The present disclosure relates to semiconductor devices and fabrication and, more particularly, to methods of forming metal lines in semiconductor devices.
Generally, when forming metal lines in semiconductor devices it is conventional to sequentially form lower metal lines, contact plugs and upper metal lines such that the lower and the upper metal lines are connected via the contact plugs. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,130,102 and 5,284,799 disclose a method for forming contact plugs by a dual damascene process, wherein upper metal lines are formed on the contact plugs. In such conventional processes, an overlap ratio between the contact plugs and the upper metal lines or the lower metal lines is greater than zero, thereby making it difficult to apply nanotechnology to the semiconductor device fabrication.
Referring to
Then, as shown in
Referring to
Referring to
In accordance with the disclosed process, the lower and the upper metal lines are formed without forming via holes, and the contact plugs are formed by penetrating the upper metal lines, thereby allowing an overlap ratio between the contact plugs and the upper metal lines or the lower metal lines to be zero. As a result, the contact areas between the contact plugs and the upper metal lines/the lower metal lines are increased, thereby improving an electromigration (“EM”) characteristic.
Although certain methods are described herein, the scope of coverage of this patent is not limited thereto. On the contrary, this patent covers every apparatus, method and article of manufacture fairly falling within the scope of the appended claims either literally or under the doctrine of equivalents.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10-2002-0086402 | Dec 2002 | KR | national |
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