Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
146 words
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, which method comprises providing a semiconductor body having at a major surface a surface structure comprising an insulating layer through which is formed an opening defining a sidewall of insulating material bounding an exposed surface area of a region beneath the insulating layer, providing an activating layer on the exposed surface area and the sidewall of the opening, and depositing electrically conductive material on the activating layer to form an electrically conductive region in the opening in electrical contact with the underlying region, characterized by providing the activating layer so that the activating layer material on the side wall has a different composition from that of the activating layer material on the exposed surface area and selectively etching the activating layer to remove the activating layer material from the sidewall of the opening before depositing the electrically conductive material.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
146 words
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, which method comprises providing a semiconductor body having at a major surface a surface structure comprising an insulating layer through which is formed an opening defining a sidewall of insulating material bounding an exposed surface area of a region beneath the insulating layer, providing an activating layer on the exposed surface area and the sidewall of the opening, and depositing electrically conductive material on the activating layer to form an electrically conductive region in the opening in electrical contact with the underlying region, characterized by providing the activating layer so that the activating layer material on the side wall has a different composition from that of the activating layer material on the exposed surface area and selectively etching the activating layer to remove the activating layer material from the sidewall of the opening before depositing the electrically conductive material.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
47 words
A method according to claim 1, further characterized by providing the activating layer on the exposed surface area and the sidewall of the opening by depositing the activating layer over the insulating layer and selectively removing the activating layer from the top surface of the insulating layer.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
19 words
A method according to claim 2, further characterized by removing the activating layer from the top surface by polishing.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
15 words
A method according to claim 1, further characterized by providing the activating layer by sputtering.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method according to claim 1, further characterized by providing the activating layer as a layer of a titanium-tungsten alloy.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
25 words
A method according to claim 5, further characterized by using hot phosphoric acid to selectively remove the activating layer from the sidewall of the opening.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method according to claim 1, further characterized by using an electroless deposition technique to deposit the electrically conductive material.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
27 words
A method according to claim 1, further characterized by depositing a material selected from the group consisting of copper, gold and nickel as the electrically conductive material.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
17 words
A method according to claim 1, further characterized by selectively depositing tungsten as the electrically conductive material.