Silver patterning and interconnect processes
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorsYou-Hua CHOU, Kuo-Sheng CHUANG
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Abstract
A method for forming a semiconductor structure is provided. The method includes depositing a hard mask layer over a substrate. The method further includes depositing a silver precursor layer over the hard mask layer. The method further includes exposing portions of the silver precursor layer to a radiation, the radiation causing a reduction of silver ions in the irradiated portions of the silver precursor layer. The method further includes removing non-irradiated portions of the silver precursor layer, resulting in a plurality of silver seed structures.
Claims20
A method for forming a semiconductor structure, comprising:
- depositing a hard mask layer over a substrate;
- depositing a silver precursor layer over the hard mask layer;
- exposing portions of the silver precursor layer to a radiation, the radiation causing reduction of silver ions in the irradiated portions of the silver precursor layer;
- removing non-irradiated portions of the silver precursor layer, resulting in a plurality of silver seed structures;
- forming a plurality of patterned silver structures by depositing silver on top and sidewall surfaces of the plurality of silver seed structures;
- and
- etching the hard mask layer and the substrate using the plurality of patterned silver structures as an etch mask.
A method for forming a semiconductor structure, comprising:
- forming an interlayer dielectric (ILD) layer over a substrate;
- depositing a silver precursor layer over the ILD layer;
- irradiating portions of the silver precursor layer to reduce silver ions, thereby forming a plurality of silver seed structures;
- removing non-irradiated portions of the silver precursor layer;
- depositing silver over the plurality of silver seed structures to form a plurality of patterned silver structures, the plurality of patterned silver structures having a dimension greater than the plurality of silver seed structures;
- etching the ILD layer using the plurality of patterned silver structures as an etch mask to form a plurality of contact openings in the ILD layer;
- and
- forming a plurality of contact structures in the plurality of contact openings.
A method for forming a semiconductor structure, comprising:
- depositing an interlayer dielectric (ILD) layer over a substrate;
- forming a hard mask layer over the ILD layer;
- depositing a silver precursor layer over the hard mask layer;
- exposing portions of the silver precursor layer to a radiation, the radiation causing reduction of silver ions in the irradiated portions of the silver precursor layer;
- removing non-irradiated portions of the silver precursor layer, resulting in a plurality of silver seed structures;
- depositing silver over the plurality of silver seed structures to provide a plurality of patterned silver structures;
- forming at least one contact opening within the hard mask layer and the ILD layer using the plurality of patterned silver structures as an etch mask;
- depositing a contact liner layer along sidewall and bottom surfaces of the at least one contact opening and over the plurality of patterned silver structures;
- and
- depositing a contact material layer over the contact liner layer to fill the at least one contact opening,
- wherein the contact liner layer and the contact material layer comprise silver.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.