Local-oxidation of silicon (LOCOS) process using ceramic barrier layer
AssigneeMicron Technology, Inc.
InventorsTrung T. Doan, Gurtej S. Sandhu
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A local oxidation of silicon (LOCOS) process for semiconductor manufacture in which a barrier layer for the oxidation process and for a subsequent field implant is formed of a ceramic material. The ceramic material is one that can be easily deposited on silicon with low stress and is characterized by an ion stopping power greater than that of silicon nitride. Suitable ceramic materials include metal oxides, titanates, carbides, glasses and ferroelectrics.
Claims16
A local oxidation of silicon (LOCOS) process for semiconductor manufacture comprising:
- depositing a low stress barrier layer of a ceramic material having a high ion stopping power on a silicon substrate;
- patterning and etching the barrier layer to define active areas on the substrate covered with the ceramic material with exposed areas of the substrate therebetween;
- growing a field oxide in the exposed areas by wet oxidation;
- implanting the active areas through the field oxide using ions of sufficient energy to penetrate the field oxide but not the barrier layer;
- and
- removing the ceramic layer.
The process as recited in clair:
- 1 and wherein:
- the ceramic material is deposited by chemical vapor deposition (CVD).
A local oxidation of silicon (LOCOS) process for semiconductor manufacture comprising:
- depositing a barrier layer on a silicon substrate with the barrier layer formed of a ceramic material having a higher ion stopping power than silicon nitride and having a coefficient of thermal expansion that closely matches that of silicon such that it can be deposited with low stress;
- photopatterning and etching the ceramic barrier layer such that exposed areas are formed on the substrate for a field oxide and active areas on the substrate for active devices are covered with the ceramic barrier layer;
- growing the field oxide in the exposed areas by wet oxidation;
- implanting the active areas through the field oxide using ions of sufficient energy to penetrate the field oxide but not the ceramic barrier layer;
- and
- removing the ceramic barrier layer by etching.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.