Super-Self-Aligned Contacts and Method for Making the Same

摘要

A number of first hard mask portions are formed on a dielectric layer to vertically shadow a respective one of a number of underlying gate structures. A number of second hard mask filaments are formed adjacent to each side surface of each first hard mask portion. A width of each second hard mask filament is set to define an active area contact-to-gate structure spacing. A first passage is etched between facing exposed side surfaces of a given pair of neighboring second hard mask filaments and through a depth of the semiconductor wafer to an active area. A second passage is etched through a given first hard mask portion and through a depth of the semiconductor wafer to a top surface of the underlying gate structure. An electrically conductive material is deposited within both the first and second passages to respectively form an active area contact and a gate contact.

主权项

1. A semiconductor device, comprising:
a first gate structure including a central conductive region and sidewall spacers disposed on side surfaces of the central conductive region, the first gate structure including a portion that forms a gate electrode of a transistor; a second gate structure including a central conductive region and sidewall spacers disposed on side surfaces of the central conductive region, the second gate structure including a portion positioned over a shallow trench isolation region and next to the portion of the first gate structure that forms the gate electrode of the transistor; an active area formed within a substrate between the central conductive region of the first gate structure and the shallow trench isolation region over which the second gate structure is positioned; an active area contact structure positioned between the first gate structure and the second gate structure, the active area contact structure in contact with the active area; and a photon absorption material disposed between the first gate structure and the second gate structure and around the active area contact structure.