Appeal No. 2003-1556
Application 09/288,932
semiconductor device having a sublithographic buried contact.
Claim 1 is illustrative:
1. A semiconductor structure for formation of a
semiconductor device having a sublithographic buried contact
therein, the assembly comprising:
a plurality of transistor gate structures and word lines
adjacent a buried contact area on a substrate, the word lines
lying in substantially parallel relation to one another and
defining a first gap between word lines peripheral to the buried
contact and a second gap between word lines atop the buried
contact, which second gap is wider than the first gap;
an insulator layer deposited over and adjacent the gate
structures, word lines, buried contact area, and substrate; and
a removable spacer layer deposited over the insulator layer
substantially filling the first gap, partially filling the second
gap, and defining a sublithographic dimension between removable
spacer walls formed over the buried contact area, the removable
spacer walls being formed by the removable spacer layer adjacent
the plurality of gate structures, wherein the removable spacer
layer provides an enhanced etching selectivity in relation to the
insulator layer and is adapted to be completely removed when
isotropically etched.
THE REFERENCES
Cathey et al. (Cathey) 5,069,747 Dec. 3, 1991
Kobayashi 5,422,315 Jun. 6, 1995
THE REJECTION
Claims 1-12 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being
unpatentable over Kobayashi in view of Cathey.
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