18402563. METHOD OF BREAKING THROUGH ETCH STOP LAYER simplified abstract (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.)

METHOD OF BREAKING THROUGH ETCH STOP LAYER

Organization Name

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.

Inventor(s)

Yu-Shih Wang of Tainan (TW)

Hong-Jie Yang of Hsinchu (TW)

Chia-Ying Lee of New Taipei (TW)

Po-Nan Yeh of Hsinchu (TW)

U-Ting Chiu of Hsinchu (TW)

Chun-Neng Lin of Hsinchu (TW)

Ming-Hsi Yeh of Hsinchu (TW)

Kuo-Bin Huang of Jhubei (TW)

METHOD OF BREAKING THROUGH ETCH STOP LAYER - A simplified explanation of the abstract

This abstract first appeared for US patent application 18402563 titled 'METHOD OF BREAKING THROUGH ETCH STOP LAYER

Simplified Explanation

A photo resist layer is used to protect a dielectric layer and conductive elements embedded in the dielectric layer when patterning an etch stop layer underlying the dielectric layer. The photo resist layer may further be used to etch another dielectric layer underlying the etch stop layer, where etching the next dielectric layer exposes a contact, such as a gate contact. The bottom layer can be used to protect the conductive elements embedded in the dielectric layer from a wet etchant used to etch the etch stop layer.

• Photo resist layer used to protect dielectric layer and conductive elements during patterning
• Can be used to etch another dielectric layer to expose contacts
• Bottom layer protects conductive elements from wet etchant during etching

Potential Applications

This technology can be applied in semiconductor manufacturing processes, specifically in the fabrication of integrated circuits where precise patterning and etching are required.

Problems Solved

1. Protection of delicate components during etching processes 2. Accurate exposure of contacts for further processing

Benefits

1. Improved precision in etching processes 2. Enhanced protection of embedded elements 3. Streamlined fabrication of integrated circuits

Potential Commercial Applications

"Advanced Etching Technology for Semiconductor Manufacturing"

Possible Prior Art

Prior art in the field of semiconductor manufacturing may include similar methods of protecting and etching layers in the fabrication process.

Unanswered Questions

How does this technology compare to existing methods in terms of efficiency and cost-effectiveness?

This article does not provide a direct comparison with existing methods in the semiconductor industry.

Are there any limitations or challenges in implementing this technology on a larger scale?

The article does not address potential limitations or challenges in scaling up this technology for mass production.

Original Abstract Submitted

A photo resist layer is used to protect a dielectric layer and conductive elements embedded in the dielectric layer when patterning an etch stop layer underlying the dielectric layer. The photo resist layer may further be used to etch another dielectric layer underlying the etch stop layer, where etching the next dielectric layer exposes a contact, such as a gate contact. The bottom layer can be used to protect the conductive elements embedded in the dielectric layer from a wet etchant used to etch the etch stop layer.