Patent ID: 7049241

Claim:
A method for forming a semiconductor structure, the method comprising: providing a semiconductor wafer with a layer or a layer stack on which a hard mask layer and a photosensitive resist are arranged; exposing the photosensitive resist and developing the photoresist for the formation of at least one resist ridge arranged above the hard mask layer; reducing the width of the resist ridge by exposing the resist ridge to an oxygen plasma; implanting a first portion of the hard mask layer with dopant particles such that a second portion of the hard mask layer that is shaded by the resist ridge is not implanted; removing the resist ridge; stripping-out the second portion of the hard mask layer selectively with respect to the first portion to form an opening in the hard mask layer; and anisotropic etching the layer or the layer stack selectively with respect to the hard mask layer for the purpose of transferring the opening into the layer or the layer stack to form a recess.