Semiconductor device manufacturing: process – Making device or circuit emissive of nonelectrical signal
Reexamination Certificate
2001-08-27
2003-12-23
Everhart, Caridad (Department: 2825)
Semiconductor device manufacturing: process
Making device or circuit emissive of nonelectrical signal
C438S024000, C438S030000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06667183
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to integrated circuits and in particular to reducing cross-talk in integrated circuits containing photodetector devices.
2. Related Art
Integrated circuits (ICs) designed as image sensors containing a photodetector device array typically suffer from cross-talk. In a typical image sensor IC, electromagnetic radiation in the visible and/or non-visible spectra enters the IC's top surface above a specific underlying photodetector device used to control a specific pixel in a pixel array used to represent a picture. Cross-talk occurs when radiation entering above one particular photodetector device is reflected or refracted within the IC structure. The reflected or refracted radiation is detected by an another photodetector device, thus causing picture distortion.
IC image sensors typically contain high quality charge coupled devices (CCDs). But it is known that even “studio quality” CCDs are susceptible to cross-talk. CMOS optical sensors currently under development may provide an enhanced “studio quality” image over images produced by present CCDs, in which case greater reduction in cross-talk will be necessary.
Cross-talk may be measured by providing a mask over a photodetector device array that allows radiation (e.g., light) to enter the IC over only one underlying device. The nearby device response is then measured and a ratio of intended versus non-intended detection is calculated. Informal industry comments have reported as high as twenty-five percent non-intended response.
FIG. 1
is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a conventional integrated circuit (IC) including a photodetector device. Cross sections of two conventional conductive interconnects
2
A and
2
B are depicted, along with a cross section of photodetector device
4
. Radiation
6
is incident on device
4
from above.
As shown, device
4
is a conventional buried-channel charge coupled image sensor formed in a region of substrate
8
bounded by dashed lines
9
and including transparent conductive gate electrode
10
overlying doped channel layer
12
. A conventional transparent insulating layer
14
overlies substrate
8
and device
4
formed in region
9
.
Also shown are conventional patterned conductive interconnects
2
A and
2
B, each having the same cross-sectional structure. For interconnect
2
A, a conventional patterned barrier metal layer
16
A overlies substrate
8
. Barrier layer
16
A, as is known in the art, is typically an 800 angstrom thick titanium nitride (TiN) layer and prevents spiking and electromigration.
A conventional patterned conductive layer
18
A, such as aluminum or aluminum alloy, is shown overlying barrier layer
16
A. Layer
18
A interconnects circuit devices in the IC, such as device
4
. As depicted, sidewall
20
A of interconnect layer
18
A reflects radiation in the visible spectrum and also in wavelengths above and below the visible spectrum.
If interconnect layer
18
A is formed of aluminum, for example, aluminum's current-carrying capability dictates that the thickness of layer
18
A be at least 0.4 to 1.0 micrometers. Thus the reflective area of sidewall
20
A cannot be reduced by using a layer
18
A thickness less than approximately 0.4 micrometers.
FIG. 1
also shows a conventional patterned anti-reflective layer
22
A on interconnect layer
18
A. Layer
22
A is typically TiN, and is formed during conventional photolithography processes. The reflective top surface of, for example, an aluminum layer may interfere with masking and exposing a photoresist layer (not shown) used during photolithography to pattern an interconnect. Therefore conventional photolithographic processes apply an anti-reflective layer on such a reflective surface before applying, masking, and exposing a photoresist layer. As shown, anti-reflective layer
22
A remains on layer
18
A after a conventional etch forms interconnect
2
A.
As
FIG. 1
shows, interconnect
2
B has the same cross-sectional structure as interconnect
2
A. Thus layers
16
B,
18
B, and
22
B in interconnect
2
B are the same as layers
16
A,
18
A, and
22
A, respectively, in interconnect
2
A. Similarly, layer
18
B's sidewall
20
B is analogous to layer
18
A's sidewall
20
A.
A known major optical cross-talk source is light or other radiation reflected from metal interconnect sidewalls within the IC, such as sidewalls
20
A and
20
B shown in FIG.
1
. One present method used to reduce sensor cross-talk is to form a lens matrix overlying photodetector devices such as device
4
. Each unique lens in the matrix focuses incident light onto a corresponding unique device in an underlying detection device matrix. However, such a lens matrix does not address the effects of light reflected from metal interconnects or other reflective surfaces in an IC. Furthermore, dark current—current flowing in a photodetector in the absence of irradiation—may provide a photon source as well. Some dark current-emitted photons may be reflected from the metal interconnect sidewalls to be sensed by photodetectors in the IC.
What is required is a way to further reduce cross-talk.
SUMMARY
In accordance with this invention, an anti-reflective layer is provided on the reflective top and sidewall surfaces of integrated circuit (IC) conductive interconnects. This anti-reflective layer which covers the reflective interconnect surfaces reduces optical cross-talk in the underlying photodetector devices formed in the IC.
A conventional barrier layer is formed over a substrate in which photodetector devices have already been fabricated. A conventional conductive metal layer, typically aluminum or an aluminum alloy, is formed on the barrier layer, and a conventional anti-reflective layer is formed on the top surface of the conductive metal layer. This anti-reflective layer is typically titanium nitride, and is used during conventional photolithographic processing to assist patterning the metal layer to form interconnects. Some embodiments of the invention may omit this anti-reflective layer.
A second anti-reflective layer is formed on the first anti-reflective layer. The second anti-reflective layer is, e.g., titanium nitride, tungsten, tungsten silicide, or other material having anti-reflective properties. After the second anti-reflective layer is formed, the stack comprising the barrier layer, the conductive layer, and the first and second anti-reflective layers is conventionally patterned and etched to define interconnect lines connecting devices in the IC.
Following the etch defining interconnect lines, a third anti-reflective layer is formed over the interconnect lines. Similar to the second anti-reflective layer, the third anti-reflective layer is, e.g., titanium nitride, tungsten, tungsten silicide, or other material having anti-reflective properties. After the third anti-reflective layer is formed, a directional etch is performed to enable incident radiation to reach the underlying photodetector devices in the IC. The directional etch removes a portion of the third anti-reflective layer from the top surface of the interconnect lines as well, but does not remove significant portions of the third anti-reflective layer covering the interconnect sidewalls. Thus each reflective sidewall surface of the conductive layer in the interconnects is covered by an anti-reflective layer. The anti-reflective layer process may be repeated for each of multiple layers of interconnect lines.
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Bever Hoffman & Harms LLP
Everhart Caridad
Hoffman E. Eric
Tower Semicondcutor Ltd.
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