Patent · US Expired

High density plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition process in combination with chemical mechanical polishing process for preparation and planarization of intemetal dielectric layers

US5920792A · kind A · utility

268Cited by
1References
11Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateMar 19, 1998
Grant dateJul 6, 1999
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 19, 2018

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01L21/02274
  • WIPO fieldSemiconductors
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A wafer planarization process which utilizes combined high density plasma chemical vapor deposition (HDP-CVD) process and chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) process is disclosed. This process includes the steps of (a) forming a first HDP-CVD layer on the surface of a semiconductor wafer using a first HDP-CVD composition having a higher etching/depositing component ratio and thus a lower CMP removal rate; (b) forming a second HDP-CVD layer on the first HDP-CVD layer using the same HDP-CVD process but with a second HDP-CVD composition having a lower etching/depositing component ratio and thus a higher CMP removal rate; and (c) using a chemical mechanical process to remove at least a part of the second HDP-CVD layer using the first HDP-CVD layer as a stopper. A protective layer with the same etching/deposition components but a different ratio than the sacrificial layer can be deposited on the sacrificial layer to minimize the dishing effect during the initial stage of the chemical mechanical polishing process.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.