Patent ID: 8232152

Claim:
A removing method of a hard mask, comprising: providing a substrate; forming at least two MOSFETs on the substrate and an isolating structure between the at least two MOSFETs, each of the two MOSFETs comprising a gate insulating layer, a gate, a spacer and a hard mask on the gate; forming either a photoresist layer or a bottom anti-reflective coating layer on the substrate to cover the at least two MOSFETs and the isolating structure; etching back either the photoresist layer or the bottom anti-reflective coating layer without a mask till the hard masks of the at least two MOSFETs are exposed, thereby forming a remained photoresist layer or a remained bottom anti-reflective coating layer, wherein the remained photoresist layer or the remained bottom anti-reflective coating layer forms a protecting structure located on and directly contacted with the isolating structure; removing the exposed hard masks of the at least two MOSFETs; and removing the protecting structure to expose the isolating structure.