Patent ID: 7888252

Claim:
A method of forming self-aligned contacts, the method comprising the steps of: providing a substrate including a plurality of gate stacks having a space between each of said plurality of gate stacks, said space exposing a contact adjacent said gate stacks; conformally depositing a dielectric over said substrate so that dielectric divots are formed in the top surface of said dielectric over said space between said each of said plurality of gate stacks; depositing a patterned masking layer over said dielectric layer, said patterned masking layer comprising openings aligned with and exposing said divots in said top surface of said dielectric, wherein said step of depositing a patterned masking layer comprises: conformally depositing a random polymer layer within said dielectric divots, while leaving a top surface of said dielectric exposed over said gate stacks; conformally depositing a multi-block self-assembly layer on said exposed dielectric and on said random polymer layer within said dielectric divots, so that each of said block materials self-organizes vertically within said dielectric divots; etching one of said block materials selective to other of said block materials to form openings in said dielectric divots to expose said random polymer layer; and removing said random polymer layer through said openings so as to remove the remaining block materials from said dielectric divot to expose said dielectric within said dielectric divot, while leaving at least one layer of said block materials covering said dielectric over said gate stacks; and etching said dielectric through said openings to expose said contacts.