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:
Sep. 19, 2006
Filed:
Jan. 10, 2003
Gerhard Enders, Olching, DE;
Gerhard Enders, Olching, DE;
Infineon Technologies AG, Munich, DE;
Abstract
A method for processing a substrate to produce a structure, for example an insulating trench, uses a lithographic mask exposure process. Conventionally, the optical resolution limit prescribes the minimum width for any structure that can be produced. The method produces structures having a width less than the optical resolution limit on raised regions of the semiconductor substrate. Use is made of spacer technology, before the application of which the method first involves the local level ratios on the semiconductor substrate being reversed by trench etching, trench filling and subsequent back-etching of the trench interspace. The method allows insulating trenches of any narrow width between zero and the respective optical resolution limit to be produced on locally raised surface regions of the substrate.