Patent ID: 7968466

Claim:
A method for fabricating a semiconductor device, comprising: forming a dummy film over a substrate such that said dummy film covers a device region of said substrate and an outer region of said substrate outside said device region; forming a dummy pattern line by patterning said dummy film such that said dummy pattern line has a first height in said device region and a second height smaller than said first height in said outer region; forming another film over said substrate such that said another film covers said dummy pattern line in said device region and in said outer region; and applying an anisotropic etching process to said substrate such that a surface of said substrate is exposed in said device region and in said outer region, the anisotropic etching process being conducted in a direction perpendicular to the surface of said substrate to form first and second patterns in said device region respectively along a first sidewall surface of said dummy pattern line and a second sidewall surface of said dummy pattern line opposite to said first sidewall surface and completely remove said another film in said outer region to an amount exceeding the second height of the dummy pattern line; and forming a semiconductor element in said device region by using said first and second patterns.