Integrated Device Technology, Inc.

Ohm-Guo Pan

Shih-Ked Lee

Jeong Yeol Choi

Long-Ching Wang

Guo-Qiang Lo

Tsengyou Syau

Guo-Qiang (Patrick) Lo

Yingbo Jia

Zhenjiang Yu

Yu-Lung Mao

A method for preventing the formation of watermark defects includes the steps of forming a pad oxide, a silicon nitride layer and a silicon oxynitride layer over a semiconductor substrate. A photoresist mask is formed over the resulting structure, with the silicon oxynitride layer being used as an anti-reflective coating during exposure of the photoresist material. An etch is performed through the photoresist mask, thereby forming a trench in the substrate. The photoresist mask is stripped, and the silicon oxynitride layer is conditioned. For example, the silicon oxynitride layer may be conditioned by a rapid thermal anneal in the presence of oxygen or nitrogen. A wet clean step is subsequently performed to remove a native oxide layer in the trench. The conditioned silicon oxynitride layer prevents the formation of watermarks during the wet clean process.

Dielectric anti-reflective coating surface treatment to prevent defect generation in associated wet clean

Methods for forming nitrided oxides in semiconductor devices by rapid thermal oxidation, in which a semiconductor substrate having an exposed silicon surface is placed into a thermal process chamber. Then, an ambient gas comprising N O and an inert gas such as argon or N is introduced into the process chamber. Next, the silicon surface is heated to a predefined process temperature, thereby oxidizing at least a portion of the silicon surface. Finally, the semiconductor substrate is cooled. An ultra-thin oxide layer with uniform oxide characteristics, such as more boron penetration resistance, good oxide composition and thickness uniformity, increased charge to breakdown voltage in the oxide layer, can be formed.

Method of forming an oxide layer

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Ohm-Guo Pan