Semiconductor device and method for manufacturing the same

A method for processing a semiconductor wafer having a chip region and a non-chip region, the method comprising the steps of:

• (A) forming trench isolation regions in the semiconductor wafer, wherein the step (A) comprises the steps of:
• (a) forming a polishing stopper layer having a specified pattern over the semiconductor wafer;
• (b) forming trenches in the chip region and dummy trenches in at least a portion of the non-chip region in the semiconductor wafer using at least the polishing stopper layer as a mask, wherein the dummy trench isolation regions are formed in a region extending by a specified distance into the non-chip region from a boundary between the chip region and the non-chip region;
• (c) forming a dielectric layer over the semiconductor wafer and filling the trenches and the dummy trenches with the dielectric layer;
• and
• (d) polishing the insulation layer using the polishing stopper layer as a stopper.

A method for processing a semiconductor wafer having a chip region and a non-chip region, the method comprising the steps of:

• (A) forming trench isolation regions in the semiconductor wafer, wherein the step (A) comprises the steps of:
• (h) forming a polishing stopper layer over the semiconductor wafer;
• (i) forming a resist layer over the polishing stopper layer;
• (j) exposing the resist layer in the chip region and at least one specified portion of the non-chip region, wherein the resist layer is exposed in a region extending by a specified distance into the non-chip region from a boundary between the chip region and the non-chip region;
• (k) developing the resist layer;
• (l) removing the polishing stopper layer in a specified pattern using the resist layer as a mask;
• (m) etching the semiconductor wafer using at least the polishing stopper layer as a mask to form trenches in the chip region and dummy trenches in the non-chip region;
• (n) forming a dielectric layer over the semiconductor wafer and filling the trenches and the dummy trenches with the dielectric layer;
• and
• (o) polishing the dielectric layer using the polishing stopper layer as a stopper.

A method for processing a semiconductor wafer, the method comprising:

• defining a chip region and a non-chip region in a semiconductor wafer;
• and
• forming trench isolation regions in the chip region;
• and
• forming dummy trench isolation regions in at least a part of the non-chip region, wherein the dummy trench isolation regions are formed in a region extending by a specified distance into the non-chip region from a boundary between the chip region and the non-chip region.

A method for processing a semiconductor wafer according to claim 17, wherein the trench isolation regions and the dummy trench isolation regions are formed by a process comprising:

• (a) forming a polishing stopper layer having a specified pattern over the semiconductor wafer;
• (b) forming trenches in the chip region and dummy trenches in at least a portion of the non-chip region in the semiconductor wafer using at least the polishing stopper layer as a mask;
• (c) forming a dielectric layer over the semiconductor wafer and filling the trenches and the dummy trenches with the dielectric layer;
• and
• (d) polishing the insulation layer using the polishing stopper layer as a stopper.