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. 19, 2016
Filed:
Dec. 29, 2014
Sandisk Technologies, Inc., Plano, TX (US);
Kei Nozawa, Yokkaichi, JP;
SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES LLC, Plano, TX (US);
Abstract
A stack is formed over a substrate, which comprises an alternating plurality of first material layers including a first material and second material layers including a second material. A patterned hard mask is formed, which includes multiple laterally spaced apart strips. A trimming material layer is formed over the hard mask layer. At least one cycle of process steps is subsequent performed, which include etching the first material employing the second material and the trimming material layer as an etch mask, trimming the trimming material layer to expose a strip of the hard mask layer, etching the second material and the exposed strip of the hard mask layer employing the trimming material layer as an etch mask, and trimming the trimming material layer to expose an edge of a next strip of the hard mask layer. Stepped surfaces suitable for formation of contact via array can thus be formed.