Method of manufacturing a semiconductor device utilizing etch and refill to form isolation regions

Claim 1

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising the steps of: forming a semiconductor epitaxial layer on a semiconductor substrate; forming a groove extending from a main surface of said epitaxial layer into said semiconductor substrate through said epitaxial layer thereby to divide said epitaxial layer into at least two island parts; depositing a semiconductor layer on a first insulating film which is formed on the surface of said groove and on the surfaces of said island parts, thereby to fill said groove; selectively removing at least one portion of said semiconductor layer overlying each of said island parts thereby to form a plurality of holes in said semiconductor layer, corresponding to circuit elements formed in each of said island parts, and to provide a remaining semiconductor layer that continuously extends over said groove and said at least two island parts except for said plurality of holes; forming a second insulating film on the remaining surface of said semiconductor layer; and forming electrode layers for circuit elements formed in each of said island parts so as to extend over a surface of said second insulating film into the corresponding hole of said semiconductor layer.

Claim 2

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising the steps of: forming a semiconductor epitaxial layer on a semiconductor substrate; forming a groove extending from a main surface of said epitaxial layer into said semiconductor substrate through said epitaxial layer thereby to divide said epitaxial layer into at least two island parts; depositing a semiconductor layer on a first insulating film which is formed on the surface of said groove and on the surfaces of said island parts, thereby to fill said groove; selectively removing at least one portion of said semiconductor layer overlying each of said island parts thereby to form a plurality of holes in said semiconductor layer, corresponding to circuit elements formed in each of said island parts, and to provide a remaining semiconductor layer that continuously extends over said groove and said at least two island parts except for said plurality of holes; forming a second insulating film on the remaining surface of said semiconductor layer; and forming electrode layers for circuit elements formed in each of said island parts so as to extend over a surface of said second insulating film into the corresponding hole of said semiconductor layer.