Patent ID: 7645660

Claim:
A method for protecting a circuit component on a semiconductor substrate from a plasma etching or removal process, the method comprising: forming an auxiliary layer over the circuit component to completely overlay and surround top and side surfaces of the circuit component; forming a screening layer over the auxiliary layer to cover at least an area of the auxiliary layer that completely overlays and surrounds the top and side surfaces of the circuit component; transferring a pattern defined by a mask onto the screening layer by selectively removing portions of the screening layer in accordance with the pattern, the remaining portions of the screening layer covering at least the area of the auxiliary layer that overlays the top and side surfaces of the circuit component; and removing portions of the auxiliary layer that are not protected by the screening layer, using a plasma gas selective to the auxiliary layer material, without removing the area of the auxiliary layer that completely overlays and surrounds the top and side surfaces of the circuit component, thereby protecting the circuit component from the plasma gas via the screening layer and auxiliary layer.