Patent ID: 7638406

Claim:
A method of forming an inductor, comprising: (a) forming a dielectric layer on a top surface of a substrate; after (a), (b) forming a lower trench in said dielectric layer; after (b), (c) forming a conformal conductive liner in said lower trench and over a top surface of said dielectric layer; after (c), (d) forming a conformal Cu seed layer over said conformal conductive liner; after (d), (e) selectively removing said Cu seed layer from regions of said conformal conductive liner on said top surface of said dielectric layer to form exposed regions of said conformal conductive liner; after (e), (f) forming a resist layer on said conformal Cu seed layer; after (f), (g) forming an upper trench in said resist layer, said upper trench aligned to said lower trench, a bottom of said upper trench open to said lower trench; after (g), (h) electroplating Cu to completely fill said lower trench and simultaneously at least partially fill said upper trench in order to form said inductor; after (h), (i) removing said resist layer; after (i), (j) selectively forming a conductive passivation layer on all exposed Cu surfaces; and after (j), (k) removing said exposed regions of said conformal conductive liner from said top surface of said dielectric layer, after (k) a top surface of said inductor extending above said top surface of said dielectric layer, said passivation layer remaining on regions of sidewalls of said inductor above said top surface of said dielectric layer.