Low-Resistance Conductive Pattern Structures
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge in semiconductor device manufacturing is forming metal wiring with smaller pattern widths and lower resistance, as existing damascene processes often result in incomplete filling of openings, leading to defects and increased manufacturing costs due to excessive deposition thickness and polishing requirements.
Innovation Solution
A conductive pattern structure is designed with a contact plug and conductive lines on an insulating layer, where the conductive lines are formed using a mold layer pattern with specific trench dimensions to reduce deposition thickness and polishing needs, allowing for efficient filling and connection of conductive lines with reduced defects and costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a damascene process is used to form metal wiring with smaller pattern width, then the wiring resistance is reduced, but the opening may not be completely filled with metal layer leading to defects
Solution Approach 1:
The conductive line is divided into multiple parallel thin conductive lines instead of forming a single wide conductive line. This segmentation allows each individual line to be completely filled with metal layer while maintaining the required overall pattern width, thereby resolving the contradiction between small pattern width and complete filling.
2Reliability
If deposition thickness is increased to completely fill the opening, then the filling completeness is improved, but the thickness of metal layer to be removed is increased leading to higher manufacturing cost
Solution Approach 1:
By dividing the conductive line into multiple parallel thin lines, the deposition thickness required for complete filling is reduced. Each thin line requires less metal deposition to fill completely, which reduces the overall deposition thickness and subsequently reduces the thickness of metal layer that needs to be removed, thereby lowering manufacturing cost while maintaining complete filling.
3Reliability
If deposition thickness is increased to ensure complete filling, then the filling completeness is improved, but the polishing thickness is increased leading to higher manufacturing cost
Solution Approach 1:
The segmentation of conductive lines into multiple parallel thin lines reduces the required deposition thickness for complete filling. This directly reduces the polishing thickness since polishing removes the excess metal layer above the desired conductive line thickness. Thinner individual lines require less polishing, thereby reducing manufacturing cost while ensuring complete filling.
4Device complexity
If photolithography process is used to form metal wiring, then the process complexity is reduced, but the wiring resistance increases and smaller pattern width cannot be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The conductive line is segmented into multiple parallel thin lines that can be formed using standard photolithography processes. Each thin line is within the achievable pattern width limits of photolithography, allowing the use of simpler photolithography processes while achieving the required small overall pattern width through the combined structure of multiple lines.
Data Source
AI summary
A conductive structure includes a contact plug extending through an insulating layer on a substrate, and first and second conductive lines extending alongside one another on the insulating layer. The first conductive line extends on the contact plug. A connecting line on the insulating layer extends between and electrically connects the first and second conductive lines. Related integrated circuit devices and fabrication methods are also discussed.