Patent ID: 7960206

Claim:
A method of forming a metal layer in a device, wherein the device comprises a semiconductor structure over which the metal layer is formed, wherein a first hole pattern is provided in a masking material located over the semiconductor structure, and the masking material is an organic resin formed in a layer through which a first set of openings are provided to norm the first hole pattern, the method comprising: (a) etching a surface of the semiconductor structure exposed by the first set of openings in the masking material: (b) placing the semiconductor structure into an atmosphere comprising a vapor of a solvent of the masking material, whereby the masking material softens and re-flows to reduce the first set of openings in size to thereby insulate edge regions of the etched surface; and (c) applying a metal layer over the masking material, such that the metal layer contacts the etched surface through the first set of openings, but is isolated from the insulated edge regions of the etched surface by the re-flowed masking material, whereby the metal layer provides a connection between a plurality of the etched surface regions in the device while remaining isolated from the insulated edge regions by the re-flowed masking material.