Method for fabricating an
integrated circuit (IC) with a multilayer interconnect structure, the method comprising: providing a
substructure (28) with an N-th
dielectric (27, 50) formed thereon, in or on which a two-plane interconnect structure is to be formed with first (22) and second (23) lower conductors MN(22, 23), a first upper conductor Mn+1(34) and a connecting contact
feedthrough VN+1 / N(36), wherein the N-th
dielectric (27, 50) comprises a
dielectric layer (27) and a cover layer (50) formed on an upper surface (271) of the
dielectric layer (27); forming the first and second lower conductors MN(22, 23) in the N-th dielectric (27, 50) on the
substructure (28), wherein a recessed upper surface (61) of each of the first and second lower conductors MN(22, 23) is lowered to below an upper surface (56) of the cover layer (50), the formation of which is an
etching of recesses (105, 106),extending through the cover layer (50) into the
dielectric layer (27), comprising filling the recesses (105, 106) with a conductor material (60) and recessing an upper surface of the conductor material (60) filled into the recesses (106, 106) to provide the recessed upper surface (61) in each of the recesses (105, 106); forming an (N+1)-th dielectric (58, 25, 70) over the N-th dielectric (27, 50) and the recessed upper surfaces (61) of the first and second lower conductors MN(22, 23);
etching an (N+1)-th recess (1263) through the (N+1)-th dielectric (58, 25, 70) from a desired position of the first upper conductor MN+1(34) from and exposing the lowered upper surface (61) of the first lower conductor MN(22); and filling the (N+1)th recess (1263) with an
electrical conductor material (80) suitable,to form the first upper conductor Mn+1(34) and the contact
bushing VN+1 / N(36) and to establish an electrical contact with the recessed upper surface (61) of the first lower conductor MN(22), wherein an upper region of the contact
bushing VN+1 / N(36) is self-aligned to the first upper conductor MN+1(34) and a lower region (362) of the contact
bushing VN+1 / N(36) is self-aligned to the lower conductor MN(22), wherein the
integrated circuit (IC) further comprises a lateral step in the contact bushing VN+1 / N(36) at which the upper region and the lower region of the contact bushing VN+1 / N(36) meet, and wherein the first lower conductor MN(22) is connected to the contact bushing VN+1 / N(36) and the lateral step in the contact bushing VN+1 / N(36) is separated from the second lower conductor MN(22). conductor MN(23) is separated by a first distance (37) which is larger than a second distance (31),under which the second lower conductor MN(23) would be arranged in the same plane as the upper area of the contact bushing VN+1 / N(36).