Patent ID: 7553770

Claim:
A method of fabricating a memory device, the method comprising: depositing a layer of amorphous carbon over a substrate, wherein the substrate comprises an array portion surrounded by a periphery portion; depositing an inorganic hard mask over the layer of amorphous carbon; depositing a layer of photodefinable material on the inorganic hard mask over the array portion of the substrate; removing the photodefinable material and the portion of the inorganic hard mask located over the periphery portion of the substrate; removing a portion of the amorphous carbon layer in the exposed periphery of the substrate; removing the inorganic hard mask resulting in a thicker layer of amorphous carbon over the array portion than the periphery portion; depositing a second inorganic hard mask over the layer of amorphous carbon; performing photolithography on the memory device; and high aspect ratio plasma oxide etching.