Abstract This invention significantly reduces the problem of undesired lateral diffusion of P type dopants into the P type active area. A thin oxide/nitride sandwich is formed on the surface of a semiconductor wafer and patterned to serve as a mask defining the to-be-formed active areas. An N type dopant implant is performed on the surface of the wafer to establish the desired field inversion threshold voltage. The wafer is then oxidized, with the oxide/nitride sandwich preventing oxide growth in the active areas. A layer of photoresist is applied to the wafer and patterned to expose the to-be-formed P well. That portion of the oxide exposed by the photoresist is removed, as is that portion of the substrate within the to-be-formed P well which contains N type dopants. P type impurities are then applied to the wafer. The photoresist is then removed and the P type dopants are diffused with little oxide growth to provide a P well having the desired dopant profile. Following this diffusion, a second, heavy concentration of P type dopant is implanted into the wafer at a sufficiently low energy to prevent the introduction of dopants into those portions of the wafer which are masked by the field oxide and the oxide/nitride sandwich areas. The oxide/nitride sandwich and the field oxide serve as masks, thus preventing the introduction of P type dopants in the field region or the active regions. Thus, the high concentration of P type dopants are introduced only in the periphery of the P well. The field oxide along the periphery of the P well is then regrown at a lower temperature than typically used for growing field oxide and diffusing dopants, thereby preventing substantial diffusion of the P type dopants. Thus, an active area within a P well is thereby formed wherein the width of the active area is not decreased due to P type dopant encroachment from the heavily doped periphery of the P well.
The method of forming a well region of a first conductivity type within a substrate of a second conductivity type opposite said first conductivity type comprising the steps of: forming a layer of oxide on said substrate; forming a layer of nitride on said layer of oxide; patterning said layers of oxide and nitride to define the to-be-formed active regions; introducing dopants of said second conductivity type into said substrate other than in said to-be-formed active regions; forming field oxide on said substrate other than in said to-be-formed active regions; forming a mask on said substrate defining the to-be-formed well region; removing that portion of said field oxide which lies within said to-be-formed well region; removing that portion of said substrate within said to-be-formed well region which contains said dopants of said second conductivity type; introducing dopants of said first conductivity type into said to-be-formed well region; and forming field oxide within said well region other than in said active area, wherein said field oxide within said well region is formed at a low temperature, thereby preventing substantial diffusion of said dopants of said first conductivity type.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
187 words
The method of forming a well region of a first conductivity type within a substrate of a second conductivity type opposite said first conductivity type comprising the steps of: forming a layer of oxide on said substrate; forming a layer of nitride on said layer of oxide; patterning said layers of oxide and nitride to define the to-be-formed active regions; introducing dopants of said second conductivity type into said substrate other than in said to-be-formed active regions; forming field oxide on said substrate other than in said to-be-formed active regions; forming a mask on said substrate defining the to-be-formed well region; removing that portion of said field oxide which lies within said to-be-formed well region; removing that portion of said substrate within said to-be-formed well region which contains said dopants of said second conductivity type; introducing dopants of said first conductivity type into said to-be-formed well region; and forming field oxide within said well region other than in said active area, wherein said field oxide within said well region is formed at a low temperature, thereby preventing substantial diffusion of said dopants of said first conductivity type.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
68 words
Method as in claim 1 wherein said step of introducing dopants of said first conductivity type comprises: introducing a first low dosage of dopants of said first conductivity type into said well region; diffusing said first dosage of dopants, thereby forming said well region of desired dopant profile; and introducing a second, heavy dosage of dopants of said first conductivity type into the periphery of said well region.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
19 words
Method as in claim 2 wherein said first conductivity type is P and said second conductivity type is N.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
23 words
Method as in claim 3 wherein said first dosage of dopants is introduced by the low implantation of boron at approximately 100 KEV.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
23 words
Method as in claim 3 wherein said second dosage of dopants is introduced by the ion implantation of boron at approximately 40 KEV.