US5631197A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Sacrificial etchback layer for improved spin-on-glass planarization
Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co TSMC Ltd
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Filing: 1995-08-30
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Granted: 1997-05-20
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Expires: 2015-08-30
Abstract
Abstract A method for forming a sacrificial planarization layer over an SOG layer which provide a more planar final surface. A substrate is provided with a first insulating layer formed on its surface. A spin-on-glass (SOG) layer is formed over the first insulating layer. The SOG layer has a greater thickness towards the outer edge compared to the central area of the substrate. Next a sacrificial layer is formed over the SOG layer. The sacrificial layer, preferably formed of silicon oxide material, is formed so that the layer has a greater thickness towards the outside of the wafer than in the central area. Next, the sacrificial layer is etched away and portions of the SOG layer are etched. The etch rates of the sacrificial layer, the SOG layer and the first insulating layer are approximately equal so that the planar top SOG surface is transferred to the final top surface after the etch. The resulting surface is planar because the additional sacrificial layer thickness in the outside periphery compensated for the thinner SOG in on the periphery and the faster etch rate on the periphery.
Inventors
- 👤 Chen-Hua Yu
- 👤 Syun-Ming Jang
- 👤 Lung Chen
- 👤 Yuan-Chang Huang
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 09:18
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10P; H10P95/00; H10P95/06; H10P95/062
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 37
Claim 1
Independent Claim
98 words
The method of forming a planar surface by uniformly etching back a spin-on-glass (SOG) layer over a substrate comprising: (a) forming a SOG layer over a substrate; said substrate having an annular shape with a central area and a peripheral area: said SOG layer having a greater thickness in said central area than in said peripheral area; (b) forming a sacrificial layer over said SOG layer; said sacrificial layer having a greater thickness in said peripheral area of said substrate compared to said central area, and (c) etching back said sacrificial layer and portions of said SOG layer.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
98 words
The method of forming a planar surface by uniformly etching back a spin-on-glass (SOG) layer over a substrate comprising: (a) forming a SOG layer over a substrate; said substrate having an annular shape with a central area and a peripheral area: said SOG layer having a greater thickness in said central area than in said peripheral area; (b) forming a sacrificial layer over said SOG layer; said sacrificial layer having a greater thickness in said peripheral area of said substrate compared to said central area, and (c) etching back said sacrificial layer and portions of said SOG layer.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
51 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said sacrificial layer is formed of silicon oxide formed by a chemical vapor deposition process where reactant gas is flowed over said substrate and controlling the gas velocity so that the reactant gas flow rate is greater over the periphery area than the central area.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the SOG layer has a thickness in the range of about 3000 to 6000 Å.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said spin-on-glass layer is formed by applying more than one spin-on-glass layer.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said spin-on-glass layer is baked and cured before said sacrificial layer is formed.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said spin-on-glass layer is composed of a material selected from the group consisting of silicate and siloxane.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the sacrificial layer has a thickness in the range of about 3000 to 8000 Å.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said sacrificial layer has a thickness in said peripheral area at least equal to the thickness difference between the thickest SOG area and the thinnest SOG area.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the total thickness of said sacrificial layer and said SOG layer is approximately equal in both the central area and the peripheral areas.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the sacrificial layer is formed of silicon oxide formed by a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition process by decomposing Tetraethoxysilane (TEOS).
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the sacrificial layer is formed of silicon oxide formed by a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition process using silane.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the etching back of said SOG layer is performed with a trifluoromethane (CHF 3 ), methane (CH 4 ) and oxygen etch plasma chemistry.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
116 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said etch back of SOG layer is performed at about the following conditions: a flow of CH 4 in the range of about 15 to 40 sccm and a flow of CHF 3 in the range of about 50 to 100 sccm and a ratio of CH 4 : CHF 3 in the range between about 3:10 to 6:10, and an argon flow rate of between about 300 to 400 sccm and a rf power in the range of about 450 to 550 W and at a pressure in the range of 300 to 600 mTorr and a wafer temperature between about 25° to 70° C. during the etch process.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
42 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the substrate further comprises a first insulating layer of silicon oxide over the substrate surface and underlying said SOG layer, said first insulating layer having a thickness in the range of about 1000 to 3000 Å.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
46 words
The method of claim 1 wherein a first insulation layer is formed on the substrate surface before said SOG layer is formed; and said etching back comprises etching all of said sacrificial layer and portions of said SOG layer and portions of said first insulation layer.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said SOG layer is composed of a material selected from the group consisting of silicon oxide and silicon nitride.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
194 words
The method of forming a planar surface by uniformly etching back a spin-on-glass (SOG) layer over a substrate comprising: (1) forming a first insulating layer over a substrate; said substrate having an annular shape with a central area and a peripheral area: (2) forming a SOG layer over said first insulating layer; said SOG layer having a greater thickness in said central area than in said peripheral area: (3) forming a sacrificial layer over said SOG layer; said sacrificial layer having a greater thickness in said peripheral area of said substrate compared to said central area; the total thickness of said sacrificial layer and said SOG layer is approximately equal in said central area and said periphery area: said sacrificial layer is formed of silicon oxide formed by a chemical vapor deposition process where reactant gas is flowed over said substrate and controlling the reactant gas velocity so that the reactant gas flow rate is greater over said peripheral area than said central area, and (4) etching back said sacrificial layer and portions of said SOG layer, the etch back having a selectivity of said SOG layer to said sacrificial layer of about 1:1.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
194 words
The method of forming a planar surface by uniformly etching back a spin-on-glass (SOG) layer over a substrate comprising: (1) forming a first insulating layer over a substrate; said substrate having an annular shape with a central area and a peripheral area: (2) forming a SOG layer over said first insulating layer; said SOG layer having a greater thickness in said central area than in said peripheral area: (3) forming a sacrificial layer over said SOG layer; said sacrificial layer having a greater thickness in said peripheral area of said substrate compared to said central area; the total thickness of said sacrificial layer and said SOG layer is approximately equal in said central area and said periphery area: said sacrificial layer is formed of silicon oxide formed by a chemical vapor deposition process where reactant gas is flowed over said substrate and controlling the reactant gas velocity so that the reactant gas flow rate is greater over said peripheral area than said central area, and (4) etching back said sacrificial layer and portions of said SOG layer, the etch back having a selectivity of said SOG layer to said sacrificial layer of about 1:1.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 17 wherein the SOG layer has a thickness in the range of about 3000 to 6000 Å.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 17 wherein said spin-on-glass layer is formed by applying more than one spin-on-glass layer.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 17 wherein said spin-on-glass layer is baked and cured before said sacrificial layer is formed.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 17 wherein said spin-on-glass layer is composed of a material selected from the group consisting of silicate and siloxane.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 17 wherein the sacrificial layer has a thickness in the range of about 3000 to 8000 Å.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 17 wherein the sacrificial layer is formed of silicon oxide formed by a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition process by decomposing Tetraethyloxysilane (TEOS).
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 17 wherein the sacrificial layer is formed of silicon oxide formed by a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition process using silane.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 17 wherein the etching back of said SOG layer is performed with a trifluoromethane (CHF 3 ), methane (CH 4 ) and oxygen etch plasma chemistry.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
116 words
The method of claim 17 wherein said etch back of SOG layer is performed at about the following conditions: a flow of CH 4 in the range of about 15 to 40 sccm and a flow of CHF 3 in the range of about 50 to 100 sccm and a ratio of CH 4 : CHF 3 in the range between about 3:10 to 6:10, and an argon flow rate of between about 300 to 400 sccm and a rf power in the range of about 450 to 550 W and at a pressure in the range of 300 to 600 mTorr and a wafer temperature between about 25° to 70° C. during the etch process.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 17 wherein said first insulating layer has a thickness in the range of about 1000 to 3000 Å.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 17 wherein the method further includes forming a second insulating layer over the remaining portions of said first insulating layer and said remaining SOG layer.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 17 wherein said SOG layer is composed of a material selected from the group consisting of silicon oxide and silicon nitride.
Claim 32
Independent Claim
359 words
The method of forming a planar surface by uniformly etching back a spin-on-glass (SOG) layer over a substrate comprising: (1) forming a first insulating layer composed of silicon oxide over a substrate: said substrate having an annular shape with a central area and a peripheral area: (2) forming a SOG layer over said first insulating layer; said SOG layer having a greater thickness in said central area than in said peripheral area: said SOG layer having a thickness in a range of between about 3000 and 8000 Å; (3) forming a sacrificial layer over said SOG layer; said sacrificial layer having a greater thickness in said peripheral area of said substrate compared to said central area; the total thickness of said sacrificial layer and said SOG layer is approximately equal in said central area and said periphery area; said sacrificial layer is formed of silicon oxide formed by a chemical vapor deposition process where reactant gas is flowed over said substrate and controlling the reactant gas velocity so that the reactant gas flow rate is greater over said peripheral area than said central area; said sacrificial layer having a thickness in a range of between about 3000 and 8000 Å; and (4) etching back said sacrificial layer and portions of said SOG layer using a reactive ion etch using CHF 3 , CH 4 and O 2 gasses; the selectivity of the etch back of said SOG layer with respect to said sacrificial layer is approximately 1:1, wherein the etch back of said SOG layer is performed at about the following conditions: a flow of CH 4 in the range of about 15 to 40 sccm and a flow of CHF 3 in the range of about 50 to 100 sccm and a ratio of CH 4 : CHF 3 in the range between about 3:10 to 6:10, and an argon flow rate of between about 300 to 400 sccm and a RF power in the range of about 450 to 550 W and at a pressure in the range of 300 to 600 mTorr and a wafer temperature between about 25° to 70° C. during the etch process.
Claim 33
Independent Claim
359 words
The method of forming a planar surface by uniformly etching back a spin-on-glass (SOG) layer over a substrate comprising: (1) forming a first insulating layer composed of silicon oxide over a substrate: said substrate having an annular shape with a central area and a peripheral area: (2) forming a SOG layer over said first insulating layer; said SOG layer having a greater thickness in said central area than in said peripheral area: said SOG layer having a thickness in a range of between about 3000 and 8000 Å; (3) forming a sacrificial layer over said SOG layer; said sacrificial layer having a greater thickness in said peripheral area of said substrate compared to said central area; the total thickness of said sacrificial layer and said SOG layer is approximately equal in said central area and said periphery area; said sacrificial layer is formed of silicon oxide formed by a chemical vapor deposition process where reactant gas is flowed over said substrate and controlling the reactant gas velocity so that the reactant gas flow rate is greater over said peripheral area than said central area; said sacrificial layer having a thickness in a range of between about 3000 and 8000 Å; and (4) etching back said sacrificial layer and portions of said SOG layer using a reactive ion etch using CHF 3 , CH 4 and O 2 gasses; the selectivity of the etch back of said SOG layer with respect to said sacrificial layer is approximately 1:1, wherein the etch back of said SOG layer is performed at about the following conditions: a flow of CH 4 in the range of about 15 to 40 sccm and a flow of CHF 3 in the range of about 50 to 100 sccm and a ratio of CH 4 : CHF 3 in the range between about 3:10 to 6:10, and an argon flow rate of between about 300 to 400 sccm and a RF power in the range of about 450 to 550 W and at a pressure in the range of 300 to 600 mTorr and a wafer temperature between about 25° to 70° C. during the etch process.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 30 wherein said SOG layer is formed by applying more than one spin-on-glass layer.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 30 wherein said spin-on-glass layer is baked and cured before said sacrificial layer is formed.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 30 wherein said spin-on-glass layer is composed of a material selected from the group consisting of silicate and siloxane.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 30 wherein the sacrificial layer is formed of silicon oxide formed by a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition process by decomposing Tetraethyloxysilane (TEOS).
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