High density isolation using an implant as a polish stop

A process for forming high density isolation for very large scale integration on a semiconductor chip, comprising the steps of:

• orientation-dependent etching a portion of a silicon substrate with a [111] orientation to form a plurality of pyramid-shaped features on a surface of said silicon substrate;
• forming an oxide layer over said portion of pyramid-shaped features;
• implanting Si atoms and/or ions of a non-conductive material to a first predetermined depth into said oxide layer, with respect to a top-most location of said oxide layer, and a second predetermined depth into said pyramid-shaped features, with respect to a top-most point of said pyramid-shaped features, to provide a detectable change in material characteristic at said first and second predetermined depths;
• and
• chemical-mechanical polishing said oxide layer and pyramid-shaped features down in an amount corresponding to at most said first and second predetermined depths, respectively, as determined by detecting said change in material characteristic, to thereby remove a top portion of said pyramid-shaped features.

A process for forming high density isolation for very large scale integration on a semiconductor chip, comprising the steps of:

• orientation-dependent etching a portion of a silicon substrate with a [111] orientation to form a plurality of pyramid-shaped features on a surface of said silicon substrate;
• forming an oxide layer over said portion of pyramid-shaped features;
• implanting O atoms and/or ions of a non-conductive material to a first predetermined depth into said oxide layer, with respect to a top-most location of said oxide layer, and a second predetermined depth into said pyramid-shaped features, with respect to a top-most point of said pyramid-shaped features, to provide a detectable change in material characteristic at said first and second predetermined depths;
• and
• chemical-mechanical polishing said oxide layer and pyramid-shaped features down in an amount corresponding to at most said first and second predetermined depths, respectively, as determined by detecting said change in material characteristic, to thereby remove a top portion of said pyramid-shaped features.

A process for forming high density isolation for very large scale integration on a semiconductor chip, comprising the steps of:

• orientation-dependent etching a portion of a silicon substrate with a [111] orientation to form a plurality of pyramid-shaped features on a surface of said silicon substrate;
• forming an oxide layer over said portion of pyramid-shaped features;
• implanting N atoms and/or ions of a non-conductive material to a first predetermined depth into said oxide layer with respect to a top-most location of said oxide layer, and a second predetermined depth into said pyramid-shaped features, with respect to a top-most point of said pyramid-shaped features, to provide a detectable change in material characteristic at said first and second predetermined depths;
• and
• chemical-mechanical polishing said oxide layer and pyramid-shaped features down in an amount corresponding to at most said first and second predetermined depths, respectively, as determined by detecting said change in material characteristic, to thereby remove a top portion of said pyramid-shaped features.

A process for forming high density isolation for very large scale integration semiconductor chips, comprising the steps of:

• forming protruding features on a surface of said semiconductor substrate;
• forming a layer of insulation above said etched portion of said semiconductor substrate;
• implanting atoms and/or ions of a non-conductive material to a first predetermined depth into said insulation layer with respect to a top-most location of said insulation layer, and a second predetermined depth into said protruding features, with respect to a top-most location of said protruding features to provide a detectable change in material characteristic at said first and second predetermined depths;
• and
• polishing said insulation layer and protruding features down in an amount corresponding to at most said first and second predetermined depths, respectively, as determined by detecting said change in material characteristic, to thereby remove a top portion of said protruding features to form a first surface on each of a plurality of said protruding features.