Ozone vapor clean method
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorsChung-Long Cheng, Kong-Beng Thei, Jung-Hui Kao
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Abstract
A method for cleaning and forming an oxide film on a surface, particularly a silicon surface. The surface is initially cleaned and then exposed to ozone vapor, which forms the oxide film on the surface. The method is particularly useful for forming a pre-liner oxide film on trench surfaces in the fabrication of STI (shallow trench isolation) structures.
Claims18
A method of forming a uniform thickness oxide film on a surface, comprising the steps of:
- providing an ozone vapor by mixing water vapor with ozone;
- cleaning said surface;
- and
- then contacting said surface with said ozone vapor to form a first oxide film on said surface;
- then, forming a second oxide film on said first oxide film.
A method of forming on trench surfaces in a substrate, comprising the steps of:
- exposing said trench surfaces by etching a trench in said substrate;
- providing an ozone vapor;
- cleaning said trench surfaces;
- and
- then contacting said trench surfaces with said ozone vapor to form a pre-liner oxide film;
- then thermally growing an oxide liner on said pre-liner oxide film.
A method of fabricating a shallow trench isolation structure, comprising the steps of:
- etching a trench having trench surfaces in said substrate;
- providing an ozone vapor by mixing water vapor with ozone;
- cleaning said trench surfaces;
- then providing a pre-liner oxide film on said trench surfaces by contacting said trench surfaces with said ozone vapor;
- then providing a liner oxide layer on said pre-liner oxide film;
- and
- providing a trench oxide on said liner oxide layer in said trench.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.