Patent ID: 7199473

Claim:
A device, comprising: a first interlayer dielectric layer with a top surface and having a low dielectric constant; a first conductive trace extending at least partially into the first interlayer dielectric layer, and having a top surface above the top surface of the first interlayer dielectric layer; a first hard mask layer having a low dielectric constant with a top surface substantially flush with the top surface of the first conductive trace the first hard mask layer being substantially free of hydrogen and comprising between about 10% and about 20% silicon, wherein each of the first hard mask layer and the first interlayer dielectric layer has a dielectric constant value of less than about 3.2; a second interlayer dielectric layer on the first conductive trace and first hard mask layer, and having a top surface; a conductive cap layer on the first conductive trace, between the first conductive trace and the second interlayer dielectric layer; a second conductive trace extending at least partially into the second interlayer dielectric layer, and having a top surface above the top surface of the second interlayer dielectric layer; and a second hard mask layer with a top surface substantially flush with the top surface of the second conductive trace.