Method of making self-aligned contacts and vertical interconnects to integrated circuits

A process for manufacturing multi-level conductor type integrated circuits which includes the steps of:

• a. providing a semiconductor substrate having active or passive devices therein to which electrical connections must be made,
• b. forming a dielectric layer on said substrate having certain strips of conductor therein which must be connected to said devices and certain strips of conductor therein which must be maintained electrically isolated from said devices,
• c. opening first vias in said dielectric layer above conductive strips to be electrically isolated and exposing edges of said conductive strips,
• d. insulating said edges of said strips exposed by said vias,
• e. continuing to etch said first vias on through to reach said semiconductor substrate, while also
• f. opening second vias through said conductive strips which are to be connected to said substrate, and then
• g. forming vertical electrical interconnects in said first and second vias whereby said active and passive devices in said semiconductor substrate may be both electrically connected to and isolated from said conductive strips within said dielectric layer and may be further interconnected to a surface layer of conductor on the surface of said dielectric layer.