US 7,407,835 B2 · Localized slots for stress relieve in copper

Abstract

In accordance with the objectives of the invention a new method is provided for the creation of interconnect metal. Current industry practice is to uniformly add slots to wide and long copper interconnect lines, this to achieve improved CMP results. These slots, typically having a width in excess of 3 μm and having a length in excess of 3 μm, are added to interconnect lines having a width that is equal to or in excess of 12 μm. This approach however does not, due to its lack of selectivity of location of the slots, solve problems of localized stress that are associated with isolated single vias in the metal lines. For this reason, the invention provides for the addition of one or more localized slots adjacent to isolated vias in bottom or top metal lines that are no wider than about 2 microns.

Claims31

Dependent claims

A method of forming copper interconnects in the fabrication of an integrated circuit device comprising:

providing a substrate having a point of electrical contact in or on a surface of said substrate and having a first insulating layer overlying said substrate;
forming a first copper interconnect to said electrical contact through an opening in said first insulating layer wherein said first copper interconnect comprises a first single isolated via and an overlying first copper line wherein said first single via is isolated from other vias formed through said first insulating layer and located elsewhere on said substrate;
and
forming a first slot in said first copper line overlying said first single isolated via wherein said first slot is adjacent to an interface between said first single isolated via and said first copper line and wherein said first slot provides stress relief at said interface.

1 more element

A method of forming copper interconnects in the fabrication of an integrated circuit device comprising:

providing a first copper line over a substrate;
forming an insulating layer overlying said first copper line;
forming a copper interconnect to said first copper line through an opening in said insulating layer wherein said copper interconnect comprises a first single isolated via and an overlying second copper line wherein said first single isolated via is isolated from other vias formed through said insulating layer and located elsewhere on said substrate;
and
forming a slot in at least one of said first copper line underlying said first single isolated via and second copper line overlying said first single isolated via wherein said slot is adjacent to an interface between said first single via and said at least one of said first and second copper lines and wherein said slot provides stress relief at interfaces between said first single isolated via and said first copper line and between said first single isolated via and said second copper line.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Localized slots for stress relieve in copper

Life of this patent

Localized slots for stress relieve in copper

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims31