A semiconductor device includes a first conductive pattern on a substrate, an insulating diffusion barrier layer conformally covering a surface of the first conductive pattern, the insulation diffusion barrier layer exposed by an air gap region adjacent to a sidewall of the first conductive pattern, and a second conductive pattern on the first conductive pattern, the second conductive pattern penetrating the insulating diffusion barrier layer so as to be in contact with the first conductive pattern.

A method includes, for example, providing an intermediate semiconductor structure comprising a metallic layer, a patternable layer disposed over the metallic layer, and a hard mask disposed over the patternable layer, the intermediate semiconductor structure comprising a plurality of vias extending through the hard mask onto the metallic layer, depositing a sacrificial barrier layer over the intermediate semiconductor structure and in the plurality of vias, removing a portion of the sacrificial barrier layer between the plurality of vias while maintaining a portion of the sacrificial barrier layer in the plurality of vias, forming a trench in the patternable layer between the removed portion of the sacrificial barrier layer and the plurality of vias, and removing the remaining portions of the sacrificial barrier layer from the plurality of vias.

An improved conductive feature for a semiconductor device and a technique for forming the feature are provided. In an exemplary embodiment, the semiconductor device includes a substrate having a gate structure formed thereupon. The gate structure includes a gate dielectric layer disposed on the substrate, a growth control material disposed on a side surface of the gate structure, and a gate electrode fill material disposed on the growth control material. The gate electrode fill material is also disposed on a bottom surface of the gate structure that is free of the growth control material. In some such embodiments, the gate electrode fill material contacts a first surface and a second surface that are different in composition.

The disclosure relates to semiconductor interconnect structure having enhanced electromigration (EM) reliability in which an oxygen scavenger layer deposited (directly or indirectly) over a surface of conductive material. In one embodiment, the disclosure relates to semiconductor structure having a substrate having a cavity formed therein; a barrier material lining a portion of the cavity; a conductive material formed over the barrier material, the conductive material defining an interconnect layer; a metal cap formed over at least a portion of the conductive material; an oxygen scavenger layer formed over the metal cap layer, the oxygen scavenger layer comprising one or more of Al, TiAl or Al alloys, Mg, TiMg, Mg alloys, and deposited over the metal cap layer using one or more of a Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD), Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD), Electroless Plating Deposition (ELD) electrodeless deposition techniques; wherein the oxygen scavenger layer removes oxygen from the interface between the conductive material surface and the metal cap layer.

A semiconductor structure includes a multi-level interconnect structure, a passivation layer, a barrier layer, and a pad layer. The passivation layer is above the multi-level interconnect structure. The barrier layer lines an inner sidewall of the passivation layer, a top surface of the passivation layer and a top surface of a conductive line of the multi-level interconnect structure. The barrier layer includes a first layer, a second layer, a third layer, and a fourth layer. The first layer is in a nano-crystalline phase. The second layer is above the first layer and in an amorphous phase. The third layer is above the second layer and in a polycrystalline phase. The fourth layer is above the third layer and in a nano-crystalline phase. The pad layer is above the barrier layer.

A method is provided for fabricating a semiconductor structure. The method includes providing a semiconductor substrate; forming an initial metal layer; simultaneously forming a plurality of discrete first metal layers and openings by etching the initial metal layer; forming a plurality of sidewalls covering the side surface of the first metal layers; and forming a plurality of second metal layers to fill the openings.

The present disclosure relates to a MIM capacitor that includes a composite capacitor top metal (CTM) electrode and a composite capacitor bottom metal (CBM) electrode. The composite CBM electrode includes a first diffusion barrier layer overlying a first metal layer, and the composite CTM electrode includes a second diffusion barrier layer overlying a second metal layer. A dielectric layer is arranged over the composite CBM electrode, underlying the composite CTM electrode. The first and second diffusion barrier layers protect the first and second metal layers from metal that diffuses or moves from a metal line underlying the MIM capacitor to the composite CTM and CBM electrodes during manufacture. A method of manufacturing the MIM capacitor is also provided.

An integrated circuit includes an interconnect which includes a metal layer, a layer of graphene on at least one of the top surface of the interconnect or the bottom surface of the interconnect, and a layer of hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) on the layer of graphene, opposite from the metal layer. Dielectric material of the integrated circuit contacts the layer of hBN. The layer of graphene has one or more atomic layers of graphene. The layer of hBN is one to three atomic layers thick. The interconnect may have a lower graphene layer on the bottom surface of the metal layer with a lower hBN layer, and an upper graphene layer on the top surface of the metal layer, with an upper hBN layer.

An antifuse structure including a first electrode that is present in at a base of the opening in the dielectric material. The antifuse structure further includes an antifuse material layer comprising a phase change material alloy of tantalum and nitrogen. A first surface of the antifuse material layer is present in direct contact with the first electrode. A second electrode is present in direct contact with a second surface of the antifuse material layer that is opposite the first surface of the antifuse material layer.

A semiconductor structure and a method of fabricating the same is disclosed. The semiconductor device includes a conductive structure that comprises: an upper conductive line arranged above and in electrical connection with a circuit component in a lower device layer through a via plug, wherein the upper conductive line extends laterally over the via plug; an interposing layer having a substantially uniform thickness arranged between the via plug and the upper conductive line, and extending laterally beyond a planar projection of the via plug, wherein the upper conductive line is in electrical connection with the via plug through the interposing layer; and an overlayer is disposed over the upper conductive line.