A semiconductor structure includes a substrate and an interconnect. The substrate has a semiconductor device. The interconnect is disposed over the substrate and electrically coupled to the semiconductor device, and includes a metallization layer and a capping layer. The metallization layer is disposed over the substrate and includes a via portion and a line portion connecting to the via portion. The capping layer covers the line portion, where the line portion is sandwiched between the via portion and the capping layer, and the capping layer includes a plurality of sub-layers.

A semiconductor device structure and method for forming the same are provided. The semiconductor device structure includes a first metal layer formed over a substrate and a dielectric layer formed over the first metal layer. The semiconductor device structure further includes an adhesion layer formed in the dielectric layer and over the first metal layer and a second metal layer formed in the dielectric layer. The second metal layer is electrically connected to the first metal layer, and a portion of the adhesion layer is formed between the second metal layer and the dielectric layer. The adhesion layer includes a first portion lining with a top portion of the second metal layer, and the first portion has an extending portion along a vertical direction.

Methods and architectures for forming metal line plugs that define separations between two metal line ends, and for forming vias that interconnect the metal lines to an underlying contact. The line plugs are present in-plane with the metal lines while vias connecting the lines are in an underlying plane. One lithographic plate or reticle that prints lines at a given pitch (P) may be employed multiple times, for example each time with a pitch halving (P/2), or pitch quartering (P/4) patterning technique, to define both metal line ends and metal line vias. A one-dimensional (1D) grating mask may be employed in conjunction with cross-grating (orthogonal) masking structures that are likewise amenable to pitch splitting techniques.

A method of forming a semiconductor device structure is provided. The method includes forming a resist structure over a substrate. The resist structure includes an anti-reflective coating (ARC) layer and a photoresist layer over the ARC layer. The method further includes patterning the photoresist layer to form a trench therein. The method further includes performing a hydrogen plasma treatment to the patterned photoresist layer. The hydrogen plasma treatment is configured to smooth sidewalls of the trench without etching the ARC layer. The method further includes patterning the ARC layer using the patterned photoresist layer as a etch mask.

The present disclosure relates to an integrated chip including a substrate. A first conductive wire is within a first dielectric layer that is over the substrate. A first etch-stop layer is over the first dielectric layer. A second etch-stop layer is over the first etch-stop layer. A conductive via is within a second dielectric layer that is over the second etch-stop layer. The conductive via extends through the second etch-stop layer and along the first etch-stop layer to the first conductive wire. A first lower surface of the second etch-stop layer is on a top surface of the first etch-stop layer. A second lower surface of the second etch-stop layer is on a top surface of the first conductive wire.

In some embodiments, the present disclosure relates to an integrated chip that includes a lower conductive structure arranged over a substrate. An etch stop layer is arranged over the lower conductive structure, and a first interconnect dielectric layer is arranged over the etch stop layer. The integrated chip further includes an interconnect via that extends through the first interconnect dielectric layer and the etch stop layer to directly contact the lower conductive structure. A protective layer surrounds outermost sidewalls of the interconnect via.

A method includes patterning a mandrel layer over a target layer to form first mandrels and second mandrels, the first mandrels having a larger width than the second mandrels. A spacer layer is formed over the first mandrels and the second mandrels, and altered so that a thickness of the spacer layer over the first mandrels is greater than a thickness of the spacer layer over the second mandrels. Spacers are formed from the spacer layer which have a greater width adjacent the first mandrels than the spacers which are adjacent the second mandrels. The spacers are used to etch a target layer.

A method for forming an interconnect structure is described. In some embodiments, the method includes forming a mask structure on a dielectric layer, and the mask structure includes a first layer, a second layer disposed on the first layer, and a third layer disposed on the second layer. The method further includes forming first openings having first dimensions in the first layer and forming a multilayer structure over the first layer. The multilayer structure includes a bottom layer disposed in the first openings and over the first layer, a middle layer disposed on the bottom layer, and a photoresist layer disposed on the middle layer. The method further includes forming second openings having second dimensions in the bottom layer to expose portions of the dielectric layer, and the second dimensions are smaller than the first dimensions. The method further includes extending the second openings into the dielectric layer.

A structure includes a dielectric layer, and a metal line in the dielectric layer. The metal line has a first straight edge and a second straight edge extending in a lengthwise direction of the metal line. The first straight edge and the second straight edge are parallel to each other. A via is underlying and joined to the metal line. The via has a third straight edge underlying and vertically aligned to the first straight edge, and a first curved edge and a second curved edge connecting to opposite ends of the third straight edge.

A semiconductor device and a method for forming the semiconductor device are provided. The method includes the following operations. A semiconductor substrate is provided, the semiconductor substrate includes multiple bit line structures disposed at intervals along a first direction; for each of the multiple bit line structures, surfaces of the bit line structure are filled with a conductive material to form a conductive layer covering the surfaces of the bit line structure. A top surface of the conductive layer is higher than a top surface of the bit line structure; and the conductive layer is etched to form multiple first conductive layers independent of each other and multiple second conductive layers, each of which is located on a respective one of the first conductive layers.