Patent ID: 8492255

Claim:
A method of forming a Schottky structure in a wafer having a semiconductor material, the method comprising: forming an opening in the semiconductor material that extends down from a top surface of the semiconductor material into the semiconductor material, the semiconductor material having a first conductivity type; depositing a metal layer that touches the semiconductor material in the opening; heating the metal layer to form a salacide region that touches the semiconductor material in the opening implanting the semiconductor material with a dopant of a second conductivity type to form a guard ring, the guard ring horizontally surrounding the opening; forming a hard mask that touches the top surface of the semiconductor material before the opening is formed in the semiconductor material, the hard mask exposing a region of the top surface of the semiconductor material; wherein the region of the semiconductor material exposed by the hard mask is etched to form the opening in the semiconductor material; also wherein the metal layer is deposited to touch the hard mask and the guard ring; removing the metal layer from a top surface of the hard mask after the salacide region has been formed; and removing the hard mask from the top surface of the semiconductor material after the salacide region has been formed.