Location-specific laser annealing to improve interconnect microstructure
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsBenjamin David BRIGGS, Lawrence A. CLEVENGER, Bartlet H. DEPROSPO, Michael RIZZOLO
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Abstract
A method (and structure) includes performing an initial partial anneal of a metal interconnect overburden layer for semiconductor devices being fabricated on a chip on a semiconductor wafer. Orientation of an early recrystallizing grain at a specific location on a top surface of the metal overburden layer is determined, as implemented and controlled by a processor on a computer. A determination is made whether the orientation of the early recrystallizing grain is desirable or undesirable.
Claims20
A method, comprising:
- performing an initial partial anneal of a metal interconnect and overburden layer for semiconductor devices being fabricated on a chip on a semiconductor wafer;
- detecting an orientation of an early recrystallizing grain at a specific location on a top surface of the metal overburden layer, as implemented and controlled by a processor on a computer;
- and
- determining whether the detected orientation of the early recrystallizing grain is desirable or undesirable.
The method of method 1, further comprising highlighting an area around an early recrystallizing grain that is determined as having a grain orientation that is of interest.
A method of annealing a metal interconnect overburden layer, said method comprising:
- performing an initial partial anneal of said metal interconnect overburden layer for semiconductor devices being fabricated on a chip on a semiconductor wafer;
- determining an orientation of early recrystallizing grains at specific locations on a top surface of the metal overburden layer, as implemented and controlled by a processor on a computer;
- determining whether said orientations of the early recrystallizing grains at said specific locations is desirable or undesirable;
- and.
- performing a laser anneal of said metal interconnect overburden layer, as implemented and controlled by said processor on said computer, in a manner that selectively promotes or inhibits grain orientations from growing at selective locations on said metal interconnect overburden layer.
A system, comprising:
- a computer comprising:
- a memory device;
- and
- a processor having access to the memory device, the memory device storing a series of machine-readable instructions to execute a method of completing of annealing metal interconnect overburden layers on semiconductor devices being fabricated on a chip on a semiconductor wafer;
- a scanning electron microscope (SEM) equipped with an electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) capability;
- and
- a laser,
- wherein the method of completing of annealing comprises:
- on a wafer that having a metal interconnect overburden layer initially partially annealed, detecting and determining an orientation of early recrystallizing grains at specific locations on a top surface of the metal overburden layer, as implemented and controlled by said processor, using said SEM equipped with said EBSD capability;
- determining whether said orientations of the early recrystallizing grains at said specific locations is desirable or undesirable, as executed by said processor;
- and.
- performing a laser anneal of said metal interconnect overburden layer, as implemented and controlled by said processor on said computer, using said laser, in a manner that selectively promotes or inhibits grain orientations from growing at selective locations on said metal interconnect overburden layer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.