Interconnect processes

Which correctly describes a via in multilevel interconnects?

  1. AA conductor that electrically connects upper and lower wiring layers
  2. BA film that insulates adjacent wires in the same layer
  3. CA metal wire that connects the chip to the package
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Answer: A. A conductor that electrically connects upper and lower wiring layers

A via is a conductor formed by filling a hole in the interlayer dielectric with metal, connecting wiring in the upper and lower layers. The connection between transistors and the lowest wiring layer is called a contact. In the dual damascene process, wiring trenches and vias are filled with copper at once.

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More Interconnect processes questions

  1. If a wire's length is doubled without changing its cross-section or spacing, approximately how many times larger does its RC delay become?
  2. What is the purpose of forming silicides such as NiSi on the surfaces of a transistor's source, drain and gate?
  3. Which metal has been widely used to fill contact holes connecting transistors to the lowest wiring layer?
  4. When copper wires become very narrow, what is the main reason their effective resistivity rises?
  5. In multilevel interconnects, what is the main reason upper-level wires are made wider and thicker?