US 5,854,515 A · Integrated circuit having conductors of enhanced cross-sectional area

Abstract

A interconnect structure is provided having a conductor with enhanced thickness. The conductor includes an upper portion and a lower portion, wherein the lower portion geometry is sufficient to increase the current-carrying capacity beyond that provided by the upper portion. The lower portion is formed by filling a trench within an upper dielectric region, and the upper portion is formed by selectively removing a conductive material from the upper dielectric surface except for regions directly above the lower portion. The upper and lower portions thereby form a conductor of enhanced cross-section which can be produced by modifying a via-etch mask, rather than having to reconfigure and/or move interconnect features formed by a metal mask.

Claims12

Dependent claims

A plurality of conductors, comprising:

a pair of conductors each having an upper surface and a lower surface;
a first conductor spaced partially between the pair of conductors, said first conductor having a first upper surface and a first lower surface, said first conductor comprising a first layer of conductive material and a second layer of conductive material, said second layer of conductive material being arranged collinear with said first layer of conductive material;
and
said first upper surface is substantially coplanar with said upper surface and said first lower surface is configured below said lower surface.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Integrated circuit having conductors of enhanced cross-sectional area

Life of this patent

Integrated circuit having conductors of enhanced cross-sectional area

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims12