A technique for producing self-aligned contact openings is especially useful when the openings are to be made between conductive structures having relatively small separation. Formation of an oxide layer under particular process conditions results in a thicker layer of oxide on top of the conductive structures, and a thinner oxide layer along the sidewalls and in the bottom of the spacing between them. Deposition of such a differential thickness oxide layer can be followed by an unmasked-anisotropic etch in order to clear the oxide from the space between the conductive structures, without removing all of the oxide layer over the conductive structure. Such a technique can be utilized in integrated circuits such as DRAMs, with the word lines allowing for the formation of semi-self-aligned bit lines. The combination of word lines and bit lines can provide for a fully self-aligned contact opening for DRAM cell capacitors.