Patent Document

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to a semiconductor device having a multilevel interconnection structure and a method for fabricating the same.  
           [0002]    Recent amazing progress in semiconductor processing technologies enabled super-miniaturization and a very high degree of integration of lines and devices. As a result, the performance of a ULSI has also been enhanced by leaps and bounds. However, the larger the number of lines integrated is, the more dependent the speed of a device is on the delay of a signal transmitted through the lines. In order to reduce such a delay as much as possible, various materials with lower relative dielectric constants such as fluorine-doped SiOF (the relative dielectric constant ε is about 3.5; that of fluorine is relatively low) and SiO:C containing an organic material (ε is in the range from 2.8 to 3.2) are now replacing conventionally used SiO 2  (ε is 4.3) as materials for an interlevel dielectric film of a ULSI. These materials, however, have problems in terms of hygroscopicity and thermal resistance. Accordingly, it is difficult to effectively organize a process by using these materials.  
           [0003]    In addition, in order to reduce a line-to-line delay particularly affecting the speed of a device, a technique for decreasing a relative dielectric constant between lines by intentionally providing an air gap, filled with the air (ε is 1.0), for a dielectric between the lines was also proposed (see Japanese Laid-Open Publication No. 62-5643). Hereinafter, this technique will be described with reference to FIG. 17. FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the structure of a conventional semiconductor device. As shown in FIG. 17, air gaps  6  and  7  are respectively provided between lines  3  and  4  and between lines  4  and  5  for a dielectric  2  on a semiconductor substrate  1  of the semiconductor device. The dielectric  2  is SiO 2 , for example. The capacitance between the lines  3  and  4  can be regarded as the serial connection of the capacitance between the line  3  and the air gap  6 , the capacitance of the air gap  6  itself, and the capacitance between the air gap  6  and the line  4 . The relative dielectric constant of the air gaps  6  and  7  filled with the air is about one-fourth as large as that of SiO 2  as the dielectric  2 . In this manner, the capacitance between adjacent lines can be reduced by providing air gaps and therefore the delay of a signal can be suppressed between the adjacent lines. As a result, a semiconductor device, which has a larger operating margin and is less likely to operate erroneously, is realized. In addition, since no new material needs to be used, the process can be thereof in the planar region is low. As a result, an air gap  16  is formed at the line-to-line space  15  in the interlevel dielectric film  14 . However, since the step coverage does not become 0%, the air gap does not completely occupy the line-to-line space  15  and the interlevel dielectric film  14  partially exists between the lines. Accordingly, in order to reduce the relative dielectric constant between the lines, the deposition rate of the interlevel dielectric film  14  may be further decreased at the line-to-line space  15 . In such a case, the air gap  16  occupies an even larger region. Next, as shown in FIG. 18B, the interlevel dielectric film  14  is partially removed by a resist etchback technique, a chemical/mechanical polishing (CMP) technique or the like to planarize the surface of the interlevel dielectric film  14 .  
           [0004]    Then, as shown in FIG. 18C, an interlevel contact hole  17  is formed by photolithography and dry etching techniques. Assume that the width  18  of a line in the first interconnect layer  13  is equal to the diameter  19  of the interlevel contact hole  17 , and that misalignment was caused during the photolithography to shift the right edge of the contact hole  17  leftward by an alignment error  20 . In such a case, as a result of the misalignment, part of the interlevel contact hole  17  is joined with the air gap  16  to reach a deeper level than the upper surface of the first interconnect layer  13  in the region that has shifted leftward.  
           [0005]    Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 18D, the interlevel contact hole  17  is filled in with an interconnecting metal  21  such as tungsten in accordance with a CVD technique. If tungsten  21  is filled in by a CVD technique in this manner, then satisfactory step coverage can be attained. Accordingly, not only the interlevel contact hole  17  shown in FIG. 18C but also the air gap  16  are filled in with tungsten  21 . As a result, a shortcircuit failure is generated, because adjacent lines in the first interconnect layer  13  are unintentionally connected to each other via the interconnecting metal  21  filled in a part that used to be the air gap  16 . In accordance with this method, if the relative dielectric constant in the line-to-line space  15  is reduced, then the air gap  16  occupies an even larger region. As a result, the shortcircuit failure is even more likely to happen. On the other hand, the larger the misaligned error  20  shown in FIG. 18C is, the smaller the contact area between the line in the first interconnect layer  13  and the interconnecting metal  21 , filled in the interlevel contact hole  17 , is. Consequently, a contact failure is caused between the line and the interconnecting metal  21 . Particularly when an organic material is used for the interlevel dielectric film  14 , the contact failure is much more likely to happen. Furthermore, if a deeper interlevel contact hole  17  has been formed by etching, a shortcircuit failure is generated, because a line in the first interconnect layer  13  is unintentionally connected to the semiconductor substrate  11  through the interconnecting metal  21 . Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 18E, a second interconnect layer  22  is formed on the interconnecting metal  21  and the interlevel dielectric film  14  so as to be interconnected to the first interconnect layer  13  though the interconnecting metal  21 .  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0006]    In view of the above-described conventional problems, the present invention was made to provide a semiconductor device that can minimize line-to-line capacitance and can suppress a shortcircuit or contact failure even if misalignment has been caused, and a method for fabricating the same.  
           [0007]    A method for fabricating a semiconductor device having a multilevel interconnection structure according to the present invention includes the steps of: covering a surface of a substrate with an insulating film; depositing a conductive film on the insulating film; forming a first interlevel dielectric film on the conductive film; forming an interlevel contact hole in the first interlevel dielectric film so as to reach the conductive film; filling in the interlevel contact hole with an interconnecting metal; forming a masking layer, defining a pattern of a first interconnect layer, on the first interlevel dielectric film so as to cover at least part of the interconnecting metal; forming the first interconnect layer out of the conductive film by etching the first interlevel dielectric film using the masking layer as a mask and by etching the conductive film using the masking layer and the interconnecting metal as a mask; removing the masking layer; depositing a second interlevel dielectric film over the substrate so as to cover the interconnecting metal and the first interconnect layer; planarizing the second interlevel dielectric film, thereby exposing at least part of the interconnecting metal; and forming a second interconnect layer to be electrically connected to an upper part of the interconnecting metal.  
           [0008]    Another method for fabricating a semiconductor device having a multilevel interconnection structure according to the present invention includes the steps of: covering a surface of a substrate with an insulating film; depositing a conductive film on the insulating film; forming a first interlevel dielectric film on the conductive film; forming an interlevel contact hole in the first interlevel dielectric film so as to reach the conductive film; filling in the interlevel contact hole with an interconnecting metal; partially etching the first interlevel dielectric film from the surface thereof to make an upper end portion of the interconnecting metal protrude from the first interlevel dielectric film; forming a masking layer, defining a pattern of a first interconnect layer, on the first interlevel dielectric film so as to cover at least part of the interconnecting metal; forming the first interconnect layer out of the conductive film by etching the first interlevel dielectric film using the masking layer as a mask and by etching the conductive film using the masking layer and the interconnecting metal as a mask; removing the masking layer; depositing a second interlevel dielectric film over the substrate so as to cover the interconnecting metal and the first interconnect layer; planarizing the second interlevel dielectric film, thereby exposing at least part of the interconnecting metal; and forming a second interconnect layer to be electrically connected to an upper part of the interconnecting metal.  
           [0009]    Still another method for fabricating a semiconductor device having a multilevel interconnection structure according to the present invention includes the steps of: forming a structure including: a lower-level interconnect layer composed of a plurality of lines that are formed on the same insulating film and include first, second and third lines; and a first interlevel dielectric film formed on the first, second and third lines, the second line being adjacent to and spaced apart from the first line by a first space, the third line being adjacent to and spaced apart from the first line by a second space wider than the first space; depositing a first interlevel dielectric layer as a lower part of a second interlevel dielectric film such that an upper part of the first space is substantially covered with the first interlevel dielectric layer and that an air gap is formed in the first space; and depositing a second interlevel dielectric layer, the coverage of which is more satisfactory than that of the first interlevel dielectric layer, as an upper part of the second interlevel dielectric film to fill in the second space and totally cover the air gap.  
           [0010]    A semiconductor device having a multilevel interconnection structure according to the present invention includes: a lower-level interconnect layer composed of a plurality of lines that are formed on the same insulating film and include first, second and third lines, the second line being adjacent to and spaced apart from the first line by a first space, the third line being adjacent to and spaced apart from the first line by a second space; a first interlevel dielectric film formed on the first, second and third lines; an interconnecting metal formed in the first interlevel dielectric film to make contact with the upper surface of the first line; a second interlevel dielectric film, which is formed in upper parts of the first and second spaces and forms respective air gaps in the first and second spaces; and an upper-level interconnect layer formed on the second interlevel dielectric film and electrically connected to the interconnecting metal.  
           [0011]    Another semiconductor device having a multilevel interconnection structure according to the present invention includes: a lower-level interconnect layer composed of a plurality of lines that are formed on the same insulating film and include first, second and third lines, the second line being adjacent to and spaced apart from the first line by a first space, the third line being adjacent to and spaced apart from the first line by a second space; a first interlevel dielectric film formed on the first, second and third lines; and a second interlevel dielectric film covering the lower-level interconnect layer and having the upper surface thereof planarized. The second space is wider than the first space. The second interlevel dielectric film includes a first interlevel dielectric layer and a second interlevel dielectric layer formed on the first interlevel dielectric layer. The upper surface of the second interlevel dielectric film is planarized. The first and second interlevel dielectric layers cover an upper part of the first space and an air gap is formed in the first space. And the second space is filled in with the first and second interlevel dielectric layers. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0012]    [0012]FIGS. 1A through 1G are cross-sectional views illustrating the flow of a process for fabricating a semiconductor device in the first embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIGS. 2A and 2B are a plan view and a perspective view illustrating how the positional relationship between a line in a first interconnect layer and an interconnecting metal changes with misalignment in the semiconductor device of the first embodiment.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIGS. 3A through 3C are cross-sectional views illustrating the flow of a process for fabricating a semiconductor device in the second embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIGS. 4A through 4D are cross-sectional views illustrating the flow of a process for fabricating a semiconductor device in the third embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating how the positional relationship between an interconnect recess and an interconnecting metal changes with misalignment in the semiconductor device of the third embodiment.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIGS. 6A through 6I are cross-sectional views illustrating respective process steps for fabricating a semiconductor device in the fourth embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIGS. 7A and 7B are cross-sectional views illustrating a shape of air gaps.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIGS. 8A and 8B are cross-sectional views illustrating other shapes of air gaps.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIGS. 9A and 9B are cross-sectional views illustrating still other shapes of air gaps.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIGS. 10A through 10D are cross-sectional views illustrating respective process steps for fabricating a semiconductor device in the fifth embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIGS. 11A through 11C are cross-sectional views illustrating respective process steps for fabricating a semiconductor device in the sixth embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 12A is a cross-sectional view and FIGS. 12B and 12C are graphs showing the respective sizes of an air gap in the sixth embodiment.  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 13 is a graph illustrating a relationship between a line-to-line space and line-to-line capacitance per unit length in one embodiment of the semiconductor device according to the present invention.  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 14A is a cross-sectional view of an interconnect structure used for calculating the line-to-line capacitance of a semiconductor device; and  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 14B is a graph illustrating a relationship between a line-to-line space and an effective relative dielectric constant.  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 15 is a graph illustrating a relationship between the diameter of a via and the resistance of the via in one embodiment of the semiconductor device according to the present invention.  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 16 is a graph illustrating a relationship between an alignment error and the resistance of a via in one embodiment of the semiconductor device according to the present invention, the alignment error being a distance between a line in the first interconnect layer and the misaligned via.  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the structure of a conventional semiconductor device.  
         [0030]    [0030]FIGS. 18A through 18E are cross-sectional views illustrating the flow of a process for fabricating a conventional semiconductor device. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
     Embodiment 1  
       [0031]    Hereinafter, the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1A through 1G and FIGS. 2A and 2B. FIGS. 1A through 1G are cross-sectional views illustrating the flow of a process for fabricating a semiconductor device in this embodiment. First, as shown in FIG. 1A, an insulating film  102  (thickness: 0.8 μm), a first metal layer  103  formed by alternately stacking aluminum and a titanium alloy (thickness: 0.5 μm) and a first interlevel dielectric film  104  (thickness: 1.0 μm) are deposited in this order on a semiconductor substrate  101  on which a semiconductor active element (not shown) has been formed beforehand. Thereafter, an interconnecting resist pattern  105  is formed thereon and an interlevel contact hole  106  is opened by dry etching.  
         [0032]    Next, as shown in FIG. 1B, the interconnecting resist pattern  105  is removed, and an adhesion layer  107  made of TiN/Ti, for example, is deposited over the entire surface of the substrate as well as over the inside of the interlevel contact hole  106 . Then, an interconnecting material  108  such as tungsten is further deposited thereon by a blanket W-CVD technique. And the adhesion layer  107  and the interconnecting material  108  are removed by a dry etching or CMP technique except for the respective portions existing inside the interlevel contact hole  106 . The respective portions of the adhesion layer  107  and the interconnecting material  108 , existing only in the interlevel contact hole  106 , constitute an interconnecting metal  109  altogether.  
         [0033]    Then, as shown in FIG. 1C, a first-interconnect resist pattern  110  is formed over the first interlevel dielectric film  104  and the interconnecting metal  109 . Assume the first-interconnect resist pattern  110  has been formed with an alignment error  111 . If the diameter of the interlevel contact hole  106  is 0.3 μm and the line width of a recess in the first-interconnect resist pattern  110  is also 0.3 μm, then the maximum permissible alignment error  111  between the interconnecting metal  109  filled in the interlevel contact hole  106  and the first-interconnect resist pattern  110  is 0.1 μm.  
         [0034]    [0034]FIG. 2A is a plan view illustrating how the positional relationship between the first-interconnect resist pattern  110  and the interconnecting metal  109  changes with the mask-to-mask placement error. In the lower part under the wave line in FIG. 2A, the position of the first-interconnect resist pattern  110  is misaligned with that of the interconnecting metal  109 . On the other hand, in the upper part over the wave line in FIG. 2A, the position of the first-interconnect resist pattern  110  matches with that of the interconnecting metal  109 .  
         [0035]    Next, as shown in FIG. 1D, the layers on the surface of the substrate, which are exposed through the first-interconnect resist pattern  110 , are sequentially dry-etched by using a CF-based etching gas used for removing an oxide film and a Cl-based etching gas used for removing aluminum. First, parts of the first interlevel dielectric film  104 , exposed through the openings of the first-interconnect resist pattern  110 , are removed by dry etching using the CF-based etching gas at a low temperature. In this case, part of the interconnecting metal  109  corresponding to a misaligned portion  112  is not etched by the CF-based etching gas. Then, parts of the first metal layer  103 , exposed through the openings of the first-interconnect resist pattern  110 , are removed by dry etching using the Cl-based etching gas until the insulating film  102  is exposed. The part of the interconnecting metal  109  corresponding to the misaligned portion  112  is not etched by the Cl-based etching gas, either.  
         [0036]    [0036]FIG. 2B is a perspective view illustrating how the positional relationship between lines in the first interconnect layer  113  and the interconnecting metal  109  changes with the mask-to-mask placement error. First, as to a line  113 B that has been formed out of the first metal layer  103  by dry etching without having been misaligned, the interconnecting metal  109  having a diameter equal to the width of the line  113 B is formed on the upper surface of the line  113 B. On the other hand, as to a line  113 C that has been formed out of the first metal layer  103  by dry etching with an alignment error, part of the first metal layer  103  located under the interconnecting metal  109  is not etched during the dry etching. Accordingly, the part of the first metal layer  103  located under the interconnecting metal  109  is not etched but left in a self-aligned manner in the misaligned portion  112  shown in FIG. 1D. As a result, a line  113 C is shaped as shown in FIG. 2B. Therefore, the line  113 B or  113 C (both identified by  113 A in FIG. 1D) of the first interconnect layer  113  is formed without fail under the entire bottom of the interconnecting metal  109 . Also, since the portions under the first-interconnect resist pattern  110  are not etched, the first interlevel dielectric film  104  remains as it is in the portions over the lines  113 A in the first interconnect layer  113  where the interconnecting metal  109  does not exist. That is to say, either the first interlevel dielectric film  104  or the interconnecting metal  109  always exists over the lines  113 A in the first interconnect layer  113 . Accordingly, portions of the first metal layer  103  existing under the interconnecting metal  109  and the first interlevel dielectric film  104  constitute the lines  113 A in the first interconnect layer  113 . The total thickness of the lines  113 A in the first interconnect layer  113 , formed out of the first metal layer  103 , and the first interlevel dielectric film  104  is 1.5 μm. Thus, the aspect ratio of a recess  115  formed in a line-to-line space  114 , which is a region between adjacent lines in the first interconnect layer  113  and has the minimum width of 0.3 μm, is about five. It is noted that a dummy interconnect pattern may be formed in a field portion  116  where the lines of the first interconnect layer  113  do not exist.  
         [0037]    Next, as shown in FIG. 1E, the first-interconnect resist pattern  110  is removed. Then, a second interlevel dielectric film  117  is deposited over the insulating film  102 , the first interlevel dielectric film  104  and the interconnecting metal  109  on the semiconductor substrate  101  by using a plasma CVD apparatus. Part or all of a recess formed in a line-to-line space  114  is not filled in with the second interlevel dielectric film  117 , but forms an air gap  118 . In a recess having a high aspect ratio, in particular, the entire region of a line-to-line space  114  is turned into an air gap  118 .  
         [0038]    Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 1F, the surface of the second interlevel dielectric film  117  is planarized by a CMP technique such that the respective surfaces of the first interlevel dielectric film  104 , the interconnecting metal  109  and the second interlevel dielectric film  117  form a single plane. In this embodiment, the first and second interlevel dielectric films  104  and  117  are made of different materials and the etching rate of the first interlevel dielectric film  104  is set smaller than that of the second interlevel dielectric film  117  during the CMP process. In this manner, the first interlevel dielectric film  104  is used as an etching stopper. Even in a recess having a high aspect ratio, the upper part thereof is filled in with the second interlevel dielectric film  117  to a certain degree. Accordingly, no opening is formed over any air gap  118  through the surface of the second interlevel dielectric film  117  after CMP is finished.  
         [0039]    Then, as shown in FIG. 1G, a metal layer formed by alternately stacking aluminum and a titanium alloy is deposited thereon and subjected to photolithography and dry etching, thereby forming a second interconnect layer  119 .  
         [0040]    As described above, in this embodiment, part or all of a line-to-line space  114  is turned into an air gap  118 . Accordingly, the relative dielectric constant between adjacent lines  113 A in the first interconnect layer  113  can be reduced at the line-to-line space  114 . In particular, when a recess  115  formed in a line-to-line space  114  has a high aspect ratio, the entire region of the line-to-line space  114  is turned into an air gap  118 . As a result, the relative dielectric constant between adjacent lines  113 A in the first interconnect layer  113  can be minimized.  
         [0041]    In addition, since the first interconnect layer  113  is formed after the interconnecting metal  109  has been formed, the first interconnect layer  113  exists without fail under the entire bottom of the interconnecting metal  109 . Accordingly, it is possible to prevent a contact failure from being caused between the first interconnect layer  113  and the interconnecting metal  109 .  
         [0042]    Moreover, after the interconnecting metal  109  has been filled in the interlevel contact hole  106  provided in the first interlevel dielectric film  104 , the first interconnect layer  113  and the second interlevel dielectric film  117  are formed in this order. Accordingly, even if a mask-to-mask placement error has been caused during the formation of the first interconnect layer  113 , either the interconnecting metal  109  or the first interlevel dielectric film  104  always exists on the upper surface of the first interconnect layer  113 . And the interconnecting metal  109  is never filled in any air gap  118  formed simultaneously with the second interlevel dielectric film  117 . Accordingly, it is possible to prevent a shortcircuit failure from being caused between adjacent lines  113 A in the first interconnect layer  113  or between a line  113 A and the semiconductor substrate  101  through the interconnecting metal  109 .  
       Embodiment 2  
       [0043]    Hereinafter, the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 3A through 3C illustrating the flow of a process for fabricating a semiconductor device in this embodiment. The same process steps as those illustrated in FIGS. 1A through 1D are also performed prior to the process step shown in FIG. 3A. Thus, the same components as those used in the first embodiment will be identified by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted herein. Unlike the first embodiment in which the second interlevel dielectric film  117  is deposited by using a plasma CVD apparatus, a second interlevel dielectric film  217  is formed in this embodiment by using an applicator. The second interlevel dielectric film  217  may be an organic film made of organic poly-siloxane or an organic material containing fluorine, or an inorganic porous film, for example. Many of these materials have fluidity.  
         [0044]    First, as shown in FIG. 3A, the material is applied onto the first interlevel dielectric film  104 , the interconnecting metal  109  and the line-to-line spaces  214 . In this manner, the recesses in the line-to-line spaces  214  are filled in with the fluid material, thereby forming the second interlevel dielectric film  217  without any air gap. As the material of the second interlevel dielectric film  217 , a material having a lower relative dielectric constant than that of the first interlevel dielectric film  104  is selected. Accordingly, the relative dielectric constant between adjacent lines  113 A in the first interconnect layer  113  can be reduced at the line-to-line spaces  214 . Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 3B, the surface of the second interlevel dielectric film  217  is planarized by a CMP technique such that the respective surfaces of the first interlevel dielectric film  104 , the interconnecting metal  109  and the second interlevel dielectric film  217  form a single plane. In this embodiment, the first and second interlevel dielectric films  104  and  217  are made of different materials and the etching rate of the first interlevel dielectric film  104  is set smaller than that of the second interlevel dielectric film  217  during the CMP process. In this manner, the first interlevel dielectric film  104  is used as an etching stopper. Then, as shown in FIG. 3C, a metal layer formed by alternately stacking aluminum and a titanium alloy is deposited thereon and subjected to photolithography and dry etching, thereby forming a second interconnect layer  219 .  
         [0045]    As described above, in this embodiment, the line-to-line spaces  214  are entirely filled in with the second interlevel dielectric film  217  made of a material having a lower relative dielectric constant than that of the first interlevel dielectric film  104 . Thus, the relative dielectric constant between adjacent lines  113 A in the first interconnect layer  113  can be reduced at the line-to-line spaces  214 . In addition, the relative dielectric constant can be determined based on the material of the second interlevel dielectric film  217 .  
         [0046]    In addition, since the first interconnect layer  113  is formed after the interconnecting metal  109  has been formed, the first interconnect layer  113  always exists under the entire bottom of the interconnecting metal  109 . Accordingly, it is possible to prevent a contact failure from being caused between the first interconnect layer  113  and the interconnecting metal  109 .  
         [0047]    Moreover, after the interconnecting metal  109  has been filled in the interlevel contact hole  106  provided in the first interlevel dielectric film  104 , the first interconnect layer  113  and the second interlevel dielectric film  217  are formed in this order. Accordingly, even if a mask-to-mask placement error has been caused during the formation of the first interconnect layer  113 , either the interconnecting metal  109  or the first interlevel dielectric film  104  always exists on the upper surface of the first interconnect layer  113 . And the second interlevel dielectric film  217  always exists in the line-to-line spaces  214 . Accordingly, it is possible to prevent a shortcircuit failure from being caused between adjacent lines  113 A in the first interconnect layer  113  or between a line  113 A and the semiconductor substrate  101  through the interconnecting metal  109 .  
       Embodiment 3  
       [0048]    Hereinafter, the third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 4A through 4D and FIG. 5. FIGS. 4A through 4D are cross-sectional views illustrating the flow of a process for fabricating a semiconductor device in this embodiment. The same process steps as those illustrated in FIGS. 1A through 1F are also performed prior to the process step shown in FIG. 4A, except that the thickness of a first interlevel dielectric film  304  is set larger (e.g., at 2.5 μm). Thus, the same components as those used in the first embodiment will be identified by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted herein.  
         [0049]    First, as shown in FIG. 4A, a second-interconnect inverted resist pattern  320  is formed by photolithography over the first interlevel dielectric film  304 , an interconnecting metal  309  and a second interlevel dielectric film  317 . Assume the second-interconnect inverted resist pattern  320  has been formed with an alignment error  311 . If the diameter of the interlevel contact hole is 0.3 μm and the line width of a recess in the second-interconnect inverted resist pattern  320  is also 0.3 μm, then the maximum permissible alignment error  311  between the interconnecting metal  309  filled in the interlevel contact hole and the second-interconnect inverted resist pattern  320  is 0.1 μm. Next, as shown in FIG. 4B, the first and second interlevel dielectric films  304  and  317  are etched, thereby forming interconnect recesses  321 A having a depth of 0.5 μm. Then, as shown in FIG. 4C, an adhesion layer (not shown) made of a titanium alloy is deposited on the recesses and a second metal layer  322  made of aluminum, an aluminum/copper alloy or copper is formed by vacuum evaporation, CVD or the like. Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 4D, the second metal layer  322  is removed by a CMP technique except for the portions existing in the interconnect recesses  321 A to form a second interconnect layer  323 .  
         [0050]    Next, it will be described with reference to FIG. 5 and FIGS. 4B through 4D how the positional relationship between the second interconnect layer  323  and the interconnecting metal  309  changes owing to the misalignment of the second-interconnect inverted resist pattern  320 . FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating how the positional relationship between the interconnect recesses  321 A, where the second interconnect layer  323  is to be formed, and the interconnecting metal  309  changes with the mask-to-mask placement error. First, as to an interconnect recess  321 B that has been formed by dry etching without having been misaligned, the interconnect recess  321 B has a width equal to the diameter of the interconnecting metal  309 . Since a line of the second interconnect layer  323  is formed inside the interconnect recess  321 B, the interconnecting metal  309  and the line are in contact with each other over substantially the entire side face of the interconnecting metal  309 . On the other hand, as to an interconnect recess  321 C that has been formed by dry etching with an alignment error, the interconnect recess  321 C, having a width equal to the diameter of the interconnecting metal  309 , is formed with an alignment error  311  shown in FIG. 4B. Since the interconnecting metal  309  is not etched, the side face of the interconnecting metal  309  is exposed in the interconnect recess  321 C except for the portion of the interconnecting metal  309  ingrown into the first interlevel dielectric film  304  by the alignment error  311 . Accordingly, most of the side face of the interconnecting metal  309  comes into contact with the second metal layer  322  shown in FIG. 4C, and with the second interconnect layer  323  shown in FIG. 4D after CMP has been performed.  
         [0051]    As described above, in this embodiment, even if the second-interconnect inverted resist pattern  320  used for forming the second interconnect layer  323  has been misaligned, most of the side face of the interconnecting metal  309  is in contact with the second interconnect layer  323 . Accordingly, in this embodiment, not only the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be attained, but the reliability in connecting the interconnecting metal  309  to the second interconnect layer  323  can also be improved, even if the second-interconnect inverted resist pattern  320  has been misaligned.  
       Embodiment 4  
       [0052]    Hereinafter, a method for fabricating a semiconductor device in the fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 6A through 6I.  
         [0053]    First, as shown in FIG. 6A, an insulating film  102  (thickness: 0.8 μm), a first metal layer  103  formed by alternately stacking aluminum and a titanium alloy (thickness: 0.5 μm) and a first interlevel dielectric film  104  (thickness: 1.0 μm) are deposited in this order on a semiconductor substrate  101  on which a semiconductor active element (not shown) has been formed beforehand. Thereafter, an interconnecting resist pattern  105  is formed and an interlevel contact hole  106  is opened by dry etching.  
         [0054]    Next, as shown in FIG. 6B, the interconnecting resist pattern  105  is removed, and an adhesion layer  107  made of TiN/Ti, for example, is deposited over the entire surface of the substrate as well as over the inside of the interlevel contact hole  106 . Then, an interconnecting material  108  such as tungsten is further deposited thereon by a blanket W-CVD technique. And the adhesion layer  107  and the interconnecting material  108  are removed by a dry etching or CMP technique except for the respective portions existing inside the interlevel contact hole  106 . The portions of the adhesion layer  107  and the interconnecting material  108 , existing only in the interlevel contact hole  106 , constitute an interconnecting metal  109  altogether.  
         [0055]    Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 6C, the first interlevel dielectric film  104  is etched by about 0.5 μm to adjust the thickness of the residual portion of the first interlevel dielectric film  104  at 0.5 μm. As a result, the interconnecting metal  109  protrudes upward from the surface of the first interlevel dielectric film  104 .  
         [0056]    Then, as shown in FIG. 6D, a first-interconnect resist pattern  110  is formed over the first interlevel dielectric film  104  and the interconnecting metal  109 . Assume the first-interconnect resist pattern  110  has been formed with an alignment error  111 . If the diameter of the interlevel contact hole  106  is 0.3 μm and the line width of a recess in the first-interconnect resist pattern  110  is also 0.3 μm, then the maximum permissible alignment error  111  between the interconnecting metal  109 , filled in the interlevel contact hole  106 , and the first-interconnect resist pattern  110  is 0.1 μm.  
         [0057]    [0057]FIG. 2A is a plan view illustrating how the positional relationship between the first-interconnect resist pattern  110  and the interconnecting metal  109  changes with the mask-to-mask placement error. In the lower part under the wave line in FIG. 2A, the position of the first-interconnect resist pattern  110  is misaligned with that of the interconnecting metal  109 . On the other hand, in the upper part over the wave line in FIG. 2A, the position of the first-interconnect resist pattern  110  matches with that of the interconnecting metal  109 .  
         [0058]    Next, as shown in FIG. 6E, the layers on the surface of the substrate, which are exposed through the openings of the first-interconnect resist pattern  110 , are sequentially dry-etched by using a CF-based etching gas used for removing an oxide film and a Cl-based etching gas used for removing aluminum. First, parts of the first interlevel dielectric film  104 , exposed through the openings of the first-interconnect resist pattern  110 , are removed by dry etching using the CF-based etching gas at a low temperature. In this case, part of the interconnecting metal  109  corresponding to a misaligned portion  112  is not etched by the CF-based etching gas. Then, parts of the first metal layer  103 , exposed through the openings of the first-interconnect resist pattern  110 , are removed by dry etching using the Cl-based etching gas until the insulating film  102  is exposed. In this manner, the first interconnect layer  113  is formed. The part of the interconnecting metal  109  corresponding to the misaligned portion  112  is not etched by the Cl-based etching gas, either.  
         [0059]    [0059]FIG. 2B is a perspective view illustrating how the positional relationship between lines in the first interconnect layer  113  and the interconnecting metal  109  changes with the mask-to-mask placement error. First, as to a line  113 B that has been formed out of the first metal layer  103  by dry etching without having been misaligned, the interconnecting metal  109  having a diameter equal to the width of the line  113 B is formed on the upper surface of the line  113 B. On the other hand, as to a line  113 C that has been formed out of the first metal layer  103  by dry etching with an alignment error, part of the first metal layer  103  located under the interconnecting metal  109  is not etched during the dry etching. Accordingly, the part of the first metal layer  103  located under the interconnecting metal  109  is not etched but left in a self-aligned manner in the misaligned portion  112  shown in FIG. 6E. As a result, a line  113 C is shaped as shown in FIG. 2B. Therefore, the line  113 B or  113 C (both identified by  113 A in FIG. 6E) of the first interconnect layer  113  is formed without fail under the entire bottom of the interconnecting metal  109 . Also, since the portions under the first-interconnect resist pattern  110  are not etched, the first interlevel dielectric film  104  remains as it is in the portions over the first interconnect layer  113  where the interconnecting metal  109  does not exist. That is to say, either the first interlevel dielectric film  104  or the interconnecting metal  109  always exists over the first interconnect layer  113 .  
         [0060]    Next, as shown in FIG. 6F, the insulating film  102  is etched by about 0.5 μm in accordance with a dry etching technique using the CF-based etching gas. In this manner, the first interconnect layer  113  is formed to be sandwiched by upper and lower insulating films  102  and  104 . In FIG. 6F, the non-etched portions of the insulating film  102  immediately under the lines  113 A in the first interconnect layer  113  are identified by  112 A. Accordingly, the first metal layer  103 , existing under the interconnecting metal  109  or the first interlevel dielectric film  104 , constitutes the first interconnect layer  113 .  
         [0061]    The total thickness of the first interconnect layer  113 , formed out of the first metal layer  103 , the first interlevel dielectric film  104  and the insulating film  112 A is 1.5 μm. Thus, the aspect ratio of a recess  115  formed in a line-to-line space  114 , which is a region between adjacent lines  113 A in the first interconnect layer  113  and has the minimum width of 0.3 μm, is about five. It is noted that a dummy interconnect pattern may be formed in a field portion  116  where the first interconnect layer  113  does not exist.  
         [0062]    Next, as shown in FIG. 6G, the first-interconnect resist pattern  110  is removed. Then, a second interlevel dielectric film  117  is deposited over the insulating film  102 , the first interlevel dielectric film  104  and the interconnecting metal  109  on the semiconductor substrate  101  by using a plasma CVD apparatus. A recess  115  formed in a line-to-line space  114  is partially or entirely not filled in with the second interlevel dielectric film  117 , but turned into an air gap  118 . In a recess having a high aspect ratio, in particular, the entire region of the line-to-line space  114  is turned into an air gap  118 . Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 6H, the surface of the second interlevel dielectric film  117  is planarized by a CMP technique such that the respective surfaces of the interconnecting metal  109  and the second interlevel dielectric film  117  form a single plane. Even in a recess having a high aspect ratio, the upper part thereof is filled in with the second interlevel dielectric film  117  to a certain degree. Accordingly, no opening is formed over any air gap  118  through the surface of the second interlevel dielectric film  117  after CMP is finished. Then, as shown in FIG. 6I, a metal layer formed by alternately stacking aluminum and a titanium alloy is deposited thereon and subjected to photolithography and dry etching, thereby forming a second interconnect layer  119 .  
         [0063]    Hereinafter, it will be described with reference to FIGS. 7A and 7B and FIGS. 8A and 8B how the shape of an air gap changes with the manner in which the second interlevel dielectric film  117  is deposited.  
         [0064]    First, FIG. 7A will be referred to. FIG. 7A illustrates an ideal state where the second interlevel dielectric film  117  has not ingrown into the recesses  115  at all and the recesses  115  are entirely occupied by air gaps. In this case, since no dielectric exists between adjacent lines  113 A, the line-to-line capacitance Cl is very small. Also, in FIG. 7A, the upper end of an air gap is not higher than the upper surface of the first interlevel dielectric film  104 . Accordingly, even after the surface of the second interlevel dielectric film  117  has been polished by CMP, the air gaps are less likely to be exposed. If the air gaps communicate with the outside through the polished surface of the second interlevel dielectric film  117  subjected to the CMP process, then the function of the interlevel dielectric film  117  is lost and shortcircuit possibly happens between lines.  
         [0065]    [0065]FIG. 7B illustrates a state where the second interlevel dielectric film  117  has been deposited on the bottom and side faces of the recesses  115  and a small part of each recess  115  is occupied by an air gap. Such a state is established if the second interlevel dielectric film  117  has been deposited with satisfactory step coverage. For example, in performing plasma CVD using TEOS as a source material, before the upper part of a recess  115  is completely filled in with the second interlevel dielectric film  117  being deposited, the interlevel dielectric film having a certain thickness is deposited on the bottom and side faces of the recess  115 . As a result, the capacitance C 2  between adjacent lines  113 A adversely increases.  
         [0066]    [0066]FIG. 8A illustrates a state where the second interlevel dielectric film  117  has not ingrown into the recesses  115  at all and the upper part  118  of an air gap reaches a higher level than the upper surface of the first interlevel dielectric film  104 . Such a state is established if the second interlevel dielectric film  117  has been deposited with poor step coverage and high directivity. For example, if the second interlevel dielectric film  117  is a so-called “high-density plasma (HDP) film”, the air gaps such as those shown in FIG. 8A are obtained. In this case, since no dielectric is deposited inside the recesses  115 , the capacitance C 3  between adjacent lines  113 A is smaller.  
         [0067]    An HDP film is formed by using an HDP apparatus. If an HDP film is deposited in an HDP apparatus with a bias voltage applied to the substrate, an etching phenomenon also happens in competition with the deposition. As a result, the dielectric film is deposited on the bottom of the recesses and the upper end of an air gap does not exceed the upper surface of the first interlevel dielectric film  104 . The air gaps in such a shape are shown in FIG. 8B. If the HDP film, which has been deposited with a bias voltage applied to the substrate, is used as the second interlevel dielectric film, only a small amount of dielectric is deposited on the bottom of the recesses. However, if the insulating film, which is an underlying layer of the first interconnect layer, has been etched, the deposited dielectric is located at a lower level than that of the first interconnect layer. Accordingly, the capacitance between the lines  113 A remains low.  
         [0068]    Thus, if the process step of etching the insulating film  102  has been performed as shown in FIG. 6F, the capacitance C 4  between the lines  113 A is kept low, even though a small amount of dielectric has been deposited on the bottom of the recesses. This point will be further described with reference to FIGS. 9A and 9B. FIG. 9A illustrates the shape of air gaps where the process step of etching the insulating film  102  has not been performed, while FIG. 9B illustrates the shape of air gaps where the process step of etching the insulating film  102  has been performed. In FIG. 9A, if a dielectric has been deposited on the bottom of the recesses, then the capacitance C 5  is larger than the capacitance C 4  because the dielectric exists between adjacent lines. Accordingly, in forming the second interlevel dielectric film in accordance with a deposition method for forming the air gaps in such shapes as those shown in FIGS. 7B and 8B, it is preferable to make the bottom of the recesses lower than the first interconnect layer  113  by performing the process step of etching the insulating film  102 .  
         [0069]    In order to reduce the line-to-line capacitance, the air gaps of such a shape as shown in FIG. 8B are most preferable. However, if such air gaps are formed, it is highly probable that the second interlevel dielectric film is planarized and etched by CMP to the level on which the upper end of the air gaps is located. Nevertheless, if the interconnecting metal  109  is formed to protrude upward from the upper surface of the first interlevel dielectric film  104 , the chemical/mechanical polishing can be stopped at the level of the upper surface of the interconnecting metal  109 . That is to say, the interconnecting metal  109  can function as a kind of etching stopper layer. In such a case, it is easy to control the CMP process such that the polished and etched surface is located higher than the upper end of the air gaps. Accordingly, even if the air gaps of the shape shown in FIG. 8A have been formed, problems are less likely to happen. Also, if the air gaps of the shape shown in FIG. 8A are formed, the necessity of etching the insulating film  102  is relatively low. However, if the insulating film  102  has been etched, the line-to-line capacitance C 3  can be lower as compared with the case where the insulating film  102  has not been etched at all. The reason is as follows. The line-to-line capacitance is determined by the physical properties of a space of a certain dimension located between two adjacent lines. Accordingly, since the line-to-line capacitance is also affected by the relative dielectric constants of spaces over and under the space adjoining the lines, the insulating film is preferably etched.  
         [0070]    Considering these points, it can be understood that partially etching the insulating film  102  at the spaces between adjacent lines  113 A is advantageous in reducing the line-to-line capacitance for various shapes of air gaps.  
         [0071]    As described above, in this embodiment, part or all of a line-to-line space  114  is turned into an air gap  118 . Accordingly, the relative dielectric constant between lines  113 A in the first interconnect layer  113  can be reduced at the line-to-line space  114 . In particular, when a recess  115  formed in a line-to-line space  114  has a high aspect ratio, the entire region of the line-to-line space  114  is turned into an air gap  118 . As a result, the relative dielectric constant between the lines  113 A can be minimized.  
         [0072]    In addition, since the first interconnect layer  113  is formed after the interconnecting metal  109  has been formed, the first interconnect layer  113  always exists under the entire bottom of the interconnecting metal  109 . Accordingly, it is possible to prevent a contact failure from being caused between the first interconnect layer  113  and the interconnecting metal  109 .  
         [0073]    Moreover, after the interconnecting metal  109  has been filled in the interlevel contact hole  106  provided in the first interlevel dielectric film  104 , the first interconnect layer  113  and the second interlevel dielectric film  117  are formed in this order. Accordingly, even if a mask-to-mask placement error has been caused during the formation of the first interconnect layer  113 , either the interconnecting metal  109  or the first interlevel dielectric film  104  always exists on the upper surface of the first interconnect layer  113 . And the interconnecting metal  109  is never filled in any air gap  118  formed simultaneously with the second interlevel dielectric film  117 . Accordingly, it is possible to prevent a shortcircuit failure from being caused between adjacent lines  113 A in the first interconnect layer  113  or between a line  113 A and the semiconductor substrate  101  through the interconnecting metal  109 .  
       Embodiment 5  
       [0074]    Hereinafter, the fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 10A through 10D illustrating the flow of a process for fabricating a semiconductor device in this embodiment. The same process steps as those illustrated in FIGS. 1A through 1D and FIGS. 6E and 6F are also performed prior to the process step shown in FIG. 10A. Thus, the same components as those used in the first embodiment will be identified by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted herein. Unlike the first embodiment in which the second interlevel dielectric film  117  is deposited by using a plasma CVD apparatus, a second interlevel dielectric film  212  is formed in this fifth embodiment by using an applicator. The second interlevel dielectric film  212  may be an organic film made of organic poly-siloxane or an organic material containing fluorine, or an inorganic porous film, for example. Many of these materials have fluidity.  
         [0075]    First, as shown in FIG. 10A, the material is applied onto a first interlevel dielectric film  204 , an interconnecting metal  208  and the line-to-line spaces  215  formed on the semiconductor substrate  201 . In this manner, the recesses in the line-to-line spaces  215  are filled in with the fluid material, thereby forming the second interlevel dielectric film  212  without any air gap. As the material of the second interlevel dielectric film  212 , a material having a lower relative dielectric constant than that of the first interlevel dielectric film  204  is selected. Accordingly, the relative dielectric constant between adjacent lines in the first interconnect layer  203  can be reduced at the line-to-line spaces  215 . Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 10B, the surface of the second interlevel dielectric film  212  is planarized by a CMP technique such that the respective surfaces of the first interlevel dielectric film  204 , the interconnecting metal  208  and the second interlevel dielectric film  212  form a single plane. In this embodiment, the first and second interlevel dielectric films  204  and  212  are made of different materials and the etching rate of the first interlevel dielectric film  204  is set smaller than that of the second interlevel dielectric film  212  during the CMP process. In this manner, the first interlevel dielectric film  204  is used as an etching stopper.  
         [0076]    Then, as shown in FIG. 10C, only the second interlevel dielectric film  212  is selectively etched in the depth direction by about 0.3 μm, and a third interlevel dielectric film  214  is deposited to be about 0.5 μm thick. And then the surface of the third interlevel dielectric film  214  is planarized again by a CMP technique such that the respective surfaces of the first interlevel dielectric film  204 , the interconnecting metal  208  and the third interlevel dielectric film  214  form a single plane.  
         [0077]    Next, as shown in FIG. 10D, a metal layer formed by alternately stacking aluminum and a titanium alloy is deposited thereon and subjected to photolithography and dry etching, thereby forming a second interconnect layer  216 .  
         [0078]    As described above, in this embodiment, the line-to-line spaces  215  are entirely filled in with the second interlevel dielectric film  212  made of a material having a lower relative dielectric constant than that of the first interlevel dielectric film  204 . Thus, the relative dielectric constant between adjacent lines in the first interconnect layer  203  can be reduced at the line-to-line spaces  215 . In addition, the relative dielectric constant can be determined based on the material of the second interlevel dielectric film  212 .  
         [0079]    In addition, since the first interconnect layer  203  is formed after the interconnecting metal  208  has been formed, the first interconnect layer  203  always exists under the entire bottom of the interconnecting metal  208 . Accordingly, it is possible to prevent a contact failure from being caused between the first interconnect layer  203  and the interconnecting metal  208 .  
         [0080]    Moreover, after the interconnecting metal  208  has been filled in the interlevel contact hole provided in the first interlevel dielectric film  204 , the first interconnect layer  203  and the second interlevel dielectric film  212  are formed in this order. Accordingly, even if a mask-to-mask placement error has been caused during the formation of the first interconnect layer  203 , either the interconnecting metal  208  or the first interlevel dielectric film  204  always exists on the upper surface of the first interconnect layer  203 . And the second interlevel dielectric film  212  always exists in the line-to-line spaces  215 . Accordingly, it is possible to prevent a shortcircuit failure from being caused between adjacent lines in the first interconnect layer  203  or between a line and the semiconductor substrate  201  through the interconnecting metal  208 .  
         [0081]    In this embodiment, parts of the insulating film  202  located in the line-to-line spaces between adjacent lines in the first interconnect layer  203  are also etched. Accordingly, the line-to-line capacitance is substantially determined by the relative dielectric constant of the second interlevel dielectric film  212 . If the parts of the insulating film  202  located in the line-to-line spaces between adjacent lines in the first interconnect layer  203  are not etched, then the parts of the insulating film  202  located in the vicinity of the line-to-line spaces between adjacent lines in the first interconnect layer  203  increase the line-to-line capacitance to a certain degree.  
         [0082]    Moreover, in this embodiment, the third interlevel dielectric film  214  is formed. Accordingly, even if a material poorly resistant to etching or plasma is used for the second interlevel dielectric film  212 , the second interlevel dielectric film  212  is not damaged during the process step of forming the second interconnect layer  216 . Thus, the third interlevel dielectric film  214  is preferably made of a material highly resistant to etching or plasma. Even if the relative dielectric constant of the third interlevel dielectric film  214  increases because of the selection of such a material, the line-to-line capacitance of the first interconnect layer  203  is not increased.  
         [0083]    In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 10A through 10D, no air gaps are formed in the line-to-line spaces  215 . Alternatively, air gaps may be formed in the line-to-line spaces  215 .  
       Embodiment 6  
       [0084]    In the sixth embodiment, the same process steps as those of the fifth embodiment are performed before the second interlevel dielectric film is formed. The sixth embodiment is characterized by the process step of forming the second interlevel dielectric film. Hereinafter, the process step of forming the second interlevel dielectric film will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 11A through 11C.  
         [0085]    [0085]FIGS. 11A through 11C illustrate a region where a relatively narrow recess  115   a  having a width of 0.5 μm or less and a relatively broad recess  115   b  having a width larger than 0.5 μm (e.g., 0.8 μm or more) have been formed. In particular, FIGS. 11A and 11B show the cross sections, in each of which the second interlevel dielectric film  117  is made of a single type of film. In the example shown in FIG. 11A, an insulating film with relatively poor step coverage has been deposited. Examples of such films with poor step coverage include a plasma-oxidized film formed in a parallel-plate plasma CVD apparatus by using silane/N 2 O-based gas plasma. If such a film is used, then air gaps are formed in both of the recesses  115   a  and  115   b.  In the relatively broad recess  115   b,  a large air gap is formed. Accordingly, the upper end of the air gap in the recess  115   b  possibly exceeds the resulting level of the second interlevel dielectric film  117  at which CMP is to be stopped (in this specification, such a level will be called a “CMP target level”). If such a large air gap has been formed, the air gap is possibly exposed through the polished surface after the CMP process is finished. In such a case, a disconnection or shortcircuit failure of the second interconnect layer may happen.  
         [0086]    On the other hand, in the example shown in FIG. 11B, a dielectric film, which can generally fill in a gap rather satisfactorily, has been deposited as the second interlevel dielectric film  117 . Examples of such a film include a plasma-oxidized film formed by using high-density plasma (HDP). If such a film is used, then the second interlevel dielectric film  117  is deposited on the bottom and side faces of the relatively narrow recess  115   a.  As a result, an air gap of the size smaller than that of the recess  115   a  is formed in the recess  115   a.  On the other hand, the relatively broad recess  115   b  is filled in with the second interlevel dielectric film  117  and no air gap is observed therein. The HDP film is formed by using-an HDP apparatus. If the HDP film is deposited in the HDP apparatus with a bias voltage applied to the substrate, an etching phenomenon also happens in competition with deposition. As a result, the dielectric film is deposited on the bottom of the recess and the gap can be filled in with the film more satisfactorily. In this case, the upper end of an air gap does not reach the CMP target level. However, since a smaller air gap is formed in the recess  115   a,  the line-to-line capacitance is not reduced so much.  
         [0087]    In the embodiment shown in FIG. 11C, in order to attain the advantages of these two types of films at the same time, the second interlevel dielectric film  117  is made up of dielectric layers formed by at least two different methods. Specifically, first, the upper part of the relatively narrow recess  115   a  is substantially covered with a first interlevel dielectric layer  117   a  and then the other relatively broad recess  115   b  is filled in with a second interlevel dielectric layer  117   b.  In particular, the first interlevel dielectric layer  117   a  is formed in a parallel-plate plasma CVD apparatus by using silane/N 2 O-based gas plasma and then the second interlevel dielectric layer  117   b  is deposited in an HDP apparatus with a bias voltage applied to the substrate. The first and second interlevel dielectric layers  117   a  and  117   b  are made of silicon dioxide, for example. Alternatively, the second interlevel dielectric layer  117   b  may be an organic coating film (made of polyarylether, for example) having a low relative dielectric constant. The first interlevel dielectric layer  117   a  may be formed using silane, oxygen and argon gases at a pressure of 5 mTorr.  
         [0088]    If the width of an air gap (i.e., the ratio of the air gap to a line-to-line space) is increased, the upper end of the air gap becomes higher. The width and height of an air gap can be optimized by adjusting the thicknesses of the first and second interlevel dielectric layers  117   a  and  117   b.    
         [0089]    Next, the results of evaluation performed on the multilevel interconnect structure formed in this embodiment will be described.  
         [0090]    First, FIGS. 12A through 12C will be referred to FIG. 12A illustrates a positional relationship between a line-to-line space and an air gap. In FIG. 12A, H denotes a distance between the upper surface of the first interconnect layer and the top of the air gap, and D denotes a distance between the lower surface of the first interconnect layer and the bottom of the air gap. The occupancy ratio R is the ratio of the width W of the air gap to the line-to-line space S.  
         [0091]    [0091]FIG. 12B illustrates the dependence of the occupancy ratio R of the air gap on the line-to-line space S. If S is equal to or smaller than 0.8 μm, the occupancy ratio R of the air gap is a positive value larger than zero. The smaller the line-to-line space S is, the larger the occupancy ratio R is. When S=0.3 μm, the occupancy ratio R is about 0.9.  
         [0092]    [0092]FIG. 12C illustrates the dependence of the distances H and D on the line-to-line space S. The value of H never exceeds 500 nm at any value of the line-to-line space S, and never reaches the CMP target level (in the range from 800 nm to 1000 nm above the interconnect layer). In other words, even after the interlevel dielectric film  117  has been planarized by a CMP technique, the air gap is not exposed. Thus, the yield of the second interconnect layer does not decrease.  
         [0093]    Next, it will be described with reference to FIG. 13 how the line-to-line capacitance is effectively reduced in the multilevel interconnect structure formed in this embodiment. In FIG. 13, data about a conventional multilevel interconnect structure in which no air gaps are formed between adjacent lines is represented by open circles as a comparative example. In the comparative example, the smaller the line-to-line space is, the larger the line-to-line capacitance per unit length is. However, in this embodiment, as the line-to-line space decreases, the line-to-line capacitance also decreases to the contrary. The line-to-line capacitance decreases presumably because the occupancy ratio R of the air gap to the line-to-line space increases as the line-to-line space decreases.  
         [0094]    Next, with reference to FIGS. 14A and 14B, the reduction of the line-to-line capacitance in accordance with this embodiment will be compared to the reduction of the line-to-line capacitance accomplished by the use of an interlevel dielectric film having a low relative dielectric constant.  
         [0095]    [0095]FIG. 14A is a cross-sectional view illustrating the configuration of a model used for calculation (or simulation). FIG. 14B illustrates the dependence of an effective relative dielectric constant on a line-to-line space. The effective relative dielectric constant is determined by calculating the line-to-line capacitance (per unit length) generated when a uniform medium having a certain relative dielectric constant is used as the interlevel dielectric film and then by comparing the capacitance to the actually measured capacitance. As represented by the open squares in FIG. 14B, in this embodiment, the smaller the line-to-line space is, the smaller the effective relative dielectric constant is. If the line-to-line space is 0.8 μm or less, an air gap is formed in the line-to-line space. And if an air gap is formed, the effective relative dielectric constant drastically decreases. When the line-to-line space is 0.3 μm, the effective relative dielectric constant is as low as about 1.8.  
         [0096]    [0096]FIG. 15 illustrates a relationship between the resistance of an interconnecting metal (i.e., via resistance) and the diameter of the interconnecting metal (i.e., via diameter). As can be understood if this embodiment is compared to the comparative example in which no air gaps are formed, via resistance values are not different so much in both cases.  
         [0097]    [0097]FIG. 16 illustrates the dependence of a via resistance value on an alignment error between the first interconnect layer and the interconnecting metal. The “alignment error” herein denotes the magnitude of the misalignment between the interconnecting metal and the first interconnect layer. Since the width of a line-to-line space in the first interconnect layer is equal to the via diameter in the pattern used for measurement, there is no overlap margin between the first interconnect layer and the interconnecting metal. As can be understood from FIG. 16, in the conventional example, the larger the alignment error is, the higher the via resistance is. By contrast, in this embodiment, the via resistance remains substantially the same irrespective of the via resistance. The reason is as follows. Even if misalignment has been caused, the contact area between the first interconnect layer and the interconnecting metal is kept at a maximum value, because the interconnecting metal always exists on the upper surface of the first interconnect layer.  
         [0098]    Since the second interlevel dielectric film  117  is deposited after the interconnecting metal  109  has been formed, the air gaps, formed simultaneously with the deposition of the second interlevel dielectric film  117 , do not come into contact with the interconnecting metal  109 . Accordingly, neither a shortcircuit failure between adjacent lines  113 A in the first interconnect layer  113  nor a shortcircuit failure between a line  113 A and the semiconductor substrate  101  is caused through the interconnecting metal  109 .  
         [0099]    The material of the first interconnect layer is not limited to Al. Alternatively, the first interconnect layer may be made of Cu, for example. Instead of a plasma oxide film, an applied insulating film, which can fill in a gap satisfactorily, may also be used as the second interlevel dielectric layer of the second interlevel dielectric film  117 . Also, desirable effects can be attained even if the method for forming the second interlevel dielectric film, described with reference to FIG. 1C, is applied to any other embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0100]    According to the present invention, the first interconnect layer always exists under the entire bottom of the interconnecting metal. Accordingly, even if misalignment has been caused during the formation of the first interconnect layer, it is possible to prevent a contact failure from being caused between the first interconnect layer and the interconnecting metal. In addition, the interconnecting metal is not filled into the air gaps that are formed simultaneously with the second interlevel dielectric film. Thus, it is possible to prevent a shortcircuit failure from being caused between adjacent lines in the first interconnect layer or between a line and the semiconductor substrate through the interconnecting metal.  
         [0101]    If part or all of a line-to-line space is turned into an air gap or if the line-to-line space is entirely filled in with a material having a low relative dielectric constant, the relative dielectric constant between adjacent lines can be reduced at the line-to-line space. As a result, a semiconductor device, which operates with a larger margin and is less likely to operate erroneously, is realized by reducing a signal delay between the lines in the first interconnect layer.  
         [0102]    Moreover, since most of the side face of the interconnecting metal is in contact with the second interconnect layer, reliability in connecting the interconnecting metal to the second interconnect layer can also be improved even if misalignment has been caused during the formation of the second interconnect layer.  
         [0103]    Furthermore, even if misalignment has been caused during the formation of the first interconnect layer, either the interconnecting metal or the first interlevel dielectric film always exists on the upper surface of the first interconnect layer. In addition, the interconnecting metal is not filled into the air gaps that are formed simultaneously with the second interlevel dielectric film. Thus, it is possible to prevent a shortcircuit failure from being caused between adjacent lines in the first interconnect layer or between a line and the semiconductor substrate through the interconnecting metal.

Technology Category: h