Prior art

The USPTO database will be searched for specific prior art citations for US Patent 7,632,751. Based on the provided patent text, US7632751B2 claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2003-404437 filed on December 2, 2003. It also explicitly mentions and discusses Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2000-331991 as conventional prior art.

Here's an analysis of the most relevant prior art identified from the patent text:

1. Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2000-331991

• Full Citation: Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2000-331991
• Publication/Filing Date: The publication date is 2000-331991. The filing date is not explicitly stated, but it precedes the publication.
• Brief Description: This patent describes a conventional multilevel interconnection structure formed using copper (Cu). It illustrates a first interconnect buried in an insulating film, with a SiN film, SiO2 film, and FSG film formed above it. A via hole is formed through the SiO2 and SiN films to the first interconnect, and an interconnect trench is formed in the FSG film to the via hole. A barrier film and Cu film fill these to form a via and a second interconnect. The first and second interconnects are electrically connected via the via.
• Claims Potentially Anticipated (35 U.S.C. § 102): This reference describes the fundamental structure of a conventional multilevel interconnection, including lower and upper interconnects connected by a via, and the use of copper and various insulating layers (SiN, SiO2, FSG). Therefore, it would likely anticipate broad structural claims of US7632751B2 that do not include the specific inventive features of dummy vias or insulating slits for vacancy management. Specifically, any claims that merely describe a standard copper dual-damascene interconnection structure, without the additional elements to address vacancy flow and void formation, would be anticipated. For example, if a claim broadly describes "a lower interconnect; an upper interconnect; and a first insulating film provided between the lower interconnect and the upper interconnect, wherein the lower interconnect and the upper interconnect are connected to each other by way of a via formed in the first insulating film," this would be anticipated by the Japanese Kokai publication.

2. U.S. Patent No. 7,439,623 (US7439623)

• Full Citation: U.S. Patent No. 7,439,623
• Publication/Filing Date: The provided text states that US7632751B2 is a Divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/000,904, filed Dec. 2, 2004, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,439,623. Therefore, the filing date for US7439623 (or its parent application) is December 2, 2004, and its publication date is prior to December 15, 2009 (the publication date of US7632751B2).
• Brief Description: As US7632751B2 is a divisional of the application that led to US7439623, it is highly probable that US7439623 covers similar or related aspects of semiconductor device interconnection structures with a focus on mitigating vacancy-induced void formation. Divisional applications typically claim subject matter disclosed in the parent application but not claimed in the parent patent. Therefore, US7439623 would likely describe methods or structures for preventing voids in vias, potentially involving dummy structures or stress management techniques, though perhaps with a different scope or specific implementation than what is claimed in US7632751B2.
• Claims Potentially Anticipated (35 U.S.C. § 102): Since US7632751B2 is a divisional of the application for US7439623, US7439623 represents prior art under 35 U.S.C. § 102(a)(2) (prior art by another inventor with earlier filing date) or potentially under § 102(b) if it was published more than one year before the effective filing date of US7632751B2's claims that are not entitled to the earlier priority date. Given their common priority date of December 2, 2003 (via Japanese Patent Application No. 2003-404437), US7439623 would not directly anticipate US7632751B2 under § 102 in a way that invalidates all claims of US7632751B2, as they share common inventive subject matter and priority. However, if any claims in US7632751B2 are not fully supported by the original priority application or introduce new subject matter, then US7439623, as a published patent from the same lineage, could potentially anticipate those specific claims if its disclosure covers the new subject matter and it was published before the effective filing date of those new claims. Without the full text of US7439623, it's difficult to pinpoint exact claim anticipation, but it would be highly relevant for obviousness (35 U.S.C. § 103) if not direct anticipation of specific claims.