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US4046606A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Simultaneous location of areas having different conductivities

Assignee: RCA Corp
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Filing: 1976-05-10
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Granted: 1977-09-06
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Expires: 1996-05-10
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Abstract

Abstract The process employs both silicon dioxide and silicon nitride layers used for selectively masking areas to be etched in order to allow a single photomask to be used for defining areas having different conductivities simultaneously, thereby eliminating problems caused by misregistry between photomasks.

Inventors

  • 👤 Herbert Paul Lambert

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-25 21:25
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10D; H10D84/00; H10D84/01; H10D84/0123; H10D84/0126; H10D84/0165; H10D84/0191; H10D84/02; H10D84/03; H10D84/038; H10P; H10P76/00; H10P76/40

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim 285 words
The process of introducing impurities into a substrate of material in the manufacture of a semiconductor device comprising the steps of: a. forming a first layer of a first material over said substrate; b. forming a second layer of a second material over said first layer, said second material being different from said first material; c. preferentially etching portions of said second layer by an etchant which preferentially etches said second material with respect to said first material to expose the underlying portions of said first layer; d. removing said exposed portions of said first layer to expose the underlying portions of said substrate; e. forming a third layer of said second material over said exposed portions of said substrate; f. simultaneously defining selected portions of said second and said third layers, then removing said selected portions of said third layer to expose the underlying portions of said substrate while simultaneously removing said selected portions of said second layer to expose the underlying portions of said first layer, the removal of said selected portions being accomplished by an etchant which preferentially etches said second material with respect to said first material; g. depositing impurities of a first conductivity type onto the exposed portions of said substrate and introducing said impurities into said substrate; h. forming fourth layers of said second material only over the exposed portions of said substrate by reacting said exposed portions of said substrate; i. removing the remaining said exposed portions of said first layer to expose the underlying portions of said substrate; and j. depositing impurities of a second conductivity type different from said first conductivity type into said exposed portions of said substrate and introducing said impurities into said substrate.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 285 words
The process of introducing impurities into a substrate of material in the manufacture of a semiconductor device comprising the steps of: a. forming a first layer of a first material over said substrate; b. forming a second layer of a second material over said first layer, said second material being different from said first material; c. preferentially etching portions of said second layer by an etchant which preferentially etches said second material with respect to said first material to expose the underlying portions of said first layer; d. removing said exposed portions of said first layer to expose the underlying portions of said substrate; e. forming a third layer of said second material over said exposed portions of said substrate; f. simultaneously defining selected portions of said second and said third layers, then removing said selected portions of said third layer to expose the underlying portions of said substrate while simultaneously removing said selected portions of said second layer to expose the underlying portions of said first layer, the removal of said selected portions being accomplished by an etchant which preferentially etches said second material with respect to said first material; g. depositing impurities of a first conductivity type onto the exposed portions of said substrate and introducing said impurities into said substrate; h. forming fourth layers of said second material only over the exposed portions of said substrate by reacting said exposed portions of said substrate; i. removing the remaining said exposed portions of said first layer to expose the underlying portions of said substrate; and j. depositing impurities of a second conductivity type different from said first conductivity type into said exposed portions of said substrate and introducing said impurities into said substrate.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 39 words
The process of claim 1 wherein said semiconductor material comprises silicon and said step of forming a first layer of a first material and said substrate comprises the step of forming a layer of silicon nitride over said substrate.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 37 words
The process of claim 2 wherein said step of forming a second layer of a second material over said first layer comprises the step of forming a layer of silicon dioxide over said layer of silicon nitride.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 35 words
The process of claim 3 wherein said step of forming fourth layers comprises the step of growing silicon dioxide outward from said silicon substrate by placing said substrate into a furnace in an oxidizing ambient.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 47 words
The process of claim 4 wherein said step of simultaneously defining selected portions of said second and said third layers comprises the step of using a single photomask to expose a layer of photoresist and then preferentially etching silicon dioxide with respect to silicon nitride and silicon.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 31 words
The process of claim 5 wherein said step of introducing said impurities of one conductivity type comprises the step of diffusing acceptor type impurities into the exposed portions of said substrate.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 43 words
The process of claim 6 wherein the step of introducing impurities of a conductivity type different from the conductivity type of the impurities introduced into said third layer comprises the step of diffusing donor type impurities into said exposed portions of said substrate.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3730778A Cited
US3673679A Cited
US3759763A Cited
US3806371A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1980-09-05 1981-03-07 1981-09-06 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1984-09-05 1985-03-07 1985-09-06 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1988-09-05 1989-03-07 1989-09-06 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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