# US 8,541,270 B2 · Finlike structures and methods of making same

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 8,541,270 B2
- Document ID: US8541270B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/269,107
- Filed: 2011-10-07
- Published: 2013-04-11
- Granted: 2013-09-24
- Earliest claimed: 2011-10-07
- Assignees: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
- Applicants: Ming-Hsi Yeh; Chi-Ming Yang; Chin-Hsiang Lin
- Inventors: Ming-Hsi Yeh; Chi-Ming Yang; Chin-Hsiang Lin
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8541270B2

## CPC

- H10D 30/0245: {by further thinning the channel after patterning the channel, e.g. using sacrificial oxidation on fins}
- H10D 30/024: {of fin field-effect transistors [FinFET]}
- H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES

## Abstract

Semiconductor materials, particularly III-V materials used to form, e.g., a finlike structure can suffer structural damage during chemical mechanical polishing steps. This damage can be reduced or eliminated by oxidizing the damaged surface of the material and then etching away the oxidized material. The etching step can be accomplished simultaneously with a step of etching back a patterned oxide layers, such as a shallow trench isolation layer.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for forming a device comprising:
(a) forming a patterned oxide layer on a substrate, the patterned oxide layer having recesses therein;
(b) epitaxially growing a semiconductor material on the substrate, the semiconductor material filling and overfilling the recesses;
(c) planarizing semiconductor material until a top surface of the semiconductor material is substantially planar with a top surface of the patterned oxide layer;
(d) subjecting the semiconductor material to an oxidizing treatment; and
(e) subjecting the semiconductor material and the patterned oxide layer to an etch process.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further comprising performing steps (d) and (e) at least twice.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the step of epitaxially growing a semiconductor material comprises epitaxially growing an III-V material on the substrate.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further including in situ doping the semiconductor material during the epitaxially growing step.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the oxidizing treatment is a treatment selected from the group consisting essentially of an ozonated water treatment and a H2O2 treatment.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the etch process is a dry etch process.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6 wherein the etch process includes an etch chemistry of selected from the group consisting essentially of NH4F, HF, and combinations thereof.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the step of forming a patterned oxide layer on a substrate comprises:
blanket depositing an oxide layer on the substrate; and
etching recesses in the oxide layer.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the step of forming a patterned oxide layer on a substrate comprises:
etching a pattern of recesses in the substrate;
overfilling the recesses with an oxide layer;
planarizing the oxide layer to be planar with a top surface of the recesses; and
etching back the substrate.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further comprising:
(f) subjecting the device to an anneal step after step (e).

### Claim 11

A method of forming a device comprising:
forming a patterned oxide layer on a semiconductor substrate, the patterned oxide layer exposing regions of the substrate;
epitaxially growing a fin layer on the exposed regions of the substrate to a height above that of the patterned oxide layer;
thinning the fin layer back to a level substantially planar with the patterned oxide layer to form at least one fin;
oxidizing a surface of the at least one fin; and
etching the patterned oxide layer and the oxidized surface of the at least one fin.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11 wherein etching the patterned oxide layer exposes a further surface of the at least one fin, and further comprising:
oxidizing the further surface of the at least one fin; and
etching the oxidized further surface of the at least one fin.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12 wherein the patterned oxide layer is further etched simultaneously with the etching of the oxidized further surface of the at least one fin.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11 wherein oxidizing a surface of the at least one fin comprises exposing the surface of the at least one fin to ozonated water.

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11 wherein epitaxially growing a fin layer comprises a metal oxide chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) process.

### Claim 16 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11 further comprising subjecting the device to an H2 anneal.

### Claim 17 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11 wherein the step of thinning the fin layer comprises subjecting the fin layer to a chemical mechanical polish.

### Claim 18

A method of forming a device comprising:
forming on a substrate, a patterned oxide having openings formed therein;
epitaxially growing on the substrate a semiconductor material within the openings;
thinning back the semiconductor material;
oxidizing a surface of the semiconductor material; and
simultaneously etching the oxidized surface of the semiconductor material and the patterned oxide.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18 wherein the device is a FinFET device and further comprising:
doping a first and a second portion of the semiconductor material;
forming a gate oxide over a third portion of the semiconductor material; and
forming a gate electrode over the gate oxide.

### Claim 20 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18 wherein thinning back the semiconductor material includes a chemical mechanical polish step.