Methods of forming semiconductor devices using self-aligned metal shunts
AssigneeSamsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
InventorsYeol Jon, Eun-Kuk Chung, Joon Kim, Jin-Hong Kim
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Abstract
A method of fabricating a semiconductor device using a self-aligned metal shunt process is disclosed. The method can include sequentially forming a lower conductive pattern and a sacrificial pattern on a semiconductor substrate. An interlayer dielectric layer is formed to cover the sacrificial pattern. The interlayer dielectric layer is patterned to form a preliminary trench that exposes the top surface of the sacrificial pattern. The exposed sacrificial pattern is removed to form a trench that expose the top surface of the lower conductive pattern. An upper conductive pattern is formed to fill the trench.
Claims14
A method of fabricating a semiconductor device, comprising:
- sequentially forming a lower conductive pattern and a sacrificial pattern on a semiconductor substrate;
- forming an interlayer dielectric layer to cover the sacrificial pattern;
- patterning the interlayer dielectric layer to form a preliminary trench exposing the top surface of the sacrificial pattern;
- removing the exposed sacrificial pattern to form a trench exposing the top surface of the lower conductive pattern;
- and
- forming an upper conductive pattern to fill the trench.
A method of forming a conductive contact to a gate structure comprising:
- maintaining a sacrificial layer to cover an underlying gate layer included in a gate structure until after etching an interlayer dielectric layer above the sacrificial layer to expose the sacrificial layer;
- and then removing the sacrificial layer to expose the underlying gate layer.
A method of forming a conductive contact to a gate structure comprising:
- selectively etching a sacrificial layer from a trench defined by an interlayer dielectric layer to expose a conductive layer included in a gate structure in the trench beneath the sacrificial layer while avoiding etching the interlayer dielectric layer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.