Abstract: By forming the first metallization layer of a semiconductor device as a dual damascene structure, the contact elements may be formed on the basis of a significantly reduced aspect ratio, thereby enhancing process robustness and also improving electrical performance of the contact structure.

Abstract: By exposing a wet chemical cleaning solution, such as hydrofluoric acid, to a pressurized inert gas ambient prior to applying the solution to patterned dielectric materials of semiconductor devices, the incorporation of oxygen into the liquid during storage and application may be significantly reduced. For instance, by generating a substantially saturated state in the pressurized inert gas ambient, a substantially oversaturated state may be achieved during the application of the liquid in ambient air, thereby enhancing efficiency of the treatment, for instance, by reducing the amount of material removal of exposed copper surfaces after trench patterning, without requiring sophisticated modifications of process chambers.

Abstract: By providing a protection layer for suppressing stress relaxation in a tensile-stressed dielectric material during a dual stress liner approach, performance of N-channel transistors may be increased, while nevertheless maintaining a high degree of compatibility with conventional dual stress liner approaches.

Abstract: By forming a metal line extending through the entire interlayer dielectric material in resistance sensitive metallization layers, enhanced uniformity of these metallization layers may be obtained. The patterning of respective via openings may be accomplished on the basis of a recess formed in a cap layer, which additionally acts as an efficient etch stop layer during the patterning of the trenches, which extend through the entire interlayer dielectric material. Consequently, for a given design width of metal lines in resistance sensitive metallization layers, a maximum cross-sectional area may be obtained for the metal line with a high degree of process uniformity irrespective of a variation of the via density.

Abstract: A semiconductor structure comprises a semiconductor substrate. A layer of an electrically insulating material is formed over the semiconductor substrate. An electrically conductive feature is formed in the layer of electrically insulating material. A first layer of a semiconductor material is formed between the electrically conductive feature and the layer of electrically insulating material.

Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to forming a metallization layer in a semiconductor device. In particular, this disclosure concerns the damascene inlay technique in low-k dielectric layers. Etching trenches and vias in low-k dielectric materials leads to uneven and porous sidewalls of the trenches and vias due to the porous nature of the low-k dielectric materials. Thus, smooth and dense sidewalls cannot be achieved, which is a prerequisite for an effective barrier layer, which prevents copper from being diffused into the low-k dielectric material. As a consequence, process tolerances are high and the reliability of the semiconductor device is reduced. The present disclosure overcomes these drawbacks by a surface treatment of the sidewalls of trenches and vias in order to densify the surface such that the following barrier layer may more effectively prevent copper from diffusing into the low-k or ultra high-k dielectric material.

Abstract: By forming an alloy in a highly localized manner at a transition or contact area between a via and a metal line, the probability of forming an electromigration-induced shallow void may be significantly reduced, while not unduly affecting the overall electrical resistivity of the metal line. In one illustrative embodiment, an electroless deposition process may provide the alloy-forming species on the exposed metal region on the basis of an electroless plating process.

Abstract: By removing excess material of an interlayer dielectric material deposited by SACVD, the gap filling capabilities of this deposition technique may be exploited, while, on the other hand, negative effects of this material may be reduced. In other aspects, a buffer material, such as silicon dioxide, may be formed prior to depositing the interlayer dielectric material on the basis of SACVD, thereby creating enhanced uniformity during the deposition process when depositing the interlayer dielectric material on dielectric layers having different high intrinsic stress levels. Consequently, the reliability of the interlayer dielectric material may be enhanced while nevertheless maintaining the advantages provided by an SACVD deposition.

Abstract: By incorporating an etch control material after the formation of a material layer to be patterned, an appropriate material having a highly distinctive radiation wavelength may be used for generating a distinctive endpoint detection signal during an etch process. Advantageously, the material may be incorporated by ion implantation which provides reduced non-uniformity compared to etch non-uniformities, while the implantation process provides the potential for introducing even very “exotic” implantation species. In some embodiments, the substrate-to-substrate uniformity of the patterning of dual damascene structures may be increased.

Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor structure comprises providing a substrate comprising a layer of a first material. A protection layer is formed over the layer of first material. At least one opening is formed in the layer of first material and the protection layer. A layer of a second material is formed over the layer of first material and the protection layer to fill the opening with the second material. A planarization process is performed to remove portions of the layer of second material outside the opening. At least a portion of the protection layer is not removed during the planarization process. An etching process is performed to remove the portions of the protection layer which were not removed during the planarization process.

Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor structure comprises providing a semiconductor substrate comprising a layer of a dielectric material. A recess is provided in the layer of dielectric material. A first glue layer and a second glue layer are formed over the recess. The first glue layer comprises titanium and the second glue layer comprises tungsten nitride. The recess is filled with a material comprising tungsten.

Abstract: Densely spaced gates of field effect transistors usually lead to voids in a contact interlayer dielectric. If such a void is opened by a contact via and filled with conductive material, an electrical short between neighboring contact regions of neighboring transistors may occur. By forming a recess between two neighboring contact regions, the void forms at a lower level. Thus, opening of the void by contact vias is prevented.

Abstract: A unified test structure which is applicable for all levels of a semiconductor device including a current path chain having a first half chain and a second half chain, wherein each half chain comprises lower metallization segments, upper metallization segments, an insulating layer between the lower metallization segments and the upper metallization segments, and connection segments. Each of the connection segments is electrically connected to a contact region of one of the lower metallization segments and to a contact region of one of the upper metallization segments to thereby electrically connect the respective lower metallization segment and the respective upper metallization segment, and the first half chain and the second half chain are of different configuration.

Abstract: Prior to performing a CMP process for planarizing a metallization level of an advanced semiconductor device, an appropriate cap layer may be formed in order to delay the exposure of metal areas of reduced height level to the highly chemically reactive slurry material. Consequently, metal of increased height level may be polished with a high removal rate due to the mechanical and the chemical action of the slurry material, while the chemical interaction with the slurry material may be substantially avoided in areas of reduced height level. Therefore, a high process uniformity may be achieved even for pronounced initial surface topographies and slurry materials having a component of high chemical reactivity.

Abstract: In order to avoid the contamination of a seed layer, which is typically highly reactive with the external atmosphere, during the formation of interconnect structures in a semiconductor device, a protective layer is formed. The protective layer may be comprised of oxide formed in an oxidizing ambient prior to transporting the semiconductor device to a subsequent process tool.

Abstract: By providing vias of increased mass flow blocking capability next to respective line segments of an electromigration test structure, the reliability of respective assessments may be enhanced, since electromigration-induced void formation in the test line segment under consideration may be efficiently decoupled from metal diffusion of neighboring test areas of the test structure.

Abstract: By providing a surface modification process prior to or during a self-limiting deposition process, the per se highly conformal deposition behavior may be selectively changed so as to obtain reliable coverage at specific surface areas, while significantly reducing or suppressing a deposition above unwanted surface areas, such as the bottom of a via in advanced metallization structures of highly scaled semiconductor devices.

Abstract: By providing a safety material, such as an adhesive foil, the probability for transport-related damage or destruction of substrates caused by broken substrates may be significantly reduced.

Abstract: By encoding process-related non-uniformities, such as different height levels, which may be caused by CMP or other processes during the fabrication of complex device levels, such as metallization structures, respective focus parameter settings may be efficiently evaluated on the basis of well-established CD measurement techniques.

Abstract: OPC results may be efficiently evaluated on the basis of a test structure containing a plurality of line features with opposing end portions. Thus, for different line parameters, the effect of OPC may be determined for a given critical tip-to-tip distance by determining the leakage behavior of the test assemblies, each having different design parameter values for line width and lateral distance between adjacent lines.