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EP0345875A2 Expired / Lapsed EP ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device

Assignee: Koninklijke Philips NV
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Filing: 1989-05-31
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2009-05-31
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Abstract

Abstract A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device is described in which electrical contact is provided to an area (10) of an electrically conductive level (1) exposed through an opening (2) in a covering layer (3). A further layer is provided over the covering layer (3) as a first layer (4) of the one material provided to a first thickness on the covering layer (3) and a second layer (5) of a different material provided to a second thickness. The further layer is then etched anisotropically using an anisotropic etching process which etches the first and second layers (4) and (5) at different rates with the first layer (4) being etched more slowly than the second layer (5) so that, after the anisotropic etching to expose the surface (3a) of the covering layer (3) and the said area (10) of the electrically conductive level (1), the side walls (2a) of the opening (2) remain covered by the said one material (40) and portions (50) of the said different material extend on the said one material (40) from the exposed area (10) up the side walls (2a) of the opening (2) for a distance less than the depth of the opening (2) and related to the thickness of the first layer and the different rates at which the first and second layers 4 and 5 are etched. An electrically conductive layer (6) is then provided on the covering layer (3) to form an electrical contact with the exposed area (10) of the electrically conductive level (1).

Inventors

  • 👤 Josephus Martinus F.G. Van Laarhoven

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction EP
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-07 06:47
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10W; H10W20/00; H10W20/01; H10W20/031; H10W20/069; H10W20/071; H10W20/074; H10W20/076; H10W20/081; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S148/00; Y10S148/051

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim 265 words
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, which method comprises providing electrical contact to an area of an electrically conductive level exposed through an opening in a covering layer by providing a further layer over the covering layer, etching the further layer anisotropically so as to expose the surface of the covering layer and the area of the electrically conductive level thereby leaving portions of the further layer on side walls of the opening bounding the exposed area, and providing an electrically conductive layer on the covering layer to form an electrical contact with the exposed area of the electrically conductive level, characterised by providing the further layer by providing a first layer of one material to a first thickness on the covering layer and a second layer of a different material to a second thickness on the first layer and anisotropically etching the further layer using an anisotropic etching process which etches the first and second layers at different rates with the first layer being etched more slowly than the second layer so that, after the anisotropic etching to expose the surface of the covering layer and the said area of the electrically conductive level, the side walls of the opening remain covered by the said one material and portions of the said different material extend on the said one material from the exposed area up the side walls of the opening for a distance less than the depth of the opening and related to the thickness of the first layer and the different rates at which the first and second layers are etched.
Claim 2
Independent Claim 265 words
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, which method comprises providing electrical contact to an area of an electrically conductive level exposed through an opening in a covering layer by providing a further layer over the covering layer, etching the further layer anisotropically so as to expose the surface of the covering layer and the area of the electrically conductive level thereby leaving portions of the further layer on side walls of the opening bounding the exposed area, and providing an electrically conductive layer on the covering layer to form an electrical contact with the exposed area of the electrically conductive level, characterised by providing the further layer by providing a first layer of one material to a first thickness on the covering layer and a second layer of a different material to a second thickness on the first layer and anisotropically etching the further layer using an anisotropic etching process which etches the first and second layers at different rates with the first layer being etched more slowly than the second layer so that, after the anisotropic etching to expose the surface of the covering layer and the said area of the electrically conductive level, the side walls of the opening remain covered by the said one material and portions of the said different material extend on the said one material from the exposed area up the side walls of the opening for a distance less than the depth of the opening and related to the thickness of the first layer and the different rates at which the first and second layers are etched.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 29 words
A method according to Claim 1, characterised by providing the covering layer as an insulating layer and forming the opening by anisotropically etching the insulating layer through a mask.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 19 words
A method according to Claim 1 or 2, characterised by providing the first and second layers as insulating layers.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 37 words
A method according to Claim 3, characterised by providing one of the first and second layers as a layer of silicon dioxide and the other of the first and second layers as a layer of silicon nitride.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 28 words
A method according to Claim 4, characterised by providing the first layer as a layer of silicon nitride and the second layer as a layer of silicon dioxide.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 17 words
A method according to Claim 5, which comprises anisotropically etching the further layer using a fluorine-containing plasma.

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