Electrical properties of shallow trench isolation materials via high temperature annealing in the presence of reactive gases

Abstract

The present invention relates to semiconductor device fabrication and more specifically to a method and material for forming high density shallow trench isolation structures in integrated circuits having improved electrical properties. A silica dielectric film is formed on a substrate (a) preparing a composition comprising a silicon containing pre-polymer, a metal-ion-free catalyst, and optionally water; (b) coating a substrate with the composition to form a film, (c) crosslinking the composition by first heating the composition in a nitrogen atmosphere at a temperature of from about 750° C. to about 850° C. for from about 30 minutes to about 120 minutes; and thereafter heating the composition in an oxygen atmosphere at a temperature of from about 850° C. to about 1000° C. for from about 30 minutes to about 120 minutes, effective to produce a substantially crack-free, and substantially void-free silica dielectric film having a density of from about 1.8 to about 2.3 g/ml, a dielectric constant of about 4.0 or less, a breakdown voltage of about 3 MV/cm or more.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.