Line-to-line reliability enhancement using a dielectric liner for a low dielectric constant interlevel and intralevel (or intermetal and intrametal) dielectric layer

Abstract

An embodiment of the instant invention is a method of providing a connection between a first conductor and a second conductor wherein the first conductor is situated under the second conductor and separated by a first insulating layer, the method comprising the steps of: forming an opening in the first insulating layer (layer 124 or 128 of FIGS. 1-4), the opening having a top, a bottom and sidewalls and is situated between the first conductor and the second conductor; forming a second insulating layer (layer 134, 138, and 142 of FIGS. 3 and 4) exclusively on the sidewalls of the opening thereby leaving a smaller opening in the first insulating layer; forming a conductive material (material 140 of FIGS. 3 and 4) in the smaller opening; and wherein the first insulating layer is comprised of a low-k material and the second insulating layer is comprised of an insulator which has electrical leakage properties which are less than the electrical leakage properties of the first insulating layer.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.