Trench isolation process
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorsChung-Lei Chen, Cheng-Hsin Chen, Chung Chieh Ting, Che-Yi Lin, Clark Lee
Life of this patent
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Abstract
One or more semiconductor processing tools may form a deep trench within a silicon wafer. The one or more semiconductor processing tools may deposit a first insulating material within the deep trench. The one or more semiconductor processing tools may form, after forming the deep trench with the silicon wafer, a shallow trench above the deep trench. The one or more semiconductor processing tools may deposit a second insulating material within the shallow trench.
Claims20
A method of providing trench isolation, comprising:
- performing a deep trench isolation process for a silicon wafer;
- forming, after performing the deep trench isolation process, a shallow trench having a lower surface that is above a lower surface of a deep trench associated with the deep trench isolation process,
- wherein an entirety of a first portion of the lower surface of the shallow trench resides below an entirety of a second portion of the lower surface of the shallow trench and is co-planar with a top surface of an entirety of the deep trench;
- and
- depositing an insulating material within the shallow trench,
- wherein a thickness of a first portion of the insulating material that is laterally displaced from the deep trench is greater than a thickness of a second portion of the insulating material that is above the deep trench.
A method of providing trench isolation, comprising:
- performing a deep trench isolation process to form a deep trench having a first depth from an upper surface of a silicon wafer;
- forming, after performing the deep trench isolation process, a shallow trench having a second depth, from the upper surface of the silicon wafer, that is less than the first depth,
- wherein the shallow trench has a lower surface comprising a first portion, that is co-planar with an entirety of the deep trench, and a second portion that is on a different plane than the first portion;
- depositing an insulating material within the shallow trench;
- and
- performing a chemical-mechanical polishing process for the deep trench and the shallow trench,
- wherein a thickness of a first portion of the insulating material that is laterally displaced from the deep trench is greater than a thickness of a second portion of the insulating material that is above the deep trench after performing the chemical-mechanical polishing process, wherein a top surface of the first portion of the insulating material is co-planar with a top surface of the silicon wafer.
A system, comprising:
- one or more tools configured to:
- perform a deep trench isolation process for a silicon wafer;
- form, after a deep trench is formed via the deep trench isolation process, a shallow trench having a lower surface that is above a lower surface of the deep trench;
- and
- deposit an insulating material within the shallow trench,
- wherein a thickness of a first portion of the insulating material that is laterally displaced from the deep trench is greater than a thickness of a second portion of the insulating material that is above the deep trench,
- wherein at least one of:
- a top surface of the first portion of the insulating material is co-planar with a top surface of the silicon wafer, or
- an entirety of a first portion of the lower surface of the shallow trench resides below an entirety of a second portion of the lower surface of the shallow trench and is coplanar with a top surface of an entirety of the deep trench.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.