Patent · US Expired

Method for planarizing an oxide layer

US6399506B2 · kind B2 · utility

4Cited by
8References
15Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateMay 6, 1999
Grant dateJun 4, 2002
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 16, 2019

Classification

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

Abstract

A method of planarizing an oxide layer. The method includes performing an isotropic chemical dry etching operation using a nitrogenous processing gas. Furthermore, oxygen can also be added to the nitrogenous processing gas during the isotropic chemical dry etching operation. In addition, the nitrogenous processing gas can be nitrogen or a nitrogen-oxygen compound, where the nitrogen-oxygen compound can be nitrogen monoxide, nitrogen dioxide or nitrous oxide.

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