The invention is a method of forming the art work for chemically etching that produces uniform through-etch and lateral-etch. The artwork that defines the pattern to be etched utilizes lines equal to the narrowest feature that is to be etched. Rather than etch away large areas, section are removed by etching by cutting them out of the material that is being etched. The artwork or pattern is designed with the same compensation factors throughout the entire pattern and the etch rate will be completely uniform for the entire pattern.

In a method of forming very minute real window patterns to a negative photoresist film that are required in the manufacture of highly packed semiconductor devices, false unexposed patterns are formed in the proximity of the minute real unexposed patterns. The false patterns have a width that, upon a single exposure of the negative photoresist film to ultraviolet light or other energy beam, the photoresist film portion immediately below the false patterns are unexposed but a photoresist portion under the unexposed portion is exposed to light by reason of light diffraction or light circling around under the false pattern. As a result, the false patterns in the photoresist film substantially disappear after development of the photoresist. The partially removed false patterns serve to negate swelling of the photoresist at the time of development and prevent obliteration of the real window patterns or formation of burr-like parts where the real window patterns are to be formed.

The invention discloses a process for formation of a capacitor for a semiconductor device. The upper node electrode is supported by side wall spacers and a central pole, so that the supporting strength may be reinforced and the surface area may be increased. During the formation of a contact hole, a first side wall spacer is formed, and, by utilizing the first side wall spacer, a contact hole is opened with a greater margin. The upper and lower node electrodes are of a tunnel structure. The central pole of the node electrodes is provided with a hole in it, so that a conductive material may be filled into the hole to form a connecting portion. This connecting portion connects the node electrodes of the capacitor to a source/drain region which is formed on a semiconductor substrate. A thin dielectric film is deposited on the surface of the node electrode, and a plate electrode is formed thereupon, thereby completing the formation of the capacitor.

A contact on a surface of a semiconductor device includes a post projecting from the surface of the device and a head on the post. The post has a transverse cross-sectional shape of at least three arms projecting radially from a common center point. The head has a cross-sectional area larger than the transverse cross-sectional area of the post. The post is on the surface of a body of semiconductor material and extends through a layer of an inorganic insulating material, such as an oxide or nitride, on the surface of the body. The post is of a height such that the head is spaced from the inorganic insulating material layer. A layer of an organic insulating material, such as a polyimide or silicone resin, may be provided on the inorganic insulating material layer and around the post to provide additional support for the head.

A method for forming micropatterns comprising, superposing a transparent raised image formed on a transparent substrate on a photosensitive layer of a photographic material or forming a transparent raised image on the photosensitive layer of the photographic material, uniformly exposing the photosensitive layer through the transparent raised image to light to which the photosensitive layer is sensitive so that the light intensity at edges of the transparent image is non-uniform, and developing the photosensitive layer to form a micropattern corresponding to the outlines of the transparent raised image.