Alignment tolerant semiconductor contact and method

A method for forming an alignment tolerant electrical contact to a contact region of an underlying substrate, comprising:

• providing a substrate having thereon a first electrically conductive region with an upper surface, wherein the conductive region is laterally bounded by a first dielectric region;
• applying a mask over the first dielectric region and the upper surface, the mask having an opening extending partly over the contact region and over a part of the upper surface;
• removing a portion of the first dielectric region underlying the mask opening to form a passage through the first dielectric region extending to the contact region and the part of the upper surface, thereby exposing the contact region and the part of the upper surface;
• converting the part of the upper surface to a second dielectric region;
• and
• filling the passage with a conductor making electrical contact with the contact region and making contact with the second dielectric region and electrically insulated thereby from the electrically conductive region.