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US 2026/0157167 A1Published application
Selective formation of conductor nanowires
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorsChao-Hsien Peng, Hsiang-Huan Lee, Shau-Lin Shue
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Abstract
A method includes etching a mandrel layer to form mandrel strips, and selectively depositing metal lines on sidewalls of the mandrel strips. During the selective deposition, top surfaces of the mandrel strips are masked by dielectric masks. The method further includes removing the mandrel layer and the dielectric masks, filling spaces between the metal lines with a dielectric material, forming via openings in the dielectric material, with top surfaces of the metal lines exposed to the via openings, and filling the via openings with a conductive material to form vias.
Claims20
A device comprising:
- a dielectric layer over a semiconductor substrate;
- and
- a plurality of metal lines in the dielectric layer, the metal lines comprising:
- a first metal line, the first metal line comprising a first inner sidewall and a first outer sidewall opposite the first inner sidewall;
- a second metal line, the second metal line comprising a second inner sidewall facing the first inner sidewall, wherein a first portion of the dielectric layer extends continuously between the first inner sidewall and the second inner sidewall, wherein a first distance between a top portion of the first inner sidewall and a top portion of the second inner sidewall is smaller than a second distance between a bottom portion of the first inner sidewall and a bottom portion of the second inner sidewall;
- and
- a third metal line, the third metal line comprising a third outer sidewall facing the first outer sidewall, wherein a second portion of the dielectric layer extends continuously between the first outer sidewall and the third outer sidewall, wherein a third distance between a top portion of the first outer sidewall and a top portion of the third outer sidewall is larger than a fourth distance between a bottom portion of the first outer sidewall and a bottom portion of the third outer sidewall.
4 more elements
A device comprising:
- a dielectric layer over a semiconductor substrate;
- a first metal line in the dielectric layer, the first metal line having a first sidewall and a second sidewall opposite the first sidewall, wherein the dielectric layer extends along the first sidewall and the second sidewall;
- and
- a second metal line in the dielectric layer adjacent the first metal line, the second metal line having a third sidewall and a fourth sidewall opposite the third sidewall, wherein the first sidewall faces the third sidewall, wherein the dielectric layer extends along the third sidewall and the fourth sidewall, wherein a bottom portion of the first sidewall is spaced apart from a bottom portion of the third sidewall by a first distance, wherein a top portion of the first sidewall is spaced apart from a top portion of the third sidewall by a second distance, wherein the second distance is larger than the first distance, wherein a bottom portion of the second sidewall is spaced apart from a bottom portion of the fourth sidewall by a third distance, wherein a top portion of the second sidewall is spaced apart from a top portion of the fourth sidewall by a fourth distance, and wherein the fourth distance is larger than the third distance.
1 more element
A device comprising:
- a first metal line having a first tilted sidewall and a second tilted sidewall opposite to the first tilted sidewall, wherein the second tilted sidewall is parallel to the first tilted sidewall, wherein the first tilted sidewall extends continuously from a bottom surface of the first metal line to a top surface of the first metal line, wherein the second tilted sidewall extends continuously from the bottom surface of the first metal line to the top surface of the first metal line;
- a second metal line having a third tilted sidewall and a fourth tilted sidewall opposite to the third tilted sidewall, wherein the third tilted sidewall is parallel to the fourth tilted sidewall, wherein the third tilted sidewall extends continuously from a bottom surface of the second metal line to a top surface of the second metal line, wherein the fourth tilted sidewall extends continuously from the bottom surface of the second metal line to the top surface of the second metal line;
- and
- a dielectric layer surrounding the first metal line and the second metal line.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.