second portion between the second interlayer insulating layer and the protrusion, and wherein a bottom surface of the first portion of the etch stop layer is located at substantially the same height as a bottom surface of the second portion of the line barrier pattern, relative to a surface of the substrate. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The device of claim 15, wherein the line barrier pattern further comprises a third portion between the line and the protrusion; and wherein a bottom surface of the third portion of the line barrier pattern is located at substantially the same height as or a lower height than a bottom surface of the second portion of the etch stop layer on a topmost surface of the protrusion. ### Claim 17 An integrated circuit device, comprising: a substrate; a first electrically insulating layer on the substrate; an electrically conductive contact plug extending at least partially through the first electrically insulating layer, said contact plug comprising a protrusion having a top surface that is spaced farther from the substrate relative to a top surface of a portion of the first electrically insulating layer extending adjacent the contact plug; an electrically conductive line having a terminal end, which extends on a first portion of the protrusion; and a second electrically insulating layer extending on a second portion of the protrusion and on the first electrically insulating layer, said second electrically insulating layer having a sidewall extending opposite a sidewall of the terminal end of the electrically conductive line.