Semiconductor device and method for manufacturing the same

Abstract

At least a laminate of a gate insulating film 6 and a gate electrode 7 and an active region 13 are formed on a silicon substrate 1, and an underlying interlayer insulating film 10 is further formed. Then, a conductor 11 a connected to the gate electrode 7, and a conductor 11 b that is a dummy conductor and is connected to the active region 13 are formed simultaneously on the underlying interlayer insulating film 10. Thereafter, an interlayer insulating film 12 is formed on the underlying interlayer insulating film 10 by a plasma process. At this time, charging current from a plasma 14 is emitted through the conductor 11 b, which is a dummy conductor.

1 . A semiconductor device comprising a semiconductor substrate, a gate insulating film provided on the semiconductor substrate, a gate electrode provided on the gate insulating film, an insulating layer covering the gate insulating film and the gate electrode, and a conductor provided in the insulating layer, 
 wherein the conductor has a conductor for a gate electrode connected electrically to the gate electrode and a dummy conductor, and    the dummy conductor is connected electrically to an active region formed in the semiconductor substrate.    
     
     
         2 . The semiconductor device according to  claim 1 , wherein the active region to which the dummy conductor is connected is an active region that does not serve as either a source region or a drain region.  
     
     
         3 . The semiconductor device according to  claim 1 , wherein 
 a second dummy conductor is formed in a position adjacent to the dummy conductor and is insulated by the insulating layer at its entire circumference.    
     
     
         4 . The semiconductor device according to  claim 3 , wherein the dummy conductor is positioned adjacent to the conductor for a gate electrode, and 
 the second dummy conductor is constituted by a plurality of conductors, and the plurality of conductors constituting the second dummy conductor are arranged so as to surround the dummy conductor on a side that is not adjacent to the conductor for a gate electrode of the dummy conductor.    
     
     
         5 . The semiconductor device according to  claim 1 , wherein the conductor is formed by a damascene method and embedded in the insulating layer, and 
 the active region to which the dummy conductor is connected is provided, spaced by an element separation, in a position adjacent to a region of the semiconductor substrate in which the gate insulating film is provided.    
     
     
         6 . The semiconductor device according to  claim 2 , wherein 
 an active region that serves as a source region or a drain region is formed on the semiconductor substrate, and    the conductor further has a conductor connected electrically to the active region that serves as a source region or a drain region.    
     
     
         7 . The semiconductor device according to  claim 3 , wherein the conductor for a gate electrode, the dummy conductor and the second dummy conductor are formed of a same metal material.  
     
     
         8 . The semiconductor device according to  claim 7 , wherein the metal material is a metal material containing copper.  
     
     
         9 . A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising the steps of: 
 (a) forming at least a laminate of a gate insulating film and a gate electrode, and an active region on a semiconductor substrate;    (b) forming a first insulating layer that covers the laminate and the active region on the semiconductor substrate;    (c) forming simultaneously a conductor for a gate electrode that is connected electrically to the gate electrode and a dummy electrode connected electrically to the active region on the first insulating layer; and    (d) forming a second insulating layer on the first insulating layer by a plasma process.    
     
     
         10 . The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to  claim 9 , wherein in the step (d), the second insulating layer is formed while charging current generated from plasma by the plasma process is emitted through the dummy conductor.  
     
     
         11 . The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to  claim 9 , wherein in the step (c), the conductor for a gate electrode and the dummy conductor are formed by a damascene method.  
     
     
         12 . The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to  claim 9 , wherein in the step (a), an active region that serves as a source region or a drain region and an active region that does not serve as either a source region or a drain region are formed, and 
 in the step (c), the dummy conductor is connected to the active region that does not serve as either a source region or a drain region.    
     
     
         13 . The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to  claim 9 , wherein the first insulating layer is an underlying interlayer insulating film for forming multilayer wiring, and the second insulating layer is an interlayer insulating film for forming multilayer wiring.  
     
     
         14 . The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to  claim 9 , wherein in the step (c), a second dummy conductor insulated from the gate electrode and the active region by the first insulating layer is formed in a position adjacent to the dummy conductor simultaneously with the conductor for a gate electrode.  
     
     
         15 . The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to  claim 9 , wherein the first insulating layer and the second insulating layer are silicon oxide films or silicon nitride films.  
     
     
         16 . A semiconductor device comprising a semiconductor substrate, a gate insulating film provided on the semiconductor substrate, a gate electrode provided on the gate insulating film, an insulating layer covering the gate insulating film and the gate electrode, and a conductor provided in the insulating layer, 
 wherein an active region that serves as a diode is formed on the semiconductor substrate, 
 the conductor has at least a dummy conductor, and a non-dummy conductor connected electrically to the gate electrode or the active region, and  
 the dummy conductor is provided so as not to be overlapped with a region obtained by projecting the active region on the insulating layer along the normal direction of the semiconductor substrate.  
   
     
     
         17 . The semiconductor device according to  claim 16 , wherein the dummy conductor and the non-dummy conductor are formed simultaneously by a damascene method and embedded in the insulating layer.  
     
     
         18 . The semiconductor device according to  claim 17 , wherein the dummy conductor and the non-dummy conductor are formed of a same metal material.  
     
     
         19 . The semiconductor device according to  claim 18 , wherein the metal material is a metal material containing copper.  
     
     
         20 . A semiconductor device comprising a semiconductor substrate, a gate insulating film provided on the semiconductor substrate, a gate electrode provided on the gate insulating film, and a plurality of insulating layers, 
 wherein an active region that serves as a diode is formed on the semiconductor substrate, 
 a lowermost insulating layer of the plurality of insulating layers is formed so as to cover the gate insulating film and the gate electrode, and a first dummy conductor, and a first conductor connected electrically to the gate electrode or the active region are provided in the lowermost insulating layer,  
 a second dummy conductor and a second conductor connected electrically to the first conductor are provided in an insulating layer positioned above the lowermost insulating layer, and  
 the second dummy conductor is provided so as not to be overlapped with a region obtained by projecting the active region on the insulating layer in which the second dummy conductor is provided along the normal direction of the semiconductor substrate.  
   
     
     
         21 . The semiconductor device according to  claim 20 , wherein 
 the first dummy conductor and the first conductor are formed simultaneously by a damascene method and embedded in the lowermost insulating layer, and    the second conductor and the second dummy conductor that are provided in a same insulating layer are formed simultaneously by a damascene method and embedded in the insulating layer in which these conductors are provided.    
     
     
         22 . The semiconductor device according to  claim 21 , wherein 
 the first dummy conductor, the first conductor, the second dummy conductor and the second conductor are formed of a same metal material.    
     
     
         23 . The semiconductor device according to  claim 22 , wherein the metal material is a metal material containing copper.  
     
     
         24 . A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising the steps of: 
 (a) forming at least a laminate of a gate insulating film and a gate electrode, and an active region that serves as a diode on a semiconductor substrate;    (b) forming a first insulating layer that covers the laminate and the active region on the semiconductor substrate by a plasma process;    (c) forming simultaneously a dummy conductor, and a non-dummy conductor connected electrically to the gate electrode or the active region on the first insulating layer; and    (d) forming a second insulating layer on the first insulating layer by a plasma process, 
 wherein in the step (c), the dummy conductor and the non-dummy conductor are provided so that the dummy conductor is not overlapped with a region obtained by projecting the active region on the insulating layer along the normal direction of the semiconductor substrate.  
   
     
     
         25 . The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to  claim 24 , wherein in the step (c), the dummy conductor and the non-dummy conductor are formed by a damascene method.  
     
     
         26 . The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to  claim 24 , wherein the first insulating layer and the second insulating layer are silicon oxide films or silicon nitride films.  
     
     
         27 . A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising the steps of: 
 (a) forming at least a laminate of a gate insulating film and a gate electrode, and an active region that serves as a diode on a semiconductor substrate;    (b) forming an underlying insulating layer that covers the laminate and the active region on the semiconductor substrate by a plasma process;    (c) forming simultaneously a first dummy conductor, and a first conductor connected electrically to the gate electrode or the active region on the underlying insulating layer;    (d) forming an insulating layer positioned above the underlying insulating layer by a plasma process; and    (e) forming simultaneously a second dummy conductor, and a second conductor connected electrically to the first conductor on the insulating layer obtained in the step (d); 
 wherein in the step (e), the second dummy conductor and the second conductor are provided so that the second dummy conductor is not overlapped with a region obtained by projecting the active region on the insulating layer in which the second dummy conductor is formed along the normal direction of the semiconductor substrate.  
   
     
     
         28 . The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to  claim 27 , wherein 
 in the step (c), the first dummy conductor and the first conductor are formed by a damascene method, and    in the step (e), the second dummy conductor and the second conductor are formed by a damascene method,    
     
     
         29 . The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to  claim 27 , wherein the underlying insulating layer and the insulating layer positioned above the underlying insulating layer are silicon oxide films or silicon nitride films.