# US 2021/0242076 A1 · Semiconductor device and method of manufacture

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- Number: US 2021/0242076 A1
- Document ID: US20210242076A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/240,006
- Filed: 2021-04-26
- Published: 2021-08-05
- Earliest claimed: 2019-09-03
- Assignees: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
- Applicants: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
- Inventors: Tai-I YANG; Wei-Chen CHU; Yung-Chih WANG; Chia-Tien WU; Hsin-Ping CHEN; Shau-Lin SHUE
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210242076A1

## CPC

- H10W 20/069: {by forming self-aligned vias or self-aligned contact plugs}
- H10W 20/081: {by forming openings in the dielectric parts}
- H10P 50/73: {using masks for insulating materials}
- H10W 20/056: {by filling conductive material into holes, grooves or trenches}
- H10W 20/063: {by forming conductive members before forming protective insulating material}
- H10W 20/0633: {using subtractive patterning of the conductive members}
- H10W 20/0693: {by forming self-aligned vias}
- H10W 20/0696: {by using sacrificial placeholders, e.g. using sacrificial plugs}
- H10W 20/076: {in via holes or trenches}
- H10W 20/085: {involving intermediate temporary filling with material}
- H10W 20/42: Vias, e.g. via plugs
- H10W 20/435: {Cross-sectional shapes or dispositions of interconnections}
- H10W 20/0884: {involving forming vias by burying sacrificial pillars in the dielectric parts and removing the pillars}
- H10W 20/0886: {involving forming a via in a via-level dielectric prior to deposition of a trench-level dielectric}
- H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

A semiconductor device includes a conductive line and a conductive via contacting the conductive line. A first dielectric material contacts a first sidewall surface of the conductive via. A second dielectric material contacts a second sidewall surface of the conductive via. The first dielectric material includes a first material composition, and the second dielectric material includes a second material composition different than the first material composition.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method, comprising:
forming a first dielectric layer;
forming a first conductive material in a first trench in the first dielectric layer, the first conductive material protruding above the first trench to define a first conductive pillar;
forming a second dielectric layer laterally adjacent the first conductive pillar;
removing a portion of the first conductive pillar to define a first via recess in the second dielectric layer;
forming a third dielectric layer over the second dielectric layer and in the first via recess;
removing a first portion of the third dielectric layer in the first via recess; and
forming a second conductive material in the first via recess and over the first via recess to define a first conductive line and a conductive via electrically coupling the first conductive line to the first conductive pillar.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein:
forming the first conductive material to define a first conductive pillar, comprises:
forming a first sacrificial layer over the first dielectric layer; and
forming the first trench in the first sacrificial layer and the first dielectric layer, and
the method comprises removing the first sacrificial layer after forming the first conductive material to expose an upper portion of the first conductive material.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein forming the first conductive material to define a first conductive pillar comprises:
forming a second sacrificial layer over the upper portion of the first conductive material;
forming a patterned mask layer over the second sacrificial layer; and
removing portions of the second sacrificial layer and the first conductive material in the presence of the patterned mask layer to define the first conductive pillar.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein removing the portion of the third dielectric layer comprises:
forming a patterned mask layer over the third dielectric layer, the patterned mask layer comprising a first trench opening;
removing a second portion of the third dielectric layer exposed by the first trench opening to define a second trench, wherein the first via recess is exposed by the second trench; and
removing the first portion of the third dielectric layer in the first via recess through the second trench.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein:
the patterned mask layer comprises a line cut feature positioned between the first trench opening and a second trench opening axially aligned with the first trench opening,
the method comprises:
removing a third portion of the third dielectric layer exposed by the second trench opening to form a third trench in the third dielectric layer; and
forming the second conductive material in the third trench to define a second conductive line axially aligned with the first conductive line, and
a fourth portion of the third dielectric layer positioned under the line cut feature is positioned between the first conductive line and the second conductive line.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, comprising:
forming an etch stop layer over the second dielectric layer and in the first via recess prior to forming the third dielectric layer; and
removing a portion of the etch stop layer in the first via recess to expose a portion of the first conductive pillar prior to forming the second conductive material.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, comprising:
forming the first conductive material in a second trench, the first conductive material protruding above the second trench to define a second conductive pillar;
forming the second dielectric layer laterally adjacent the second conductive pillar;
removing the second conductive pillar to define a second via recess in the second dielectric layer;
forming the third dielectric layer in the second via recess;
removing a second portion of the third dielectric layer in the second via recess; and
forming the second conductive material in the second via recess and over the second via recess to define a second conductive line and a second conductive via electrically coupling the second conductive line to the second conductive pillar,
wherein a portion of the third dielectric layer remains in the second via recess between a sidewall surface of the second conductive via and the second dielectric layer.

### Claim 8

A method, comprising:
forming a first dielectric layer;
forming a first conductive line in the first dielectric layer;
removing a portion of the first conductive line to define a conductive pillar;
forming a second dielectric layer laterally adjacent the conductive pillar;
removing a portion of the conductive pillar and a portion of the first conductive line to define a via recess in the second dielectric layer;
forming a third dielectric layer over the second dielectric layer and in the via recess;
forming a trench in the third dielectric layer;
removing a first portion of the third dielectric layer in the via recess exposed by the trench; and
forming a conductive material in the trench and the via recess to define a second conductive line and a conductive via electrically coupling the second conductive line to the first conductive line,
wherein a second portion of the third dielectric layer remaining in the via recess is positioned between a sidewall surface of the conductive via and the second dielectric layer.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein:
forming the first conductive line comprises:
forming a first sacrificial layer over the first dielectric layer;
forming a second trench in the first sacrificial layer and the first dielectric layer; and
forming a second conductive material in the second trench to define the first conductive line, and
the method comprises removing the first sacrificial layer after forming the second conductive material to expose an upper portion of the first conductive line.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein removing the portion of the first conductive line to define the conductive pillar comprises:
forming a second sacrificial layer over the upper portion of the first conductive line;
forming a patterned mask layer over the second sacrificial layer; and
removing portions of the second sacrificial layer and the first conductive line in the presence of the patterned mask layer to define the conductive pillar.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein forming the trench in the third dielectric layer comprises:
forming a patterned mask layer over the third dielectric layer, the patterned mask layer comprising a first trench opening; and
removing a third portion of the third dielectric layer exposed by the first trench opening to define the first trench.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein:
the patterned mask layer comprises a line cut feature positioned between the first trench opening and a second trench opening axially aligned with the first trench opening,
the method comprises:
removing a fourth portion of the third dielectric layer exposed by the second trench opening to form a second trench in the third dielectric layer; and
forming the conductive material in the second trench to define a third conductive line axially aligned with the second conductive line,
the second portion of the third dielectric layer positioned under the line cut feature is positioned between the second conductive line and the third conductive line.

### Claim 13

A method, comprising:
forming a first dielectric layer within a recess defined by a second dielectric layer;
removing a first portion of the first dielectric layer within the recess to define a via opening; and
forming a conductive material in the via opening to define a conductive via, wherein a first sidewall of the second dielectric layer is spaced apart from a first sidewall of the conductive via by a second portion of the first dielectric layer that remains within the recess after the first portion of the first dielectric layer is removed.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, comprising:
forming an etch stop layer in the recess prior to forming the first dielectric layer.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, comprising:
removing a first portion of the etch stop layer prior to forming the conductive material, wherein the first sidewall of the second dielectric layer is spaced apart from the first sidewall of the conductive via by a second portion of the etch stop layer that remains within the recess after the first portion of the etch stop layer is removed.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein forming the conductive material comprises forming the conductive material to contact a sidewall of the etch stop layer.

### Claim 17 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein:
forming the first dielectric layer comprises forming the first dielectric layer over the second dielectric layer,
the method comprises removing a third portion of the first dielectric layer over the second dielectric layer to define a first trench and a fourth portion of the first dielectric layer over the second dielectric layer to define a second trench, and
forming the conductive material comprises forming a first portion of the conductive material in the first trench and a second portion of the conductive material in the second trench.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, wherein the first portion of the conductive material is separated from the second portion of the conductive material by a fifth portion of the first dielectric layer.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, wherein the fifth portion of the first dielectric layer contacts the second portion of the first dielectric layer.

### Claim 20 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein:
removing the first portion of the first dielectric layer exposes a conductive line, and
forming the conductive material comprises forming the conductive material to contact the conductive line.