# US 2025/0098231 A1 · Semiconductor device manufacturing method and semiconductor device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2025/0098231 A1 - Document ID: US20250098231A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 18/594,219 - Filed: 2024-03-04 - Published: 2025-03-20 - Earliest claimed: 2023-09-14 - Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba - Applicants: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba - Inventors: Tatsuo SHIMIZU - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20250098231A1 ## CPC - H10D 62/10: Shapes, relative sizes or dispositions of the regions of the semiconductor bodies; Shapes of the semiconductor bodies - H10D 30/0297: {using recessing of the gate electrodes, e.g. to form trench gate electrodes} - H10D 30/668: {having trench gate electrodes, e.g. UMOS transistors} - H10D 62/8325: {Silicon carbide} - H10D 64/01366: {the semiconductor being silicon carbide} - H10D 64/685: {being perpendicular to the channel plane} - H10P 95/90: Thermal treatments, e.g. annealing or sintering - H10D 62/405: {Orientations of crystalline planes} - H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract A semiconductor device manufacturing method of embodiments includes: forming a trench in a silicon carbide layer having a surface inclined by an angle equal to or more than 0 degrees and equal to or less than 8 degrees with respect to a {0001}face; forming a silicon oxide film on an inner surface of the trench, the atomic concentration of oxygen (O) in the silicon oxide film being less than twice the atomic concentration of silicon (Si) in the silicon oxide film; performing a first heat treatment in an atmosphere containing nitrogen oxide gas after forming the silicon oxide film; performing a second heat treatment in an atmosphere containing at least one element selected from a group consisting of hydrogen (H), deuterium (D), and fluorine (F) after the first heat treatment; and forming a gate electrode on the silicon oxide film after the second heat treatment. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A semiconductor device manufacturing method, comprising: forming a trench in a silicon carbide layer, the silicon carbide layer having a surface inclined by an angle equal to or more than 0 degrees and equal to or less than 8 degrees with respect to a {0001}face; forming a silicon oxide film on an inner surface of the trench, an atomic concentration of oxygen (O) in the silicon oxide film being less than twice an atomic concentration of silicon (Si) in the silicon oxide film; performing a first heat treatment in an atmosphere containing nitrogen oxide gas after the forming the silicon oxide film; performing a second heat treatment in an atmosphere containing at least one element selected from a group consisting of hydrogen (H), deuterium (D), and fluorine (F) after the first heat treatment; and forming a gate electrode on the silicon oxide film after the second heat treatment. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The semiconductor device manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein the atomic concentration of oxygen (O) in the silicon oxide film is equal to or less than 1.99 times the atomic concentration of silicon (Si). ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The semiconductor device manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein a temperature of the first heat treatment is equal to or more than 900° C. and equal to or less than 1250° C. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The semiconductor device manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein a temperature of the second heat treatment is equal to or more than 400° C. and equal to or less than 900° C. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The semiconductor device manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein the silicon oxide film is formed by using a vapor deposition method. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The semiconductor device manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein heat treatment in an atmosphere containing nitrogen is not performed before the first heat treatment after the forming the silicon oxide film. ### Claim 7 A semiconductor device manufacturing method, comprising: forming a silicon oxide film on a silicon carbide layer, an atomic concentration of oxygen (O) in the silicon oxide film being less than twice an atomic concentration of silicon (Si) in the silicon oxide film; forming a first silicon film on the silicon oxide film; performing a first heat treatment in an atmosphere containing nitrogen oxide gas after the forming the first silicon film; and forming a second silicon film containing boron (B) and thicker than the first silicon film after the first heat treatment. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The semiconductor device manufacturing method according to claim 7, wherein, before the forming the silicon oxide film, a trench is formed in the silicon carbide layer, a surface of the silicon carbide layer is inclined by an angle equal to or more than 0 degrees and equal to or less than 8 degrees with respect to a {0001}face, and the silicon oxide film is formed on an inner surface of the trench. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The semiconductor device manufacturing method according to claim 7, wherein the atomic concentration of oxygen (O) in the silicon oxide film is equal to or less than 1.99 times the atomic concentration of silicon (Si). ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The semiconductor device manufacturing method according to claim 7, wherein a temperature of the first heat treatment is equal to or more than 900° C. and equal to or less than 1250° C. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The semiconductor device manufacturing method according to claim 7, wherein the first silicon film and the second silicon film are polycrystalline silicon. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The semiconductor device manufacturing method according to claim 7, wherein the first silicon film contains or does not contain boron (B), and an atomic concentration of boron (B) contained in the first silicon film is lower than an atomic concentration of boron (B) contained in the second silicon film. ### Claim 13 (depends on 7) The semiconductor device manufacturing method according to claim 7 further comprising: performing a second heat treatment after the first heat treatment, in an atmosphere containing at least one element selected from a group consisting of hydrogen (H), deuterium (D), and fluorine (F). ### Claim 14 (depends on 7) The semiconductor device manufacturing method according to claim 7 further comprising: removing a film containing oxygen (O) and nitrogen (N) formed on the first silicon film before the forming the second silicon film after the first heat treatment. ### Claim 15 (depends on 7) The semiconductor device manufacturing method according to claim 7, wherein the silicon oxide film is formed by using a vapor deposition method. ### Claim 16 A semiconductor device, comprising: a silicon carbide layer having a surface inclined by an angle equal to or more than 0 degrees and equal to or less than 8 degrees with respect to a {0001}face and including a trench; a gate electrode provided in the trench; a silicon oxide layer provided between the silicon carbide layer and the gate electrode; and a region provided between the silicon carbide layer and the silicon oxide layer and containing nitrogen (N) and at least one element selected from a group consisting of hydrogen (H), deuterium (D), and fluorine (F). ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The semiconductor device according to claim 16, wherein an atomic concentration of the at least one element in the region is lower than an atomic concentration of nitrogen in the region. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The semiconductor device according to claim 16, wherein a concentration distribution of nitrogen in the silicon carbide layer, the silicon oxide layer, and the region has a peak in the region. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The semiconductor device according to claim 18, wherein an atomic concentration of nitrogen at the peak is equal to or more than 1×1021 cm−3. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The semiconductor device according to claim 16, wherein a concentration distribution of the at least one element in the silicon carbide layer, the silicon oxide layer, and the region has a peak in the region. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The semiconductor device according to claim 20, wherein an atomic concentration of the at least one element at the peak is equal to or more than 1×1017 cm−3. ### Claim 22 (depends on 16) The semiconductor device according to claim 16, wherein, in the region, an amount of the at least one element bonded to carbon (C) is larger than an amount of the at least one element bonded to silicon (Si). ### Claim 23 (depends on 16) The semiconductor device according to claim 16, wherein a threshold voltage fluctuation when AC stress of 1 MHz from −5 MV/cm to 5 MV/cm is applied for 100 hours between the silicon carbide layer and the gate electrode is less than 0.1 V. ### Claim 24 A semiconductor device, comprising: a silicon carbide layer; a gate electrode containing polycrystalline silicon containing boron (B); a silicon oxide layer provided between the silicon carbide layer and the gate electrode; a first region provided between the silicon carbide layer and the silicon oxide layer and containing nitrogen (N); and a second region provided between the silicon oxide layer and the gate electrode and containing nitrogen (N). ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The semiconductor device according to claim 24, wherein the silicon carbide layer includes a trench, a surface of the silicon carbide layer is inclined by an angle equal to or more than 0 degrees and equal to or less than 8 degrees with respect to a {0001}face, and the gate electrode is provided in the trench. ### Claim 26 (depends on 24) The semiconductor device according to claim 24, wherein a concentration distribution of nitrogen in the silicon carbide layer, the first region, the silicon oxide layer, the second region, and the gate electrode has a first peak in the first region and a second peak in the second region. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) The semiconductor device according to claim 26, wherein an atomic concentration of nitrogen at the first peak and an atomic concentration of nitrogen at the second peak are equal to or more than 1×1021 cm−3. ### Claim 28 (depends on 24) The semiconductor device according to claim 24, wherein the first region contains at least one element selected from a group consisting of hydrogen (H), deuterium (D), and fluorine (F), and the second region contains at least one element selected from the group consisting of hydrogen (H), deuterium (D), and fluorine (F). ### Claim 29 (depends on 28) The semiconductor device according to claim 28, wherein a concentration distribution of nitrogen in the silicon carbide layer, the first region, the silicon oxide layer, the second region, and the gate electrode has a first peak in the first region and a second peak in the second region, and a concentration distribution of the at least one element in the silicon carbide layer, the first region, the silicon oxide layer, the second region, and the gate electrode has a third peak in the first region and a fourth peak in the second region. ### Claim 30 (depends on 29) The semiconductor device according to claim 29, wherein an atomic concentration of nitrogen at the first peak and an atomic concentration of nitrogen at the second peak are equal to or more than 1×1021 cm−3, and an atomic concentration of the at least one element at the third peak and an atomic concentration of the at least one element at the fourth peak is equal to or more than 1×1017 cm−3.