Globalfoundries Inc.

Infineon Technologies Ag

Qimonda Ag

Jörg Radecker

Frank Jakubowski

Frank Ludwig

Peter Baars

Stephan Kronholz

Peter Javorka

Matthias Goldbach

Hans-Peter Moll

Hans-Juergen Thees

Erhard Landgraf

Sven Schmidbauer

Tobias Mono

Michael Stadtmueller

Andreas Wich-Glasen

Lincoln O'Riain

Dirk Efferenn

Moritz Haupt

Ulrike Grüning Von Schwerin

Generally, the present disclosure is directed to various methods of recessing an active region and an adjacent isolation structure in a common etch process. One illustrative method disclosed includes forming an isolation structure in a semiconducting substrate, wherein the isolation structure defines an active area in the substrate, forming a patterned masking layer above the substrate, wherein the patterned masking layer exposes the active area and at least a portion of the isolation structure for further processing, and performing a non-selective dry etching process on the exposed active area and the exposed portion of the isolation structure to define a recess in the substrate and to remove at least some of the exposed portions of the isolation structure.

Methods of recessing an active region and STI structures in a common etch process

Methods for fabricating semiconductor devices are provided. In an embodiment, a method for fabricating a semiconductor device includes forming a planarization stop layer overlying a semiconductor substrate. A trench is etched through the planarization stop layer and into the semiconductor substrate and is filled with an isolation material. The isolation material is planarized to establish a top surface of the isolation material coplanar with the planarization stop layer. In the method, a dry deglaze process is performed to remove a portion of the planarization stop layer and a portion of the isolation material to lower the top surface of the isolation material to a desired stepheight above the semiconductor substrate.

Methods for fabricating semiconductor devices with isolation regions having uniform stepheights

Disclosed herein are various methods of forming isolation structures, such as trench isolation structures, for semiconductor devices. In one example, the method includes forming a trench in a semiconducting substrate, forming a lower isolation structure in the trench, wherein the lower isolation structure has an upper surface that is below an upper surface of the substrate, and forming an upper isolation structure above the lower isolation structure, wherein a portion of the upper isolation structure is positioned within the trench.

Methods of forming isolation structures for semiconductor devices

Transistor devices are formed with a nitride cap over STI regions during FEOL processing. Embodiments include forming a pad oxide layer on a substrate, forming an STI region in the substrate so that the top surface is level with the top surface of the pad oxide, forming a nitride cap on the STI region and on a portion of the pad oxide layer on each side of the STI region, implanting a dopant into the substrate, deglazing the nitride cap and pad oxide layer, removing the nitride cap, and removing the pad oxide layer. Embodiments include forming a silicon germanium channel (c-SiGe) in the substrate prior to deglazing the pad oxide layer. The nitride cap protects the STI regions and immediately adjacent area during processes that tend to degrade the STI oxide, thereby providing a substantially divot free substrate and an STI region with a zero step height for the subsequently deposited high-k dielectric and metal electrode.

STI silicon nitride cap for flat FEOL topology

The present invention relates to a transistor comprising a gate channel area and a gate stack having mechanical stress arranged on the gate channel area.

Method for manufacturing an integrated circuit including a transistor

A description is given of a method for a selective masking of a structure with a small structure surface with respect to a structure with a larger structure surface. To that end, the structures are filled with a covering layer. The covering layer is formed with a larger thickness above the first structure, which has the larger structure surface, than above the second structure. Afterward, the covering layer is removed by a homogeneous removal method, so that first the structure surface of the second structure is uncovered. A simple self-aligning method for fabricating a mask for uncovering the second structure is thus provided.

Method for fabricating a self-aligning mask

A method for encapsulating a filling in a trench of a semiconductor substrate includes providing a first barrier layer in a trench and a second barrier layer disposed above the first barrier layer. The trench is filled with a filling, which is subsequently etched back in an upper trench section, so that a hole is produced and a filling residue remains in a lower trench section. Subsequently, a non-conformal cover layer is provided in an upper trench section, so that the cover layer of a bottom region has a first thickness greater than a second thickness of a wall region of the cover layer. The cover layer and the second barrier layer are isotropically etched-back and removed from the upper trench section, and the first barrier layer remains. The bottom region remains covered resulting in the filling residue being encapsulated by the first barrier layer and the residual cover layer.

Method for fabricating a semiconductor structure with an encapsulation of a filling which is used for filling trenches

Growing community of inventors

Dresden, Germany

Jörg Radecker