Methods for producing an aperture in a surface

Abstract

A method of electrolytic deposition of metal is used to decrease the minimum size pattern that can be obtained using photolithography. In the manufacture of integrated circuits, a layer of metal and then photoresist is deposited on the dielectric layer of the substrate prior to masking to define the gate apertures. After masking and etching through to the dielectric, metal is electrodeposited on the metal edges that abut the gate aperture, thus decreasing the aperture size. After that decreased gate dimension is etched into the dielectric to define the gate lengths of the semiconductor devices, the wafer is stripped and the subsequent manufacture proceeds in the conventional manner.