Patent ID: 7605072

Claim:
A method of forming an interconnect structure comprising: providing a structure including a dielectric capping layer located on a surface of a lower interconnect dielectric having at least one conductive line embedded therein, said at least one conductive line is separated from said lower interconnect dielectric by a conductive line diffusion barrier; selectively removing said dielectric capping layer from a surface of said at least one conductive line providing an exposed surface; forming an electrical conductive material on the exposed surface of the at least one conductive line; and forming an upper interconnect dielectric having at least one conductively filled via that is located above said at least one conductive line, said at least one conductively filled via having a barrier material covering at least sidewalls thereof, wherein said electrical conductive material is located between, and in contact with, said conductive line diffusion barrier and said via diffusion barrier thereby creating an electrical path between the via diffusion barrier along the sidewalls of the electrically filled via and the conductive line diffusion barrier along the sidewalls of the conductive line and said electroconductive material having a sidewall edge in direct contact with a sidewall edge of said dielectric capping layer.