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US5869384A
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Trench filling method employing silicon liner layer and gap filling silicon oxide trench fill layer
Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co TSMC Ltd
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Filing: 1997-03-17
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Granted: 1999-02-09
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Expires: 2017-03-17
Abstract
Abstract A method for filling a trench within a substrate. There is first provided a substrate having a trench formed within the substrate. There is then formed over the substrate and within the trench a silicon layer. The silicon layer has an aperture formed therein where the silicon layer is formed within the trench. There is then formed upon the silicon layer and filling the aperture a gap filling silicon oxide trench fill layer. The gap filling silicon oxide trench fill layer is formed through an ozone assisted sub-atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition (SACVD) method. Finally, the substrate is annealed thermally in an oxygen containing atmosphere to form within the trench an oxidized silicon layer from the silicon layer, where the oxidized silicon layer is contiguous with a densified gap filling silicon oxide trench fill layer simultaneously formed from the gap filling silicon oxide trench fill layer. Through the method, the densified gap filling silicon oxide trench fill layer is formed without a surface sensitivity.
Inventors
- 👤 Chen-Hua Yu
- 👤 Syun-Ming Jang
- 👤 Ying-Ho Chen
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 23:47
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10W; H10W10/00; H10W10/01; H10W10/011; H10W10/014; H10W10/10; H10W10/17
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
135 words
A method for filling a trench within a substrate comprising: providing a substrate, the substrate having a trench formed therein; forming over the substrate and within the trench a silicon layer, the silicon layer having an aperture formed therein where the silicon layer is formed within the trench; forming upon the silicon layer and filling the aperture a gap filling silicon oxide trench fill layer, the gap filling silicon oxide trench fill layer being formed through an ozone assisted sub-atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition (SACVD) method; and annealing thermally the substrate within an oxygen containing atmosphere to form within the trench an oxidized silicon layer from the silicon layer, the oxidized silicon layer being contiguous with a densified gap filling silicon oxide trench fill layer formed from the gap filling silicon oxide trench fill layer.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
135 words
A method for filling a trench within a substrate comprising: providing a substrate, the substrate having a trench formed therein; forming over the substrate and within the trench a silicon layer, the silicon layer having an aperture formed therein where the silicon layer is formed within the trench; forming upon the silicon layer and filling the aperture a gap filling silicon oxide trench fill layer, the gap filling silicon oxide trench fill layer being formed through an ozone assisted sub-atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition (SACVD) method; and annealing thermally the substrate within an oxygen containing atmosphere to form within the trench an oxidized silicon layer from the silicon layer, the oxidized silicon layer being contiguous with a densified gap filling silicon oxide trench fill layer formed from the gap filling silicon oxide trench fill layer.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the substrate is chosen from the group of substrates consisting of dielectric substrates, semiconductor substrates and conductor substrates.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the substrate is a semiconductor substrate and the trench is an isolation trench.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the width of the trench is greater than about 0.3 microns and the depth of the trench is from about 3000 to about 5000 angstroms.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
46 words
The method of claim 1 wherein: the thickness of the silicon layer is from about 150 to about 250 angstroms; and the silicon layer is formed from a silicon material chosen from the group of silicon materials consisting of polycrystalline silicon materials and amorphous silicon materials.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
47 words
The method of claim 1 wherein: the gap filling silicon oxide trench fill layer is formed employing tetra-ethyl-ortho-silicate (TEOS) as a silicon source material; and the gap filling silicon oxide trench fill layer is formed at an ozone:TEOS volume ratio of from about 10:1 to about 15:1.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method of claim 1 wherein substrate is annealed thermally at a temperature of from about 1000 to about 1100 degrees centigrade for a time period of from about 60 to about 120 minutes.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 7 wherein the oxygen containing atmosphere is provided by an oxygen flow rate of from about 8 to about 12 standard liters per minute (slm).
Claim 10
Independent Claim
164 words
A method for forming and planarizing a trench fill layer within a trench within a substrate comprising: providing a substrate, the substrate having a trench formed therein; forming over the substrate and within the trench a silicon layer, the silicon layer having an aperture formed therein where the silicon layer is formed within the trench; forming upon the silicon layer and filling the aperture a gap filling silicon oxide trench fill layer, the gap filling silicon oxide trench fill layer being formed through an ozone assisted sub-atmospheric chemical vapor deposition (SACVD) method; annealing thermally the substrate within an oxygen containing atmosphere to form within the trench an oxidized silicon layer from the silicon layer, the oxidized silicon layer being contiguous with a densified gap filling silicon oxide trench fill layer formed from the gap filling silicon oxide trench fill layer; and planarizing the oxidized silicon layer and the densified gap filling silicon oxide trench fill layer through a chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarizing method.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
164 words
A method for forming and planarizing a trench fill layer within a trench within a substrate comprising: providing a substrate, the substrate having a trench formed therein; forming over the substrate and within the trench a silicon layer, the silicon layer having an aperture formed therein where the silicon layer is formed within the trench; forming upon the silicon layer and filling the aperture a gap filling silicon oxide trench fill layer, the gap filling silicon oxide trench fill layer being formed through an ozone assisted sub-atmospheric chemical vapor deposition (SACVD) method; annealing thermally the substrate within an oxygen containing atmosphere to form within the trench an oxidized silicon layer from the silicon layer, the oxidized silicon layer being contiguous with a densified gap filling silicon oxide trench fill layer formed from the gap filling silicon oxide trench fill layer; and planarizing the oxidized silicon layer and the densified gap filling silicon oxide trench fill layer through a chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarizing method.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 9 wherein the substrate is chosen from the group of substrates consisting of dielectric substrates, semiconductor substrates and conductor substrates.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 9 wherein the substrate is a semiconductor substrate and the trench is an isolation trench.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 9 wherein the width of the trench is greater than about 0.3 microns and the depth of the trench is from about 3000 to about 5000 angstroms.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
46 words
The method of claim 9 wherein: the thickness of the silicon layer is from about 150 to about 250 angstroms; and the silicon layer is formed from a silicon material chosen from the group of silicon materials consisting of polycrystalline silicon materials and amorphous silicon materials.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
47 words
The method of claim 9 wherein: the gap filling silicon oxide trench fill layer is formed employing tetra-ethyl-ortho-silicate (TEOS) as a silicon source material; and the gap filling silicon oxide trench fill layer is formed at an ozone:TEOS volume ratio of from about 10:1 to about 15:1.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method of claim 9 wherein substrate is annealed at a temperature of from about 1000 to about 1100 degrees centigrade for a time period of from about 60 to about 120 minutes.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 14 wherein the oxygen containing atmosphere is provided by an oxygen flow at a rate of from about 8 to about 12 standard liters per minute (slm).
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2002-02-08 | 2002-08-10 | 2003-02-09 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2006-02-08 | 2006-08-10 | 2007-02-09 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2010-02-08 | 2010-08-10 | 2011-02-09 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |