摘要:
A method for forming a self aligned pattern on an existing pattern on a substrate comprising applying a coating of a solution containing a masking material in a carrier, the masking material having an affinity for portions of the existing pattern; and allowing at least a portion of the masking material to preferentially assemble to the portions of the existing pattern. The pattern may be comprised of a first set of regions of the substrate having a first atomic composition and a second set of regions of the substrate having a second atomic composition different from the first composition. The first set of regions may include one or more metal elements and the second set of regions may include a dielectric. The first and second regions may be treated to have different surface properties. Structures made in accordance with the method. Compositions useful for practicing the method.
摘要:
Often used to reduce the RC delay in integrated circuits are dielectric films of porous organosilicates which have a silica like backbone with alkyl or aryl groups (to add hydrophobicity to the materials and create free volume) attached directly to the Si atoms in the network. Si—R bonds rarely survive an exposure to plasmas or chemical treatments commonly used in processing; this is especially the case in materials with an open cell pore structure. When Si—R bonds are broken, the materials lose hydrophobicity, due to formation of hydrophilic silanols and low dielectric constant is compromised. A method by which the hydrophobicity of the materials is recovered using a novel class of silylation agents which may have the general formula (R2N)XSiR′Y where X and Y are integers from 1 to 3 and 3 to 1 respectively, and where R and R′ are selected from the group of hydrogen, alkyl, aryl, allyl and a vinyl moiety. Mechanical strength of porous organosilicates is also improved as a result of the silylation treatment.
摘要:
A cost effective and simple method of patterning interconnect structures is provided in which spun-on materials are used as the hard mask. The use of spun-on materials for the hard mask ensures that the process is carried out in a single tool and it permits the use of a single curing step which is not typically employed in patterning processes wherein CVD hard masks are employed. The effective dielectric constant of the resultant structure is not significantly increased since the use of spin coating allows for selection of a polish stop layer (formed on a surface of a low-k dielectric) that has substantially the same dielectric constant as the underlying dielectric. In the present invention, the hard mask employed includes at least two spun-on dielectric materials that have different etch rates.
摘要:
A combination of knowledge representation and retrieval, assessments and personalization for a tutoring platform that provides an automated phased word exposition method for vocabulary learning and enable learners to learn words (or any learning objective) with sufficient proficiency and without excessive repetition. The phased learning objective method implements a moving average model that models the learner across multiple dimensions (e.g. reading, listening, writing, speaking) such that the platform is confident of the learner's understanding, while using minimal assessment doses, and such that the understanding transfers across experiences. The method implemented provides for multiple learning and assessment activities for a learning objective and leverages the same learner model for each learning dimension. Each word of a word set passes through learning and assessment-only phases for statistically significant evidence of learning. The model derived from the phased word expansion can be shared across applications, toys and tangibles that learners interact with.
摘要:
A dielectric stack and method of depositing the stack to a substrate using a single step deposition process. The dielectric stack includes a dense layer and a porous layer of the same elemental compound with different compositional atomic percentage, density, and porosity. The stack enhances mechanical modulus strength and enhances oxidation and copper diffusion barrier properties. The dielectric stack has inorganic or hybrid inorganic-organic random three-dimensional covalent bonding throughout the network, which contain different regions of different chemical compositions such as a cap component adjacent to a low-k component of the same type of material but with higher porosity.
摘要:
Methods for fabricating a hybrid interconnect structure that possesses a higher interconnect capacitance in one set of regions than in other regions on the same microelectronic chip. Several methods to fabricate such a structure are provided. Circuit implementations of such hybrid interconnect structures are described that enable increased static noise margin and reduce the leakage in SRAM cells and common power supply voltages for SRAM and logic in such a chip. Methods that enable combining these circuit benefits with higher interconnect performance speed and superior mechanical robustness in such chips are also taught.
摘要:
Deep trenches formed beneath contact level in a semiconductor substrate function as crackstops, in a die area or in a scribe area of the wafer, and may be disposed in rows of increasing distance from a device which they are intended to protect, and may be located under a lattice work crackstop structure in an interconnect stack layer. The deep trenches may remain unfilled, or may be filled with a dielectric material or conductor. The deep trenches may have a depth into the substrate of approximately 1 micron to 100 microns, and a width of approximately 10 nm to 10 microns.
摘要:
A multilevel air-gap-containing interconnect structure and a method of fabricating the same are provided. The multilevel air-gap-containing interconnect structure includes a collection of interspersed line levels and via levels, with via levels comprising conductive vias embedded in one or more dielectric layers in which the dielectric layers are solid underneath and above line features in adjacent levels, and perforated between line features. The line levels contain conductive lines and an air-gap-containing dielectric. A solid dielectric bridge layer, containing conductive contacts and formed by filling in a perforated dielectric layer, is disposed over the collection of interspersed line and via levels.
摘要:
A porous SiCOH (e.g., p-SiCOH) dielectric film in which the stress change caused by increased tetrahedral strain is minimized by post treatment in unsaturated Hydrocarbon ambient. The inventive p-SiCOH dielectric film has more —(CHx) and less Si—O—H and Si—H bondings as compared to prior art p-SiCOH dielectric films. Moreover, a stable pSiOCH dielectric film is provided in which the amount of Si—OH (silanol) and Si—H groups at least within the pores has been reduced by about 90% or less by the post treatment. Hence, the inventive p-SiCOH dielectric film has hydrophobicity improvement as compared with prior art p-SiCOH dielectric films. In the present invention, a p-SiCOH dielectric film is produced that is flexible since the pores of the inventive film include stabilized crosslinking —(CHx)— chains wherein x is 1, 2 or 3 therein. The dielectric film is produced utilizing an annealing step subsequent deposition that includes a gaseous ambient that includes at least one C—C double bond and/or at least one C—C triple bond.
摘要:
A method for fabricating an interconnect structure for interconnecting a semiconductor substrate to have three distinct patterned structures such that the interconnect structure provides both a low k and high structural integrity. The method includes depositing an interlayer dielectric onto the semiconductor substrate, forming a first pattern within the interlayer dielectric material by a first lithographic process that results in both via features and ternary features being formed in the interconnect structure. The method further includes forming a second pattern within the interlayer dielectric material by a second lithographic process to form line features within the interconnect structure. Hence the method forms the three separate distinct patterned structures using only two lithographic processes for each interconnect level.