The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 14, 2000
Filed:
May. 26, 1998
Keith E Witek, Austin, TX (US);
Mike Hsiao-Hui Chen, Pflugerville, TX (US);
Stephen Shiu-Kong Poon, Austin, TX (US);
Motorola Inc., Schaumburg, IL (US);
Abstract
A method for forming a capped shallow trench isolation (CaSTI) structure begin by etching a trench opening (210). The opening (210) is filled with an oxide or like trench fill material (216b) via a deposition and chemical mechanical polish (CMP) step. The plug (216b) is reactive ion etched (RIE) to recess a top of the plug (216b) into the trench opening (210) to form a recessed plug region (216c). A silicon nitride or oxynitride capping layer (218b) is then formed over the recessed plug region (216c) via another deposition and polishing step. The nitride cap layer (218b) protects the underlying region (216c) from erosion due to active area preparation, cleaning, and processing.