Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a dual layer top contact upon a MTJ stack. The dual layer top contact includes lower contact and upper contact. The lower contact may be wider and/or shallower relative to the upper contact. This wide and/or shallow geometry of the lower contact may decrease the propensity for over etching, during the formation of the upper contact, opening downward into the MTJ stack and may therefore prevent undesired shorting of the MTJ stack. Further, the lower contact may further protect the MTJ stack even when the upper contact is misaligned to the MTJ stack.

Abstract: A semiconductor structure includes a set of mandrel lines and a set of non-mandrel lines disposed on a hardmask in an alternating pattern. Spacers are disposed between adjacent mandrel lines and non-mandrel lines. The spacers include a composition which exhibits an etch rate greater than an etch rate of the mandrel lines and the non-mandrel lines.

Abstract: Airgap isolation for back-end-of-the-line interconnect structures includes a dielectric liner formed above a top surface and opposite sidewalls of each of a plurality of metal lines on a substrate, the dielectric liner disposed above a top surface of the substrate not covered by the plurality of metal lines, portions of the dielectric liner located on the opposite sidewalls of each of the plurality of metal lines are separated by a space. A dielectric cap is disposed above an uppermost surface of portions of the dielectric liner above each of the plurality of metal lines and above the space, the dielectric cap pinches-off the space between portions of the dielectric liner located on the opposite sidewalls of each of the plurality of metal lines for providing airgaps between adjacent metal lines.

Abstract: A semiconductor device, such as an MRAM device, includes a stepped contact within a memory region that has a greater number of different contact structures (i.e., contact structures formed in different fabrication stages) relative to a logic region contact. The stepped contact includes a lower stepped contact and an upper stepped contact. The inclusion of the lower stepped contact allows for a relatively shorter upper stepped contact compared to the logic region contact. The stepped contact may allow the use of a multi-layer encapsulation spacer upon the sidewalls of a memory cell that fill out tight spacing therebetween, which may decrease the propensity of void formation and resulting shorting between neighboring memory cell features.

Abstract: A memory device is provided. The memory device includes a memory stack on a first dielectric layer, and a sidewall spacer on the memory stack. The memory device further includes a conductive cap on the sidewall spacer and the memory stack and an upper metal line on the conductive cap and the sidewall spacer, wherein the upper metal line wraps around the conductive cap, sidewall spacer, and memory stack.

Abstract: A semiconductor component includes an insulative layer having a lowermost surface arranged on top of a bottom dielectric material. The semiconductor component further includes a first interconnect structure arranged in the bottom dielectric material such that an uppermost surface of the first interconnect structure is arranged at a first height relative to the lowermost surface of the insulative layer. The semiconductor component further includes a pillar connected to the first interconnect structure and extending through the insulative layer. The semiconductor component further includes a second interconnect structure arranged in the bottom dielectric material such that an uppermost surface of the second interconnect structure is arranged at a second height relative to the lowermost surface of the insulative layer. The second height is different than the first height.

Abstract: A semiconductor structure comprises a semiconductor substrate, and a multi-layer patterning material film stack formed on the semiconductor substrate. The patterning material film stack comprises at least a hard mask layer and a resist layer formed over the hard mask layer. The hard mask layer is configured to support selective deposition of a metal-containing layer on a developed pattern of the resist layer through inclusion in the hard mask layer of one or more materials inhibiting deposition of the metal-containing layer on portions of the hard mask layer corresponding to respective openings in the resist layer. The hard mask layer illustratively comprises, for example, at least one of a grafted self-assembled monolayer configured to inhibit deposition of the metal-containing layer, and a grafted polymer brush material configured to inhibit deposition of the metal-containing layer.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a base structure of an embedded memory device including a bottom electrode contact (BEC) landing pad within a memory area of the embedded memory device and a first metallization level having at least a first conductive line within a logic area of the embedded memory device, a cap layer disposed on the base structure, a BEC disposed through the cap layer on the BEC landing pad, a memory pillar disposed on the BEC and the cap layer, encapsulation layers encapsulating the memory pillar to protect the memory stack, and a second metallization level including a second conductive line surrounding the top electrode, a via disposed on the first conductive line such that the second via is below the top electrode, and a third conductive line disposed on the via to enable the memory pillar to be fitted between the first and second metallization levels.

Abstract: A method of making a semiconductor device includes depositing an oxide material on a patterned mask arranged on a substrate. The method further includes removing a portion of the oxide material such that the patterned mask is exposed. The method also includes removing the patterned mask such that the substrate is exposed between areas of remaining oxide material.

Abstract: A fully aligned via interconnect structure and techniques for formation thereof using subtractive metal patterning are provided. In one aspect, an interconnect structure includes: metal lines Mx?1; metal lines Mx disposed over the metal lines Mx?1; and at least one via Vx?1 fully aligned between the metal lines Mx?1 and the metal lines Mx, wherein a top surface of at least one of the metal lines Mx?1 has a stepped profile. In another aspect, another interconnect structure includes: metal lines Mx?1; metal lines Mx disposed over the metal lines Mx?1; at least one via Vx?1 fully aligned between the metal lines Mx?1 and the metal lines Mx; and sidewall spacers alongside the metal lines Mx. A method of forming an interconnect structure is also provided.

Abstract: A semiconductor device structure includes a metallization stack that has one or more patterned metal layers in a logic area and a memory area. At least one memory device is disposed above the metallization stack. A first level logic metal layer is coupled to a patterned metal layer of the one or more patterned metal layers in the logic area. A first level memory metal layer is formed above the first level logic metal layer and is coupled to a top electrode of the memory device stack. A distance between the one or more patterned metal layers in the logic area and the first level logic metal layer is smaller than the distance between the one or more patterned metal layers in the memory area and the first level memory metal layer.

Abstract: A semiconductor structure may include a magnetic tunnel junction layer on top and in electrical contact with a microstud, a hard mask layer on top of the magnetic tunnel junction layer, and a liner positioned along vertical sidewalls of the magnetic tunnel junction layer and vertical sidewalls of the hard mask layer. A top surface of the liner may be below a top surface of the hard mask layer. The semiconductor structure may include a spacer on top of the liner. The liner may separate the spacer from the magnetic tunnel junction layer and the hard mask layer. The semiconductor structure may include a first metal layer below and in electrical contact with the microstud and a second metal layer above the hard mask layer. A bottom portion of the second metal layer may surround a top portion of the hard mask layer.

Abstract: A magnetoresistive random-access memory (MRAM) device includes a first cell selectively connected to a first bit line and a second cell selectively connected to a second bit line. The MRAM device further includes a shared transistor connected to the first cell and connected to the second cell. The MRAM device further includes a first selector device and a second selector device. The first selector device is configured to permit current to flow through the first cell to the shared transistor when a voltage applied to the first selector device is larger than a threshold activation voltage. The second selector device is configured to permit current to flow through the second cell to the shared transistor when a voltage applied to the second selector device is larger than a threshold activation voltage. The MRAM cell further includes a word line connected to a gate of the shared transistor.

Abstract: An interconnect structure is provided. The interconnect structure includes first conducting lines and second conducting lines. The first conducting lines are formed of a first metallic material and include at least one individual first conducting line in contact with a first corresponding substrate conducting line. The second conducting lines are formed of a second metallic material and include at least one individual second conducting line between neighboring first conducting lines and in contact with a second corresponding substrate conducting line. The at least one individual second conducting line is separated from each of the neighboring first conducting lines by controlled distances.

Abstract: A magnetoresistive random-access memory (MRAM) device includes a first cell selectively connected to a first bit line and a second cell selectively connected to a second bit line. The MRAM device further includes a shared transistor connected to the first cell and connected to the second cell. The MRAM device further includes a first selector device and a second selector device. The first selector device is configured to permit current to flow through the first cell to the shared transistor when a voltage applied to the first selector device is larger than a threshold activation voltage. The second selector device is configured to permit current to flow through the second cell to the shared transistor when a voltage applied to the second selector device is larger than a threshold activation voltage. The MRAM cell further includes a word line connected to a gate of the shared transistor.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a semiconductor device includes recessing a first odd hardmask and a first even hardmask to form recessed odd and even hardmasks, forming a first conductive hardmask including first conductive hardmask material on the recessed odd hardmask and a second conductive hardmask on the recessed even hardmask, and forming self-aligned vias at line ends corresponding to the first odd and even conductive lines based at least in part on the first and second conductive hardmasks.

Abstract: An approach provides a semiconductor structure with a semiconductor layer that has a plurality of metal lines on the semiconductor layer where a first line of the plurality of metal lines on the semiconductor layer has a different line width than a second line of the plurality of metal lines on the semiconductor layer and a low-k dielectric material covers the plurality of metal lines and the semiconductor layer between the plurality of metal lines.

Abstract: A method for making a semiconductor apparatus includes forming a first bottom interconnect in a device area of a first dielectric layer; fabricating a device on top of the first bottom interconnect; capping the device with a first interlayer dielectric; exposing a logic area of the first dielectric layer that is adjacent to the device area by removing a portion of the first interlayer dielectric from the first dielectric layer while leaving another portion of the first interlayer dielectric that caps the device; and forming a second bottom interconnect in the logic area of the first dielectric layer. By forming the second bottom interconnect after the device fabrication and capping, damage to the device and to the second bottom interconnect is avoided.

Abstract: An interconnect structure is provided. The interconnect structure includes first conducting lines and second conducting lines. The first conducting lines are formed of a first metallic material and include at least one individual first conducting line in contact with a first corresponding substrate conducting line. The second conducting lines are formed of a second metallic material and include at least one individual second conducting line between neighboring first conducting lines and in contact with a second corresponding substrate conducting line. The at least one individual second conducting line is separated from each of the neighboring first conducting lines by controlled distances.

Abstract: Methods and structures for forming vias are provided. The method includes forming a structure that includes an odd line hardmask and an even line hardmask. The odd line hardmask and the even line hardmask include different hardmask materials that have different etch selectivity with respect to each other. The method includes patterning vias separately into the odd line hardmask and the even line hardmask based on the different etch selectivity of the different hardmask materials. The method also includes forming via plugs at the vias. The method includes cutting even line cuts and odd line cuts into the structure. The even line cuts and the odd line cuts are self-aligned with the vias. The vias are formed at line ends of the structure.