COPPER INTERCONNECT STRUCTURE HAVING A GRAPHENE CAP

John Hongguang Zhang

Patent

Atlas literature

Patent

US 8,476,765

COPPER INTERCONNECT STRUCTURE HAVING A GRAPHENE CAP

John Hongguang Zhang

Claims

Claims define the patent's legal scope. Independent claims stand alone; dependent claims (nested) narrow them. Click a claim to expand its dependents.

3 independent · 24 dependent

1
IndependentCCudielectric layercopper interconnect structure with graphene cap
Application No. 12/961,251 Docket No.: 328940-1286 Reply to Oﬃce Action of AMENDMENTS TO THE CLAIMS Below is the entire set of pending claims pursuant to 37 C.F.R. §1.121 (c)(3)(i), with any mark-ups showing the changes made by the present Amendment. This listing of claims will replace all prior versions and listing of claims in the application:
1. 2
  Dependent← claim 1C
  The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said graphene layer is deposited via a chemical vapor deposition process.
2. 3
  Dependent← claim 1C
  The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said graphene layer is deposited via an atomic layer deposition process.
3. 5
  Dependent← claim 1Cdielectric layer
  The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said graphene layer is further deposited over at least a portion of said dielectric layer.
4. 6
  Dependent← claim 1C
  The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said graphene layer is operable to inhibit current leakage within said dielectric layer.
5. 7
  Dependent← claim 1C
  The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said graphene layer is operable to increase a threshold of energy required to initiate a momentum transfer between conducting electrons and diﬀusing metal atoms in said conducting interconnect layef.
6. 8
  Dependent← claim 1Cu
  The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said conducting interconnect layef co mpri ses a metal c o ntaining c o ppe r.
7. 9
  Dependent← claim 1barrier layer
  The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said ba rri er layer disposed within said trench is further disposed on at least a portion of said substrate layer.
8. 11
  Dependent← claim 1copper interconnect structure with graphene cap
  The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, f u rther comprising one or more additional back end of line metallization interconnect layers stacked on top of said back end of line metallization interconnect layer disposed on said substrate layer.
13
Dependent← claim 12C
The interconnect structure as set forth in claim 12, wherein said graphene layer is deposited via a chemical vapor deposition process.
14
Dependent← claim 12C
The interconnect structure as set forth in claim 12, wherein said graphene layer is deposited via an atomic layer deposition process.
15
Dependent← claim 12Cbarrier layer
The interconnect structure as set forth in claim 12, wherein said graphene layer is further deposited on at least a portion of said ba rri er layer.
17
Independent
Canceled.
18
Dependent← claim 12CCu
The interconnect structure as set forth in claim 12, wherein said graphene layer is operable to increase a threshold of energy required to initiate a momentum transfer between conducting electrons and diﬀ u sing metal atoms in said copper layef interconnect.
19
Dependent← claim 12copper interconnect structure with graphene cap
The interconnect structure as set forth in claim 12, wherein said substrate layer is formed during front end of line semiconductor manufacturing, and said metallization interconnect layer is formed during back end of line semiconductor manufacturing.
20
Dependent← claim 12copper interconnect structure with graphene cap
The interconnect structure as set forth in claim 12, f u rther comprising one or more additional metallization interconnect layers stacked on top of said metallization interconnect layer disposed on said substrate layer.
22
Dependent← claim 21CCu
The method as set forth in claim 21, wherein said deposited intrinsic graphene layer functions to increase a threshold of energy required to initiate a momentum transfer between conducting electrons and diﬀusing metal atoms in said copper layer.
23
Dependent← claim 21C
The method as set forth in claim 21, wherein depositing comprises depositing said layer of intrinsic graphene via a chemical vapor deposition process.
24
Dependent← claim 21C
The method as set forth in claim 21, wherein depositing comprises depositing said layer of intrinsic graphene via an atomic layer deposition process.
25
Dependent← claim 21Cdielectric layer
The method as set forth in claim 21, further comprising depositing said layer of intrinsic graphene over at least a portion of said dielectric layer.
26
Independent
Canceled.
27
Dependent← claim 21Cbarrier layer
The method as set forth in claim 21, further comprising depositing said layer of intrinsic graphene on at least a portion of a barrier layer disposed within said trench.
29
Dependent← claim 28C
The apparatus as set forth in claim 28, wherein the graphene layer is operable to inhibit current leakage within the dielectric layer.
30
Dependent← claim 28C
The apparatus as set forth in claim 28, wherein the graphene layer is operable to increase a threshold of energy required to initiate a momentum transfer between conducting electrons and diﬀusing metal atoms in the conducting interconnect.
31
Dependent← claim 28copper interconnect structure with graphene cap
The apparatus as set forth in claim 28, wherein the substrate layer is formed during front end of line semiconductor manufacturing, and the metallization layer is formed during back end of line semiconductor manufacturing.
33
Dependent← claim 32C
The apparatus as set forth in claim 32, wherein the graphene layer is operable to inhibit current leakage within the dielectric layer.
34
Dependent← claim 32C
The apparatus as set forth in claim 32, wherein the graphene layer is operable to increase a threshold of energy required to initiate a momentum transfer between conducting electrons and diﬀusing metal atoms in the conducting interconnect.

Device structures

Layer stacks claimed or described, ordered top of device to substrate.

copper interconnect structure with graphene cap

Celectromigration cap

Cuconducting interconnect

barrier layerdiffusion barrier liner

dielectric layerinterlayer dielectric

substratesubstrate

Materials

Materials described outside the worked examples.

intrinsic graphene

Electromigration Barrier Cap

copper

Process steps

Additional fabrication and treatment steps described in the patent.

Cvd Growth

Step 1

Process details

notes:Low-temperature CVD may be used for BEOL compatibility; higher temperature when circuit uses heat-tolerant materials such as silicon carbide

substrate:copper layer

precursors:CH4, H₂

Materials:

Reported properties

Performance values and ranges asserted in the specification or claims.

Property	Value	Material
—	2–2.6 eV	—
—

Why these are connected

Related documents with shared materials, methods, properties, or citations.

COPPER INTERCONNECT STRUCTURE HAVING A GRAPHENE CAP | Matter42 Literature