Structure and Process for the Formation of TSVs
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorsChen-Cheng Kuo, Kai-Ming Ching, Chen Chen-Shien
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Abstract
An integrated circuit structure includes a semiconductor substrate; an interconnect structure over the semiconductor substrate, wherein the interconnect structure comprises a top inter-metal dielectric (IMD); an opening penetrating the interconnect structure into the semiconductor substrate; a conductor in the opening; and an isolation layer having a vertical portion and a horizontal portion physically connected to each other. The vertical portion is on sidewalls of the opening. The horizontal portion is directly over the interconnect structure. The integrated circuit structure is free from passivation layers vertically between the top IMD and the horizontal portion of the isolation layer.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- providing a wafer comprising a semiconductor substrate, and an interconnect structure over the semiconductor substrate, wherein the interconnect structure comprises a top inter-metal dielectric (IMD);
- forming a through-silicon via (TSV) opening extending into the interconnect structure and the semiconductor substrate;
- forming an isolation layer having a vertical portion and a horizontal portion physically connected to each other, wherein the vertical portion is on sidewalls of the TSV opening, and wherein no passivation layer is formed in a space that extends in the vertical direction and between the top IMD and the horizontal portion of the isolation layer;
- and
- depositing a metallic material into the TSV opening to form a TSV.
A method comprising:
- forming an interconnect structure over a semiconductor substrate, wherein the interconnect structure comprises a top inter-metal dielectric (IMD) formed of a low-k dielectric material;
- forming a top metal pad in the top IMD, wherein a top surface of the top metal pad is substantially leveled with a top surface of the top IMD;
- forming a through-silicon via (TSV) opening extending from a top surface of the interconnect structure into the interconnect structure and the semiconductor substrate;
- before forming any passivation layer, blanket forming an isolation layer comprising a portion over the top IMD and the top metal pad and a portion extending into the TSV opening;
- forming an opening in the isolation layer to expose the top metal pad;
- depositing a metallic material into the TSV opening to form a TSV;
- and
- continuing the step of depositing the metallic material to form a horizontal metal line over the TSV, wherein the horizontal metal line comprises a portion extending into the opening in the isolation layer and electrically coupling the top metal pad to the TSV.
A method comprising:
- forming an interconnect structure over a semiconductor substrate, wherein the interconnect structure comprises a top inter-metal dielectric (IMD);
- forming a top metal pad over the top IMD;
- forming a through-silicon via (TSV) opening extending from a top surface of the interconnect structure into the interconnect structure and the semiconductor substrate;
- after the step of forming the top metal pad and before forming any passivation layer, blanket forming an isolation layer over the top IMD and extending into the TSV opening, wherein the isolation layer extends on sidewalls and portions of a top surface of the top metal pad;
- forming an opening in the isolation layer to expose at least a portion of the top surface of the top metal pad;
- depositing a metallic material into the TSV opening to form a TSV;
- and
- continuing the step of depositing the metallic material to form a horizontal metal line over the TSV, wherein the horizontal metal line extends into the opening in the isolation layer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.