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. 25, 2003
Filed:
May. 23, 2002
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Hsin-Chu, TW;
Abstract
A multi-step HDP deposition and sputtering process for void-free filling of high aspect ratio trenches and for trenches having stepped cross-sectional profiles. The method is particularly applicable to filling trenches formed in triply layered substrates comprising a silicon layer, an oxide layer and a nitride layer, wherein the nitride layer has been pulled back from the edge of the trench opening and forms a step. The method allows the void-free filling of such a trench without damaging the nitride layer in the process. Briefly, the essence of the method is the formation of deposited layers on the sidewalls of the trench wherein the first layer is deposited with a high deposition to sputtering ratio (D/S>10) and low bias power to form a thin layer, with no overhang, that is capable of protecting the nitride layer during subsequent deposition and sputtering steps. A subsequent in-situ sputtering step at a lower D/S ratio using oxygen as the sputtering gas maintains a wide trench opening which then allows the complete filling to proceed using argon as the sputtering gas for increased throughput.