Method of producing a thin film resistor in an integrated circuit
AssigneeTexas Instruments Incorporated
InventorsFred D. Bailey, Stuart M. Jacobsen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A thin film resistor (60) is contained between two metal interconnect layers (40, 100) of an integrated circuit. Contact may be made to the resistor (60) through vias (95) from the metal layer (100) above the resistor (60) to both the thin film resistor (60) and the underlying metal layer (40) simultaneously. The resistor (60) may include portions of a hard mask (70) under the vias (95) to protect the resistor material (60) during the via (95) etch. This design provides increased flexibility in fabricating the resistor (60) since processes, materials, and chemicals do not have to satisfy the conditions of both the resistor (60) and the rest of the integrated circuit (especially the interconnect layer 40) simultaneously.
Claims12
A method of fabricating an integrated circuit, comprising the steps of:
- forming a first metal interconnect layer over a semiconductor body;
- forming a first dielectric over said first metal interconnect layer;
- forming a thin film resistor over said first dielectric;
- forming a second dielectric over said first dielectric and said thin film resistor;
- and
- forming a second metal interconnect layer over said second dielectric.
A method of fabricating an integrated circuit, comprising the steps of:
- forming a first metal interconnect layer over a semiconductor body;
- forming a first dielectric over said first metal interconnect layer;
- forming a thin film resistor over said first dielectric;
- forming a second dielectric over said first dielectric and Mid thin film resistor;
- simultaneously farming first and second vias, said first via extending through said first dielectric and said second dielectric to said first interconnect layer and said second via extending through said first dielectric to said thin film resistor;
- and
- forming a second metal interconnect layer over said second dielectric.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.