High-k dielectric liners in shallow trench isolations

A structure comprising:

• a semiconductor substrate having a top surface and a recess in the semiconductor substrate extending from the top surface, a p-well being disposed in the semiconductor substrate and having a substantially uniform concentration of a p-type dopant, the recess being disposed in the p-well;
• an isolation region in the recess, the isolation region comprising a metal oxide high-k dielectric liner and a dielectric material, the metal oxide high-k dielectric liner comprising a first sidewall portion extending from above the top surface of the semiconductor substrate into the recess along a first sidewall of the recess, a second sidewall portion extending from above the top surface of the semiconductor substrate into the recess along a second sidewall of the recess, and a lower portion extending continuously from the first sidewall portion to the second sidewall portion along a lower surface of the recess, the p-well physically contacting respective exterior surfaces of the first sidewall portion and the second sidewall portion of the metal oxide high-k dielectric liner and a bottom surface of the lower portion of the metal oxide high-k dielectric liner, the dielectric material having an upper surface above the top surface of the semiconductor substrate, the dielectric material extending into the recess and physically contacting respective interior surfaces of the first sidewall portion, the second sidewall portion, and the lower portion of the metal oxide high-k dielectric liner, the dielectric material having a uniform composition at a plane of the top surface of the semiconductor substrate from the interior surface of the first sidewall portion to the interior surface of the second sidewall portion, the metal oxide high-k dielectric liner comprising a k-value greater than about 8.0;
• and
• an image sensor device disposed at least partially in the p-well of the semiconductor substrate, no lateral boundary of the image sensor device extending beyond lateral boundaries of the p-well of the semiconductor substrate.

A structure comprising:

• a semiconductor substrate having a top surface and a recess in the semiconductor substrate extending from the top surface, a p-well being disposed in the semiconductor substrate and having a substantially uniform concentration of a p-type dopant, the recess being disposed in the p-well;
• an isolation region in the recess, the isolation region comprising a metal oxide high-k dielectric liner and a dielectric material, the metal oxide high-k dielectric liner comprising a first sidewall portion extending from above the top surface of the semiconductor substrate into the recess along a first sidewall of the recess, a second sidewall portion extending from above the top surface of the semiconductor substrate into the recess along a second sidewall of the recess, and a lower portion extending continuously from the first sidewall portion to the second sidewall portion along a lower surface of the recess, the p-well physically contacting respective exterior surfaces of the first sidewall portion and the second sidewall portion of the metal oxide high-k dielectric liner and a bottom surface of the lower portion of the metal oxide high-k dielectric liner, the dielectric material having an upper surface above the top surface of the semiconductor substrate, the dielectric material extending into the recess and physically contacting respective interior surfaces of the first sidewall portion, the second sidewall portion, and the lower portion of the metal oxide high-k dielectric liner, the dielectric material having a uniform composition at a plane of the top surface of the semiconductor substrate from the interior surface of the first sidewall portion to the interior surface of the second sidewall portion, the metal oxide high-k dielectric liner comprising HfO2, HfSiOx, HfSiON, ZrO2, La2O3, or a combination thereof;
• and
• an image sensor device disposed at least partially in the p-well of the semiconductor substrate, no lateral boundary of the image sensor device extending beyond lateral boundaries of the p-well of the semiconductor substrate.