Patent ID: 7300825

Claim:
A method of making connections to wires in a wiring level of a damascene interconnect structure which is a last of several wiring levels before top metal metallization is performed comprising the steps of: depositing an insulating layer atop the wiring level; depositing a first photoresist on the insulating layer; in a first exposure step, exposing first shapes in the first photoresist so that in a subsequent insulating layer etch, first openings will be formed through the insulating layer extending to selected areas of selected ones of the wires; in a second exposure step, exposing second shapes in the first photoresist so that in the subsequent insulating layer etch, second openings will be formed through the insulating layer extending to portions of pairs of the wires which are desired to be connected; performing the subsequent insulating layer etch so that the first openings and second openings are formed through the insulating layer; and performing top metal metallization, wherein metal fills the first openings and the second openings in the insulating layer.