A method for blocking one or more portions of one or more longitudinal through-holes during manufacture of a semiconductor structure, wherein the blocking of a through-hole portion creates two new through-holes out of the original through-hole, comprising the steps of: i. forming a stack comprising: a. A hard mask having a thickness and comprising at least one longitudinal through-hole having a width (W), a length, and a depth corresponding to the thickness of the hard mask , and b. A first coating filling the at least one longitudinal through-hole and coating the hard mask , wherein the first coating comprises one or more materials that can be etched selectively with respect to a second coating , ii. Etching a vertical via in said first coating directly above a portion to be blocked of a longitudinal through-hole in such a way as to remove the first coating from the portion of the longitudinal through-hole over at least a fraction of the depth of the longitudinal through-hole , wherein the via is of lateral dimension (D) larger or equal to the width (W) of the longitudinal through-hole comprising the portion and of longitudinal dimension equal to the longitudinal dimension of the portion , iii. Filling at least partially the portion to be blocked, with the second coating , thereby providing a longitudinal through hole with a blocked portion creating two new through-holes out of the original through-hole , and iv. Removing the first coating selectively with respect to the second coating from at least the one or more longitudinal through-holes in such a way as to leave in place any of the first coating present directly underneath the second coating . i. forming a stack comprising: a. A hard mask having a thickness and comprising at least one longitudinal through-hole having a width (W), a length, and a depth corresponding to the thickness of the hard mask , and b. A first coating filling the at least one longitudinal through-hole and coating the hard mask , wherein the first coating comprises one or more materials that can be etched selectively with respect to a second coating , a. A hard mask having a thickness and comprising at least one longitudinal through-hole having a width (W), a length, and a depth corresponding to the thickness of the hard mask , and b. A first coating filling the at least one longitudinal through-hole and coating the hard mask , wherein the first coating comprises one or more materials that can be etched selectively with respect to a second coating , ii. Etching a vertical via in said first coating directly above a portion to be blocked of a longitudinal through-hole in such a way as to remove the first coating from the portion of the longitudinal through-hole over at least a fraction of the depth of the longitudinal through-hole , wherein the via is of lateral dimension (D) larger or equal to the width (W) of the longitudinal through-hole comprising the portion and of longitudinal dimension equal to the longitudinal dimension of the portion , iii. Filling at least partially the portion to be blocked, with the second coating , thereby providing a longitudinal through hole with a blocked portion creating two new through-holes out of the original through-hole , and iv. Removing the first coating selectively with respect to the second coating from at least the one or more longitudinal through-holes in such a way as to leave in place any of the first coating present directly underneath the second coating . <EOS>