Patent · US Expired

Semiconductor having self-aligned, buried etch stop for trench and manufacture thereof

US6110794A · kind A · utility

13Cited by
1References
11Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateAug 19, 1998
Grant dateAug 29, 2000
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 19, 2018

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01L21/3083
  • WIPO fieldSemiconductors
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A semiconductor fabrication process uses a buried, oxygen-rich layer as a stop etch in a trench isolation area, with minimal masking. According to one embodiment, the process involves applying a mask to protect selected portions of a silicon-based substrate, and then using the mask to implant an oxygen-based substance into unmasked portions of the substrate, thereby forming a buried oxygen layer at a selected depth within the substrate. The same mask is then used in an etching process to form the desired trench structure. The depth of the trench is defined as a result of terminating the etch process upon reaching the buried oxygen layer.

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