At least one opening having a biconvex shape is formed into a dielectric material layer. A void-free metallization region (interconnect metallic region and/or metallic contact region) is provided to each of the openings. The void-free metallization region has the biconvex shape and exhibits a low wire resistance.

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.

The present disclosure relates to a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) package featuring a flat plate having a raised edge around its perimeter serving as an anti-stiction device, and an associated method of formation. A CMOS IC is provided having a dielectric structure surrounding a plurality of conductive interconnect layers disposed over a CMOS substrate. A MEMS IC is bonded to the dielectric structure such that it forms a cavity with a lowered central portion the dielectric structure, and the MEMS IC includes a movable mass that is arranged within the cavity. The CMOS IC includes an anti-stiction plate disposed under the movable mass. The anti-stiction plate is made of a conductive material and has a raised edge surrounding at least a part of a perimeter of a substantially planar upper surface.

Embodiments described herein generally relate to methods for forming silicide materials. Silicide materials formed according to the embodiments described herein may be utilized as contact and/or interconnect structures and may provide advantages over conventional silicide formation methods. In one embodiment, a one or more transition metal and aluminum layers may be deposited on a silicon containing substrate and a transition metal layer may be deposited on the one or more transition metal and aluminum layers. An annealing process may be performed to form a metal silicide material.

A semiconductor device is proposed. The semiconductor device includes a wiring metal layer structure. The semiconductor device further includes a dielectric layer structure arranged directly on the wiring metal layer structure. The semiconductor device further includes a bonding pad metal layer structure arranged, at least partly, directly on the dielectric layer structure. A layer thickness of the dielectric layer structure ranges from 1% to 30% of a layer thickness of the wiring metal layer structure. The wiring metal layer structure and the bonding pad metal structure are electrically connected through openings in the dielectric layer structure.

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.

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.

Semiconductor devices and methods of forming the same are provided. In one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a redistribution layer including a first conductive feature and a second conductive feature, a first contact feature disposed over and electrically coupled to the first conductive feature, a second contact feature disposed over and electrically coupled to the second conductive feature, and a passivation feature extending from between the first conductive feature and the second conductive feature between the first contact feature and the second contact feature. The passivation feature includes a dielectric feature and a dielectric layer. The dielectric layer is disposed on a planar top surface of the dielectric feature and a composition of the dielectric feature is different from a composition of the dielectric layer.

Interconnect structures and methods for forming the interconnect structures generally include a subtractive etching process to form a fully aligned top via and metal line interconnect structure. The interconnect structure includes a top via and a metal line formed of an alternative metal other than copper or tungsten. A conductive etch stop layer is intermediate the top via and the metal line. The top via is fully aligned to the metal line.

In one aspect of the invention, a method for fabricating an advanced metal conductor structure includes a conductive line pattern including a set of conductive line trenches in a dielectric layer. Each conductive line trench of the conductive line pattern has parallel vertical sidewalls and a horizontal bottom. A surface treatment of the dielectric layer is performed. The surface treatment produces an element enriched surface layer in which a concentration of a selected element in a surface portion of the parallel sidewalls and horizontal bottoms of the conductive line trenches is increased. A first metal layer is deposited on the element enriched surface layer. A first thermal anneal is performed which simultaneously reflows the first metal layer to fill a first portion of the conductive line trenches and causes a chemical change at interfaces of the first metal layer and the element enriched surface layer creating a liner which is an alloy of the first metal and selected element. A second metal layer is deposited. A second thermal anneal is performed which reflows the second metal layer to fill a remaining portion of the conductive line trenches. Another aspect of the invention is a device formed by the process.