Patent ID: 7148145

Claim:
A method of forming at least one feature on a substrate, said method comprising: forming at least one initial feature of a semiconductive material above said substrate, said at least one initial feature having sidewalls and an upper surface; forming a dielectric layer on said substrate adjacent a portion of said sidewalls, said dielectric layer covering less than all of said sidewalls and defining an exposed portion of said sidewalls of said at least one initial feature, wherein forming said dielectric layer on said substrate comprises: blanket-depositing a dielectric material on said substrate so as to cover all of the sidewalls and the upper surface of said at least one initial feature; polishing said dielectric material so as to expose the upper surface of said at least one initial feature; and partially removing the remaining dielectric layer so as to expose a portion of the sidewalls of said at least one initial feature; selectively growing a layer of a semiconductive material on at least the upper surface and the exposed portion of the sidewalls of said at least one initial feature so as to form at least one intermediate feature of a semiconductive material having an upper portion extending beyond the sidewalls of said initial feature and covering a portion of said dielectric layer adjacent said sidewalls; and removing the dielectric layer not covered by said upper portion of said at least one intermediate feature.