Patent US6274479B1 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US6274479B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Flowable germanium doped silicate glass for use as a spacer oxide
Assignee: Micron Technology Inc
•
Filing: 1998-08-21
•
Granted: 2001-08-14
•
Expires: 2018-08-21
Abstract
Abstract The invention is a method for constructing an integrated circuit structure and an apparatus produced by the method. The method generally comprises constructing an integrated circuit structure by disposing a layer of doped oxide, the dopant being iso-electronic to silicon, and then reflowing the layer of doped oxide. Thus, the apparatus of the invention is an integrated circuit structure comprising a reflowed layer of doped oxide wherein the dopant is iso-electronic to silicon. In one particular embodiment, the method generally comprises constructing an integrated circuit feature on a substrate; disposing a layer of doped oxide, the dopant being iso-electronic to silicon, over the integrated circuit feature and the substrate in a substantially conformal manner; reflowing the layer of doped oxide; and etching the insulating layer and the oxide. Thus, in this particular embodiment, the apparatus comprises an integrated circuit feature constructed on a substrate and a reflowed layer of doped oxide, the dopant being iso-electronic to silicon, disposed over the integrated circuit feature and the substrate.
Inventors
- 👤 Anand Srinivasan
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 09:26
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10P; H10P14/00; H10P14/60; H10P14/69; H10P14/692; H10P14/6921; H10P14/6922; H10D; H10D64/00; H10D64/01; H10D64/021; H10D64/60; H10D64/66; H10D64/671; H10D64/675; H10D84/00; H10D84/01; H10D84/0123; H10D84/0126; H10D84/013; H10D84/0133; H10D84/0147; H10D84/02; H10D84/03; H10D84/038; H10P14/63; H10P14/6326; H10P14/6328; H10P14/6334; H10P14/65; H10P14/6502; H10P14/6506; H10P14/66; H10P14/668; H10P14/6681; H10P14/6682; H10P95/00; H10P95/06; H10W; H10W20/00; H10W20/01; H10W20/071; H10W20/074; H10W20/075; H10W20/077; H10P14/69215; H10P14/6923
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 41
Claim 1
Independent Claim
65 words
A method for constructing an integrated circuit structure, comprising: disposing a layer of doped oxide, the dopant being iso-electronic to silicon; reflowing the layer of doped oxide; and etching the insulating layer and the doped oxide with a spacer etch. such that said doped oxide is removed from an upper surface of said integrated circuit structure and integrated circuit structure has a prograde sidewall profile.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
65 words
A method for constructing an integrated circuit structure, comprising: disposing a layer of doped oxide, the dopant being iso-electronic to silicon; reflowing the layer of doped oxide; and etching the insulating layer and the doped oxide with a spacer etch. such that said doped oxide is removed from an upper surface of said integrated circuit structure and integrated circuit structure has a prograde sidewall profile.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 1 , further comprising constructing an integrated circuit feature on a substrate before disposing the layer of doped oxide.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method of claim 2 , wherein the construction of the integrated circuit feature comprises constructing at least one of a gate, a metal line, an interconnect, a capacitor, a node, and a lead.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method of claim 2 , wherein the construction of the integrated circuit feature comprises: disposing at least one conductive layer over the substrate; and etching the conductive layer to a predetermined pattern.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein disposing the doped oxide comprises disposing the doped oxide over a substrate.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein disposing doped oxide comprises disposing the doped oxide over a substrate comprising at least one of a wafer and a previously disposed insulator.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 2 , further comprising disposing an insulating layer over the integrated circuit feature and the substrate in a substantially conformal manner.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 7 , wherein disposing the insulating layer comprises disposing a layer of at least one of TEOS, an oxide, a nitride, or a polyimide.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 7 , wherein the insulating layer is disposed by deposition.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
10 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the dopant comprises germanium.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the doped oxide comprises at least one of TEOS and a LPCVD oxide.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 11 , wherein the oxide is silane oxide.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the doped oxide is disposed by low pressure, chemical vapor deposition.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 13 , wherein the dopant is mixed with the oxide during the deposition process.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the doped oxide reflows during annealing.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 15 wherein the doped oxide is annealed by rapid thermal processing.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 15 , wherein the doped oxide is annealed by furnace processing.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
11 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising etching the doped oxide.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 18 , wherein the doped oxide layer is etched with a spacer etch.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
61 words
A method for constructing an integrated circuit structure, comprising: disposing a layer of doped oxide, the dopant being iso-electronic to silicon reflowing the layer of doped oxide; and etching the reflowed oxide with a spacer etch; such that said doped oxide is removed form an upper surface of said integrated circuit structure and integrated circuit structure has a prograde sidewall profile.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
61 words
A method for constructing an integrated circuit structure, comprising: disposing a layer of doped oxide, the dopant being iso-electronic to silicon reflowing the layer of doped oxide; and etching the reflowed oxide with a spacer etch; such that said doped oxide is removed form an upper surface of said integrated circuit structure and integrated circuit structure has a prograde sidewall profile.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 20 , further comprising constructing an integrated circuit feature on a substrate before disposing the oxide layer.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method of claim 21 , wherein constructing the integrated circuit feature comprises constructing at least one of a gate, a metal line, an interconnect, a capacitor, a node, and a lead.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method of claim 21 , wherein the construction of the integrated circuit feature comprises: disposing at least one conductive layer over the substrate; and etching the conductive layer to a predetermined pattern.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 21 , further comprising disposing an insulating layer over the integrated circuit feature and the substrate in a substantially conformal manner.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 24 , wherein disposing the insulating layer comprises disposing at least one of TEOS, an oxide, a nitride, or a polyimide.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 24 , wherein the insulating layer is disposed by deposition.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
11 words
The method of claim 20 , wherein the dopant comprises germanium.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 20 , wherein the doped oxide comprises at least one of TEOS and a LPCVD oxide.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 28 , wherein the oxide is silane oxide.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 20 , wherein the doped oxide is disposed by low pressure, chemical vapor deposition.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 30 , wherein the dopant is mixed with the oxide during the deposition process.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 20 , wherein the doped oxide reflows during annealing.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 32 wherein the doped oxide is annealed by rapid thermal processing.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 32 , wherein the doped oxide is annealed by furnace annealing.
Claim 37
Independent Claim
170 words
A method for constructing an integrated circuit structure, comprising: constructing an integrated circuit feature on a substrate, the integrated circuit feature comprising at least one of a gate, a metal line, an interconnect, a capacitor, a node, and a lead and the substrate comprising at least one of a wafer and a previously disposed insulator from a previously fabricated integrated circuit structure; depositing an insulating layer over the integrated circuit feature and the substrate in a substantially conformal manner, the insulating layer comprising at least one of TEOS, an oxide, a nitride, or a polyimide; disposing a layer of germanium doped oxide over the integrated circuit feature in a substantially conformal manner, the doped oxide comprises at least one of TEOS and a LPCVD oxide; reflowing the layer of doped oxide; and etching the insulating layer and the doped oxide layer with a spacer etch; such that said doped oxide is removed from an upper surface of said integrated circuit structure and integrated circuit structure has a prograde sidewall profile.
Claim 38
Independent Claim
170 words
A method for constructing an integrated circuit structure, comprising: constructing an integrated circuit feature on a substrate, the integrated circuit feature comprising at least one of a gate, a metal line, an interconnect, a capacitor, a node, and a lead and the substrate comprising at least one of a wafer and a previously disposed insulator from a previously fabricated integrated circuit structure; depositing an insulating layer over the integrated circuit feature and the substrate in a substantially conformal manner, the insulating layer comprising at least one of TEOS, an oxide, a nitride, or a polyimide; disposing a layer of germanium doped oxide over the integrated circuit feature in a substantially conformal manner, the doped oxide comprises at least one of TEOS and a LPCVD oxide; reflowing the layer of doped oxide; and etching the insulating layer and the doped oxide layer with a spacer etch; such that said doped oxide is removed from an upper surface of said integrated circuit structure and integrated circuit structure has a prograde sidewall profile.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 35 ,wherein the doped oxide is disposed by low pressure, chemical vapor deposition.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 36 , wherein the dopant is mixed with the doped oxide during the deposition process.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 35 , wherein the doped oxide reflows during at least one of rapid thermal processing and furnace annealing.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3887733A
Cited
US4630343A
Cited
US4837173A
Cited
US5013675A
Cited
JPH03773A
Cited
US4951100A
Cited
JPH043332A
Cited
US5063172A
Cited
US5310456A
Cited
US5455205A
Cited
US5584964A
Cited
JP3077376B2
Cited
US5340769A
Cited
US5408115A
Cited
US5467308A
Cited
US5422504A
Cited
US6137149A
Cited
US5824584A
Cited
US5960315A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2004-08-13 | 2005-02-12 | 2005-08-14 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2008-08-13 | 2009-02-12 | 2009-08-14 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2012-08-13 | 2013-02-12 | 2013-08-14 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |