Infineon Technologies Ag

Peter Thieme

Bernhard Sell

Manfred Engelhardt

Franz Kreupl

Matthias Lehr

Albrecht Kieslich

Annette Sänger

Lars Voland

Heike Drummer

A semiconductor substrate is provided, on which there is arranged a first layer, a second layer and a third layer. The third layer is, for example, a resist mask that is used to pattern the second layer. The second layer is, for example, a patterned hard mask used to pattern the first layer. Then, the third layer is removed and a fourth layer is deposited. The fourth layer is, for example, an insulator that fills the trenches which have been formed in the first layer. Then, the fourth layer is planarized by a CMP step. The planarization is continued and the second layer, which is, for example, a hard mask, is removed from the first layer together with the fourth layer. The fourth layer remains in place in a trench which is arranged in the first layer.

Process for producing and removing a mask layer

The semiconductor structure has a layer structure formed from a metalization layer and a dielectric layer. The metalization layer is patterned and has contact areas. The dielectric layer is composed of a depositable material and covers the metalization layer. The contact areas are formed from many contiguous individual structures, which are so narrow that the depositable material does not form, over the individual structures, any areas which run parallel to the metalization layer. The grid of contiguous individual structures forms a contact area which causes dielectric layer elevations which are particularly low and therefore easy to planarize.

Patterning of content areas in multilayer metalization configurations of semiconductor components

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Dresden, Germany

Peter Thieme