Advanced interconnect systems for ULSI technology

In high performance ULSI circuits new integration architectures and new materials are required for on-chip interconnect to provide advantages in performance, reliability, and manufacturing cost. Dual damascene interconnect integration architecture not only offer process simplification and low cost, but also enables the use of new metals such as Cu in interconnect. Cu metallization provides higher conductivity and better reliability to interconnects. Use of low dielectric constant (low-k) materials in dual damascene architecture is challenging due to material and processing issues. In this paper, achievements in advanced interconnect systems of low-k dielectric and dual damascene architecture for both Al and Cu metallization are reviewed and discussed