Masking without photolithography during the formation of a semiconductor device
AssigneeMicron Technology, Inc.
InventorChristopher W Hill
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for forming a semiconductor device comprises forming a dielectric layer over a semiconductor wafer substrate assembly having closely spaced regions, such as a memory transistor array, and widely spaced regions, such as a periphery. Under conditions specified, the dielectric layer forms to have a first thickness over the closely spaced regions and a second thickness over the widely spaced regions. The second thickness is much thinner than the first thickness and dielectric over the widely spaced regions may be etched away with a blanket etch which leaves the majority of the dielectric layer over the closely spaced regions.
Claims18
A method used during fabrication of a semiconductor device, comprising:
- forming a semiconductor wafer substrate assembly comprising a plurality features in a first region and a plurality of features in a second region, wherein a mean distance between adjacent features in the first region is different than a mean distance between adjacent features in the second region;
- and
- flowing a nonconformal layer over the first region and over the second region at a uniform rate, wherein, during the flowing, the nonconformal layer at least partially migrates from the second region to the first region to result in the nonconformal layer having a first thickness in the first region and a second thickness in the second region, wherein subsequent to the formation and prior to an etch of the nonconformal layer, the first thickness is greater than the second thickness.
A method used during fabrication of an electronic device comprising a semiconductor device, comprising:
- providing at least one semiconductor device formed by a method comprising:
- forming a semiconductor wafer substrate assembly comprising a plurality features in a first region and a plurality of features in a second region, wherein a mean distance between adjacent features in the first region is different than a mean distance between adjacent features in the second region;
- and
- flowing a nonconformal layer over the first region and over the second region at a uniform rate, wherein, during the flowing, the nonconformal layer at least partially migrates from the second region to the first region to result in the nonconformal layer having a first thickness in the first region and a second thickness in the second region, wherein subsequent to the formation and prior to an etch of the nonconformal layer, the first thickness is greater than the second thickness;
- providing at least one microprocessor;
- and
- electrically coupling the microprocessor and the at least one semiconductor device to facilitate the passage of electrical signals therebetween.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.