INTEGRATED CIRCUIT FABRICATION EMPLOYING SELF-ALIGNED MASK

Organization Name

taiwan semiconductor manufacturing co., ltd.

Inventor(s)

Meng-Hsien Lin of Tainan City TW

Jaio-Wei Wang of Kaohsiung City TW

Ko Chun Liu of Toufen Township TW

Hsing-Chih Lin of Tainan City TW

Jen-Cheng Liu of Hsin-Chu City TW

Dun-Nian Yaung of Taipei City TW

INTEGRATED CIRCUIT FABRICATION EMPLOYING SELF-ALIGNED MASK

This abstract first appeared for US patent application 20250126812 titled 'INTEGRATED CIRCUIT FABRICATION EMPLOYING SELF-ALIGNED MASK

Original Abstract Submitted

some embodiments relate to a method that includes depositing a first layer of hard mask material over a layer of dielectric material; etching the first layer of the hard mask material, the etched first layer of hard mask material including an etched portion having a first lateral dimension; depositing a second layer of the hard mask material over the first layer of the hard mask material; etching at least a portion of the second layer of the hard mask material, while allowing a remaining portion of the hard mask material, to expose a portion of the layer of the dielectric material that has a second lateral dimension less than the first lateral dimension; and etching a trench into the layer of the dielectric material at the exposed portion of the layer of the dielectric material.