Patent ID: 7608538

Claim:
A method comprising: forming a template structure comprising a substrate, a discrete metal contact pad located over a top surface of said substrate, an inter-level dielectric (ILD) layer covering both the substrate and the metal contact pad, a metal via structure extending from a top surface of said ILD layer and through the ILD layer and onto the discrete metal contact pad, and a patterned metal layer that is located on an upper surface of the ILD layer and is electrically connected to the metal via structure; forming a vertical via in the template structure, after forming said metal via structure, wherein said vertical via extends at least from the top surface of said ILD layer and through said ILD layer and onto the discrete metal contact pad, wherein a surface of said discrete metal contact pad is exposed at a bottom of said vertical via; forming a vertical conductive structure in said vertical via by electroplating, wherein the electroplating is conducted by applying an electroplating current to the discrete metal contact pad through the metal via structure; and forming an insulating layer over the patterned metal layer before formation of the vertical via, wherein the patterned metal layer is completely covered by the insulating layer except at an edge region, and wherein during the electroplating, the electroplating current is applied through said edge region to the patterned metal layer, and wherein the subsequently formed vertical via extends through both the insulating layer and The ILD layer.