Patent ID: 6362093
Filing Date: 2002-03-26
Classification: H01L

Abstract:
A method for forming through a microelectronic layer a via contiguous with a trench comprising:providing a substrate; forming over the substrate a first microelectronic layer; forming upon the first microelectronic layer an etch stop layer; forming upon the etch stop layer a second microelectronic layer; forming over the second microelectronic layer a first patterned mask layer which defines the location of a via to be formed through the second microelectronic layer, the etch stop layer and the first microelectronic layer; etching, while employing a first etch method which employs the first patterned mask layer as a first etch mask layer, the second microelectronic layer, the etch stop layer and the first microelectronic layer to form a corresponding patterned second microelectronic layer, patterned etch stop layer and patterned first microelectronic layer which define the via; removing the first patterned mask layer; then forming into at least a lower portion of the via defined by the patterned second microelectronic layer, the patterned etch stop layer and the patterned first microelectronic layer a sacrificial via fill layer; then forming over the patterned second microelectronic layer a patterned second mask layer which defines the location of a trench to be formed through the patterned second microelectronic layer, a first areal dimension of the via being smaller than and contained within a second areal dimension of the trench; then etching, while employing a second etch method which employs the second patterned mask layer as a second etch mask layer and the patterned etch stop layer as an etch stop layer, the patterned second microelectronic layer to form a twice patterned second microelectronic layer which defines the trench and a reduced height via, while not completely etching the sacrificial via fill layer within the reduced height via to form a no greater than partially etched sacrificial via fill layer within the reduced height via; and then stripping the no greater than partially etched sacrificial via fill layer from the reduced height via to form the reduced height via contiguous with the trench.