Patent · US Expired

Method of fabricating shallow trench isolation structures using a oxidized polysilicon trench mask

US5998278A · kind A · utility

14Cited by
1References
12Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateApr 7, 1998
Grant dateDec 7, 1999
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 7, 2018

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01L21/76224
  • WIPO fieldSemiconductors
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method of fabricating shallow trench isolation structures. A substrate over which a polysilicon layer and a masking layer are formed is provided. An opening is formed within the polysilicon layer and the masking layer. A trench is then formed within the substrate. An oxide layer is formed within the trench, and the surface of the oxide layer has a same level as the surface of the masking layer. The masking layer is removed and a thermal process is performed to transform the polysilicon layer to a silicon oxide layer. The silicon oxide layer is removed by an wet etching process and a shallow trench isolation structure is accomplished.

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