Patent ID: 11967647
Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY LTD.
Field: Semiconductors (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC H  B | IPC H

Claim 0:
1. A method for forming a semiconductor device, comprising:
forming source/drain contact openings extending through at least one dielectric layer to expose portions of source/drain structures on opposite sides of a gate structure;
forming source/drain contact structures in the source/drain contact openings;
depositing a light blocking layer in direct contact with top surfaces of the source/drain contact structures and a top surface of the at least one dielectric layer;
etching the light blocking layer to expose the top surfaces of the source/drain contact structures, wherein the gate structure remains covered by a remaining portion of the light blocking layer,
wherein etching the light blocking layer comprises:
forming a photoresist layer over the light blocking layer;
patterning the photoresist layer to form openings therein to expose portions of the light blocking layer overlying the source/drain contact structures; and
removing the exposed portions of the light blocking layer by an anisotropic etching process; and

performing a laser annealing process to activate dopants in the source/drain structures.