United Microelectronics Corp.

Yunn-Ming Tsou

Yong-Fen Hsieh

Chih-Rong Chen

Ching-Long Tsai

A method of fabricating a shallow trench isolation structure includes defining a shallow trench isolation region on a substrate covered by a first oxide layer and a mask layer. Then, covering the inner surface of the shallow trench with a silicon nitride layer. After a thermal treatment, two oxide layers are formed at the two sides of the silicon nitride layer, respectively. Then, another oxide layer is formed to fill the shallow trench. Next, a planarization process is performed until the mask layer is exposed. The mask layer and the first oxide layer and the oxide layer higher than the substrate are removed.

Method of fabricating a shallow trench isolation structure

A method for preparing a specimen block for TEM analysis that uses target point breaking of an original specimen block into two separate blocks with one block containing the point targeted for analysis. Hence, over-polishing can be avoided and polishing time is saved. Furthermore, polishing is carried out by sandwiching the specimen block between sacrificial blocks supported by polish-resistant blocks below. With the polish-resistant blocks acting as a polishing stop layer, a fixed thickness instead of variable thickness will remain after the specimen is polished.

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Hsinchu Hsien, Taiwan

Yunn-Ming Tsou