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US 6,208,016 B1Granted
Forming submicron integrated-circuit wiring from gold, silver, copper and other metals
AssigneeMicron Technology, Inc.
InventorPaul A. Farrar
Life of this patent
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AssigneeMicron Technology, Inc.
InventorPaul A. Farrar
Estimating the term…
A typical integrated circuit interconnects millions of microscopic transistors and resistors with aluminum wires buried in silicon-dioxide insulation. Yet, aluminum wires and silicon-dioxide insulation are a less attractive combination than gold, silver, or copper wires combined with polymer-based insulation, which promise both lower electrical resistance and capacitance and thus faster, more efficient circuits. Unfortunately, conventional etch-based techniques are ineffective with gold, silver, or copper, and conventional polymer formation promote reactions with metals that undermine the insulative properties of polymer-based insulations. Accordingly, the inventor devised methods which use a liftoff procedure to avoid etching problems and a non-acid-polymeric precursor and non-oxidizing cure procedure to preserve the insulative properties of the polymeric insulator. The resulting interconnective structures facilitate integrated circuits with better speed and efficiency.
An integrated circuit comprising:
A system comprising a processor coupled to one or more integrated memory circuits, each of which comprises one or more transistors and an oxidation-resistant polymeric layer supporting one or more conductive structures that are electrically coupled to one or more of the transistors, with one or more of the conductive structures comprising at least one of zirconium, hafnium, tantalum, and titanium and at least one of gold, silver, and copper.
An integrated circuit comprising:
A system comprising a processor coupled to one or more integrated memory circuits, each of which comprises one or more transistors and an oxidation-resistant polymeric layer supporting one or more conductive structures that are electrically coupled to one or more of the transistors, with one or more of the conductive structures comprising silver and at least one of zirconium, hafnium, tantalum, and titanium.
An integrated circuit comprising:
A system comprising a processor coupled to one or more integrated memory circuits, each of which comprises one or more transistors and an oxidation-resistant polymeric layer supporting one or more conductive structures that are electrically coupled to one or more of the transistors, with one or more of the conductive structures comprising copper and at least one of zirconium, hafnium, tantalum, and titanium.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.