Patent ID: 7704881

Claim:
A method for producing a semiconductor substrate with a through-substrate via that electrically connects a first side of the semiconductor substrate with an opposite second side of the semiconductor substrate, the method comprising the steps of: producing a substrate trench on the first side of the semiconductor substrate at a predetermined position of the through-substrate via; applying a sacrificial cap layer consisting of a cap-layer material on the first side of the semiconductor substrate in a patterned manner, thereby completely covering and at least partially filling the substrate trench with the cap-layer material, and providing an overcoat layer that covers the sacrificial cap layer on the substrate trench, wherein the overcoat layer is provided with holes through which decomposition products of the sacrificial cap layer are removed; opening the substrate trench from the second side of the semiconductor substrate to transform the substrate trench into a through-substrate via hole; letting the sacrificial cap layer decompose; removing all decomposition products of the sacrificial cap layer; and applying electrically conductive material in the substrate trench from the second side of the semiconductor substrate so as to provide the through-substrate via hole that extends to the second side of the semiconductor substrate.