Patent ID: 7795131

Claim:
A method of fabricating metal interconnects, comprising: providing a substrate; forming a first sacrificial pattern on the substrate, the first sacrificial pattern comprising a plurality of first openings; forming a first plating process to form a first metal interconnect pattern in each of the openings; removing the first sacrificial pattern, and forming a second sacrificial pattern on the substrate and on the first metal interconnect pattern, the second sacrificial pattern comprising a plurality of second openings partially exposing the first metal interconnect pattern; performing a second plating process to form a second metal interconnect in each of the second openings; removing the second sacrificial pattern, wherein a lateral surface of the first metal interconnect pattern and a lateral surface of the second metal interconnect are exposed after the second sacrificial pattern is removed; forming an inter-metal dielectric layer on the substrate, the first metal interconnect pattern and the second metal interconnect pattern when the lateral surface of the first metal interconnect pattern and the lateral surface of the second metal interconnect pattern are exposed, wherein the inter-metal dielectric layer covers the exposed lateral surface of the first metal interconnect pattern and the exposed lateral surface of the second metal interconnect pattern; and planarizing the surface of the inter-metal dielectric layer to expose the second metal interconnect pattern.