The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 23, 2002
Filed:
Sep. 28, 1999
Duane E. Carter, Plano, TX (US);
Ming J. Hwang, Dallas, TX (US);
Texas Instruments Incorporated, Dallas, TX (US);
Abstract
Contacts for an electronic device are formed by providing a substrate ( ) that has at least two access line structures ( ) for a memory array ( ) and a periphery structure ( ) for a peripheral circuit ( ) to the memory array ( ). A first insulative layer ( ) is formed outwardly of the substrate ( ), the access line structures ( ), and the periphery structure ( ). A contact area of the periphery structure ( ) is exposed through the first insulative layer ( ) while maintaining the first insulative layer ( ) over at least a contact overlap portion ( ) of the access line structures ( ). A second insulative layer ( ) is formed outwardly of the substrate ( ), the access line structures ( ), the periphery structure ( ), and the first insulative layer ( ). A self-aligned contact hole ( ) overlapping the contact overlap portion ( ) of the access line structures ( ) and a periphery contact hole ( ) overlapping the contact area ( ) of the periphery structure ( ) are formed through the second insulative layer ( ) with a same mask ( ). A self-aligned contact ( ) is formed in the self-aligned contact hole ( ) and a periphery contact ( ) is formed in the periphery contact hole ( ).