Methods for improving radiation tolerance of silicon gate CMOS/silicon on sapphire devices

Claim 1

A method for forming an edge hardened N type field effect transistor, comprising the steps of: delineating an active region in an epitaxial layer of silicon on sapphire including a relatively thin thermal oxide layer on the silicon layer, a low temperature oxide layer over the thermal oxide, a silicon nitride layer over the thermal oxide, and a photoresist layer over the silicon nitride layer; said delineating including using reactive ion etching to verticalize the edges of the photoresist, thermal oxide, silicon nitride, and low temperature oxide layers; multiple implanting boron ions into exposed portions of the silicon layer directly adjacent the active region at different energy levels between approximately 20 kilo electron volts and 50 kilo electron volts using doses of 10 14 -10 17 ions/cm 2 to provide a substantially uniform penetration of the silicon layer; removing the photoresist layer; driving in the boron ions to a depth of about 0.1 to 0.2 microns by heating in a nitrogen environment to approximately 850° C. for up to 2 hours; using reactive ion etching to delineate the active region in the epitaxial layer and expose the edges being hardened; conventionally finishing the forming of said transistor; and, using boro phospho silicate glass directly in contact with said edges for isolation purposes.

Claim 2

A method for forming an edge hardened N type field effect transistor, comprising the steps of: delineating an active region in an epitaxial layer of silicon on sapphire including a relatively thin thermal oxide layer on the silicon layer, a low temperature oxide layer over the thermal oxide, a silicon nitride layer over the thermal oxide, and a photoresist layer over the silicon nitride layer; said delineating including using reactive ion etching to verticalize the edges of the photoresist, thermal oxide, silicon nitride, and low temperature oxide layers; multiple implanting boron ions into exposed portions of the silicon layer directly adjacent the active region at different energy levels between approximately 20 kilo electron volts and 50 kilo electron volts using doses of 10 14 -10 17 ions/cm 2 to provide a substantially uniform penetration of the silicon layer; removing the photoresist layer; driving in the boron ions to a depth of about 0.1 to 0.2 microns by heating in a nitrogen environment to approximately 850° C. for up to 2 hours; using reactive ion etching to delineate the active region in the epitaxial layer and expose the edges being hardened; conventionally finishing the forming of said transistor; and, using boro phospho silicate glass directly in contact with said edges for isolation purposes.

Claim 4

A method for forming an edge hardened N type field effect transistor, comprising the steps of: delineating an active region in an epitaxial layer of silicon on sapphire including a relatively thin thermal oxide layer on the silicon layer, a silicon nitride layer on the thermal oxide layer, a masking LPCVD silicon oxide layer on the silicon nitride and a photoresist layer over the LPCVD silicon oxide layer; said delineation including the active region in the epitaxial layer of silicon down to the sapphire by using reactive ion etching to form an island; removing the photoresist and oxidizing the edges of the island using the silicon nitride layer as a mask; selectively removing the oxide on the edges of the island; establishing vapor diffusion of boron ions into the opposed edges of the island in a furnace with up to 0.2 micron penetration at least 800° C. for approximately 15 minutes; conventionally finishing the forming of said transistor; and, using boro phospho silicate glass directly in contact with said edges for isolation purposes.

Claim 5

A method for forming an edge hardened N type field effect transistor, comprising the steps of: delineating an active region in an epitaxial layer of silicon on sapphire including a relatively thin thermal oxide layer on the silicon layer, a silicon nitride layer on the thermal oxide layer, a masking LPCVD silicon oxide layer on the silicon nitride and a photoresist layer over the LPCVD silicon oxide layer; said delineation including the active region in the epitaxial layer of silicon down to the sapphire by using reactive ion etching to form an island; removing the photoresist and oxidizing the edges of the island using the silicon nitride layer as a mask; selectively removing the oxide on the edges of the island; establishing vapor diffusion of boron ions into the opposed edges of the island in a furnace with up to 0.2 micron penetration at least 800° C. for approximately 15 minutes; conventionally finishing the forming of said transistor; and, using boro phospho silicate glass directly in contact with said edges for isolation purposes.