Patent ID: 8168536

Claim:
A process, comprising: realizing self-positioned metal contacts directly on a silicon wafer of semiconductor product wherein respective placement areas for the metal contacts are determined by selective deposition of a silicon-based sacrificial growth material on a surface of the silicon wafer followed by complete removal of the silicon-based sacrificial growth material at the placement areas for the metal contacts, the process comprising the steps of: a) depositing a dielectric material over the silicon-based sacrificial growth material, b) smoothing so as to partially remove the dielectric material and expose the silicon-based sacrificial growth material, c) selectively removing all of the silicon-based sacrificial growth material to open a void in the dielectric material which exposes the surface of the wafer, d) conformally depositing a layer of insulating material, after selectively removing c), the conformal layer of insulating material covering the surface of the silicon wafer in the void and a gate structure on the surface adjacent to the void, e) selectively removing the conformal layer of insulating material from the void while leaving the conformal layer of insulating material on the gate structure, and f) depositing a conductive material to fill any void left by the e) selective removing and thus form the self-positioned metal contacts directly on the wafer surface.