Patent ID: 9305882
Filing Date: 2016-04-05
CPC Classification: H01L

Claim Text:
1. A dual damascene article of manufacture comprising a trench containing a conductive metal column said trench and said conductive metal column extending down into and contiguous with a via, said trench and said conductive metal column and said via having a common axis, wherein said trench further comprises a sidewall air-gap immediately adjacent the side walls of said trench and said conductive metal column, said sidewall air-gap extending down fully to said via and being on opposite sides of said trench, wherein the width of said sidewall air-gap varies from about 1 Angstrom to about 1000 Angstroms, and said via does not have a sidewall air-gap, wherein said conductive metal column comprises a metallization liner contiguous with and on opposite sides of said conductive metal column and further comprising a perforated pinched off cap operatively associated with said article, said perforated pinched off cap comprising a first cap layer patterned with a patterning layer that defines a narrower gap or narrower gaps extending from the top surface of said first cap layer to the bottom surface of said first cap layer, with said narrower gap or narrower gaps extending through said bottom surface of said first cap layer being positioned over and protecting into said sidewall air-gap, and where only said narrower gap or narrower gaps are sealed, and a second non-perforated cap layer operatively associated with and extending over said top surface of said first cap layer.