PATENT CLAIM ANALYSIS

Application Number: 15770955
Application Type: Utility
Filing Date: 2018-04
Publication Date: 2018-11
Patent Classification: ["438", "622000"]

Abstract:
Grating based plugs and cuts for feature end formation 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 hardmask layer above an interlayer dielectric (ILD) material layer. A first patterned hardmask layer is formed above the hardmask layer. A second patterned hardmask layer is formed above the first patterned hardmask layer. A lithographic patterning mask is formed above the second patterned hardmask layer. Portions of the second patterned hardmask layer not protected by the regions of the lithographic patterning mask are removed to form a third patterned hardmask layer and then the lithographic patterning mask is removed. A combined pattern of the third patterned hardmask layer and the first patterned hardmask layer is transferred to the hardmask layer and to the ILD material layer.

Claim (Index 12):
A method of fabricating an interconnect structure for a semiconductor die, the method comprising:\n forming a hardmask layer above a sacrificial material layer; forming a first patterned hardmask layer above the hardmask layer, the first patterned hardmask layer having a grating pattern with a first direction; forming a second patterned hardmask layer above the first patterned hardmask layer, the second patterned hardmask layer having a grating pattern with a second direction orthogonal to the first direction; forming a lithographic patterning mask above the second patterned hardmask layer, the lithographic patterning mask having openings exposing selected line end locations for the sacrificial material layer; removing portions of the first patterned hardmask layer not protected by the openings of the lithographic patterning mask to form a third patterned hardmask layer, wherein exposed regions of the second patterned hardmask layer also exposed by the openings confine the removal of the portions of the first patterned hardmask layer; removing the lithographic patterning mask and the second patterned hardmask layer; and transferring a pattern of the third patterned hardmask layer to the hardmask layer and to the sacrificial material layer.

Metadata:
- Claim Count in Document: 50.0
- Percentile: 91.0
- Lexical Diversity: 2.46774
- Patent Class: 438.0
- Transitional Phrase Type: open
- Component Type: 1
- Foreign Priority: False
- Related Applications: ['14137588', '15743616', '15772711', '14133385', '14911991']

Analysis Scores:
- 35 USC 101 Eligibility (BERT): 0.8719906047542263
- 35 USC 102 Novelty (BERT): 0.4999126262734897
- Combined Prediction Score: 0.8347828069061527
- Mean Citation Score: 278.404344
- Max Citation Score: 295.8126200000001
- Similarity Product: 271.27029192723165

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