Method to form narrow and wide shallow trench isolations with different trench depths to eliminate isolation oxide dishing

A method of forming shallow trench isolations in the fabrication of an integrated circuit device comprising:

• providing a silicon substrate;
• growing a pad oxide layer overlying said silicon substrate;
• depositing a polishing stop layer overlying said pad oxide layer;
• depositing a oxide layer overlying said polishing stop layer;
• etching through said oxide layer, said polishing stop layer, and said pad oxide layer to the top surface of said silicon substrate to form openings for planned first trenches;
• depositing a polysilicon layer overlying said oxide layer and filling said openings for said planned first trenches;
• polishing down said polysilicon layer to the top surface of said oxide layer such that said polysilicon layer remains only in said openings of said planned first trenches;
• thereafter etching through said oxide layer, said polishing stop layer, and said pad oxide layer to the top surface of said silicon substrate to form openings for planned second trenches;
• etching simultaneously said silicon substrate and said polysilicon layer to complete said first trenches and said second trenches wherein said etching forms said second trenches deeper than said first trenches and wherein said oxide layer acts as a hard mask;
• depositing an isolation oxide layer overlying said oxide layer and said silicon substrate and filling said first trenches and said second trenches;
• polishing down said isolation oxide layer and said oxide layer to said polishing stop layer to complete the shallow trench isolations;
• and completing the fabrication of the integrated circuit device.

A method of forming shallow trench isolations in the fabrication of an integrated circuit device comprising:

• providing a silicon substrate;
• growing a pad oxide layer overlying said silicon substrate;
• depositing a polishing stop layer of silicon nitride overlying said pad oxide layer;
• depositing an oxide layer overlying said polishing stop layer;
• etching through said oxide layer, said polishing stop layer, and said pad oxide layer to the top surface of said silicon substrate to form openings for planned wide trenches;
• depositing a polysilicon layer overlying said oxide layer and filling said openings for said planned wide trenches;
• polishing down said polysilicon layer to the top surface of said oxide layer such that said polysilicon layer remains only in said openings of said planned wide trenches wherein said polishing down is by chemical mechanical polishing;
• thereafter etching through said oxide layer, said polishing stop layer, and said pad oxide layer to the top surface of said silicon substrate to form openings for planned narrow trenches;
• etching simultaneously said silicon substrate and said polysilicon layer to complete said wide trenches and said narrow trenches wherein said etching forms said narrow trenches deeper than said wide trenches and wherein said oxide layer acts as a hard mask;
• depositing an isolation oxide layer overlying said oxide layer and said silicon substrate and filling said wide trenches and said narrow trenches;
• polishing down said isolation oxide layer and said oxide layer to said polishing stop layer to complete the shallow trench isolations wherein said polishing down is by chemical mechanical polishing;
• and
• completing the fabrication of the integrated circuit device.