Abstract:
A DRAM array having trench capacitor cells of potentially 4F 2  surface area (F being the photolithographic minimum feature width), and a process for fabricating such an array. The array has a cross-point cell layout in which a memory cell is located at the intersection of each bit line and each word line. Each cell in the array has a vertical device such as a transistor, with the source, drain, and channel regions of the transistor being formed from epitaxially grown single crystal silicon. The vertical transistor is formed above the trench capacitor.

Description:
RELATED PATENT DATA 
       [0001]    The present application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 10/962,657, filed Oct. 13, 2004, which is a divisional of application Ser. No. 10/640,387, filed Aug. 14, 2003, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,946,700, which is a continuation application of application Ser. No. 10/152,842, filed May 23, 2002, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,624,033, which is a continuation application of application Ser. No. 09/405,091, filed Sep. 27, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,395,597, which is a divisional application of application Ser. No. 09/204,072, filed Dec. 3, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,977,579. The entirety of each of these applications is hereby incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates generally to an improved semiconductor structure for high density device arrays, and in particular to a trench DRAM cell array, and to a process for its formation. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    There are two major types of random-access memory cells, dynamic and static. Dynamic random-access memories (DRAMs) can be programmed to store a voltage which represents one of two binary values, but require periodic reprogramming or “refreshing” to maintain this voltage for more than very short time periods. Static random-access memories are so named because they do not require periodic refreshing. 
         [0004]    DRAM memory circuits are manufactured by replicating millions of identical circuit elements, known as DRAM cells, on a single semiconductor wafer. Each DRAM cell is an addressable location that can store one bit (binary digit) of data. In its most common form, a DRAM cell consists of two circuit components: a field effect transistor (FET) and a capacitor. 
         [0005]      FIG. 1  illustrates a portion of a DRAM memory circuit containing two neighboring DRAM cells  42 . For each cell, the capacitor  44  has two connections, located on opposite sides of the capacitor  44 . The first connection is to a reference voltage, which is typically one half of the internal operating voltage (the voltage corresponding to a logical “1” signal) of the circuit. The second connection is to the drain of the FET  46 . The gate of the FET  46  is connected to the word line  48 , and the source of the FET is connected to the bit line  50 . This connection enables the word line  48  to control access to the capacitor  44  by allowing or preventing a signal (a logical “0” or a logical “1”) on the bit line  50  to be written to or read from the capacitor  44 . 
         [0006]    The body of the FET  46  is connected to the body line  76 , which is used to apply a fixed potential to the body. In a present day conventional bulk silicon DRAM, this connection is provided directly to the silicon bulk in which the array devices are formed. However, in SOI or other oxide isolated devices, a separate means of body connection is needed to maintain the body potential. Body lines are used to avoid floating body threshold voltage instabilities that occur when FETs are used on silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrates. These threshold voltage instabilities occur because the body of the FET does not have a fixed potential. Threshold voltage is a function of the potential difference between the source and the body of a FET, so if the body does not have a fixed potential, then the threshold voltage will be unstable. Because control of the threshold voltage is especially critical in DRAM cells, a body line may be used to provide the body of the FET with a fixed potential so that the threshold voltage of the FET may thereby be stabilized. 
         [0007]    The manufacturing of a DRAM cell includes the fabrication of a transistor, a capacitor, and three contacts: one each to the bit line, the word line, and the reference voltage. DRAM manufacturing is a highly competitive business. There is continuous pressure to decrease the size of individual cells and to increase memory cell density to allow more memory to be squeezed onto a single memory chip, especially for densities greater than 256 Megabits. Limitations on cell size reduction include the passage of both active and passive word lines through the cell, the size of the cell capacitor, and the compatibility of array devices with non-array devices. 
         [0008]    Conventional folded bit line cells of the 256 Mbit generation with planar devices have a size of at least 8F 2 , where F is the minimum lithographic feature size. If a folded bit line is not used, the cell may be reduced to 6 or 7F 2 . To achieve a smaller size, vertical devices must be used. Cell sizes of 4F 2  may be achieved by using vertical transistors stacked either below or above the cell capacitors, as in the “cross-point cell” of W. F. Richardson et al., “A Trench Transistor Cross-Point DRAM Cell,” IEDM Technical Digest, pp. 714-17 (1985). Known cross-point cells, which have a memory cell located at the intersection of each bit line and each word line, are expensive and difficult to fabricate because the structure of the array devices is typically incompatible with that of non-array devices. Other known vertical cell DRAMs using stacked capacitors have integration problems due to the extreme topography of the capacitors. 
         [0009]    There is needed, therefore, a DRAM cell having an area of 4F 2  or smaller that achieves high array density while maintaining structural commonality between array and peripheral (non-array) features. Also needed is a simple method of fabricating a trench DRAM cell that maximizes common process steps during the formation of array and peripheral devices. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0010]    The present invention provides a DRAM cell array having a cell area of 4F 2  or smaller which comprises an array of vertical transistors located over an array of trench capacitors. The trench capacitor for each cell is located beneath and to one side of the vertical transistor, thereby decreasing the cell area while maintaining compatibility of the vertical transistors with peripheral devices. Also provided is a simplified process for fabricating the DRAM cell array which may share common process steps with peripheral device formation so as to minimize the fabrication cost of the array. 
         [0011]    Additional advantages and features of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description and drawings which illustrate preferred embodiments of the invention. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]      FIG. 1  is a schematic illustration of a known DRAM cell. 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the memory array of the present invention. 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of a semiconductor wafer undergoing the process of a preferred embodiment. 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  shows the wafer of  FIG. 3  at a processing step subsequent to that shown in  FIG. 3 . 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  shows the wafer of  FIG. 3  at a processing step subsequent to that shown in  FIG. 4 . 
           [0017]      FIG. 6  shows the wafer of  FIG. 3  at a processing step subsequent to that shown in  FIG. 5 . 
           [0018]      FIG. 7  shows the wafer of  FIG. 3  at a processing step subsequent to that shown in  FIG. 6 . 
           [0019]      FIG. 8  shows the wafer of  FIG. 3  at a processing step subsequent to that shown in  FIG. 7 . 
           [0020]      FIG. 9  shows the wafer of  FIG. 3  at a processing step subsequent to that shown in  FIG. 8 . 
           [0021]      FIG. 10  shows the wafer of  FIG. 3  at a processing step subsequent to that shown in  FIG. 9 . 
           [0022]      FIG. 11  shows the wafer of  FIG. 3  at a processing step subsequent to that shown in  FIG. 10 . 
           [0023]      FIG. 12  shows the wafer of  FIG. 3  at a processing step subsequent to that shown in  FIG. 11 . 
           [0024]      FIG. 13  shows the wafer of  FIG. 3  at a processing step subsequent to that shown in  FIG. 12 . 
           [0025]      FIG. 14  shows the wafer of  FIG. 3  at a processing step subsequent to that shown in  FIG. 13 . 
           [0026]      FIG. 15  shows the wafer of  FIG. 3  at a processing step subsequent to that shown in  FIG. 14 . 
           [0027]      FIG. 16  shows the wafer of  FIG. 3  at a processing step subsequent to that shown in  FIG. 15 . 
           [0028]      FIG. 17  shows the wafer of  FIG. 3  at a processing step subsequent to that shown in  FIG. 16 . 
           [0029]      FIG. 18  shows the wafer of  FIG. 3  at a processing step subsequent to that shown in  FIG. 17 . 
           [0030]      FIG. 19  shows the wafer of  FIG. 3  at a processing step subsequent to that shown in  FIG. 18 . 
           [0031]      FIG. 20  shows the wafer of  FIG. 3  at a processing step subsequent to that shown in  FIG. 19 . 
           [0032]      FIG. 21  shows the wafer of  FIG. 3  at a processing step subsequent to that shown in  FIG. 20 . 
           [0033]      FIG. 22  shows the wafer of  FIG. 3  at a processing step subsequent to that shown in  FIG. 21 . 
           [0034]      FIG. 23  shows the wafer of  FIG. 3  at a processing step subsequent to that shown in  FIG. 22 . 
           [0035]      FIG. 24  shows the wafer of  FIG. 3  at a processing step subsequent to that shown in  FIG. 23 . 
           [0036]      FIG. 25  shows the wafer of  FIG. 3  at a processing step subsequent to that shown in  FIG. 24 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0037]    In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized, and that structural, logical and electrical changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
         [0038]    The terms “wafer” and “substrate” are to be understood as including silicon-on-insulator (SOI) or silicon-on-sapphire (SOS) technology, doped and undoped semiconductors, epitaxial layers of silicon supported by a base semiconductor foundation, and other semiconductor structures. Furthermore, when reference is made to a “wafer” or “substrate” in the following description, previous process steps may have been utilized to form regions or junctions in the base semiconductor structure or foundation. In addition, the semiconductor need not be silicon-based, but could be based on silicon-germanium, germanium, or gallium arsenide. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims. 
         [0039]    Referring now to the drawings, where like elements are designated by like reference numerals, an embodiment of the device array  40  of the present invention is shown in  FIG. 2 . The device array  40  is comprised of a plurality of trench DRAM cells  42  formed on a substrate  60 , where the DRAM cells  42  are separated from each other by oxide isolation layers  62 . Each DRAM cell  42  comprises two components, a vertical transistor  46 , and a trench capacitor  44  located beneath the transistor  46 . 
         [0040]    The transistor  46  forms a vertical stack of three doped silicon layers resting on top of the isolation layer  62 . An exemplary n-channel device, as illustrated in  FIG. 2 , would be formed using a substrate  60  of a first conductivity type, e.g., p+, a drain  70  of a second conductivity type (n+), a lightly-doped body region  72  of a first conductivity type (p−), and a source  74  of a second conductivity type (n+). If a p-channel device were desired, the doping types and levels of these elements would be adjusted as is known in the art. The capacitor  44  comprises a polysilicon electrode  80 , which for exemplary purposes is of a second conductivity type (n+), and a dielectric  82 , which may be any suitable dielectric material such as oxide, ON (oxide-nitride), or ONO (oxide-nitride-oxide). The region of the substrate  60  underlying the electrode  80  acts as a capacitor plate. 
         [0041]    The transistor  46  is a MOSFET (metal-oxide-semiconductor FET) device having four contacts to other portions of the cell  42  or array  40 . First, the drain  70  of the transistor  46  is in contact with the capacitor electrode  80 . Second, a conductive bit line  50  formed of polysilicon doped to a second conductivity type (n+) is formed so that it contacts the source  74  of each transistor  46  of a particular column in the array  40 . Third, an active word line  48  of a conductive material such as doped polysilicon of a second conductivity type (n+) is formed to act as the gate of each transistor  46 , and to electrically connect all of the cells  42  of a given row in the array  40 . A thin oxide layer  132  is present between the word line  48  and the body  72  of each transistor  46 . Fourth, a body line  76  of a conductive material such as doped polysilicon of a first conductivity type (p+) is formed to contact the body  72  of each transistor  46  in a given row. The presence of the body line  76  serves to avoid floating body threshold voltage instabilities. 
         [0042]    The device array  40  is manufactured through a process described as following, and illustrated by  FIGS. 3 through 25 . For exemplary purposes, dimensions are suggested which are suitable for 0.2 micron critical dimension technology, and it should be understood that dimensions should be scaled accordingly for other critical dimension sizes. First, a substrate  60 , which may be any of the types of substrate described above, is selected as the base for the device array  40 . For exemplary purposes, the substrate  60  will be described as a silicon substrate, and the following process should be modified as appropriate and as known in the art if a non-silicon substrate is used. The substrate  60  may be doped or undoped, but a p+ type doped wafer is preferred. If PMOS devices are to be formed, photolithography is used to define areas where n-wells (not shown) are implanted. The level of doping in the n-wells may vary but should be of comparable or greater strength than the doping level of the substrate  60 . 
         [0043]    As shown in  FIG. 3 , the first step in the process is to form the device layers  100 ,  102 ,  104 . The device layers  100 ,  102 ,  104  are formed of doped epitaxial silicon by known methods of epitaxial growth, such as vapor phase, liquid phase, or solid phase epitaxy. If a silicon substrate  60  is used, then vapor phase epitaxy is preferred, and if a Group III-V compound substrate, e.g., gallium arsenide or indium phosphate, is used, liquid phase epitaxy is preferred. For the formation of the device array  40  of the present embodiment, the first device layer  100  should be a doped silicon layer of a second conductivity type (n+) approximately 0.4 microns thick, the second device layer  102  should be a lightly-doped silicon layer of a first conductivity type (p−) approximately 0.35 microns thick, and the third device layer  104  should be a doped silicon layer of a second conductivity type (n+) approximately 0.2 microns thick. 
         [0044]    Next, as shown in  FIG. 4 , an oxide pad  106  approximately 10 nm thick, and a first nitride pad  108  approximately 100 nm thick are formed on top of the third device layer  104  by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) or other suitable means. A photoresist and mask are then applied over the first nitride pad  108 , and photolithographic techniques are used to define a set of parallel columns on the array surface. A directional etching process such as plasma etching or reactive ion etching (RIE) is used to etch through the pad layers  106 ,  108  and the device layers  100 ,  102 ,  104  and into the substrate  60  to form a first set of trenches  110 , as depicted in  FIG. 5 . The trenches  110  should be approximately 1.05 microns deep. 
         [0045]    After removal of the resist, the first set of trenches  110  is filled with silicon oxide by CVD or other suitable process to form a first set of silicon oxide bars  112 , as shown in  FIG. 6 . The device array  40  is then planarized by any suitable means, such as chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP), stopping on the first nitride pad  108 . A second nitride pad  114  is then deposited, preferably by CVD, to a thickness of about 60 to 100 nm. The device array  40  now appears as shown in  FIG. 6 . 
         [0046]      FIG. 7  illustrates the next step in the process, in which a resist and mask (not shown) are applied, and photolithography is used to define a second set of trenches  116  orthogonal to the first set of silicon oxide bars  112 . The nitride pads  108 ,  114 , the oxide pad  106 , and the exposed device layers  100 ,  102 ,  104  are etched out by a directional etching process such as RIE to define the second set of trenches  116 . Etching is continued down to the level of the substrate  60 , and the second set of trenches  116  should be approximately 0.95 microns deep. The resist is then removed. As can be seen, the second set of trenches  116  is defined by a set of device islands  118 , which will be transformed into individual DRAM cells by the fabrication process described herein. 
         [0047]    As shown in  FIG. 8 , a first nitride film  120  is now formed on the sides of the second set of trenches  116  by depositing a layer of CVD nitride and directionally etching to remove excess nitride from horizontal surfaces. The first nitride film  120 , which is about 10 nm thick, acts as an oxidation and etching barrier during subsequent steps of the fabrication process. Isotropic etching such as RIE is then performed to deepen the second set of trenches  116  an additional 0.1 microns and undercut the device island resulting in the structure shown in  FIG. 9 . 
         [0048]    Thermal oxidation is then performed to create an isolation layer  62  under and between the device islands  118 , as depicted by  FIG. 10 . The substrate  60  is thermally oxidized by a suitable process as known in the art, such as by heating the wafer in a standard silicon processing furnace at a temperature of approximately 900 to 1100 degrees Celsius in a wet ambient. The oxidation time is selected to produce an isolation layer  62 , at least approximately 0.1 microns thick under the device islands  118 . 
         [0049]      FIG. 11  shows the next step in the process, in which an anisotropic etch such as RIE is performed to deepen the second set of trenches  116  through the isolation layer  62  and into the substrate  60  to the depth desired for the trench capacitors. 
         [0050]    As illustrated in  FIG. 12 , a capacitor dielectric layer  82  is now formed inside the second set of trenches  116  on the sides of the device islands  118  and the bottom of the trenches  116 . The dielectric layer  82  may be oxide, ON, or ONO, and is preferably formed by CVD and/or thermal oxidation. Next, the second set of trenches  116  are filled with a polysilicon layer  80  of a second conductivity type (n+) by CVD or other suitable means, as shown in  FIG. 13 . 
         [0051]    The polysilicon layer  80  is then etched back to a level approximately 1 micron below the second nitride pad  114 , as shown in  FIG. 14 . The capacitor dielectric on exposed sidewalls  82  is then removed by isotropic etching. The second set of trenches  116  are then re-filled with polysilicon of a second conductivity type (n+) by CVD. The polysilicon is then etched back to a level approximately 0.55 microns below the second nitride pad  114  to form a capacitor electrode  80 , depicted in  FIG. 15 . 
         [0052]      FIG. 16  illustrates the next step of the process in which the exposed segments of oxide bars  112  are etched back by ˜0.4 μm followed by the deposition of a nitride film  122  on the sides of the second set of trenches  116 . The film  122 , which is about 10 nm thick, is formed by depositing a layer of CVD nitride and directionally etching to remove excess nitride from horizontal surfaces. The second nitride film  122  acts as an oxidation barrier during the next step of the process. 
         [0053]    Thermal oxidation of the capacitor electrode  80  is now performed by methods known in the art to create a first oxide layer  124  approximately 100 nm thick on top of the electrode  80  in the second set of trenches  116 . The second nitride film  122  is then stripped from the sides of the device islands  118  and remaining segments of oxide  112  in trenches  116 , preferably by isotropic etching with a nitride etchant such as phosphoric acid, to form the structure shown in  FIG. 17 . 
         [0054]      FIG. 18  depicts the following step of the process where polysilicon of a first conductivity type (p+) is deposited by CVD or other suitable means in the second set of trenches  116  to a thickness of approximately 70 nm. A directional etch such as RIE is performed so that no polysilicon remains on the horizontal surfaces of the array  40 , and the etch is continued to recess the top of the polysilicon to at least 0.2 microns below the bottom of the oxide pad  106 . The resultant first and second body lines  76 ,  78  are shown in  FIG. 18 . A conformal film  126  of nitride or other suitable material is now formed over the first and second body lines  76 ,  78 , as shown in  FIG. 19 . The conformal film  126  is approximately 10 nm thick, and is formed by CVD or other suitable methods. 
         [0055]    As illustrated in  FIG. 20 , a photoresist and mask are applied, and photolithography is used to define a third set of trenches  128  inside the second set of trenches  116 . The exposed conformal film  126  is etched off by an isotropic etch, and then a directional etch is performed to remove the second body line  78 . Directional etching is continued to remove the exposed first oxide layer  124  and the exposed electrode  80  to a depth below the first device layer  100 . 
         [0056]    The resist is stripped, and the third set of trenches is filled with silicon oxide by CVD or known methods, as shown in  FIG. 21 . If desired, the device array  40  may be planarized by CMP or other means at this point. The silicon oxide is then etched back to form a second oxide layer  130  at a level approximately 0.6 to 0.7 microns below the level of the oxide pad  106 . 
         [0057]      FIG. 22  depicts the next step, in which a thin gate oxide layer  132  is formed by thermal oxidation of the exposed side of the device islands  118 . Next, polysilicon of a second conductivity type (n+) is deposited by CVD or other suitable means in the third set of trenches  128  to a thickness of approximately 70 nm. A directional etch such as RIE is performed so that no polysilicon remains on the horizontal surfaces of the array  40 . A resist and mask (not shown) are then applied, and a selective etch is performed to remove excess polysilicon on the body line  76  side of the third set of trenches  128 . The resultant word line  48  is shown in  FIG. 22 . 
         [0058]    The resist is stripped, and the third set of trenches  128  are filled with silicon oxide by CVD or other suitable means to form a second set of silicon oxide bars  134 , as shown in  FIG. 23 . The device array  40  is then planarized by any suitable means, such as CMP, stopping on the second nitride pad  114 .  FIG. 24  illustrates the next step in the process, in which a dip etch is performed to remove the nitride pads  108 ,  114  and the oxide pad  106  from the device islands  118 . 
         [0059]    As shown in  FIG. 25 , the next step is to form a conductive bit line  50  over the device array  40  so that it contacts the source  74  of each transistor  46  of a particular row in the array  40 . The bit line  50  is formed of doped polysilicon of a second conductivity type (n+), and is deposited by means such as CVD. After deposition, the polysilicon is patterned by photolithography and subsequent etching to form a bit line  50  as shown in  FIG. 25  and in  FIG. 2 . Conventional processing methods may then be used to form contacts and wiring to connect the device array to peripheral circuits, and to form other connections. For example, the entire surface may then be covered with a passivation layer of, e.g., silicon dioxide, BSG, PSG, or BPSG, which is CMP planarized and etched to provide contact holes which may then be metallized. Conventional multiple layers of conductors and insulators may also be used to interconnect the structures. 
         [0060]    As can be seen by the embodiments described herein, the present invention encompasses a trench DRAM cell having an area of 4F 2  or smaller that comprises a vertical transistor located over a trench capacitor. As may be readily appreciated by persons skilled in the art, decreasing the size of the DRAM cell while maintaining common process steps with peripheral devices decreases fabrication costs while increasing array density. As a result, a high density and high performance array is produced by a simplified fabrication process. 
         [0061]    The above description and drawings illustrate preferred embodiments which achieve the objects, features and advantages of the present invention. It is not intended that the present invention be limited to the illustrated embodiments. Any modification of the present invention which comes within the spirit and scope of the following claims should be considered part of the present invention.