What is Contact Cut?
A contact cut refers to an opening or hole in a layer of material, typically an insulator-like oxide, that allows for an electrical contact or connection between different layers in a semiconductor device. In the provided paragraph:
- Definition with a Mask The contact cuts are created using a masking process. A mask is used to define the specific locations where these contact cuts need to be made on the wafer.
- Material Filling After defining the contact cuts, they are often filled with a material to ensure electrical connectivity. In this case, tungsten is mentioned as a common material used for this purpose.
These contact cuts play a crucial role in creating paths for interconnecting different layers of the semiconductor device. Once the contact cuts are defined and filled, subsequent layers, such as a thin layer of aluminum, can be deposited and patterned to form the interconnections that link various components of the semiconductor device. The contact cuts enable electrical communication between different levels or layers in the integrated circuit.