Patent ID: 8021950

Claim:
A method comprising: providing a wafer having a bottom surface and a top surface opposite said bottom surface; forming a semiconductor device adjacent to said top surface such that said semiconductor device incorporates an infrared absorbing layer, said infrared absorbing layer being selectively placed within said semiconductor device; forming at least one dielectric layer on said semiconductor device; forming a contact extending vertically through said at least one dielectric layer to said semiconductor device; forming, above said at least one dielectric layer and immediately adjacent to said contact, at least one layer of metal for a back end of the line (BEOL) metal wiring level; and after said forming of said at least one layer of metal, selectively heating said infrared absorbing layer to a first predetermined temperature by exposing said bottom surface of said wafer to infrared radiation, said infrared absorbing layer being selectively placed within said semiconductor device and said selectively heating of said infrared absorbing layer being performed so that heat from said infrared absorbing layer is transferred to a region of said semiconductor device adjacent to said infrared absorbing layer without raising the temperature of said at least one layer of metal to above a second predetermined temperature that is lower than said first predetermined temperature.