Tungsten Plug and Conductive Layer Structure for Via Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
As semiconductor devices shrink and integrate more elements, controlling the profiles of these elements becomes challenging, leading to issues like open circuits and short circuits due to defects in element positioning.
Innovation Solution
A semiconductor element design featuring a tungsten plug with a conductive layer on top, where the conductive layer has a wider width than the tungsten plug, and a via electrically connected to this layer, ensuring proper alignment and electrical continuity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the size of semiconductor devices is reduced and integration is increased, then device functionality and integration are improved, but profile control of elements becomes difficult leading to positioning defects
Solution Approach 1:
A conductive layer is introduced as an intermediary between the tungsten plug and the via. This conductive layer acts as a mediator that compensates for profile deviations, ensuring reliable electrical connection even when element profiles are difficult to control at reduced dimensions.
Solution Approach 2:
The conductive layer has a different material composition and width parameter compared to the tungsten plug. By changing the material parameters and making the conductive layer wider than the tungsten plug, the structure becomes more tolerant to profile variations, improving positioning accuracy.
2Device complexity
If element profiles are not properly controlled, then manufacturing complexity is reduced, but electrical performance deteriorates due to open circuits and short circuits
Solution Approach 1:
The conductive layer serves as a buffer zone between the tungsten plug and via, absorbing profile variations and preventing direct transmission of positioning errors. This intermediary structure maintains electrical reliability without requiring extremely precise profile control.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection structure is segmented into three distinct parts: tungsten plug, conductive layer, and via. This segmentation allows each layer to be optimized independently, with the conductive layer specifically designed to compensate for profile control limitations.
3Manufacturing precision
If a conductive layer is added on the tungsten plug, then via alignment and electrical connection are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The conductive layer is a thin intermediate structure that adds minimal complexity while providing significant alignment tolerance. Its primary function is to mediate between the tungsten plug and via, ensuring proper alignment without substantially increasing overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The plug structure uses composite materials with different properties: tungsten for low resistance and the conductive layer for better adhesion and profile compensation. This composite approach improves via alignment while keeping the added complexity manageable through material selection.
Data Source
AI summary
A semiconductor element and a method for manufacturing the same are provided. The semiconductor element includes a plug and a via on the plug and electrically connected to the plug. The plug includes a tungsten plug and a conductive layer on the tungsten plug. The tungsten plug and the conductive layer include different materials. The tungsten plug has a first width in a lateral direction. The conductive layer has a second width in the lateral direction. The second width is greater than or equal to the first width. The conductive layer is between the via and the tungsten plug.