Method of manufacturing by autoalignment an integrated semiconductor device comprising at least the formation of an encapsulated first electrode contact provided with spacers and of a second autoaligned electrode contact on the former

Claim 3

A method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that during step b 0 ) the overhanging sides of the opening B 0 in the photoresist layer are formed with a substantially vertical upper portion F' 1 and a lower portion F" 1 which has a convexity where the curved part is directed toward the opening B 0 .

Claim 4

A method as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that, in order to achieve that the sides of the opening B 0 having a substantially vertical upper portion F' 1 and a lower portion F" 1 which has a convexity directed towards the opening B 0 , the image reversal process is followed comprising at least the following steps: covering the upper surface of the first semiconductor layer with a photoresist of the positive type which is reversible by treatment, in which the opening B 0 with overhanging sides is to be provided, and carrying out a first heat treatment of this photoresist, forming a mask for protecting the surface of the photoresist region destined finally to form the opening B 0; irradiating the photoresist through a thickness e 1 smaller than its total thickness and approximately equal to the height desired for the portion F' 1 of the vertical sides of the opening B 0 , by a first ultraviolet radiation λ 1 ; removing the mask and baking the photoresist for curing it in the irradiated regions; completely irradiating the photoresist throughout its thickness, the regions outside the region of the future opening B 0 having become a mask for the present operation as a result of the preceding operations, the irradiation taking place with ultraviolet light λ 2 ≧λ 1 ; and developing the photoresist in an agent which is capable of dissolving the irradiated regions which have not been baked at the end, including the region of the opening B 0 , which results in an opening having substantially vertical sides F' 1 in the portion which was irradiated through a small thickness and baked after irradiation, and having underetched sides F" 1 in the portion which was irradiated throughout its thickness without final baking after irradiation.

Claim 5

A method as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that during step c 0 ) the upper edges of the sides F 2 of the first electrode contact E extend up to the small lateral distance d from the overhanging sides F 1 of the opening B 0 in the portion where the latter sides have their change in curvature between F' 1 and F 1 .

Claim 6

A method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that during step f 0 ) the spacers are formed by deposition of a second dielectric layer of a specific uniform thickness h 1 , after which this second dielectric layer is uniformly etched for a height which is equal to the specific value h 1 , this second dielectric layer being made of a material identical to that of the first dielectric layer.

Claim 7

A method as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that during step a 0 ) the first layer is formed at the surface of the second layer and the first layer is of a first conductivity type and the second layer of a second conductivity type.

Claim 8

A method as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that it in addition comprises: g 0 ) etching of the first or upper semiconductor layer around the first encapsulated electrode contact E provided with spacers, which contact thus etched serves as a mask, with underetching under the spacers until the subjacent second semiconductor layer is reached; h 0 ) depositing of a second metallic layer for forming the second electrode contact B, which is bounded on one side by the first encapsulated contact E provided with spacers and on the other side by the edges of the opening of a mask; i 0 ) removing of the encapsulation, the spacers, the mask, and the portion of the metal layer deposited on the encapsulation, the spacers, and the mask during the preceding step.

Claim 9

A method as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that during step i 0 ) removal of the undesirable elements comprises: i 1 ) depositing a third dielectric layer of a different material from that of the encapsulation and the spacers with a substantially planar upper surface, leaving open the portion of the second metallic layer which covers the first encapsulated electrode contact E; i 2 ) removing the portion of the second metallic layer which covers the first encapsulated electrode contact E, this first electrode contact E being protected by its encapsulation and the second electrode contact B being protected by the third dielectric layer; i 3 ) removing the spacers and the encapsulation of the first electrode contact E; and i 4 ) removing the third dielectric layer and lifting-off the mask and the portion of the second metallic layer which covers it.

Claim 10

A method as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that during step i 1 ) the third dielectric layer is realised by a planarizing method, in photoresist or polyimide.

Claim 11

A method as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that during step i 2 ) the removal of the portion of the metal layer is effected by chemical means.

Claim 12

A method as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that during step f 0 ) the specific value h 1 is taken to be equal to the desired distance between the first and the second electrode contacts.

Claim 13

A method according to claim 5, further comprising the formation of a non-planar bipolar heterojunction transistor, which method realises this transistor through at least forming three superimposed semiconductor layers of alternating conductivity types being from the lower to the upper layer a collector layer, a base layer, and an emitter layer, respectively, with at least one heterojunction between the base layer and the emitter layer, characterized in that the emitter and base contacts, the first electrode contact E and second electrode contact B are formed on respective layers.

Claim 14

A method as claimed in claim 12, characterized in that, for forming the collector contacts C of the bipolar heterojunction transistor, the third electrode contacts, it comprises in addition: j 0 ) forming a mask having openings coinciding with the regions destined for the collector contacts C, k 0 ) etching of the semiconductor layers in these openings down to the collector layer, l 0 ) depositing a third metal layer for forming the collector contacts, and m 0 ) lifting-off the mask and of the undesirable portion of the third metal layer which covers it.