초록 ▼

A dual damascene method of fabricating an interconnection level of conductive lines and connecting vias separated by insulation for integrated circuits and substrate carriers for semiconductor devices using a thin protective via mask to form the via openings. A conductive line mask pattern is used t

A dual damascene method of fabricating an interconnection level of conductive lines and connecting vias separated by insulation for integrated circuits and substrate carriers for semiconductor devices using a thin protective via mask to form the via openings. A conductive line mask pattern is used to form conductive line openings in an insulating layer. Next, a thin protective layer of conformal material is deposited in the conducive line opening. The protective layer and the insulating layer each have etch resistance to others etchant. Using a via mask pattern, openings are etching the protective layer with the insulating layer serving as and etch stop. Next via openings are etched in the insulating material using the openings in the thin protective layer as the etch mask. If the protective layer is a conductive material, it is removed from the surface of the insulating layer either before or after the conductive line and via openings are filled with a conductive material. If the protective material is an insulating material, it is entirely removed before filling the conductive line and via openings conductive material.

대표청구항 ▼

A method of fabricating interconnecting conductive lines and conductive vias in a layer of insulating material of a sufficient thickness to contain both the conductive lines and vias comprising the steps of: forming a conductive line opening with sidewalls and a bottom in a layer of insulating mater

A method of fabricating interconnecting conductive lines and conductive vias in a layer of insulating material of a sufficient thickness to contain both the conductive lines and vias comprising the steps of: forming a conductive line opening with sidewalls and a bottom in a layer of insulating material having a thickness from its upper surface to partially through said thickness, said thickness being thickness of the conductive line being formed; covering the upper surface of the insulating layer and the sidewalls and the bottom of the conductive line opening with a layer of thin conformal etch barrier material; forming a via opening in said barrier layer at the bottom of the conductive line opening, in alignment with the line opening, and without removing any of the barrier layer on the sidewalls; etching a via opening in the remaining portion of the thickness of said insulating material by using said via opening in said barrier layer as an etch mask for said etching; and filling said conductive line opening and said via opening with a conductive material without removing the etch barrier.