Inventors:
Lawrence A. Clevenger - Lagrangeville NY, US
Maxime Darnon - White Plains NY, US
Qinghuang Lin - Yorktown Heights NY, US
Anthony D. Lisi - Poughkeepsie NY, US
Satyanarayana V. Nitta - Poughquag NY, US
Assignee:
International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY
International Classification:
H01L 21/76
H01L 21/4763
H01L 21/44
US Classification:
438421, 438411, 438422, 438618, 438619, 438636, 438638, 438669, 438670, 438671, 438672, 438673, 438674, 438675
Abstract:
Methods for producing air gap-containing metal-insulator interconnect structures for VLSI and ULSI devices using a photo-patternable low k material as well as the air gap-containing interconnect structure that is formed are disclosed. More particularly, the methods described herein provide interconnect structures built in a photo-patternable low k material in which air gaps are defined by photolithography in the photo-patternable low k material. In the methods of the present invention, no etch step is required to form the air gaps. Since no etch step is required in forming the air gaps within the photo-patternable low k material, the methods disclosed in this invention provide highly reliable interconnect structures.