Methods for forming a fuse in a semiconductor device
AssigneeTexas Instruments Incorporated
InventorRobert H. Havemann
Life of this patent
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Abstract
According to one embodiment of the invention, a method is provided. The method includes lining, with a conductive liner, a surface of a dielectric layer. The surface defines at least two trenches separated by a platform. Each of the defined trenches includes a conductor that overlies the conductive liner and is positioned within the each of the defined trenches. The conductor electrically coupled to the conductive liner. The method also includes covering the portion of the conductive liner overlying the platform after lining the surface. The method also includes removing any uncovered portions of the conductive liner while leaving in place the portion of the conductive liner that was covered.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- lining, with a conductive liner, a surface of a dielectric layer, the surface defining at least two trenches separated by a platform, each of the defined trenches including a conductor that overlies the conductive liner and is positioned within the each of the defined trenches, the conductor electrically coupled to the conductive liner;
- after lining the surface, covering the portion of the conductive liner overlying the platform;
- and
- removing any uncovered portions of the conductive liner while leaving in place the portion of the conductive liner that was covered.
A method comprising:
- lining, with a conductive liner, a surface of a dielectric layer, the surface defining a first trench, a second trench, and a third trench, the first and the second trenches separated by a first platform, the second and the third trenches separated by a second platform, each of the first, second, and third trenches including a conductor that overlies the conductive liner and is positioned within the each of the first, second, and third trenches, the conductor electrically coupled to the conductive liner;
- after lining the surface, covering the portion of the conductive liner overlying the first platform;
- and
- removing the uncovered portion of the conductive liner overlying the second platform while leaving in place the covered portion of the conductive liner overlying the first platform.
A method for forming a fuse for a semiconductor device, comprising:
- providing a dielectric layer having a surface that defines at least two trenches separated by a particular one of a plurality of platforms;
- lining, with a conductive liner, the surface of the dielectric layer;
- depositing a conductive material on the conductive liner, the conductive material filling the trenches;
- removing the conductive material from the plurality of platforms;
- after removing the conductive material, covering the portion of the conductive liner overlying the particular one of the plurality of platforms;
- and
- forming a fuse with the portion of the conductive liner that was covered by removing any uncovered portions of the conductive liner while leaving in place the portion of the conductive liner that was covered.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.