Patent ID: 7966722
Filing Date: 2011-06-28
Classification: H03H,Y10T

Abstract:
1. In the fabrication of a circuit, a method of maintaining a planar surface on an oxide layer deposited over a patterned layer of metal on a substrate comprising: depositing a dielectric layer on the substrate; depositing and patterning the metal layer on the dielectric layer; depositing a first oxide layer over the patterned layer of metal and the dielectric layer using high density plasma chemical vapor deposition (HDP CVD) to a thickness substantially equal to the thickness of the metal layer; applying a photoresist mask over the first oxide layer, the photoresist mask having an opening in the mask that is on top of and smaller than the patterned metal layer; etching the first oxide layer from the patterned metal layer such that a thin oxide bump is left at the edge of the patterned metal layer; and depositing a second HDP CVD oxide layer over the first oxide layer, the thin oxide bump, and the patterned metal layer such that the second HDP CVD oxide layer mitigates the size of the thin oxide bump.