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 linear gate structure having side surfaces oriented in a first direction and a top surface, wherein a width of the first linear gate structure is defined by a distance extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction between the side surfaces of the first linear gate structure, the first linear gate structure forming a gate electrode of at least one transistor; a second linear gate structure having side surfaces oriented in the first direction and a top surface, wherein a width of the second linear gate structure is defined by a distance extending in the second direction between the side surfaces of the second linear gate structure, the second linear gate structure forming a gate electrode of at least one transistor; a first gate contact in physical contact with the top surface of the first linear gate structure, the first gate contact formed to cover the width of the first linear gate structure without extending in the second direction substantially beyond either of the side surfaces of the first linear gate structure; and a second gate contact in physical contact with the top surface of the second linear gate structure, the second gate contact formed to cover the width of the second linear gate structure without extending in the second direction substantially beyond either of the side surfaces of the second linear gate structure, wherein the first and second gate contacts are positioned in a side-by-side configuration, such that a virtual line oriented in the second direction extends through both the first and second gate contacts.