Middle-of-line (MOL) manufactured integrated circuits (ICs) employing local interconnects of metal lines using an elongated via, and related methods

摘要

Middle-of-line (MOL) manufactured integrated circuits (ICs) employing local interconnects of metal lines using an elongated via are disclosed. Related methods are also disclosed. In particular, different metal lines in a metal layer may need to be electrically interconnected during a MOL process for an IC. In this regard, to allow for metal lines to be interconnected without providing such interconnections above the metal lines that may be difficult to provide in a printing process for example, in an exemplary aspect, an elongated or expanded via(s) is provided in a MOL layer in an IC. The elongated via is provided in the MOL layer below the metal layer in the MOL layer and extended across two or more adjacent metal layers in the metal layer of the MOL layer. Moving the interconnections above the MOL layer can simplify the manufacturing of ICs, particularly at low nanometer (nm) node sizes.

主权项

1. An integrated circuit (IC) comprising:
a semiconductor substrate comprising active elements; a middle-of-line (MOL) layer disposed above the semiconductor substrate; a metal interconnect layer disposed over the MOL layer, the metal interconnect layer comprising a first metal conductive element and a second metal conductive element; and an elongated via disposed between the metal interconnect layer and the MOL layer, the elongated via disposed in contact with the first metal conductive element and the second metal conductive element to interconnect the first metal conductive element and the second metal conductive element.