Patent ID: 7632736

Claim:
A method comprising: forming a spacer layer over a substrate having patterned stacks formed therein and trenches between the patterned stacks; depositing a sacrificial polysilicon layer over the substrate to fill the trenches; depositing a patterning layer over the substrate; patterning the patterning layer to define contact regions over at least a portion of the trenches; etching the sacrificial polysilicon layer using the patterned patterning layer as a mask to form open isolation regions; depositing an isolation layer within the open isolation regions; removing the patterning layer to expose portions of the sacrificial polysilicon layer remain after the etching the sacrificial polysilicon layer; etching the remaining portions of sacrificial polysilicon layer to form open contact regions; etching the spacer layer below the open contact regions; and depositing a contact layer within the open contact regions.