US6087241A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method of forming side dielectrically isolated semiconductor devices and MOS semiconductor devices fabricated by this method
Assignee: Microchip Technology Inc
•
Filing: 1998-04-24
•
Granted: 2000-07-11
•
Expires: 2018-04-24
Abstract
Abstract A method is disclosed for forming narrow thermal silicon dioxide side isolation regions in a semiconductor substrate and MOS or CMOS semiconductor devices fabricated by this method. A thin stress relief layer is used in conjunction with a polysilicon buffering stress relief layer on the surface of a semiconductor substrate prior to the field oxidation process to restrict lateral silicon dioxide expansion thereby permitting the creation of narrow thermal silicon dioxide side isolation regions in the semiconductor substrate. A silicon dioxide layer is also used between an amorphous polysilicon (buffering stress relief) layer and a silicon nitride layer to function as an oxide cap, to avoid undesired pitting of the amorphous polysilicon layer, and to avoid interaction between the silicon nitride and amorphous polysilicon layers in areas of high stress.
Inventors
- 👤 Roger St. Amand
- 👤 Robert Ma
- 👤 Neil Deutscher
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 11:42
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10P; H10P14/00; H10P14/60; H10P14/69; H10P14/692; H10P14/6921; H10P14/69215; H10D; H10D84/00; H10D84/80; H10D84/82; H10D84/83; H10D84/85; H10D84/01; H10D84/0123; H10D84/0126; H10D84/0165; H10P14/61; H10P14/63; H10P14/6326; H10P14/6328; H10P14/6334; H10P14/66; H10P14/662; H10P14/6922; H10P14/6927; H10P14/694; H10P14/6943; H10P14/69433; H10W; H10W10/00; H10W10/01; H10W10/011; H10W10/012; H10W10/10; H10W10/13; H10P14/6302; H10P14/6304; H10P14/6306; H10P14/6308; H10P14/6309; H10P14/6318; H10P14/6322
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
249 words
A method of forming thermal silicon dioxide side isolation regions in a semiconductor substrate comprising the steps of: providing a semiconductor substrate; forming an oxynitride layer on a surface of said semiconductor substrate; depositing an amorphous polysilicon layer on a surface of said oxynitride layer; depositing a silicon dioxide layer on a surface of said amorphous polysilicon layer; depositing a silicon nitride layer on a surface said silicon dioxide layer; forming a patterned photoresist layer with openings therein on a surface of said silicon nitride layer; removing portions of said silicon nitride layer, said silicon dioxide layer and said amorphous polysilicon layer beneath said openings in said patterned photoresist layer; removing said patterned photoresist layer lying on said silicon nitride layer; removing exposed portions of said oxynitride layer exposed after the step of removing portions of said silicon nitride layer, said silicon dioxide layer and said amorphous polysilicon layer using said silicon nitride layer as a mask; thermally growing narrow silicon dioxide sidewall isolation regions into said semiconductor substrate through openings formed in said oxynitride layer; removing remaining portions of said silicon nitride layer, said silicon dioxide layer, said amorphous polysilicon layer and said oxynitride layer located on said semiconductor substrate to leave said semiconductor substrate with a bare surface having said narrow silicon dioxide sidewall isolation regions located in surface portions of said semiconductor substrate; and subsequently forming MOS semiconductor devices in said semiconductor substrate between said narrow silicon dioxide sidewall isolation regions formed in said semiconductor substrate.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
249 words
A method of forming thermal silicon dioxide side isolation regions in a semiconductor substrate comprising the steps of: providing a semiconductor substrate; forming an oxynitride layer on a surface of said semiconductor substrate; depositing an amorphous polysilicon layer on a surface of said oxynitride layer; depositing a silicon dioxide layer on a surface of said amorphous polysilicon layer; depositing a silicon nitride layer on a surface said silicon dioxide layer; forming a patterned photoresist layer with openings therein on a surface of said silicon nitride layer; removing portions of said silicon nitride layer, said silicon dioxide layer and said amorphous polysilicon layer beneath said openings in said patterned photoresist layer; removing said patterned photoresist layer lying on said silicon nitride layer; removing exposed portions of said oxynitride layer exposed after the step of removing portions of said silicon nitride layer, said silicon dioxide layer and said amorphous polysilicon layer using said silicon nitride layer as a mask; thermally growing narrow silicon dioxide sidewall isolation regions into said semiconductor substrate through openings formed in said oxynitride layer; removing remaining portions of said silicon nitride layer, said silicon dioxide layer, said amorphous polysilicon layer and said oxynitride layer located on said semiconductor substrate to leave said semiconductor substrate with a bare surface having said narrow silicon dioxide sidewall isolation regions located in surface portions of said semiconductor substrate; and subsequently forming MOS semiconductor devices in said semiconductor substrate between said narrow silicon dioxide sidewall isolation regions formed in said semiconductor substrate.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the steps of forming said oxynitride layer comprising the step of growing said oxynitride layer using N 2 O as the oxidizing agent.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the step of depositing said amorphous polysilicon layer comprising the step of depositing said amorphous polysilicon layer using a Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) process.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the step of depositing said silicon dioxide layer comprising the step of depositing said silicon dioxide layer using a Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) process.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the step of depositing said silicon nitride layer comprising the step of depositing said silicon nitride layer using a Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) process.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
43 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the step of forming a patterned photoresist layer with openings therein comprising the step of depositing a photoresist layer on said silicon nitride layer, and photolithographically exposing and developing said photoresist layer to form said openings therein.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
55 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the step of removing portions of said silicon nitride layer, said silicon dioxide layer and said amorphous polysilicon layer beneath said openings in said patterned photoresist layer comprising the step of etching away said portions of said silicon nitride layer, said silicon dioxide layer and said amorphous polysilicon layer.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
54 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the step of removing exposed portions of said oxynitride layer after removing portions of said silicon nitride layer, said silicon dioxide layer and said amorphous polysilicon layer using said silicon nitride layer as a mask comprising the step of etching away said exposed portions of said oxynitride layer.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
52 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the step of removing remaining portions of said silicon nitride layer, said silicon dioxide layer, said amorphous silicon layer and said oxynitride layer comprising the step of sequentially etching away said silicon nitride layer, said silicon dioxide layer, said amorphous silicon layer and said oxynitride layer.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
92 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the step of subsequently forming MOS semiconductor devices in said semiconductor substrate between said narrow silicon dioxide sidewall isolation regions comprising the steps of forming source and drain regions of one type conductivity in said semiconductor substrate which is of opposite type conductivity, forming source and drain regions of said opposite type conductivity in a portion of said semiconductor substrate that is of said one type conductivity, and forming gate electrodes and source and drain contacts to provide side wall dielectrically isolated complementary MOS (CMOS) devices.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
373 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the steps of forming said oxynitride layer comprising the step of growing said oxynitride layer using N 2 O as the oxidizing agent, the step of depositing said amorphous polysilicon layer comprising the step of depositing said amorphous polysilicon layer using a Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) process, the step of depositing said silicon dioxide layer comprising the step of depositing said silicon dioxide layer using a Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) process, the step of depositing said silicon nitride layer comprising the step of depositing said silicon nitride layer using a Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) process, the step of forming a patterned photoresist layer with openings therein comprising the step of depositing a photoresist layer on said silicon nitride layer, and photolithographically exposing and developing said photoresist layer to form said openings therein, the step of removing portions of said silicon nitride layer, said silicon dioxide layer and said amorphous polysilicon layer beneath said openings in said patterned photoresist layer comprising the step of etching away said portions of said silicon nitride layer, said silicon dioxide layer and said amorphous polysilicon layer, including the step of removing said patterned photoresist layer, including the step of removing exposed portions of said oxynitride layer using said silicon nitride layer as a mask, including the step of forming said isolation regions of thermally grown oxide using said silicon nitride, silicon dioxide, amorphous polysilicon, and oxynitride layers as the mask, the step of removing remaining portions of said silicon nitride layer, said silicon dioxide layer, said amorphous silicon layer and said oxynitride layer comprising the step of sequentially etching away said silicon nitride layer, said silicon dioxide layer, said amorphous silicon layer and said oxynitride layer, the step of subsequently forming MOS semiconductor devices in said semiconductor substrate between said narrow silicon dioxide sidewall isolation regions comprising the steps of forming source and drain regions of one type conductivity in said semiconductor substrate which is of opposite type conductivity, forming source and drain regions of said opposite type conductivity in a portion of said semiconductor substrate that is of said one type conductivity, and forming gate electrodes and source and drain contacts to provide side wall dielectrically isolated complementary MOS (CMOS) devices.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said oxynitride layer performs a stress relief function for said semiconductor substrate.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4630356A
Cited
EP0424011A2
Cited
US5236862A
Cited
US5358892A
Cited
US5399520A
Cited
US5707889A
Cited
US5683933A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2003-07-11 | 2004-01-10 | 2004-07-11 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2007-07-11 | 2008-01-10 | 2008-07-11 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2011-07-11 | 2012-01-10 | 2012-07-11 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |