Methods of forming an elevationally extending conductor laterally between a pair of conductive lines

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9754946-B1
Application number	US-201615210511-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jul 14, 2016
Priority date	Jul 14, 2016
Publication date	Sep 5, 2017
Grant date	Sep 5, 2017

Abstract

A method of forming an elevationally extending conductor laterally between a pair of conductive lines comprises forming a pair of conductive lines spaced from one another in at least one vertical cross-section. Conductor material is formed to elevationally extend laterally between and cross elevationally over the pair of conductive lines in the at least one vertical cross-section. Sacrificial material is laterally between the elevationally extending conductor material and each of the conductive lines of the pair in the at least one vertical cross-section. The sacrificial material is removed from between the elevationally extending conductor material and each of the conductive lines of the pair while the conductor material is crossing elevationally over the pair of conductive lines to form a void space laterally between the elevationally extending conductor material and each of the conductive lines of the pair in the at least one vertical cross-section.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of forming an elevationally extending conductor laterally between a pair of conductive lines, comprising:
forming a pair of conductive lines spaced from one another in at least one vertical cross-section;
forming conductor material elevationally extending laterally between and crossing elevationally over the pair of conductive lines in the at least one vertical cross-section, sacrificial material being laterally between the elevationally extending conductor material and each of the conductive lines of the pair in the at least one vertical cross-section; and
removing the sacrificial material from between the elevationally extending conductor material and each of the conductive lines of the pair while the conductor material is crossing elevationally over the pair of conductive lines to form a void space laterally between the elevationally extending conductor material and each of the conductive lines of the pair in the at least one vertical cross-section.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein,
the pair of conductive lines are formed to extend horizontally; and
the conductor material is formed to comprise a horizontally extending conductor material line that crosses elevationally over the pair of horizontally extending conductive lines and has the conductor material extending elevationally inward laterally between the pair of conductive lines.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein forming the conductor material line comprises subtractive patterning of the conductor material.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein forming the conductor material line comprises:
forming a trench; and
filling the trench with the conductor material.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the trench is formed within dielectric material and filling the trench with the conductor material comprises:
overfilling the trench with the conductor material and forming the conductor material elevationally over the dielectric material; and
removing the conductor material from being elevationally over the dielectric material.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein forming the trench comprises:
forming and subtractively patterning placeholder material to have a longitudinal extent and position corresponding to that of the conductor material line;
forming the dielectric material atop and over sidewalls of the patterned placeholder material;
removing the dielectric material elevationally inward to expose an elevationally outermost surface of the patterned placeholder material and leave the dielectric material laterally over the sidewalls of the patterned placeholder material; and
after exposing the elevationally outermost surface of the patterned placeholder material, removing the patterned placeholder material to form the trench.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein,
forming the void space leaves it open, and further comprising sealing the void space from being open before said removing of the conductor material, said removing of the conductor material re-opening the void space, the re-opening leaving the void space to be upwardly open; and
resealing the reopened void space from being upwardly open after said removing of the conductor material.

8. A method of forming an elevationally extending conductor laterally between a pair of conductive lines, comprising:
forming a pair of conductive lines spaced from one another in at least one vertical cross-section;
forming sacrificial material over sidewalls of the pair of conductive lines in the at least one vertical cross-section;
forming conductor material elevationally extending laterally between the pair of conductive lines laterally over the sacrificial material and crossing elevationally over the pair of conductive lines in the at least one vertical cross-section, the elevationally extending conductor material extending to electrically couple to a node location laterally between the pair of conductive lines in the at least one vertical cross-section;
subtractively patterning the conductor material to form a conductor material line having conductor material extending elevationally to the node location laterally between the pair of conductive lines, the conductor material line crossing elevationally over the pair of conductive lines;
removing the sacrificial material from between the conductor material extending elevationally to the node location and each of the conductive lines of the pair while the conductor material line is crossing elevationally over the pair of conductive lines to form a void space laterally between the conductor material that is extending elevationally to the node location and each of the conductive lines of the pair in the at least one vertical cross-section; and
after forming the void space, removing the conductor material from crossing elevationally over the pair of conductive lines while leaving at least some of the conductor material extending elevationally to the node location.

9. The method of claim 8 comprising after forming the void space, forming dielectric material laterally over opposing sidewalls of the elevationally extending conductor material prior to said removing of the conductor material from crossing elevationally over the pair of conductive lines.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the subtractively patterning the conductor material forms another line of conductor material that is transversally spaced from the conductor material line and which has conductor material extending elevationally inward to another node location that is laterally between the pair of conductive lines, the conductor material of the another line crossing elevationally over the pair of conductive lines, the dielectric material filling space between the conductor material line and the another line.

11. A method of forming an elevationally extending conductor between a pair of conductive lines, comprising:
forming a pair of conductive lines spaced from one another in at least one vertical cross-section;
forming a first sacrificial material line crossing the pair of conductive lines in the at least one vertical cross-section, the first sacrificial material line comprising first sacrificial material extending elevationally laterally between the pair of conductive lines;
forming dielectric material on opposing sides of the first sacrificial material line;
forming second sacrificial material over sidewalls of the pair of conductive lines in the at least one vertical cross-section;
replacing the first sacrificial material line with conductor material to form a conductor material line crossing elevationally over the pair of conductive lines, the conductor material line having conductor material extending elevationally to a node location laterally between the pair of conductive lines in the at least one vertical cross-section;
removing the second sacrificial material from between the conductor material extending elevationally to the node location and each of the conductive lines of the pair while the conductor material line is crossing elevationally over the pair of conductive lines to form a void space laterally between the conductor material that is extending elevationally to the node location and each of the conductive lines of the pair in the at least one vertical cross-section; and
after forming the void space, removing the conductor material from crossing elevationally over the pair of conductive lines while leaving at least some of the conductor material extending elevationally to the node location.

12. The method of claim 11 comprising forming the second sacrificial material over the sidewalls of the pair of conductive lines before forming the first sacrificial material line.

13. The method of

Assignees

• Micron Technology Inc

Inventors

• Yang Guangjun
• Benson Russell A
• Gilgen Brent
• Schrinsky Alex J
• Tang Sanh D
• Lee Si-Woo

Classifications

• H10W20/0765

  the thin functional dielectric layers being temporary, e.g. sacrificial layers · CPC title

• H10W20/089

  using processes for implementing desired shapes or dispositions of the openings, e.g. double patterning · CPC title

• H10W20/072

  of dielectric parts comprising air gaps · CPC title

• H10W20/069 Primary

  by forming self-aligned vias or self-aligned contact plugs · CPC title

• H10W20/056

  by filling conductive material into holes, grooves or trenches · CPC title