AN IMPROVED BARRIER LAYER FOR A COPPER METALLIZATION LAYER INCLUDING A LOW K DIELECTRIC

摘要

The effect of resist poisoning may be eliminated or at least substantially reduced in the formation of a low-k metallization layer, in that a nitrogen-containing barrier/etch stop layer (250) is provided with a significantly reduced nitrogen concentration at an interface (251) in contact with said low-k dielectric material 206. Consequently, diffusion of nitrogen and nitrogen compounds in vias formed in said low-k dielectric layer (206) is significantly suppressed, so that in a subsequent photolithographic step, interaction of nitrogen and nitrogen compounds with the photoresist is remarkably reduced.