Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Comp. Ltd.

Chin-Hsiung Ho

Chung-Te Lin

ChaoChieh Tsai

Chao-Chieh Tsai

Yuan-Chen Sun

Chia-Shiung Tsai

Kuo-Hua Pan

Shou-Zen Chang

Chien-Kang Chou

Jih-Churng Twu

Tsung-Chieh Tsai

Wei-Ming You

Jui-Ping Chuang

Chen-Fa Lu

Mei-Ling Chen

Hann-Huei Tsai

Chu-Wei Hu

Mei-Yen Li

Shih-Ming Wang

Chia-Chun Cheng

Ming-Dar Guo

So-Wein Kuo

Cheng Kun Lin

Ming Te More

Liang-Kun Huang

Hsueh-Liang Chiu

Long-Shang Chuang

Sheng-Hsiung Tseng

Yao-Pin Huang

Cheng-Kai Liu

A method for depositing an inter-metal-dielectric layer on a semiconductor substrate by plasma chemical vapor deposition without the layer cracking defect is disclosed. The semiconductor substrate is first heat-treated in the same plasma process chamber to a temperature of at least 300&deg; C. for a length of time sufficient to outgas a surface of the semiconductor substrate. The impurity gases absorbed on the surface of the semiconductor substrate can be effectively outgassed during the heat treatment process such that they are not trapped under an IMD layer deposited in a subsequent plasma deposition process. The method effectively minimizes or eliminates completely the IMD layer cracking defect of the dielectric layer.

Method for depositing silicon oxide incorporating an outgassing step

An electrostatic charge-free solvent-type dryer for drying semiconductor wafers after a wet bench process is disclosed in a preferred embodiment and in an alternate embodiment. In the preferred embodiment, the electrostatic charge-free solvent-type dryer is constructed by a tank body, a wafer carrier, an elevator means, a tank cover and a conduit for feeding the flow of solvent vapor. At least one of the tank cover, the conduit for feeding the flow of solvent vapor and the plurality of partition plates is fabricated of a non-electrostatic material such that electrostatic charge is not generated in the flow of solvent vapor. In the alternate embodiment, a deionizer is further provided in the tank cavity for producing a flux of positive ions to neutralize any negative ions that are possibly produced in the flow of solvent vapor.

Electrostatic charge-free solvent-type dryer for semiconductor wafers

A method for preventing or reducing corrosion of copper containing semiconductor features during chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) including providing a semiconductor wafer polishing surface including a copper layer overlying a copper filled anisotropically etched feature; polishing the semiconductor wafer polishing surface according to a first CMP process to remove at least a portion the copper layer to reveal a portion of an underlying barrier/adhesion layer; polishing the semiconductor wafer polishing surface according to a second CMP process including applying a neutralizing solution; polishing the semiconductor wafer polishing surface according to a third CMP process including applying a copper corrosion inhibitor solution; and, polishing the semiconductor wafer polishing surface according to at least a fourth CMP process to remove a remaining portion of the underlying barrier/adhesion layer.

Method for preventing Cu CMP corrosion

A method for forming both n and p wells in a semiconductor substrate using a single photolithography masking step, a non-conformal oxide layer and a chemical-mechanical polish step. A screen oxide layer is formed on a semiconductor substrate. A barrier layer is formed on the screen oxide layer. The barrier layer is patterned to form a first opening in the barrier layer over regions of the substrate where first wells will be formed. We implant impurities of a first conductivity type into the substrate to form first wells. In a key step, a non-conformal oxide layer is formed over the first well regions and the barrier layer. It is critical that the non-conformal oxide layer formed using a HDPCVD process. The non-conformal oxide layer is chemical-mechanical polished stopping at the barrier layer. The barrier layer is removed using a selective etch, to form second openings in the remaining non-conformal oxide layer over areas where second well will be formed in the substrate. Using the remaining non-conformal oxide as a mask, we implant impurities of the second conductivity type through the second openings to form second wells. The remaining non-conformal oxide layer and the screen oxide layer are removed.

Method for forming n and p wells in a semiconductor substrate using a single masking step

A method for fabricating shallow trench isolation stricture wherein a surface oxide layer and a polycrystalline silicon buffer layer are formed on a semiconductor body. Openings are formed through the layers and into the body that constitute trenches. A lining oxide layer is formed on the trench and buffer layer surfaces. A thick oxide layer is deposited on the body to fill the trench, and the layer planarized by chemical-mechanical polishing. The exposed portions of the buffer layer are removed and the horizontal surface oxide layer portions removed by anisotropic etching.

Method for producing shallow trench isolation structure

A method of forming borderless contacts and vias is disclosed. Borders which are conventionally provided in aligning contacts and vias to device and/or metal regions in a semiconductor device take up too much valuable real estate on semiconductor substrates, and hence reduce productivity of the products. By employing a hard-mask of this invention, and a specific sequence of process steps, alignment can be achieved without the need for borders. First, a thin nitride layer is deposited on an insulating layer formed over a substructure of a substrate having device and/or metal regions. The hard-mask is patterned with metal line openings, and a photoresist layer is formed with contact or via pattern over the already patterned hard-mask. The contact/via openings are etched into the dielectric layer until the substructure is reached. The hole openings are filled plug metal and then partially etched back, leaving a plug in the hole opening. The line trench is etched further into the dielectric layer until metal plug is reached. The trench is then filled with metal, such as aluminum-copper or copper and the excess is removed by chemical-mechanical polishing. Thus, a borderless and self-aligned interconnect comprising plug and metal line is formed.

Borderless contact

A process for the formation of deep clear laser marks on silicon wafers is described. Tall ridges of material which is erupted from the wafer surface during the deep laser penetration form adjacent to the marks. These ridges are of the order of 3 to 15 microns in height and must be removed prior to subsequent wafer processing to avoid fragmentation causing scratches and particulate contamination. The process of the invention deposits a non-conformal layer of photoresist or other flowable material on the wafer. The peaks of the ridges protrude above the surface of the conformal layer be a significant amount and are then etched away using an aqueous silicon etch. The non-conformal layer protects the wafer surface from the silicon etch so that only the ridges are removed. After the ridges are etched, the non-conformal layer is removed leaving residual ridges of a height less than or equal to the thickness of the conformal layer.

Simplified process for the fabrication of deep clear laser marks using a

A method for forming salicide contacts and polycide conductive lines in integrated circuits is described which employs the ion implantation of both silicon and arsenic into polysilicon structures and into source/drain MOSFET elements is described. The method is effective in reducing gate-to-source/drain bridging in the manufacture of sub-micron CMOS integrated circuits and improving the conductivity of sub-micron wide polycide lines. Silicon is implanted into the polysilicon and into the source/drain surfaces forming a amorphized surface layer. Next a low dose, low energy arsenic implant is administered into the amorphized layer. The low dose shallow arsenic implant in concert with the amorphized layer initiates an equalized formation of titanium silicide over both NMOS and PMOS devices in CMOS integrated circuits without degradation of the PMOS devices. Amorphization by the electrically neutral silicon ions permits the use of a lower dose of arsenic than would be required if arsenic alone were implanted. In addition to amorphization, the implanted silicon prevents the formation of microvoids by providing silicon towards titanium silicide formation. The combined amorphization effect of the silicon and arsenic implants also facilitates a silicide phase transition on sub-micron wide polycide lines thereby improving their conductivity.

Silicon and arsenic double implanted pre-amorphization process for

A dual damascene process is disclosed for forming contact and via interconnects without borders. A nitride layer is first formed on a dielectric layer to function as a hard-mask. Metal line trench is first etched into the nitride layer and then into the dielectric layer. Then, a second photoresist layer is used to pattern contact or via hole over line trench opening and the dielectric layer is further etched through the line trench into the dielectric layer until the substructure of the substrate is reached. It is disclosed that by using the nitride layer as a hard-mask, the registration or alignment tolerance between the contact/via hole pattern and the metal line pattern can be relaxed substantially and not use a border as is conventionally practiced in order to assure proper registration between the patterns. The borderless interconnect is achieved by filling the composite line opening and the hole opening with metal and chemical mechanical polishing. The process enables cost reduction and productivity in the semiconductor manufacturing line.

Dual damascene interconnect process with borderless contact

The present invention provides a method of manufacturing a high nitrogen (N) content oxynitride layer 34A 34B over field oxide regions. The oxynitride layer 34A 34B prevents subsequent etches from forming recesses in the field oxide regions 30 and planarizes the surface. The method begins by forming a field oxide region 30 an isolation area in the substrate 22. A high N content oxynitride protection layer 34A 34B (an etch barrier) is then formed surrounding (over and under) the field oxide layer 30. The high N content oxynitride protection layer 34A 34B is formed by heating (e.g., annealing) the substrate in a gas environment comprising ammonia. The high N content oxynitride layer is preferably formed by rapidly thermally annealing the substrate at temperature between about 825.degree. and 875 .degree. C. in an ammonia containing environment with a partial pressure of between about 0.5 and 1.2 kg/cm.sup.2 . The top high N content oxynitride layer 34A over the central area of the field is preferably removed while the top and bottom high content oxynitride layers 34A 34B remain at the periphery of the field oxide.

Method to reduce field oxide loss from etches

The present invention provides a method of manufacturing a trench having rounded top corners 28 in a substrate. The rounded top edges allow the formation of a gate oxide with a uniform thickness around the trench thereby reducing parasitic field FET problems. The method begins by forming a pad layer 14 over a semiconductor substrate 10. Next, an insulating layer 18 composed of silicon nitride is formed over the pad layer 14. A first opening 19 is formed in the insulating layer 18 and the pad layer 14 exposing the surface of the substrate. The first opening is defined by sidewalls of the pad layer 14 and of the insulating layer 18. An etch buffer layer 20 composed of polysilicon is formed over the resultant surface. In one etch step, the etch buffer layer 20 is anisotropically etched forming spacers 22 on the sidewalls of the pad layer 14 and of the insulating layer 18. The same etch step continues by etching the spacers 22 and the exposed substrate in the first opening 19 thereby forming a trench 26 in the substrate 10. Because the etch has to etch through the spacers before it reached the substrate, the trench 26 has rounded top edges 28 near the pad layer 14. Lastly, the pad layer 14 and the first insulating layer 18 are removed thereby forming the trench 26 with rounded top edges 28.

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Sunnyvale, CA, United States of America

Chin-Hsiung Ho