# US 7,745,305 B2 · Method of removing an oxide and method of filling a trench using the same

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- Number: US 7,745,305 B2
- Document ID: US7745305B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 12/007,640
- Filed: 2008-01-14
- Published: 2008-07-31
- Granted: 2010-06-29
- Earliest claimed: 2007-01-31
- Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Seung-Heon Lee; Kyu-Tae Na; Ju-Wan Kim; Taek-Jung Kim
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7745305B2

## CPC

- H10P 14/6334: {using decomposition or reaction of gaseous or vapour phase compounds, i.e. chemical vapour deposition (deposition by physical ablation of a target H10P14/6329)}
- H10P 14/6529: {by exposure to a gas or vapour}
- H10P 14/69215: {the material being a silicon oxide, e.g. SiO2}
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

A method of removing a portion of an oxide layer includes forming first byproducts by reacting a reaction gas with the oxide layer, the reaction gas including fluorine and nitrogen, reacting the reaction gas with the first byproducts to form second byproducts, and removing the second byproducts.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of filling a trench, the method comprising:
forming at least one first trench to extend from an upper surface of a substrate in a downward direction;
forming a first oxide layer conformably on the substrate, such that the first trench is partially filled with the first oxide layer;
removing a portion of the first oxide layer by reacting a reaction gas including fluorine and nitrogen with the first oxide layer to form a partially etched first oxide layer, the partially etched first oxide layer defining at least one second trench; and
forming a second oxide layer on the partially etched first oxide layer, such that the second trench is filled with the second oxide layer,
wherein removing a portion of the first oxide layer includes forming first byproducts via a reaction between the first oxide layer and the reaction gas, reacting the first byproducts with the reaction gas to form second byproducts, and removing the second byproducts.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reaction gas includes a hydrofluoric acid (HF) vapor and an ammonia (NH3) gas.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a fluid flow ratio of the ammonia (NH3) gas to the hydrofluoric acid (HF) vapor is about 1:0.8 to about 1:1.2.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein forming the first byproducts includes forming fluorinated silicon (SiF4), and forming the second byproducts includes forming ammonium fluorosilicate ((NH4)2SiF6).

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein forming a partially etched first oxide layer to define the second trench is performed at a temperature of about 30° C. to about 40° C.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein forming a partially etched first oxide layer to define the second trench is performed at a pressure of about 50 mTorr to about 100 mTorr.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first oxide layer and the second oxide layer include one or more of undoped silicate glass (USG) layer, an O3-tetraethylorthosilicate (O3-TEOS) layer, a thermal oxide layer, a phosphosilicate glass (PSG) layer, a borophosphosilicate glass (BPSG) layer, and/or a high density plasma (HDP) oxide layer.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein removing a portion of the first oxide layer to form a partially etched first oxide layer includes defining the second trench to have a sidewall slope of about 85° to about 87°.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein forming the first oxide layer includes setting a width of the first trench and a thickness of the first oxide layer to have a ratio of about 1:0.2 to about 1:0.8.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein forming the first trench includes forming a trench having a ratio of the width and a depth of about 1:3 to about 1:20.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein forming the second oxide layer includes forming the second oxide layer to have a thickness of about 5,500 angstroms to about 6,500 angstroms.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising thermally treating the second oxide layer to reflow the second oxide layer into the second trench.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein forming the first trench includes forming a mask pattern on the substrate and etching the substrate using the mask pattern.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method as claimed in claim 13, further comprising planarizing the second oxide layer to expose the mask pattern.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein forming the mask pattern includes stacking a pad oxide pattern and a pad nitrogen pattern on the substrate.