An interconnect structure including a contact via in an interlayer dielectric, a first conductive feature in a first dielectric layer, the first dielectric layer over the interlayer dielectric, a first liner in the first dielectric layer, the first liner comprising a first part in contact with a sidewall surface of the first conductive feature, and a second part in contact with a bottom surface of the first conductive feature. The interconnect structure includes a first cap layer in contact with a top surface of the first conductive feature, a second conductive feature in a second dielectric layer, the second dielectric layer over the first dielectric layer, a second liner in the second dielectric layer, wherein the first and second conductive features comprise a first conductive material, and the contact via, first liner, first cap layer, and second liner comprise a second conductive material chemically different than the first conductive material.

Implementations of low-resistance copper interconnects and manufacturing techniques for forming the low-resistance copper interconnects described herein may achieve low contact resistance and low sheet resistance by decreasing tantalum nitride (TaN) liner/film thickness (or eliminating the use of tantalum nitride as a copper diffusion barrier) and using ruthenium (Ru) and/or zinc silicon oxide (ZnSiO.sub.x) as a copper diffusion barrier, among other examples. The low contact resistance and low sheet resistance of the copper interconnects described herein may increase the electrical performance of an electronic device including such copper interconnects by decreasing the resistance/capacitance (RC) time constants of the electronic device and increasing signal propagation speeds across the electronic device, among other examples.

The present disclosure is directed to embodiments of a conductive structure on a conductive barrier layer that separates the conductive structure from a conductive layer on which the conductive barrier layer is present. A gap or crevice extends along respective surfaces of the conductive structure and along respective surfaces of one or more insulating layers. The gap or crevice separates the respective surfaces of the one or more insulating layers from the respective surfaces of the conductive structure. The gap or crevice provides clearance in which the conductive structure may expand into when exposed to changes in temperature. For example, when coupling a wire bond to the conductive structure, the conductive structure may increase in temperature and expand into the gap or crevice. However, even in the expanded state, respective surfaces of the conductive structure do not physically contact the respective surfaces of the one or more insulating layers.

A device includes a dielectric layer and a conductor in the dielectric layer including a first conductive material. A conductive liner wraps around the conductor and includes a second conductive material. A barrier layer is at an interface between the conductive liner and the dielectric layer, including a first oxide and a second oxide.

Examples of an integrated circuit with an interconnect structure and a method for forming the integrated circuit are provided herein. In some examples, the method includes receiving a workpiece that includes a substrate and an interconnect structure. The interconnect structure includes a first conductive feature disposed within a first inter-level dielectric layer. A blocking layer is selectively formed on the first conductive feature without forming the blocking layer on the first inter-level dielectric layer. An alignment feature is selectively formed on the first inter-level dielectric layer without forming the alignment feature on the blocking layer. The blocking layer is removed from the first conductive feature, and a second inter-level dielectric layer is formed on the alignment feature and on the first conductive feature. The second inter-level dielectric layer is patterned to define a recess for a second conductive feature, and the second conductive feature is formed within the recess.

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.

Embodiments of the disclosure are in the field of integrated circuit structure fabrication. In an example, an integrated circuit structure includes an inter-layer dielectric (ILD) layer over a conductive interconnect line, the ILD layer having a trench therein, the trench exposing a portion of the conductive interconnect line. A dielectric liner layer is along a top surface of the ILD layer and along sidewalls of the trench, the dielectric liner layer having an opening therein, the opening over the portion of the conductive interconnect line. A conductive via structure is in the trench and between portions of the dielectric liner layer along the sidewalls of the trench, the conductive via structure having a portion extending vertically beneath the dielectric liner layer and in contact with the portion of the conductive interconnect line.

A method of forming an electrical contact in a semiconductor structure includes performing a patterning process to form a mask on a semiconductor structure, the semiconductor structure comprising a first semiconductor region, a second semiconductor region, a dielectric layer having a first opening over the first semiconductor region and a second opening over the second semiconductor region, wherein the mask covers an exposed surface of the second semiconductor region within the second opening, performing an amorphization ion implant process to amorphize an exposed surface of the first semiconductor region within the first opening, performing a removal process to remove the mask, performing a selective epitaxial deposition process, to epitaxially form a contact layer on the exposed surface of the second semiconductor region, and performing a recrystallization anneal process to recrystallize the amorphized surface of the first semiconductor region.

A semiconductor structure includes a semiconductor substrate, a dielectric layer, a via, a first graphene layer, and a metal line. The dielectric layer is over the semiconductor substrate. The via extends through the dielectric layer. The first graphene layer extends along a top surface of the via. The metal line spans the first graphene layer. The metal line has a line width decreasing as a distance from the first graphene layer increases.

A semiconductor structure includes a substrate and a back end of line (BEOL) layer disposed on the substrate. The BEOL layer includes a first dielectric layer, a via conductive portion, a second dielectric layer and a liner. The first dielectric layer has a surface and a via-hole extends from the surface. The via conductive portion is disposed within the via-hole and has a recess recessed relative to the surface. The second dielectric layer is disposed on the first dielectric layer, wherein the second dielectric layer has a metal-trench exposing the recess. The liner is disposed on a sidewall of the metal-trench and separated from the via conductive portion.