Selectively programmable interconnections in multilayer integrated circuits
AssigneeMassachusetts Institute of Technology
InventorsGlenn H. Chapman, Terry O. Herndon
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of fabricating programmable interlayer conductive links in a multilayer integrated circuit structure, comprising the steps of forming elements of either a conductive or semiconductive material as a lower layer, depositing an insulative layer on top of the lower layer elements, implanting ions into one or more link regions of the insulative layer, forming at least one upper conductor over the implanted regions and selectively applying sufficient energy to at least one of the implanted regions of the integrated circuit structure to render the selected link region conductive. The invention also embraces customized integrated circuit structures with interlayer conductive paths made in accordance with this method.
Claims25
A method for selectively activating interlayer conductive paths in an integrated circuit structure, the method comprising the steps of:
- depositing an insulative layer upon a lower element of an integrated circuit structure;
- implanting ions into at least one region of the insulative layer;
- depositing an upper layer of conductive material over the implant region of the insulative layer;
- and
- selectively applying energy to at least one of said implant regions of said integrated circuit structure to locally diffuse material from the upper conductive layer into the selected region of the insulative layer, thereby forming a discrete conductive path in the selected region between the upper conductive layer and the lower element.
A method of selectively activating an interlayer conductive path in a multilayer integrated circuit comprising the steps of forming a first layer and a second, generally insulative, layer thereon;
- implanting silicon atoms into at least one region of the insulative layer;
- forming a third layer on at least a portion of the insulative layer overlying the implant region, wherein one of said first or third layers is made of a conductive material, selectively applying sufficient energy to the selected implant region to convert the selected implant region into a generally conductive composite material and thereby locally forming a discrete conductive path through the second layer, said path vertically interconnecting the first and third layers.
A method of selectively activating a link for interconnecting multi-level integrated circuit conductors, including the steps of:
- plasma depositing an interlayer material essentially consisting of a generally insulative silicon compound directly on a lower layer essentially of a generally conductive aluminum alloy;
- implanting silicon atoms into the interlayer material through a mask having at least one opening at a selected via site;
- depositing an upper layer essentially consisting of aluminum alloy directly over said implanted via sites;
- and
- locally diffusing aluminum from said upper and lower layers into the implanted via site of the interlayer material, and thereby producing a discrete low resistance interconnection between the upper and lower layers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.