IC interconnect structures including subtractively patterned features. Feature ends may be defined through multiple patterning of multiple cap materials for reduced misregistration. Subtractively patterned features may be lines integrated with damascene vias or with subtractively patterned vias, or may be vias integrated with damascene lines or with subtractively patterned lines. Subtractively patterned vias may be deposited as part of a planar metal layer and defined currently with interconnect lines. Subtractively patterned features may be integrated with air gap isolation structures. Subtractively patterned features may be include a barrier material on the bottom, top, or sidewall. A bottom barrier of a subtractively patterned features may be deposited with an area selective technique to be absent from an underlying interconnect feature. A barrier of a subtractively patterned feature may comprise graphene or a chalcogenide of a metal in the feature or in a seed layer.

Methods and apparatus that forms a stabilization layer on copper-based material to inhibit formation of copper voids in the copper-based material. In some embodiments, a method of forming the stabilization layer on the copper-based material includes depositing a first stabilization layer on the copper-based material where the first stabilization layer forms a continuous film on the copper-based material and is formed of a first material that does not alloy with copper, depositing a second stabilization layer on the first stabilization layer where the second stabilization layer is formed from a second material that alloys with copper and where the first stabilization layer is configured to inhibit formation of voids in the copper-based material during subsequent high thermal budget processing.

IC interconnect structures including subtractively patterned features. Feature ends may be defined through multiple patterning of multiple cap materials for reduced misregistration. Subtractively patterned features may be lines integrated with damascene vias or with subtractively patterned vias, or may be vias integrated with damascene lines or with subtractively patterned lines. Subtractively patterned vias may be deposited as part of a planar metal layer and defined currently with interconnect lines. Subtractively patterned features may be integrated with air gap isolation structures. Subtractively patterned features may be include a barrier material on the bottom, top, or sidewall. A bottom barrier of a subtractively patterned features may be deposited with an area selective technique to be absent from an underlying interconnect feature. A barrier of a subtractively patterned feature may comprise graphene or a chalcogenide of a metal in the feature or in a seed layer.

Methods and apparatus for processing a substrate are provided herein. For example, a method includes supplying a first gas at a first flow rate to a substrate support disposed within an interior volume of a deposition chamber and at a second flow rate into the interior volume of the deposition chamber; decreasing the first flow rate of the first gas to a third flow rate; supplying DC power or DC power and an AC power for inducing an AC bias therebetween; supplying a second gas into the deposition chamber in a switching mode while supplying the first gas at the second flow rate and the third flow rate and increasing at least one of the DC power or AC power to increase the AC bias; and while supplying the second gas in the switching mode, depositing material from the target onto a substrate to form a barrier layer.

A semiconductor structure includes an epitaxial region having a front side and a backside. The semiconductor structure includes an amorphous layer formed over the backside of the epitaxial region, wherein the amorphous layer includes silicon. The semiconductor structure includes a first silicide layer formed over the amorphous layer. The semiconductor structure includes a first metal contact formed over the first silicide layer.

A method of fabricating an integrated circuit includes forming a titanium nitride layer over a semiconductor substrate in a process chamber and forming a poisoned titanium layer on the titanium nitride layer in the process chamber. Forming the titanium nitride layer includes sputtering titanium from a titanium sputter target using a first nitrogen flow. Forming the poisoned titanium layer includes sputtering titanium from the titanium sputter target using a lower second nitrogen flow. The method also forms an aluminum layer on the poisoned titanium layer.

IC interconnect structures including subtractively patterned features. Feature ends may be defined through multiple patterning of multiple cap materials for reduced misregistration. Subtractively patterned features may be lines integrated with damascene vias or with subtractively patterned vias, or may be vias integrated with damascene lines or with subtractively patterned lines. Subtractively patterned vias may be deposited as part of a planar metal layer and defined currently with interconnect lines. Subtractively patterned features may be integrated with air gap isolation structures. Subtractively patterned features may be include a barrier material on the bottom, top, or sidewall. A bottom barrier of a subtractively patterned features may be deposited with an area selective technique to be absent from an underlying interconnect feature. A barrier of a subtractively patterned feature may comprise graphene or a chalcogenide of a metal in the feature or in a seed layer.

A wiring board includes a wiring layer; a diffusion suppressing layer that covers the wiring layer and suppresses diffusion of a metal component of the wiring layer; a base metal layer that covers the diffusion suppressing layer; and a passivation layer that covers the base metal layer.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards an integrated circuit (IC) in which cavities separate wires of an interconnect structure. For example, a conductive feature overlies a substrate, and an intermetal dielectric (IMD) layer overlies the conductive feature. A first wire and a second wire neighbor in the IMD layer and respectively have a first sidewall and a second sidewall that face each other while being separated from each other by the IMD layer. Further, the first wire overlies and borders the conductive feature. A first cavity and a second cavity further separate the first and second sidewalls from each other. The first cavity separates the first sidewall from the IMD layer, and the second cavity separates the second sidewall from the IMD layer. The cavities reduce parasitic capacitance between the first and second wires and hence resistance-capacitance (RC) delay that degrades IC performance.

The method includes forming a first dielectric layer on a substrate, forming a via in the first dielectric layer, sequentially forming a first metal pattern, a first metal oxide pattern, a second metal pattern, and an antireflective pattern on the first dielectric layer, and performing an annealing process to react the first metal oxide pattern and the second metal pattern with each other to form a second metal oxide pattern. The forming the second metal oxide pattern includes forming the second metal oxide pattern by a reaction between a metal element of the second metal pattern and an oxygen element of the first metal oxide pattern.