PATENT CLAIM ANALYSIS

Application Number: 15994638
Application Type: Utility
Filing Date: 2018-05
Publication Date: 2019-12
Patent Classification: ["257", "751000"]

Abstract:
A method which exploits the benefits of a seed enhancement layer (in terms of void-free copper fill), while preventing copper volume loss during planarization, is provided. The method includes forming a partial seed enhancement liner in a lower portion of an opening that contains a recessed copper portion. Additional copper is formed in the upper portion of the opening providing a copper structure in which no copper volume loss at the uppermost interface of the copper structure is observed.

Claim (Index 11):
A method of forming an interconnect structure, the method comprising:\n providing an opening in an interconnect dielectric material layer; forming a diffusion barrier layer on a topmost surface of the interconnect dielectric material layer and in the opening; forming a seed enhancement liner composed of a metal or metal alloy that is more nobler than copper or a copper alloy on sidewalls of the diffusion barrier layer and within the opening, wherein the forming of the seed enhancement liner comprises forming a seed enhancement layer on the diffusion barrier layer, and performing a directional etch to remove the seed enhancement layer from horizontal surfaces of the structure including a horizontal surface of the diffusion barrier layer that is present in a lower portion of the opening; forming a recessed copper portion in the opening and directly contacting the horizontal surface of the diffusion barrier layer that is physically exposed in the lower portion of the opening, wherein the recessed copper portion protects the seed enhancement liner present in the lower portion of the opening, while leaving the seed enhancement liner in an upper portion physically exposed; removing the physically exposed seed enhancement liner from the upper portion of the opening utilizing the recessed copper portion as an etch mask, while maintaining the seed enhancement liner that is present beneath the recessed copper structure; forming additional copper within the opening and on the recessed copper structure; and removing the additional copper and the diffusion barrier layer that are present outside of the opening and atop the topmost surface of the interconnect dielectric material.

Metadata:
- Claim Count in Document: 15.0
- Percentile: 93.0
- Lexical Diversity: 1.72
- Patent Class: 257.0
- Transitional Phrase Type: open
- Component Type: 1
- Foreign Priority: False
- Related Applications: ['15430141', '15855686', '15229783', '15906956', '15807156']

Analysis Scores:
- 35 USC 101 Eligibility (BERT): 0.9215763296686548
- 35 USC 102 Novelty (BERT): 0.5383930047411914
- Combined Prediction Score: 0.8832579971759084
- Mean Citation Score: 357.10158000000007
- Max Citation Score: 371.06598
- Similarity Product: 297.7576495979012

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