Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Han-sin Lee

Tai-su Park

Moon-han Park

Kyung-won Park

Yu-gyun Shin

Chang-ki Hong

Soo-Jin Hong

Ho-kyu Kang

Hyun-cheol Choe

Jung-yup Kim

Trench isolation methods for integrated circuits may reduce irregularities in the formation of an isolation layer through use of a high selectivity chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP) operation. In particular, a substrate surface is etched to form a trench. An insulation layer is then formed on the substrate surface and in the trench. The insulation layer is chemical-mechanical polished using a slurry that includes a CeO group abrasive to form an isolation layer in the trench. The CMP selectivity ratio of a slurry that includes a CeO group abrasive may be sufficient to allow the substrate surface to be used as a CMP stop. As a result, a more consistent level of polishing may be maintained over the substrate surface, which may result in a more uniform thickness in the isolation layer.

Integrated circuit device isolation methods using high selectivity chemical-mechanical polishing

A trench isolation structure which prevents a hump phenomenon and an inverse narrow width effect of transistors by rounding the top edges of a trench and increasing the amount of oxidation at the top edges of a trench, a semiconductor device having the trench isolation structure, and a trench isolation method are provided. In this trench isolation method, a trench is formed in non-active regions of a semiconductor substrate. An inner wall oxide film having a thickness of 10 to 150 &angst; is formed on the inner wall of the trench. A liner is formed on the surface of the inner wall oxide film. The trench is filled with a dielectric film. Part of the liner is etched so that the top ends of the silicon nitride liner are recessed from the surface of the semiconductor substrate.

Trench isolation regions having trench liners with recessed ends

A trench isolation method of a semiconductor integrated circuit is provided. In the trench isolation method, a mask pattern which defines a first opening and a second opening wider than the first opening is formed on a semiconductor substrate. A first spacer for filling the first opening and a second spacer are formed at the sidewalls of the second opening. A sacrificial material layer pattern having an etching rate substantially equal to that of the semiconductor substrate is formed in the second opening surrounded by the second spacer. The semiconductor substrate under the first and second spacers is exposed by selectively removing the first and second spacers. A deep trench region and a shallow trench region are formed in the exposed semiconductor substrate and under the sacrificial material layer, respectively, by etching the exposed semiconductor substrate and the sacrificial material layer pattern. An isolation layer filling the deep trench region and the shallow trench region is formed.

Trench isolation method for semiconductor integrated circuit

Trench isolation structure, semiconductor device having the same, and trench isolation method

A method of forming an isolation film forms a spacer for connecting the edge of an active region to the isolation film. The spacer is on the upper sidewall of a trench and smoothes the transition or step between the level of the isolation film and the level of the active region. Accordingly, a gate oxide film of a uniform thickness can be formed on the entire active region in a subsequent process, thus preventing degradation of the characteristics of the gate oxide film. The spacer can be formed using a sidewall spacer on the hard mask used for forming the trench. The sidewall spacer protects part of the isolation formed in the trench, and etching after removal of the sidewall spacer can round the protected portion to create the spacer. Furthermore, to dispel stresses and defects in the isolation film, annealing for densification of the isolation film can be performed at a high temperature such as about 1150&deg; C. because the spacer mitigates the effects of shrinking or sagging of the isolation film.

Method of forming isolation film for semiconductor devices

A trench isolation method is provided. In the trench isolation method, a pad oxide film, an oxidative film and an etching mask film are formed on a semiconductor substrate in sequence, and then a trench is formed in a field region of the semiconductor substrate. A oxide film is formed at the inner wall of the trench and the side walls of the oxidative film by oxidizing the semiconductor substrate. After filling the trench with a dielectric material, the pad oxide film, oxidative film and etching mask film formed in the active region are removed.

Trench isolation method for semiconductor device

A method for forming a microelectronic structure includes the steps of forming a mask layer on a substrate, forming a trench in the exposed portion of the substrate, forming a layer of an insulating material which fills the trench and covers the mask layer, and annealing the insulating material at a temperature of at least about 1,150.degree. C. The annealing step can be performed for a period of time of about .5 hours to about 8 hours, and the annealing step can be performed in an inert atmosphere.

Growing community of inventors

Kyungki-do, South Korea

Han-sin Lee