Abstract: A method and structure for a fuse structure comprises an insulator layer, a plurality of fuse electrodes extending through the insulator layer to an underlying wiring layer, an electroplated fuse element connected to the electrodes, and an interface wall. The fuse element is positioned external to the insulator, with a gap juxtaposed between the insulator and the fuse element. The interface wall further comprises a first side wall, a second side wall, and an inner wall, wherein the inner wall is disposed within the gap. The fuse electrodes are diametrically opposed to one another, and the fuse element is perpendicularly disposed above the fuse electrodes. The fuse element is either electroplatted, electroless plated, or is an ultra thin fuse.

Abstract: A process of depositing a low k dielectric film on a substrate includes using plasma enhance chemical vapor deposition to deposit a hydrogenated oxidized silicon carbon film. The process includes flowing a precursor gas containing Si, C, H and an oxygen-providing gas into the PECVD chamber. The precursor gas and the oxygen-providing gas are substantially free from nitrogen. The oxygen-providing gas is selected from the group consisting of oxygen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, ozone, water vapor and a combination of at least one of the foregoing.

Abstract: Disclosed is vapor deposited BARC and method of preparing tunable and removable antireflective coatings based on amorphous carbon films. These films can be hydrogenated, fluorinated, nitrogenated carbon films. Such films have an index of refraction and an extinction coefficient tunable from about 1.4 to about 2.1 and from about 0.1 to about 0.6, respectively, at UV and DUV wavelengths, in particular 365, 248 and 193 nm. Moreover, the films produced by the present invention can be deposited over device topography with high conformality, and they are etchable by oxygen and/or a fluoride ion etch process. Because of their unique properties, these films can be used to form a tunable and removable antireflective coating at UV and DUV wavelengths to produce near zero reflectance at the resist/BARC coating interface. This BARC greatly improves performance of semiconductor chips.

Abstract: Interconnect structures comprising a substrate having a first level of electrically conductive features formed thereon; a patterned interlevel dielectric material formed on said substrate, wherein said patterned interlevel dielectric includes via spaces, wherein at least one of said via spaces is a slot via in which an anti-fuse material is formed on a portion thereof; and a second level of electrically conductive features formed in said spaces, whereby the anti-fuse material in the slot via provides a connection between the first and second levels of electrically conductive features and a method of fabricating the same.

Abstract: A method to achieve a very low effective dielectric constant in high performance back end of the line chip interconnect wiring and the resulting multilayer structure are disclosed. The process involves fabricating the multilayer interconnect wiring structure by methods and materials currently known in the state of the art of semiconductor processing; removing the intralevel dielectric between the adjacent metal features by a suitable etching process; applying a thin passivation coating over the exposed etched structure; annealing the etched structure to remove plasma damage; laminating an insulating cover layer to the top surface of the passivated metal features; optionally depositing an insulating environmental barrier layer on top of the cover layer; etching vias in the environmental barrier layer, cover layer and the thin passivation layer for terminal pad contacts; and completing the device by fabricating terminal input/output pads.

Abstract: A multilayer structure having an oxygen or dopant diffusion barrier fabricated of an electrically conductive, thermally stable material of refractory metal-silicon-nitrogen which is resistant to oxidation, prevents out-diffusion of dopants from silicon and has a wide process window wherein the refractory metal is selected from Ta, W, Nb, V, Ti, Zr, Hf, Cr and Mo.

Abstract: A thin film metal alloy magnetic recording disk has an improved protective overcoat that creates a low level of static friction in a contact start/stop disk drive. The disk has an amorphous carbon overcoat containing a transition liquid metal interlayer (TLMI). The carbon overcoat is formed by depositing an initial amorphous carbon layer to a first thickness, then depositing an interlayer material of a low-melting point metal or metal alloy (such as In or In--Nb) while maintaining the temperature of the disk substrate above the melting point of the interlayer material, and then depositing a top additional layer of amorphous carbon. Because the initial carbon layer presents a nonwetting surface, the interlayer material "balls up" on the carbon and forms discontinuous spheres of the interlayer material. The additional top layer of carbon bonds to the initial carbon layer and to the metal or metal alloy spheres.

Abstract: A magnetic storage medium is composed of a non-wettable substrate upon which a transient liquid metal layer is deposited and maintained as a distribution of discontinuous liquid features. An intermediate metal layer is subsequently deposited in-situ in an atmosphere comprising oxygen and at least one inert gas. A magnetic layer is then deposited on the intermediate metal layer. The surface topology and magnetic characteristics of the medium are controlled by adjusting the thickness of the TLM layer and the conditions under which the TLM layer, intermediate metal layer, and magnetic layer are deposited.

Abstract: Etching processes are disclosed for producing a graded or stepped edge profile in a contact pad formed between a chip passivating layer and a solder bump. The stepped edge profile reduces edge stress that tends to cause cracking in the underlying passivating layer. The pad comprises a bottom layer of chromium, a top layer of copper and an intermediate layer of phased chromium-copper. An intermetallic layer of CuSn forms if and when the solder is reflowed, in accordance with certain disclosed variations of the process. In all the variations, the solder is used as an etching mask in combination with several different etching techniques including electroetching, wet etching, anisotropic dry etching and ion beam etching.

Abstract: A magnetic storage medium is composed of a non-wettable substrate upon which a transient liquid metal layer is deposited and maintained as a distribution of discontinuous liquid features. A magnetic film layer is deposited on the transient liquid metal layer resulting in a reaction of the liquid metal with the magnetic film. The topology of the magnetic film is controllable by adjusting the thickness of the transient liquid metal layer.

Abstract: A magnetic storage medium is composed of a non-wettable substrate upon which a transient liquid metal layer is deposited and maintained as a distribution of discontinuous liquid features. A magnetic film layer is deposited on the transient liquid metal layer resulting in a reaction of the liquid metal with the magnetic film. The topology of the magnetic film is controllable by adjusting the thickness of the transient liquid metal layer.