Performance enhancement in metallization systems of microstructure devices by incorporating grain size increasing metal features
OwnerThomas Werner, Oliver Aubel +1inventors
InventorsThomas Werner, Oliver Aubel, Frank Feustel
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Abstract
In a sophisticated metallization system, enhanced electromigration behavior may be accomplished by incorporating electromigration barriers into metal lines after a given distance, which may be accomplished by providing an increased width in order to obtain an enhanced average grain size in the intermediate metal regions of increased lateral width. Consequently, the electromigration induced material diffusion may encounter an overall increased grain size along the entire depth of the metal lines, thereby resulting in a significantly reduced electromigration effect and thus enhanced reliability of the critical metal lines.
Claims25
A method, comprising:
- forming a first metal line segment in a dielectric layer of a metallization layer of a semiconductor device, said first metal line segment extending along a length direction and having a first width and a first depth;
- forming an intermediate metal region connecting to said first metal line segment and having a second width and a second depth, said second width and said second depth being greater than said first width and said first depth;
- and
- forming a second metal line segment connecting to said intermediate metal region, said second metal line segment extending along said length direction and having said first width and said first depth.
A method of forming a metal line of a metallization system of a semiconductor device, the method comprising:
- determining a target length of said metal line and a maximum allowable intermediate section length for said metal line;
- forming said metal line with said target length and with a first width and a first depth;
- and
- forming an intermediate metal region in said metal line when said maximum allowable intermediate section length is less than said target length, said intermediate metal region having a second width greater than said first width.
A semiconductor device, comprising:
- a substrate;
- a metallization layer comprising a dielectric material;
- a metal line comprising a first metal line section and a second metal line section formed in said dielectric material, said first and second metal line sections having a first width and a first depth, said first and second metal line sections comprising first metal grains of a first average grain size at said first depth;
- and
- an intermediate metal region formed between said first metal line section and said second metal line section, said intermediate metal region comprising second metal grains of a second average grain size at said first depth, said first average grain size being less than said second average grain size.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.