METHODS OF FORMING V0 STRUCTURES FOR SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES BY FORMING A PROTECTION LAYER WITH A NON-UNIFORM THICKNESS

摘要

One illustrative method disclosed herein includes, among other things, forming a source/drain contact structure between two spaced-apart transistor gate structures, forming a non-uniform thickness layer of material on the upper surface of the gate cap layers and on the upper surface of the source/drain contact structure, wherein the non-uniform thickness layer of material is thicker above the gate cap layers than it is above the source/drain contact structure, forming an opening in the non-uniform thickness layer of material so as to expose at least a portion of the source/drain contact structure, and forming a V0 via that is conductively coupled to the exposed portion of the source/drain contact structure, the V0 via being at least partially positioned in the opening in the non-uniform thickness layer of material.

主权项

1. A method of forming a V0 via on an integrated circuit product comprised of two spaced-apart transistor gate structures, each of said gate structures having a gate cap layer, the method comprising:
forming a source/drain contact structure between said two spaced-apart transistor gate structures, wherein an upper surface of said source/drain contact structure is substantially planar with an upper surface of each of said gate cap layers; performing a deposition process to form a non-uniform thickness layer of material on said upper surface of said gate cap layers and on said upper surface of said source/drain contact structure, wherein portions of said non-uniform thickness layer of material positioned on said gate cap layers have a first thickness and a portion of said non-uniform thickness layer of material positioned on said source/drain contact structure has a second thickness that is substantially less than said first thickness; forming a first layer of insulating material above said non-uniform thickness layer of material; performing at least one etching process to form an opening in said non-uniform thickness layer of material so as to expose at least a portion of said source/drain contact structure; and forming said V0 via such that it is conductively coupled to said exposed portion of said source/drain contact structure, said V0 via being at least partially positioned in said opening in said non-uniform thickness layer of material.