1. An automotive computing device programmed with instructions stored on a computer-readable storage medium, the instructions which, when executed by the device, cause the device to:
generate a TLB miss error exception responsive to attempting to access a page that is not current mapped in a translation look-aside buffer (TLB);
call an exception handler to provide the handler with an opportunity to handle the exception;
determine, with the exception handler, whether the page comprises an object store page, wherein object store pages comprises at least one page associated with a file system or a registry of the automotive computing device; and
if the page comprises an object store page, copy the page from device flash memory to either device DRAM or device SRAM.
2. The automotive computing device of claim 1, wherein the instructions cause the device to copy the page to DRAM if the access is a read access.
3. The automotive computing device of claim 1, wherein the instructions cause the device to copy the page to SRAM if the access is a write access.
4. The automotive computing device of claim 1, wherein the instructions cause the device to return to another exception handler with an indication that the exception was not processed if the page does not comprise an object store page.
5. The automotive computing device of claim 1, wherein the instructions cause the device to, responsive to copying the page from device flash memory to either device DRAM or device SRAM, update an object store page table in the SRAM to reflect the new location of the object store page.
6. The automotive computing device of claim 5, wherein the instructions cause the device to provide an indication in the object store page table that the object store page is dirty if the access was a write access.
7. One or more computer-readable storage media having computer-readable instructions thereon which, when executed by an automotive computing device, cause the computing device to:
generate a TLB miss error exception responsive to attempting to access a page that is not currently mapped in a translation look-aside buffer (TLB);
call an exception handler to provide the handler with an opportunity to handle the exception;
determine, with the exception handler, whether the page comprises an object store page, wherein object store pages comprises at least one page associated with a file system or a registry of the automotive computing device;
if the page comprises an object store page, copy the page from device flash memory to either device DRAM or device SRAM; and
return to another exception handler with an indication that the exception was not processed if the page does not comprise an object store page.
8. In an automotive computing device, a computer-implemented method comprising:
generating a write exception in an attempt to write-access a page in device flash memory or device DRAM;
calling an exception handler to give the exception handler an opportunity to handle the write exception;
determining whether the page is an object store page, wherein object store pages comprises at least one page associated with a file system or a registry of the automotive computing device;
if the page is an object store page, copying the page with the exception handler into device SRAM; and
updating an object store page table that is maintained in the SRAM to indicate that the page is now located in SRAM and that the page is dirty, wherein a dirty page comprises a page that has been written to.
9. The method of claim 8 further comprising returning to another exception handler with an indication that the exception was not handled if the page is not an object store page.
10. One or more computer-readable storage media having computer-readable instructions thereon which, when executed by an automotive computing device, implement the method of claim 8.
11. A programmable automotive computing device programmed with instructions which, when executed by the computing device, implement the method of claim 8.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
What is claimed is:
1. A multiple seed layer structure used to fabricate devices, said multiple seed layer structure comprises:
a substrate;
a patterned insulating layer formed on said substrate, said patterned insulating layer including at least one opening and a top field surface surrounding said at least one opening;
a barrier layer disposed over said patterned insulating layer including over inside bottom and sidewalls surfaces of the at least one opening;
a first seed layer disposed over the barrier layer, said first seed layer is formed by a first deposition technique;
a second seed layer disposed over the first seed layer, said second seed layer is formed by a second deposition technique, the first and second deposition techniques being different; and
an electroplated metallic layer disposed over the second seed layer, wherein the electroplated metallic layer comprises a material selected from a group consisting of Cu, Ag, or alloys comprising one or more of these metals.
2. The multiple seed layer structure of claim 1 wherein the first deposition technique comprises a substantially conformal deposition technique and the second deposition technique comprises a substantially non-conformal deposition technique.
3. The multiple seed layer structure of claim 2 wherein said second seed layer being thicker than said first seed layer over the field.
4. The multiple seed layer structure of claim 1 wherein the first deposition technique comprises a chemical vapor deposition or electroless deposition technique and the second deposition technique comprises a physical vapor deposition technique.
5. The multiple seed layer structure of claim 4 wherein the first deposition technique comprises a chemical vapor deposition technique.
6. The multiple seed layer structure of claim 4 wherein said second seed layer being thicker than said first seed layer over the field.
7. The multiple seed layer structure of claim 1 wherein the first deposition technique comprises a substantially non-conformal deposition technique and the second deposition technique comprises a substantially conformal deposition technique.
8. The multiple seed layer structure of claim 7 wherein said first seed layer being thicker than said second seed layer over the field.
9. The multiple seed layer structure of claim 1 wherein the first deposition technique comprises a physical vapor deposition technique and the second deposition technique comprises a chemical vapor deposition technique or electroless deposition technique.
10. The multiple seed layer structure of claim 9 wherein the second deposition technique comprises a chemical vapor deposition technique.
11. The multiple seed layer structure of claim 9 wherein said first seed layer being thicker than said second seed layer over the field.
12. The multiple seed layer structure of claim 1 wherein the electroplated metallic layer comprises Cu.
13. The multiple seed layer structure of claim 1 wherein the electroplated metallic layer comprises Ag.
14. The multiple seed layer structure of claim I wherein the first and second seed layers comprise a material selected from a group consisting of Cu, Ag, or alloys comprising one or more of these metals.
15. The multiple seed layer structure of claim 1 wherein the first and second seed layers comprise Cu.
16. The multiple seed layer structure of claim 1 wherein the barrier layer is selected from a group consisting of Ta, TaNX, Cr, CrNX, Ti, TiNX, W, WNX, or alloys comprising one or more of these materials.
17. The multiple seed layer structure of claim 1 wherein the barrier layer is deposited by a chemical vapor deposition technique.
18. The multiple seed layer structure of claim 1 wherein the barrier layer is deposited by a physical vapor deposition technique.
19. The multiple seed layer structure of claim 1 wherein the first deposition technique comprises a substantially conformal deposition technique and the second deposition technique comprises a substantially non-conformal deposition technique and further comprising at least one additional seed layer deposited over the second seed layer prior to electroplating.
20. The multiple seed layer structure of claim 1 wherein the first deposition technique comprises a substantially conformal deposition technique and the second deposition technique comprises a substantially non-conformal deposition technique and further comprising at least one additional seed layer deposited under the first seed layer.
21. The multiple seed layer structure of claim 19 wherein the at least one additional seed layer is formed by a substantially conformal deposition technique.
22. The multiple seed layer structure of claim 20 wherein the at least one additional seed layer is formed by a substantially non-conformal deposition technique.
23. The multiple seed layer structure of claim 21 wherein the first deposition technique comprises a chemical vapor deposition technique, the second deposition technique comprises a physical vapor deposition technique, and the at least one additional seed layer is formed by a chemical vapor deposition technique.
24. The multiple seed layer structure of claim 22 wherein the at least one additional seed layer is formed by a physical vapor deposition technique.
25. The multiple seed layer structure of claim 1 wherein the first deposition technique comprises a substantially non-conformal deposition technique and the second deposition technique comprises a substantially conformal deposition technique and further comprising at least one additional seed layer formed over the second seed layer prior to electroplating.
26. The multiple seed layer structure of claim 25 wherein the at least one additional seed layer is formed by a substantially non-conformal deposition technique.
27. The multiple seed layer structure of claim 26 wherein the first deposition technique comprises a physical vapor deposition technique, the second deposition technique comprises a chemical vapor deposition technique, and the at least one additional seed layer is formed by a physical vapor deposition technique.
28. A metallic interconnect fabricated by using the multiple seed layer structure of claim 1, wherein the electroplated metallic layer overlying the opening and overlying the field, and the first and second seed layers overlying the field, and the barrier layer overlying the field, are substantially removed by a removal technique, said removal technique comprises one or more of a mechanical polishing technique, a chemical mechanical polishing technique, a wet etching technique, and a dry etching technique.
29. The metallic interconnect of claim 28 wherein the first deposition technique comprises a substantially conformal deposition technique and the second deposition technique comprises a substantially non-conformal deposition technique.
30. The metallic interconnect of claim 29 wherein said second seed layer being thicker than said first seed layer over the field.
31. The metallic interconnect of claim 28 wherein:
the first deposition technique comprises a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) technique or an electroless technique; and
the second deposition technique comprises a physical vapor deposition (PVD) technique.
32. The metallic interconnect of claim 31 wherein the first deposition technique comprises a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) technique.
33. The metallic interconnect of claim 31 wherein said second seed layer being thicker than said first seed layer over the field.
34. The metallic interconnect of claim 28 wherein the first deposition technique comprises a substantially non-conformal deposition technique and the second deposition technique comprises a substantially conformal deposition technique.
35. The metallic interconnect of claim 34 wherein said first seed layer being thicker than said second seed layer over the field.
36. The metallic interconnect of claim 28 wherein:
the first deposition technique comprises a physical vapor deposition (PVD) technique; and
the second deposition technique comprises a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) or an electroless technique.
37. The metallic interconnect of claim 36 wherein the second deposition technique comprises a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) technique.
38. The metallic interconnect of claim 36 wherein said first seed layer being thicker than said second seed layer over the field.
39. The metallic interconnect of claim 29 wherein the first seed layer and the second seed layer comprise a material selected from a group consisting of Cu, Ag, or alloys comprising one or more of these metals.
40. The metallic interconnect of claim 34 wherein the first seed layer and the second seed layer comprise a material selected from a group consisting of Cu, Ag, or alloys comprising one or more of these metals.
41. The metallic interconnect of claim 29 wherein the first and second seed layers comprise Cu.
42. The metallic interconnect of claim 34 wherein the first and second seed layers comprise Cu.
43. The metallic interconnect of claim 33 wherein the first seed layer has a thickness in a range of about 50 to about 500 over the field and the second seed layer has a thickness in a range of about 100 to about 2,000 over the field.
44. The metallic interconnect of claim 33 wherein the first seed layer has a thickness in a range of about 100 to about 300 over the field and the second seed layer has a thickness in a range of about 300 to about 1,000 over the field.
45. The metallic interconnect of claim 38 wherein the first seed layer has a thickness in a range of about 100 to about 2,000 over the field and the second seed layer has a thickness in a range of about 50 to about 500 over the field.
46. The metallic interconnect of claim 38 wherein the first seed layer has a thickness in a range of about 300 to about 1,000 over the field and the second seed layer has a thickness in a range of about 100 to about 300 over the field.
47. The metallic interconnect of claim 28 wherein the barrier layer is selected from a group consisting of Ta, TaNX, Cr, CrNX, Ti, TiNX, W, WNX, or alloys comprising one or more of these materials.
48. The metallic interconnect of claim 28 wherein the barrier layer is deposited by a chemical vapor deposition technique.
49. The metallic interconnect of claim 28 wherein the barrier layer is deposited by a physical vapor deposition technique.
50. The metallic interconnect of claim 28 wherein the barrier layer has a thickness in a range of about 30 to about 500 .
51. The metallic interconnect of claim 28 wherein the barrier layer has a thickness in a range of about 50 to about 300 .
52. A multiple seed layer structure used to fabricate copper interconnects, said multiple seed layer structure comprising:
a patterned insulating layer formed on a substrate, the patterned insulating layer including at least one opening and a field surrounding the at least one opening;
a barrier layer deposited over the patterned insulating layer including overlying the field and inside surfaces of the at least one opening, the barrier layer comprising a refractory metal or an alloy comprising a refractory metal;
a first copper seed layer, formed by chemical vapor deposition, disposed over the barrier layer, the first copper seed layer substantially continuously covering inside surfaces of the at least one opening;
a second copper seed layer, formed by physical vapor deposition, disposed over the first copper seed layer, said second seed layer being thicker than said first seed layer over the field; and
electroplated copper over the second seed layer.
53. A multiple seed layer structure used to fabricate copper interconnects, said multiple seed layer structure comprising:
a patterned insulating layer formed over a substrate, the patterned insulating layer including at least one opening and a field surrounding the at least one opening;
a barrier layer formed over the patterned insulating layer including overlying the field and inside surfaces of the at least one opening, the barrier layer comprising a refractory metal or an alloy comprising a refractory metal;
a first copper seed layer, formed by physical vapor deposition, disposed over the barrier layer;
a second copper seed layer, formed by chemical vapor deposition, disposed over the first copper seed layer, the second copper seed layer substantially continuously covering inside surfaces of the at least one opening, said first seed layer being thicker than said second seed layer over the field; and
electroplated copper over the second seed layer.
54. A multiple seed layer structure used to fabricate metallic interconnects, said multiple seed layer structure comprising:
a patterned insulating layer formed on a substrate, the patterned insulating layer including at least one opening and a field surrounding the at least one opening;
a barrier layer formed over the field and inside surfaces of the at least one opening;
two or more seed layers deposited over the barrier layer using two or more different deposition techniques; and
an electroplated metallic layer formed over the two or more seed layers, the electroplated metallic layer comprising a material selected from a group consisting of Cu, Ag, or alloys comprising one or more of these metals.
55. A metallic filled via or trench interconnect fabricated by using a multiple seed layer structure, said multiple seed layer structure comprising:
a patterned insulating layer formed on a substrate, the patterned insulating layer including at least one opening and a field surrounding the at least one opening;
a barrier layer disposed over the patterned insulating layer, including inside surfaces of the at least one opening;
a substantially conformal seed layer disposed over the barrier layer, including inside surfaces of the at least one opening, said substantially conformal seed layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of Cu, Ag, or alloys comprising one or more of these metals;
a substantially non-conformal seed layer disposed over the substantially conformal seed layer, said substantially non-conformal seed layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of Cu, Ag, or alloys comprising one or more of these metals, said substantially non-conformal seed layer being thicker than said substantially conformal seed layer over the field; and
an electroplated metallic layer deposited over the substantially non-conformal seed layer, said electroplated metallic layer comprising a material selected from a group consisting of Cu, Ag, or alloys comprising one or more of these metals.
56. A metallic filled via or trench interconnect fabricated by using a multiple seed layer structure, said multiple seed layer structure comprising:
a patterned insulating layer formed on a substrate, the patterned insulating layer including at least one opening and a field surrounding the at least one opening;
a barrier layer disposed over the patterned insulating layer, including inside surfaces of the at least one opening;
a substantially non-conformal seed layer disposed over the barrier layer, said substantially non-conformal seed layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of Cu, Ag, or alloys comprising one or more of these metals;
a substantially conformal seed layer disposed over the substantially non-conformal seed layer, said substantially conformal seed layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of Cu, Ag, or alloys comprising one or more of these metals, said substantially non-conformal seed layer being thicker than said substantially conformal seed layer over the field; and
an electroplated metallic layer deposited over the substantially conformal seed layer, said electroplated metallic layer comprising a material selected from a group consisting of Cu, Ag, or alloys comprising one or more of these metals.
57. A metallic interconnect, said metallic interconnect comprises:
a barrier layer disposed over an opening in an insulating layer including over inside bottom and sidewall surfaces of the opening;
a first seed layer disposed over the barrier layer, which first seed layer is formed by a first deposition technique;
a second seed layer disposed over the first seed layer, which second seed layer is formed by a second deposition technique, the first and second deposition techniques being different; and
an electroplated metallic layer disposed over the second seed layer, wherein the electroplated metallic layer comprises a material selected from a group consisting of Cu, Ag, or alloys comprising one or more of these metals.