An integrated circuit structure comprises a first and second conductive structures formed in an interlayer dielectric (ILD) of a metallization stack over a substrate. The first conductive structure comprises a first conductive line, and first dummy structures located adjacent to one or more sides of the first conductive line, wherein the first dummy structures comprise respective arrays of dielectric core segments having a Young's modulus larger than the Young's modulus of the ILD, the dielectric core segments being approximately 1-3 microns in width and spaced apart by approximately 1-3 microns. The second conductive structure formed in the ILD comprises a conductive surface and second dummy structures formed in the conductive surface, where the second dummy structures comprising an array of conductive pillars.

Embodiments include semiconductor packages and methods to form the semiconductor packages. A semiconductor package includes a plurality of first dies on a substrate, an interface layer over the first dies, a backside metallization (BSM) layer directly on the interface layer, where the BSM layer includes first, second, and third conductive layer, and a heat spreader over the BSM layer. The first conductive layer includes a titanium material. The second conductive layer includes a nickel-vanadium material. The third conductive layer includes a gold material, a silver material, or a copper material. The copper material may include copper bumps. The semiconductor package may include a plurality of second dies on a package substrate. The substrate may be on the package substrate. The second dies may have top surfaces substantially coplanar to top surface of the first dies. The BSM and interface layers may be respectively over the first and second dies.

The present disclosure describes a method for forming liner-free or barrier-free conductive structures. The method includes depositing an etch stop layer on a cobalt contact disposed on a substrate, depositing a dielectric on the etch stop layer, etching the dielectric and the etch stop layer to form an opening that exposes a top surface of the cobalt contact, and etching the exposed top surface of the cobalt contact to form a recess in the cobalt contact extending laterally under the etch stop layer. The method further includes depositing a ruthenium metal to substantially fill the recess and the opening, and annealing the ruthenium metal to form an oxide layer between the ruthenium metal and the dielectric.

The present disclosure describes a method for the fabrication of ruthenium conductive structures over cobalt conductive structures. In some embodiments, the method includes forming a first opening in a dielectric layer to expose a first cobalt contact and filling the first opening with ruthenium metal to form a ruthenium contact on the first cobalt contact. The method also includes forming a second opening in the dielectric layer to expose a second cobalt contact and a gate structure and filling the second opening with tungsten to form a tungsten contact on the second cobalt contact and the gate structure. Further, the method includes forming a copper conductive structure on the ruthenium contact and the tungsten contact, where the copper from the copper conductive structure is in contact with the ruthenium metal from the ruthenium contact.

Disclosed are apparatus comprising a substrate and techniques for fabricating the same. The substrate may include a first metal layer having signal interconnects on a first side of the substrate. A second metal layer may include ground plane portions on a second side of the substrate. Conductive channels may be formed in the substrate and coupled to the ground plane portions. The conductive channels are configured to extend the ground plane portions towards the signal interconnects to reduce a distance from individual signal interconnects to individual conductive channels. The distance may be in a range of seventy-five percent to fifty percent of a substrate thickness between the first metal layer and the second metal layer.

A method of forming nanocrystalline graphene according to an embodiment may include: arranging a substrate having a pattern in a reaction chamber; injecting a reaction gas into the reaction chamber, where the reaction gas includes a carbon source gas, an inert gas, and a hydrogen gas that are mixed; generating a plasma of the reaction gas in the reaction chamber; and directly growing the nanocrystalline graphene on a surface of the pattern using the plasma of the reaction gas at a process temperature. The pattern may include a first material and the substrate may include a second material different from the first material.

A interconnect structure includes a lower metal, a dielectric layer, an upper metal, and a graphene layer. The dielectric layer laterally surrounds the lower metal. The upper metal is over the lower metal. The graphene layer is over a top surface of the upper metal and opposite side surfaces of the upper metal from a cross-sectional view.

Embodiments of source structure of a three-dimensional (3D) memory device and method for forming the source structure of the 3D memory device are disclosed. In an example, a NAND memory device includes a substrate, an alternating conductor/dielectric stack, a NAND string, a source conductor layer, and a source contact. The alternating conductor/dielectric stack includes a plurality of conductor/dielectric pairs above the substrate. The NAND string extends vertically through the alternating conductor/dielectric stack. The source conductor layer is above the alternating conductor/dielectric stack and is in contact with an end of the NAND string. The source contact includes an end in contact with the source conductor layer. The NAND string is electrically connected to the source contact by the source conductor layer. In some embodiments, the source conductor layer includes one or more conduction regions each including one or more of a metal, a metal alloy, and a metal silicide.

In one example, an electroplating system comprises a first bath reservoir, a second bath reservoir, a clamp, a first anode in the first bath reservoir, a second anode in the second bath reservoir, and a direct current power supply. The first bath reservoir contains a first electrolyte solution that includes an alkaline copper-complexed solution. The second bath reservoir contains a second electrolyte solution that includes an acidic copper plating solution. The direct current power supply generates a first direct current between the clamp and the first anode to electroplate a first copper layer on the cobalt layer of the wafer submerged in the first electrolyte solution. The direct current power supply then generates a second direct current between the clamp and the second anode to electroplate a second copper layer on the first copper layer of the wafer submerged in the second electrolyte solution.

A method for forming an integrated circuit device is provided. The method includes forming a transistor over a frontside of a substrate; forming an interconnect structure over the transistor; depositing a first transition metal layer over the interconnect structure; performing a plasma treatment to turn the first transition metal layer into a first transition metal dichalcogenide layer; forming a dielectric layer over the first transition metal dichalcogenide layer; forming a first gate electrode over the dielectric layer and a first portion of the first transition metal dichalcogenide layer; and forming a first source contact and a first drain contact respectively connected with a second portion and a third portion of the first transition metal dichalcogenide layer, the first portion of the first transition metal dichalcogenide layer being between the second and third portions of the first transition metal dichalcogenide layers.