Enhancing structural integrity and defining critical dimensions of metallization systems of semiconductor devices by using ALD techniques

During the patterning of sophisticated metallization systems, a damaged surface portion of a sensitive low-k dielectric material may be efficiently replaced by a well-controlled dielectric material, thereby enabling an adaptation of the material characteristics and/or the layer thickness of the replacement material. Thus, established lithography and etch techniques may be used in combination with reduced critical dimensions and dielectric materials of even further reduced permittivity.