National Semiconductor Corporation

Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation

Paul J Howell

Donald J Desbiens

John W Eldridge

A process for fabricating both bipolar and complementary field effect transistors in an integrated circuit is disclosed. The process begins with a structure having a P type substrate 10, an N type epitaxial layer 15, and an intervening N type buried layer 12. The process includes the steps of removing all of the epitaxial layer 15 and all of the buried layer 12 from regions of the substrate where NMOS devices are to be formed, to thereby leave second regions of the epitaxial layer 15 and buried layer 12 having sidewalls 21 protruding above the substrate 10. A layer of silicon dioxide 25 is formed at least over the sidewalls of the protruding regions, and then a further epitaxial deposition of silicon is employed to reform the epitaxial layer 28 over the first regions, which epitaxial layer 28 is separated from the previously formed epitaxial layer 15 by the silicon dioxide isolation 25. The process continues by fabricating bipolar and field effect transistors in separate ones of the first and second regions.

Selective epitaxy BiCMOS process

An improved process for fabricating modified isoplanar integrated circuits with enhanced density incorporates a number of interactive and co-acting process steps. First, oxide isolation of epitaxial islands is effected in a two step process, forming a thin thermally grown oxide layer (32), over the surfaces of shallow trenches and then filling the shallow trenches with deposited low temperature oxide (34). Second, an enhanced single polycrystalline or polysilicon layer process uses a blanket implant, eliminates certain masking and etching steps, and defines the polycrystalline layer. Third, a new method and structure is provided for dielectrically isolating and separating contact locations on different surface levels of the integrated circuit structure adjacent to step locations between the surface levels. Finally, a new method constitutes all of the electrical contact locations for the elements of the integrated circuit structure at the same substantially isoplanar level.

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Paul J Howell