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US 12,009,258 B2Granted
Self-aligned interconnect with protection layer
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorsYu-Chan Yen, Ching-Feng Fu, Chia-Ying Lee
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An integrated circuit structure includes a first Inter-Layer Dielectric (ILD), a gate stack in the first ILD, a second ILD over the first ILD, a contact plug in the second ILD, and a dielectric protection layer on opposite sides of, and in contact with, the contact plug. The contact plug and the dielectric protection layer are in the second ILD. A dielectric capping layer is over and in contact with the contact plug.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- forming a first inter-layer dielectric (ILD) over a substrate and adjacent a gate stack, gate spacers being on sidewalls of the gate stack, the gate spacers being between the gate stack and the first ILD;
- forming a second ILD over the first ILD;
- etching the second ILD to form a first contact opening, the first contact opening exposing the first ILD and at least one of the gate spacers;
- forming a dielectric protection layer on opposite sidewalls of the first contact opening;
- forming a first contact plug in the first contact opening, with the first contact plug being between opposite portions of the dielectric protection layer;
- etching the first contact plug to form a first recess between the opposite portions of the dielectric protection layer;
- forming a dielectric capping layer in the first recess over and contacting the first contact plug, the dielectric capping layer further contacting the opposite portions of the dielectric protection layer;
- forming a third ILD over the second ILD;
- forming a second contact opening in the second ILD and the third ILD;
- and
- filling the second contact opening to form a second contact plug.
8 more elements
A method comprising:
- forming a gate stack with gate spacers over a semiconductor substrate;
- forming a first inter-layer dielectric (ILD) over the semiconductor substrate and adjacent the gate stack and the gate spacers;
- forming a second ILD over the first ILD, the gate stack, and the gate spacers;
- forming a first opening in the second ILD;
- forming a dielectric protection layer in the first opening, the dielectric protection layer physically contacting the first ILD and at least one of the gate spacers;
- anisotropically etching the dielectric protection layer;
- forming a contact plug filling the first opening;
- etching back the contact plug to form a first recess;
- depositing a dielectric capping layer filling the first recess;
- and
- planarizing the dielectric capping layer, wherein a top surface of the dielectric capping layer is coplanar with a top surface of the dielectric protection layer and a top surface of the second ILD after planarizing the dielectric capping layer.
8 more elements
A method comprising:
- forming a gate stack with gate spacers over a semiconductor substrate;
- forming a first inter-layer dielectric (ILD) over the semiconductor substrate and surrounding the gate stack;
- depositing a second ILD over the first ILD;
- etching through the second ILD to form a first opening;
- forming a dielectric protection layer on opposite sidewalls of the first opening, the dielectric protection layer physically contacting the first ILD and at least one of the gate spacers;
- forming a first contact plug filling the first opening, the first contact plug extending between opposite inner sidewalls of the dielectric protection layer;
- etching back the first contact plug to form a first recess;
- forming a dielectric capping layer in the first recess, wherein the dielectric capping layer is in contact with the first contact plug, and wherein the dielectric capping layer is in contact with the opposite inner sidewalls of the dielectric protection layer;
- etching through the dielectric capping layer to form a second opening exposing a top surface of the first contact plug;
- and
- forming a second contact plug in the second opening.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.