Method for patterning a plurality of features for fin-like field-effect transistor (FinFET) devices

1. A method, comprising:

forming elongated protrusions on a semiconductor substrate;

forming a mask covering a first portion of the elongated protrusions;

forming a spacer surrounding the entire perimeter of a patterned resist layer of the mask, the mask and the spacer together covering a second portion of the elongated protrusions; and

removing a portion of the elongated protrusions not covered by either the mask or the spacer.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein an etch rate of the spacer is lower than an etch rate of the mask.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the mask comprises a photoresist and the spacer comprises one of: a silicon nitride, a silicon oxide, and a metal oxide.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the etch rate of the spacer is lower than an etch rate of the elongated protrusions.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the forming of the mask includes forming first and second mask portions that are spaced by a gap.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the forming of the spacer includes forming first and second spacer portions around the first and second mask portions respectively such that the first and second spacer portions merge within the gap.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein a width of the gap is approximately less than twice a width of the spacer.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mask includes an opening having a width approximately less than twice a width of the spacer; and wherein the forming of the spacer includes depositing a spacer material to fill the opening.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the forming of the mask includes:

forming a bottom layer over the elongated protrusions;

forming a middle layer over the bottom layer; and

forming the patterned resist layer over the middle layer,

wherein the forming of the spacer includes depositing a spacer material over the middle layer and covering the patterned resist layer.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein an outer boundary of the spacer and the mask corresponds to an outer boundary of a non-rectangular pattern.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein:

the non-rectangular pattern includes a right-angle corner;

the mask includes a first corner corresponding to the right-angle corner; and

the spacer includes a second corner corresponding to the right-angle corner, wherein the second corner is closer to ninety degrees than the first corner.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the right-angle corner is an interior corner.

13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

before the forming of the mask, performing a cut process to remove an end portion of at least one of the elongated protrusions, wherein, subsequent to the performing of the cut process, the at least one of the elongated protrusions extends outside of the outer boundary of the non-rectangular pattern.

14. A method, comprising:

providing a semiconductor substrate;

forming elongated protrusions on the semiconductor substrate;

forming first and second mask portions over the elongated protrusions, the first and second mask portions being separated by a gap;

depositing a spacer material over the first and second mask portions and within the gap, an etch rate of the spacer material being lower than an etch rate of the first and second mask portions;

removing a portion of the spacer material to form a first spacer on sidewalls of the first mask portion and a second spacer on sidewalls of the second mask portion, the first and second spacers merging in the gap, the first and second mask portions and the first and second spacers collectively forming a protect mask being of a non-rectangular shape; and

removing a portion of the elongated protrusions not covered by the protect mask,

wherein the etch rate of the spacer material is lower than an etch rate of the elongated protrusions, and

wherein:

the first and second mask portions comprise a photoresist;

the spacer material is one of: a silicon nitride, a silicon oxide, and a metal oxide; and

the elongated protrusions comprises silicon.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the first mask portion includes an opening, and wherein the depositing of the spacer material includes filling the opening with the spacer material.

16. A method, comprising:

forming elongated protrusions on a semiconductor substrate;

forming a mask over the elongated protrusions, the mask having a gap;

forming a spacer on sidewalls of the mask including filling the gap, an etch rate of the spacer being lower than an etch rate of the mask, the mask and the spacer collectively forming a protect mask, an outer boundary of the protect mask being non-rectangular; and

removing a portion of the elongated protrusions not covered by the protect mask,

wherein the forming of the mask includes:

forming a bottom layer over the elongated protrusions;

forming a middle layer over the bottom layer; and

forming a patterned resist layer over the middle layer, and

wherein the forming of the spacer includes depositing a spacer material over the middle layer and covering the patterned resist layer.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the elongated protrusions extend lengthwise in a same direction.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein the elongated protrusions are fin structures for fin-like field effect transistor (FinFET) devices.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the mask includes two or more mask portions and the gap is between two of the mask portions.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein the spacer includes one of: a silicon nitride, a silicon oxide, and a metal oxide.