Patent ID: 7669313

Claim:
A method for fabricating a thin film resistor semiconductor structure, the method comprising: forming a dielectric layer over a semiconductor substrate; forming an opening in the dielectric layer to the semiconductor substrate; forming a mesa dielectric layer over the dielectric layer and the opening in the dielectric layer; forming a thin film resistor material layer on the mesa dielectric layer; forming a capping layer over the mesa dielectric layer; etching portions of the capping layer and the thin film resistor material layer to form a thin film resistor structure; removing the capping layer; etching portions of the mesa dielectric layer to form an opening in the mesa dielectric layer at least at the opening in the dielectric layer, leaving portions of the mesa dielectric layer beneath the thin film resistor structure remaining; forming a contact material layer over the thin film resistor structure and the opening in the mesa dielectric layer; etching a portion of the contact material layer overlying a central portion of the thin film resistor structure except for contact ends of the thin film resistor; and annealing the thin film resistor structure at a temperature of about 400° C. to about 600° C. in an inert gas ambient for a time period of about 10 to about 60 minutes to set the thermal coefficient of resistance of the thin film resistor structure to be within a range of about +/−5 ppm/° C.