Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
215 words
A process for fabricating a semiconductor device having substrate, comprising the steps of: (a) forming a lower wiring layer having pretermined patterns, on the substrate; (b) forming a lower insulating layer on the lower wiring layer and the substrate; (c) forming a coating layer of a heat resisting material on the lower insulating layer, the coating layer having a substantially planar surface and filling any cavities in the top surface of the lower insulating layer with the heat resisting material; (d) etching the entire surface of the coating layer until portions of the coating layer corresponding to at least a part of the lower wiring layer are completely removed to expose first portions of the lower insulating layer, whereby cavities remaining in the lower insulating layer after etching remain filled with the heat resisting material, and whereby the resultant top surface is substantially planar; (e) forming an upper insulating layer on the lower insulating layer and the remaining heat resisting material; (f) forming through-holes reaching the lower wiring layer at positions corresponding to the first portions of the lower insulating layer; and (g) forming an upper wiring layer having predetermined patterns on the upper insulating layer and in the through-holes, the upper wiring layer being electrically connected with the lower wiring layer via the through-holes.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
215 words
A process for fabricating a semiconductor device having substrate, comprising the steps of: (a) forming a lower wiring layer having pretermined patterns, on the substrate; (b) forming a lower insulating layer on the lower wiring layer and the substrate; (c) forming a coating layer of a heat resisting material on the lower insulating layer, the coating layer having a substantially planar surface and filling any cavities in the top surface of the lower insulating layer with the heat resisting material; (d) etching the entire surface of the coating layer until portions of the coating layer corresponding to at least a part of the lower wiring layer are completely removed to expose first portions of the lower insulating layer, whereby cavities remaining in the lower insulating layer after etching remain filled with the heat resisting material, and whereby the resultant top surface is substantially planar; (e) forming an upper insulating layer on the lower insulating layer and the remaining heat resisting material; (f) forming through-holes reaching the lower wiring layer at positions corresponding to the first portions of the lower insulating layer; and (g) forming an upper wiring layer having predetermined patterns on the upper insulating layer and in the through-holes, the upper wiring layer being electrically connected with the lower wiring layer via the through-holes.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
38 words
A process according to claim 1, wherein steps (b) and (c) include forming the lower and upper insulating layers of a material selected from the group of silicon dioxide, phosphosilicate glass (PSG), silicon nitride, and silicon nitride oxide.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
38 words
A process according to claim 1 or 2, wherein steps (b) and (c) include forming the lower and upper insulating layers by a method selected from the group of CVD, plasma CVD, sputtering, bias sputtering, and ion plating.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
33 words
A process according to claim 1, wherein step (c) includes forming the coating layer of a heat resisting material selected from the group of silicon system resin, photosensitive polyimide, and heat resisting resist.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
17 words
A process according to claim 1, wherein step (c) includes forming the coating layer by spin coating.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
46 words
A process according to claim 1, wherein step (c) includes the substeps of: (1) coating a starting material on the lower wiring layer and the exposed substrate; and (2) heating the resultant layer of the starting material to cause it to change into a final material.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
30 words
A process according to claim 6, wherein step (c) (1) includes forming the starting material of a silicon system resin so that the final material is a silicon dioxide-like material.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
17 words
A process according to claim 6 or 7, wherein step (c) (2) is performed before step (d).
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
21 words
A process according to claim 6 or 7, wherein step (c) (2) is performed after step (d) and before step (e).
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
28 words
A process according to claim 1, wherein step (d) includes etching the coating layer and a part of the lower insulating layer with substantially the same etching rates.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
26 words
A process according to claim 10, wherein step (d) includes etching by a method selected from the group of controlled etching, ion milling, and plasma etching.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
34 words
A process according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of: (h) forming an additional wiring layer on the substrate; and (i) forming an insulating layer on the additional wiring layer before step (a).
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
16 words
A process according to claim 12, wherein step (i) includes performing steps corresponding to steps (a)-(g).
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
48 words
A process according to claim 1, wherein adjacent patterns of the wiring layer are separated by a space and wherein step (b) includes forming the lower insulating layer to a thickness which is less than half of the smallest space between adjacent patterns of the lower wiring layer.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
20 words
A process according to claim 1, wherein step (a) includes forming the lower wiring layer of patterns having different widths.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
26 words
A process according to claim 1, wherein step (a) includes forming the lower wiring layer of a material selected from the group of metal and polysilicon.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
26 words
A process according to claim 1, wherein step (g) includes forming the upper wiring layer of a material selected from the group of metal and polysilicon.