PATENT CLAIM ANALYSIS

Application Number: 15770465
Application Type: Utility
Filing Date: 2018-04
Publication Date: 2018-10
Patent Classification: ["438", "637000"]

Abstract:
Grid self-aligned metal via processing schemes for back end of line (BEOL) interconnects are described. In an example, a method of fabricating an interconnect structure for a semiconductor die includes forming a lower metallization layer including alternating metal lines and dielectric lines above a substrate, the dielectric lines raised above the metal lines. A hardmask layer is formed on the metal lines of the lower metallization layer, between and co-planar with the dielectric lines of the lower metallization layer. A grating structure is formed above and orthogonal to the alternating metal lines and dielectric lines of the lower metallization layer. A mask is formed above the grating structure. Select regions of the hardmask layer are removed to expose select regions of the metal lines of the lower metallization layer. Metal vias are formed on the select regions of the metal lines of the lower metallization layer.

Claim (Index 12):
A method of fabricating an interconnect structure for a semiconductor die, the method comprising:\n forming a lower metallization layer comprising alternating metal lines and dielectric lines above a substrate, the dielectric lines raised above the metal lines; forming a first hardmask layer on every other of the metal lines of the lower metallization layer, between and co-planar with the dielectric lines of the lower metallization layer; forming a second hardmask layer on remaining ones of the metal lines of the lower metallization layer, between and co-planar with the dielectric lines of the lower metallization layer; forming a first grating structure above and orthogonal to the alternating metal lines and dielectric lines of the lower metallization layer; forming a first via mask above the first grating structure, the first via mask exposing first select regions of the first hardmask layer exposed by the first grating structure; removing the first select regions of the first hardmask layer to expose first select regions of the every other of the metal lines of the lower metallization layer; forming a second via mask above the first grating structure, the second via mask exposing first select regions of the second hardmask layer exposed by the first grating structure; removing the first select regions of the second hardmask layer to expose first select regions of the remaining ones of the metal lines of the lower metallization layer; forming a second grating structure above and orthogonal to the alternating metal lines and dielectric lines of the lower metallization layer; forming a third via mask above the second grating structure, the third via mask exposing second select regions of the first hardmask layer exposed by the second grating structure; removing the second select regions of the first hardmask layer to expose second select regions of the every other of the metal lines of the lower metallization layer; forming a fourth via mask above the second grating structure, the fourth via mask exposing second select regions of the second hardmask layer exposed by the second grating structure; removing the second select regions of the second hardmask layer to expose second select regions of the remaining ones of the metal lines of the lower metallization layer; and forming metal vias on the first and second select regions of the every other of the metal lines of the lower metallization layer and on the first and second select regions of the remaining ones of the metal lines of the lower metallization layer.

Metadata:
- Claim Count in Document: 5.0
- Percentile: 91.0
- Lexical Diversity: 2.54839
- Patent Class: 438.0
- Transitional Phrase Type: open
- Component Type: 1
- Foreign Priority: False
- Related Applications: ['15772711', '14133385', '14965734', '14911991', '14137588']

Analysis Scores:
- 35 USC 101 Eligibility (BERT): 0.863694259038593
- 35 USC 102 Novelty (BERT): 0.4853809773708175
- Combined Prediction Score: 0.8258629308718154
- Mean Citation Score: 238.035284
- Max Citation Score: 263.96133
- Similarity Product: 245.6742231759829

Labels:
- Claim Label 101: 1
- Claim Label 102: 1
- Claim Label 103: 1
- Claim Label 112: 1
- Combined Label: 1
- Label 101 Adjusted: 1

Dataset: test