Process of fabricating a circuit element for transmitting microwave signals

Claim 1

A process of fabricating a circuit element on a semiconducting substrate material, said circuit element adapted for use as an active component for transmitting and modifying microwave signals in an integrated circuit of a three dimensional architecture, said process comprising the steps of: (a) forming a gate masking pattern to define a gate electrode, a source electrode and a drain electrode on said substrate material; (b) depositing a conductive layer on said gate masking pattern to form the gate electrode; (c) forming a first insulation layer on said gate, source and drain electrodes and the substrate material; (d) forming a planarization masking layer on said first insulation layer; (e) removing the planarization masking layer and the first insulation layer to obtain a planar surface of said gate, source and drain electrodes; (f) forming a second insulation layer on the planar surface; (g) forming a window masking layer on said second insulation layer to define a window region; (h) removing the window masking layer and regions of the second insulation layer so as to define a window cavity and to expose an input gate surface of said gate electrode and a gate region; (i) forming a third insulation layer on said window cavity so as to cover the input gate surface, gate region and a surface of said cavity completely; (j) removing said third insulation layer directly above the input gate surface so as to expose the input gate surface of the gate electrode; (k) forming a first conductive layer on said third insulation layer and the input gate surface; (l) depositing a second conductive layer so as to form a metal deposit in the window cavity; (m) forming a gate masking layer on the second conductive layer to define a gate terminal; and (n) removing the metal deposit, first conductive layer, second insulation layer and the second conductive layer outside said window cavity from the gate terminal; thereby forming the circuit element adapted for use as said active component.