Patent ID: 11955376
Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY LTD.
Field: Semiconductors (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC H | IPC H

Claim 0:
1. A semiconductor device, comprising:
a semiconductor substrate;
a dielectric structure arranged over the semiconductor substrate;
first and second metal vias disposed in the dielectric structure and spaced laterally apart from one another;
first and second metal lines disposed in the dielectric structure and having nearest neighboring sidewalls that are spaced laterally apart from one another by a portion of the dielectric structure, wherein the nearest neighboring sidewalls include a first sidewall and a second sidewall, wherein the portion of the dielectric structure extends continuously from the first sidewall to the second sidewall, the first and second metal lines contacting upper portions of the first and second metal vias, respectively; and
first and second air gaps disposed in the portion of the dielectric structure, the first and second air gaps being proximate to the nearest neighboring sidewalls of the first and second metal lines, respectively.