Patent ID: 9653356
Date: 2017-05-16
CPC Classifications: H01L

Claim:
1. A method of forming a conductive self-aligned contact for an integrated circuit product, comprising: forming a silicon dioxide etch stop layer on and in contact with a source/drain region and adjacent silicon nitride sidewall spacers positioned on two laterally spaced-apart transistors having silicon dioxide gate cap layers, said silicon dioxide etch stop layer comprising sidewall portions covering said silicon nitride sidewall spacers and a bottom portion covering said source/drain region; forming a silicon nitride material on and in contact with said silicon dioxide etch stop layer and above said source/drain region, said silicon nitride material substantially filling a space defined between said sidewall portions and above said bottom portion of said silicon dioxide etch stop layer; forming a layer of insulating material above said two laterally spaced-apart transistors and above said silicon nitride material positioned on said silicon dioxide etch stop layer; forming an opening in said layer of insulating material that exposes said silicon nitride material positioned on said silicon dioxide etch stop layer; performing a first etching process to remove said silicon nitride material positioned on said silicon dioxide etch stop layer so as to thereby define a self-aligned contact opening, wherein portions of said silicon dioxide gate cap layers on said two laterally spaced-apart transistors are exposed to said first etching process; performing a second etching process through said self-aligned contact opening so as to remove a portion of said silicon dioxide etch stop layer and thereby expose a portion of said source/drain region; forming said conductive self-aligned contact in said self-aligned contact opening such that said self-aligned contact is conductively coupled to said source/drain region.