Patent ID: 11894435
Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY LTD.
Field: Semiconductors (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC H | IPC H

Claim 14:
15. A method comprising:
forming a conductive element over a substrate;
forming a first dielectric layer over the substrate, the conductive element being laterally offset from the first dielectric layer;
recessing the conductive element to form a first recess;
forming a cap layer over the conductive element in the first recess, the cap layer comprising a first material layer and a second material layer over the first material layer, the first material layer and the second material layer being different materials, wherein the second material layer comprises an oxide of a material of the first material layer, wherein forming the cap layer comprises:
filling the first recess with a first material; and
performing an oxygen process on an upper portion of the first material, the oxygen process converting the upper portion of the first material into the second material layer;

forming a first conductive feature in the first dielectric layer;
forming a second dielectric layer on the second material layer, wherein the second dielectric layer directly contacts the second material layer, wherein the second dielectric layer comprises a same material as the first material layer; and
forming a second conductive feature over the first conductive feature, the second conductive feature being in physical contact with a top surface of the cap layer and a top surface of the first conductive feature.