Patent Abstract:
The present invention relates to methods for forming microelectronic structures in a semiconductor substrate. The method includes selectively removing dielectric material to expose a portion of an oxide overlying a semiconductor substrate. Insulating material may be formed substantially conformably over the oxide and remaining portions of the dielectric material. Spacers may be formed from the insulating material. An isolation trench etch follows the spacer etch. An optional thermal oxidation of the surfaces in the isolation trench may be performed, which may optionally be followed by doping of the bottom of the isolation trench to further isolate neighboring active regions on either side of the isolation trench. A conformal material may be formed substantially conformably over the spacer, over the remaining portions of the dielectric material, and substantially filling the isolation trench. Planarization of the conformal material may follow.

Full Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/828,868, filed Jul. 1, 2010, pending, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/392,034, filed Sep. 8, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,749,860, issued Jul. 6, 2010, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/985,588, filed Dec. 5, 1997, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,953,621, issued Sep. 14, 1999, which is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/823,609, filed Mar. 25, 1997, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,097,076, issued Aug. 1, 2000, the entire disclosures of each of which are incorporated herein by this reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to forming an isolation trench in a semiconductor device. In particular, the present invention relates to a method of forming an isolation trench in an etching process for a semiconductor device that combines a spacer etch with a trench etch. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    An isolation trench is used in an active area associated with a microelectronic device on a semiconductor substrate or on a substrate assembly. Isolation trenches allow microelectronics devices to be placed increasingly closer to each other without causing detrimental electronic interaction such as unwanted capacitance build-up and cross-talk. In the context of this document, the term semiconductive substrate is defined to mean any construction comprising semiconductive material, including but not limited to bulk semiconductive material such as a semiconductive wafer, either alone or in assemblies comprising other materials thereon, and semiconductive material layers, either alone or in assemblies comprising other materials. The term substrate refers to any supporting structure including but not limited to the semiconductive substrates described above. The term substrate assembly is intended herein to mean a substrate having one or more layers or structures formed thereon. As such, the substrate assembly may be, by way of example and not by way of limitation, a doped silicon semiconductor substrate typical of a semiconductor wafer. 
         [0004]    The ever-present pressure upon the microelectronics industry to shrink electronic devices and to crowd a higher number of electronic devices onto a single die, called miniaturization, has required the use of such structures as isolation trenches. 
         [0005]    In the prior state of the art, an etching process of fill material within an isolation trench has been problematic. As seen in  FIG. 1 , a semiconductor substrate  12  has an isolation trench substantially filled up with an isolation material  48 . A pad oxide  14  is situated on the active area of semiconductor substrate  12 . Isolation material  48  exhibits a non-planarity at the top surface thereof between corners  62 , particularly as is seen at reference numeral  46  in  FIG. 1 . The non-planarity of the top surface of isolation material  48  is due to dissimilarity of etch rates between isolation material  48  and pad oxide  14 , particularly at corners  62  of the active area of semiconductor substrate  12 . 
         [0006]    An active area may be formed within semiconductor substrate  12  immediately beneath pad oxide  14 , and adjacent isolation material  48 . A problem that is inherent in such non-planarity of fill material within an isolation trench is that corners  62  may leave the active area of semiconductor substrate  12  exposed. As such, isolation material  48  will not prevent layers formed thereon from contacting the active area of semiconductor substrate  12  at corners  62 . Contact of this sort is detrimental in that it causes charge and current leakage. Isolation material  48  is also unable to prevent unwanted thermal oxide encroachment through corners  62  into the active area of semiconductor substrate  12 . 
         [0007]    What is needed is a method of forming an isolation trench, where subsequent etching of fill material within the isolation trench of such method prevents overlying layers from having contact with an adjacent active area, and prevents unwanted thermal oxide encroachment into the active area. What is also needed is a method of forming an isolation trench wherein etching or planarizing such as by chemical-mechanical planarization (CMP) of isolation trench materials is accomplished without forming a recess at the intersection of the fill material in the isolation trench and the material of the active area within the semiconductor substrate. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    The present invention relates to a method for forming an isolation trench structure on a semiconductor substrate. The inventive method forms and fills the isolation trench without causing deleterious topographical depressions in the upper surface of the fill material in the isolation trench, while substantially preventing contact between layers overlying the fill material of the isolation trench and the active area of the semiconductor substrate. By avoiding such deleterious topographical depressions and the exposure of the active area, detrimental charge and current leakage is minimized. 
         [0009]    The inventive method of forming an isolation trench comprises forming a pad oxide upon a semiconductor substrate and depositing a first dielectric layer thereupon. By way of non-limiting example, the first dielectric layer is a nitride layer. The first dielectric layer is patterned and etched with a mask to expose a portion of the pad oxide layer and to protect an active area in the semiconductor substrate that remains covered with the first dielectric layer. A second dielectric layer is formed substantially conformably over the pad oxide layer and the remaining portions of the first dielectric layer. 
         [0010]    A spacer etch is used to form a spacer from the second dielectric layer. The spacer electrically insulates the first dielectric layer. An isolation trench etch follows the spacer etch and creates within the semiconductor substrate an isolation trench that is defined by surfaces in the semiconductor substrate. The spacer formed by the spacer etch facilitates self-alignment of the isolation trench formed by the isolation trench etch. The isolation trench etch can be carried out with the same etch recipe as the spacer etch, or it can be carried out with an etch recipe that is selective to the spacer. Once the isolation trench is formed, an insulation liner on the inside surface of the isolation trench can be optionally formed, either by deposition or by thermal oxidation. 
         [0011]    A third dielectric layer is formed substantially conformably over the spacer and the first dielectric layer so as to substantially fill the isolation trench. Topographical reduction of the third dielectric layer follows, preferably so as to planarize the third dielectric layer, for example, by chemical-mechanical planarizing (CMP), by dry etchback, or by a combination thereof 
         [0012]    The topographical reduction of the third dielectric layer may also be carried out as a single etchback step that sequentially removes superficial portions of the third dielectric layer that extend out of the isolation trench. The single etchback also removes portions of the remaining spacer, and removes substantially all of the remaining portions of the first dielectric layer. Preferably, the single etchback will use an etch recipe that is more selective to the third dielectric layer and the spacer than to the remaining portions of the first dielectric layer. The single etchback uses an etch recipe having a selectivity that will preferably leave a raised portion of the third dielectric layer extending above the isolation trench while removing substantially all remaining portions of the first dielectric layer. The resulting structure can be described as having the shape of a nail as viewed in a direction that is substantially orthogonal to the cross-section of a word line in association therewith. 
         [0013]    Several other processing steps are optional in the inventive method. One such optional processing step is the deposition of a polysilicon layer upon the pad oxide layer to act as an etch stop or planarization marker. Another optional processing step includes clearing the spacer following the isolation trench etch. An additional optional processing step includes implanting doping ions at the bottom of the isolation trench to form a doped trench bottom. When a CMOS device is being fabricated, the ion implantation process may require a partial masking of the semiconductor substrate so as to properly dope selected portions of the semiconductor substrate. 
         [0014]    These and other features of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, or may be learned by the practice of the invention as set forth hereinafter. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0015]    In order that the manner in which the above-recited and other advantages of the invention are obtained, a more particular description of the invention briefly described above will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments thereof which are illustrated in the appended drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are not therefore to be considered to be limiting of its scope, the invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings in which: 
           [0016]      FIG. 1  illustrates the prior art problem of an uneven etch of an isolation trench that results in exposing portions of an active area and unwanted thermal oxide encroachment into the active area. 
           [0017]      FIG. 2A  is an elevational cross-section view of a semiconductor substrate, wherein a pad oxide and a nitride layer have been deposited upon the semiconductor substrate. 
           [0018]      FIG. 2B  is an elevational cross-section view of a semiconductor substrate having thereon a polysilicon layer that has been deposited upon a pad oxide, and a nitride layer that has been deposited upon the polysilicon layer. 
           [0019]      FIG. 3A  illustrates further processing of the structure depicted in  FIG. 2A , wherein a mask has been patterned and the nitride layer has been etched down to the pad oxide layer to form a nitride island over future or current active areas in the substrate that are to be protected. 
           [0020]      FIG. 3B  illustrates further processing of the structure depicted in  FIG. 2B , wherein a mask has been patterned and the nitride layer has been etched down through the nitride layer and the polysilicon layer to stop on the pad oxide layer, thereby forming a nitride island and a polysilicon island over future or current active areas in the substrate that are to be protected. 
           [0021]      FIG. 4A  is a view of further processing of  FIG. 3A , wherein the mask has been removed and an insulation film has been deposited over the nitride island. 
           [0022]      FIG. 4B  illustrates further processing of the structure depicted in  FIG. 3B , wherein the mask has been removed and an insulation film has been deposited over the nitride island and the polysilicon island. 
           [0023]      FIGS. 5A and 5B  illustrate further processing of the structures depicted, respectively, in  FIGS. 4A and 4B , in which the insulation film has been etched to form a spacer, a simultaneous or serial etch has formed an isolation trench, thermal oxidation or deposition within the isolation trench has formed an insulation liner therein, and wherein an optional ion implantation has formed a doped region at the bottom of the isolation trench. 
           [0024]      FIGS. 6A and 6B  illustrate further processing of the structures depicted, respectively, in  FIGS. 5A and 5B , in which an isolation film has been deposited over the spacer, the isolation trench within the isolation trench liner, and the nitride island. 
           [0025]      FIGS. 7A and 7B  illustrate further processing of the structures depicted, respectively, in  FIGS. 6A and 6B , wherein a planarization process has formed a first upper surface made up of the nitride island, the spacer, and the isolation film, all being substantially co-planar on the first upper surface. 
           [0026]      FIG. 8A  illustrates further processing of the structure depicted in  FIG. 7A , wherein the semiconductor substrate has been implanted with ions, and wherein the isolation film, optionally the pad oxide layer, the insulation liner, and the spacer have fused to form a unitary isolation structure. 
           [0027]      FIG. 8B  illustrates optional further processing of the structure depicted in  FIG. 6B , wherein an etching process using an etch recipe that is slightly selective to oxide over nitride, has etched back the isolation film, the nitride island, and the spacer to expose the polysilicon island, and has formed a filled isolation trench which, when viewed in a direction that is substantially orthogonal to the cross-section of the depicted word line, has the shape of a nail. 
           [0028]      FIG. 9A  illustrates optional further processing of the structures depicted in  FIG. 6A  or in  FIG. 7A , wherein an etch-selective recipe that is slightly selective to oxide over nitride has formed a filled isolation trench which, when viewed in cross-section has the shape of a nail. 
           [0029]      FIG. 9B  illustrates further processing of the structures depicted in either  FIG. 7B  or in  FIG. 8B , wherein the semiconductor substrate has been implanted with ions, and wherein the isolation film, optionally the pad oxide layer, the insulation liner, and the spacer have been fused to form a filled isolation trench. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0030]    The present invention relates to a method for forming a self-aligned isolation trench. The isolation trench is preferably a shallow trench isolation region that is self-aligned to an underlying active area. Stated otherwise, the inventive method forms a Narrow self-aligned Active area Isolation region that is inherently Level (NAIL). In the method of the present invention, a spacer etch and an isolation trench etch can be accomplished essentially within the same processing step. 
         [0031]    Another aspect of the present invention relates to a combined nitride and oxide etch that is selective to polysilicon, and in which selectivity of the etch between nitride and oxide materials favors one or the other by a factor of about one-half. A still further aspect of the present invention relates to the use of a polysilicon film as an etch stop or planarization marker film. The structure achieved by the method of the present invention achieves particular advantages that overcome problems of the prior art. 
         [0032]    A starting structure for an example of a first embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in  FIG. 2A . In  FIG. 2A , a pad oxide  14  is grown upon a semiconductor substrate  12  on a semiconductor structure  10 . Semiconductor substrate  12  can be substantially composed of silicon. Following growth of pad oxide  14 , a nitride layer  16  is deposited over semiconductor substrate  12 .  FIG. 2A  illustrates deposition of nitride layer  16  upon pad oxide  14 . 
         [0033]      FIG. 3A  illustrates a step in the formation of an isolation trench by the method of the present invention. Nitride layer  16  is patterned with a mask  20 . An anisotropic etch selectively removes portions of nitride layer  16 .  FIG. 3A  illustrates the result of etching with the use of mask  20 , wherein nitride layer  16  has formed an insulator island  22 , as seen in  FIG. 4A . Insulator island  22  is patterned over and protects future or current active areas (not pictured) in semiconductor substrate  12  during isolation trench processing. Following etch of nitride layer  16 , mask  20  is removed. 
         [0034]      FIG. 4A  illustrates further processing of the structure depicted in  FIG. 3A , wherein an insulation film  26  has been deposited upon insulator island  22  and exposed portions of pad oxide  14 . Insulation film  26  can be an oxide such as silicon dioxide, and can be formed, for example, by decomposition of tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS). Insulation film  26  may also be formed by a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) process so as to deposit a nitride layer such as Si 3 N 4  or equivalent. When insulation film  26  is a nitride layer, insulator island  22  would be selected to be composed of a substantially different material, such as an oxide. Formation of substantially different materials between insulator island  22  and insulation film  26  facilitate selective etchback or selective mechanical planarization such as chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP) in the inventive method of forming an isolation trench. 
         [0035]    Following deposition of insulation film  26 , a spacer etch and an isolation trench etch are carried out. The spacer etch and the isolation trench etch can be carried out with a single etch recipe that is selective to insulation film  26 . Alternatively, the spacer etch and the isolation trench etch can be carried out with two etch recipes. As such, the first etch etches insulation film  26  in a spacer etch that forms a spacer  28  seen in  FIG. 5A . The second etch, or isolation trench etch, has an etch recipe that is selective to spacer  28  and insulator island  22 , and anisotropically etches an isolation trench  32  having a sidewall  50  in semiconductor substrate  12 . 
         [0036]    Spacer  28  may facet during the spacer etch such that a substantially linear spacer profile is achieved. Spacer  28  adds the advantage to the inventive process of extending the lateral dimension of the active area that is to be formed within semiconductor substrate  12  immediately beneath insulator island  22 . Because spacer  28  takes up lateral space that would otherwise be available for isolation trench  32 , isolation trench  32  is made narrower and the active area that is to be formed within semiconductor substrate  12  is made wider. 
         [0037]    Following the formation of isolation trench  32 , sidewall  50  of isolation trench  32  has optionally formed thereon an insulation liner  30 . For example, thermal oxidation of sidewall  50  will form insulation liner  30  within isolation trench  32 . Insulation liner  30  will preferably be substantially composed of silicon dioxide. In  FIG. 5A  it can be seen that, following thermal oxidation of sidewall  50  to form insulation liner  30  within isolation trench  32 , semiconductor substrate  12  forms a rounded edge at the top of isolation trench  32 . Rounding of the top of semiconductor substrate  12  at the corners of isolation trench  32  provides an added advantage of further isolating semiconductor substrate  12  immediately beneath insulator island  22 ; thereby an active area that will form in semiconductor substrate  12  immediately under insulator island  22  will be further isolated. The feature of rounding of the corners of semiconductor substrate  12  at the tops of isolation trenches  32  as depicted in  FIGS. 5A and 5B  is presupposed in all embodiments of the present invention as a preferred alternative. 
         [0038]    Another method of forming insulation liner  30  is CVD of a dielectric material, or a dielectric material precursor that deposits preferentially upon sidewall  50  of isolation trench  32 . The material of which insulation liner  30  is substantially composed may be particularly resistant to further etching, cleaning, or other processing conditions. 
         [0039]    Insulation liner  30  may be substantially composed of a nitride such as Si 3 N 4 , or an equivalent, and can be selectively formed upon sidewall  50  of isolation trench  32 . When semiconductor substrate  12  immediately adjacent to isolation trench  32  is a doped monocrystalline silicon that forms, for example, an active area for a transistor source/drain region, oxidation is avoided therein by insulation liner  30 . Insulation liner  30  is preferably substantially composed of Si 3 N 4  or a non-stoichiometric variant that seals sidewall  50  so as to prevent encroachment of oxide into semiconductor substrate  12 . 
         [0040]    Following formation of insulation liner  30 , ion implantation is optionally carried out to form a doped trench bottom  34  at the bottom of isolation trench  32 . For example, if semiconductor wafer  10  comprises an N-doped silicon substrate, implantation of P-doping materials at the bottom of isolation trench  32  will form a P-doped trench bottom  34 . Ion implantation may be carried out in a field implantation mode. If a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) is being fabricated, however, masking of complementary regions of semiconductor substrate  12  is required in order to achieve the differential doping thereof. For an N-doped silicon substrate, a high breakdown voltage may be achieved by P-doping. A low breakdown voltage may be achieved by N-doping, and an intermediate breakdown voltage may be achieved by no doping. Because the present invention relates to formation of isolation trenches, P-doping in an N-well region, or N-doping in a P-well region are preferred. 
         [0041]    Preferably, implantation of P-doping ions is carried out to form doped trench bottom  34  in a direction that is substantially orthogonal to the plane of pad oxide  14 . Slightly angled implantation of P-implantation ions may be carried out to enrich or broaden the occurrence of P-doping ions in doped trench bottom  34  at the bottom of isolation trench  32 . If P-doping is carried out where semiconductor substrate  12  is N-doped, care must be taken not to dope through insulation liner  30  on sidewall  50  near pad oxide  14 , which may cause detrimental deactivation of active areas (not shown) in semiconductor substrate  12 . 
         [0042]    Following optional implantation of doping ions, it may be desirable, depending upon the intended shape and design of the isolation trench, to remove all or a portion of spacer  28 . The isolation trench formed by the inventive method, however, will preferably include at least a portion of spacer  28  that extends away from the isolation trench  32 . 
         [0043]    As seen in  FIG. 6A , isolation trench  32  is filled by an isolation film  36  which also is formed upon insulator island  22 . Isolation film  36  can formed by a deposition process using, for example, TEOS as a precursor. 
         [0044]    An optional processing step of the inventive method is to fuse together spacer  28 , pad oxide  14 , and isolation film  36 . The processing technique for such fusion is preferably a heat treatment of semiconductor structure  10 . If such fusion is contemplated, it is also desirable that spacer  28 , pad oxide  14 , and isolation film  36  all be composed of substantially the same material, as fusion is best facilitated with common materials. 
         [0045]    It is preferable, at some point in fabrication of the isolation trench, to densify the fill material of the isolation trench. Densification is desirable because it helps to prevent separation of materials in contact with the fill material. As seen in  FIG. 6A , densification will prevent isolation film  36  from separating at interfaces with spacer  28 , pad oxide  14 , and insulation liner  30 . It is preferable to perform densification of isolation film  36  immediately following its deposition. Depending upon the specific application, however, densification may be carried out at other stages of the process. For example, densification of isolation film  36  by rapid thermal processing (RTP) may make either etchback or CMP more difficult. As such, it is preferable to densify later in the fabrication process, such as after planarizing or etchback processing. 
         [0046]      FIG. 7A  illustrates a subsequent step of formation of the isolation trench wherein insulator island  22 , spacer  28 , and isolation film  36  are planarized to a common co-planar first upper surface  38 . First upper surface  38  will preferably be formed by a CMP or etchback process. Preferably, planarization will remove isolation film  36  slightly faster than insulator island  22 , such as by a factor of about one-half. A first preferred selectivity of an etch recipe used in the inventive method is in the range of about 1:1 to about 2:1, wherein isolation film  36  is removed faster as compared to insulator island  22 . A more preferred selectivity is in the range of about 1.3:1 to about 1.7:1. A most preferred selectivity is about 1.5:1. Planarization also requires the etch recipe to remove spacer  28  slightly faster than insulator island  22 . Preferably, spacer  28  and isolation film  36  are made from the same material such that the etch will be substantially uniform as to the selectivity thereof with respect to spacer  28  and isolation film  36  over insulator island  22 . 
         [0047]    First upper surface  38  is illustrated as being substantially planar in  FIG. 7A . It will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art that first upper surface  38  will form a non-planar profile or topography depending upon the selectivity of the etch recipe or of the chemical used in a planarization technique such as CMP. For example, where reduced island  52  is formed from a nitride material and isolation film  36  is formed from an oxide material, first upper surface  38  would undulate as viewed in cross-section with more prominent structures being the result of an etch or planarization technique more selective thereto. 
         [0048]    In  FIG. 7A , reduced island  52  has been formed from insulator island  22 . Additionally, portions of isolation film  36  and spacer  28  remain after planarization. Reduced island  52  preferably acts as a partial etch stop. 
         [0049]      FIG. 8A  illustrates the results of removal of reduced island  52 . Reduced island  52  is preferably removed with an etch that is selective to isolation film  36  and spacer  28 , leaving an isolation structure  48  that extends into and above isolation trench  32 , forming a nail shaped structure having a head  54  extending above and away from isolation trench  32  upon an oxide layer  44 . The future or current active area of semiconductor substrate  12 , which may be at least partially covered over by head  54 , is substantially prevented from a detrimental charge and current leakage by head  54 . 
         [0050]    Phantom lines  60  in  FIG. 8A  illustrate remnants of pad oxide  14 , insulation liner  30 , and spacer  28  as they are optionally thermally fused with isolation film  36  to form isolation structure  48 . Isolation structure  48 , illustrated in  FIG. 8A , comprises a trench portion and a flange portion which together, when viewed in cross-section, form the shape of a nail. 
         [0051]    The trench portion of isolation structure  48  is substantially composed of portions of isolation film  36  and insulation liner  30 . The trench portion intersects the flange portion at a second upper surface  40  of semiconductor substrate  12  as seen in  FIG. 8A . The trench portion also has two sidewalls  50 .  FIG. 8A  shows that the trench portion is substantially parallel to a third upper surface  42  and sidewalls  50 . The flange portion is integral with the trench portion and is substantially composed of portions of pad oxide  14 , spacer  28 , and isolation film  36 . The flange portion has a lowest region at second upper surface  40  where the flange portion intersects the trench portion. The flange portion extends above second upper surface  40  to third upper surface  42  seen in  FIG. 8A . Upper surfaces  40 ,  42  are substantially orthogonal to two flange sidewalls  64  and sidewall  50 . The flange portion is substantially orthogonal in orientation to the trench portion. The flange portion may also include a gate oxide layer  44  after gate oxide layer  44  is grown. 
         [0052]    Following formation of isolation structure  48 , it is often useful to remove pad oxide  14 , seen in  FIG. 8A , due to contamination thereof during fabrication of isolation structure  48 . Pad oxide  14  can become contaminated when it is used as an etch stop for removal of reduced island  52 . For example, pad oxide  14  may be removed by using aqueous HF to expose second upper surface  40 . A new oxide layer, gate oxide layer  44 , may then be formed on second upper surface  40  having third upper surface  42 . 
         [0053]    Semiconductor structure  10  may be implanted with ions as illustrated by arrows seen in  FIG. 8A . This implantation, done with N-doping materials in an N-well region, for example, is to enhance the electron conductivity of the active area (not shown) of semiconductor substrate  12 . Either preceding or following removal of pad oxide  14  seen in  FIG. 8A , an enhancement implantation into the active area of semiconductor substrate  12  may be carried out, whereby preferred doping ions are implanted on either side of isolation structure  48 . 
         [0054]    Ion implantation into semiconductor substrate  12  to form active areas, when carried out with isolation structure  48  in place, will cause an ion implantation concentration gradient to form in the region of semiconductor substrate  12  proximate to and including second upper surface  40 . The gradient will form within semiconductor substrate  12  near second upper surface  40  and immediately beneath the flange sidewalls  64  as the flange portion of isolation structure  48  will partially shield semiconductor substrate  12  immediately therebeneath. Thus, an ion implant gradient will form and can be controlled in part by the portion of semiconductor substrate  12  that is covered by head  54 . 
         [0055]    Gate oxide layer  44  is formed upon second upper surface  40  after pad oxide  14  has been removed to form portions of third upper surface  42 . The entirety of third upper surface  42  includes head  54  of isolation structure  48  as it extends above gate oxide layer  44 . 
         [0056]    In a variation of the first embodiment of the present invention, the structure illustrated in  FIG. 6A  is planarized by use of a single etchback process. The single etchback uses an etch recipe that has a different selectivity for insulator island  22  than for isolation film  36 . In this alternative embodiment, spacer  28 , isolation film  36 , and pad oxide  14  are composed of substantially the same material. Insulator island  22  has a composition different from that of isolation film  36 . For example, isolation film  36  and spacer  28  are composed of SiO 2 , and insulator island  22  is composed of silicon nitride. 
         [0057]    The etch recipe for the single etchback is chosen to be selective to isolation film  36  such that, as upper surface  58  of isolation film  36  recedes toward pad oxide  14  and eventually exposes insulator island  22  and spacer  28 , insulator island  22  has a greater material removal rate than spacer  28  or isolation film  36 . As such, a final isolation structure  48  illustrated in  FIG. 9A  is achieved. Pad oxide  14  acts as an etch stop for this etch recipe. A residual depression of isolation film  36  may appear centered over filled isolation trench  32 . A depression would be created, centered above isolation trench  32 , during the filling of isolation trench  32  with isolation film  36 , as seen in  FIG. 6A . Where a depression is not detrimental to the final isolation structure  48  as illustrated in  FIG. 9A , this selective etch recipe alternative may be used. 
         [0058]    Semiconductor structure  10 , as illustrated in  FIG. 9A , can be seen to have a substantially continuous isolation structure substantially covering semiconductor substrate  12 . An upper surface  42   a  of isolation structure  48  includes the head portion or nail head  54 . Semiconductor substrate  12  is covered at an upper surface  42   b  by either a pad oxide layer or a gate oxide layer. Another upper surface  42   c  comprises the upper surface of the pad oxide layer or gate oxide layer. 
         [0059]    A starting structure for an example of a second embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in  FIG. 2B . In  FIG. 2B , pad oxide  14  is grown upon semiconductor substrate  12  and a polysilicon layer  18  is deposited upon pad oxide  14 . This embodiment of the present invention parallels the processing steps of the first embodiment with the additional processing that takes into account the use of polysilicon layer  18 . 
         [0060]      FIG. 3B  illustrates etching through nitride layer  16  and polysilicon layer  18  to stop on pad oxide  14 . The etch creates both an insulator island  22  and a polysilicon island  24  formed, respectively, from nitride layer  16  and polysilicon layer  18 . 
         [0061]      FIG. 4B  illustrates further processing of the structure depicted in  FIG. 3B , wherein insulation film  26  has been deposited upon insulator island  22 , laterally exposed portions of polysilicon island  24 , and exposed portions of pad oxide  14 . Following deposition of insulation film  26 , a spacer etch and an isolation trench etch are carried out similarly to the spacer etch and isolation trench etch carried out upon semiconductor structure  10  illustrated in  FIG. 5A . 
         [0062]      FIG. 5B  illustrates the results of both the spacer etch and the isolation trench etch and optional implantation of isolation trench  32  to form trench bottom  34  analogous to doped trench bottom  34  illustrated in  FIG. 5A . Formation of insulation liner  30  within isolation trench  32  preferentially precedes implantation to form P-doped trench bottom  34 . Following optional implantation of doping ions, full or partial removal of spacer  28  may optionally be performed as set forth above with respect to the first embodiment of the invention. 
         [0063]      FIG. 6B  illustrates a subsequent step in fabrication of an isolation trench according to the second embodiment of the inventive method, wherein isolation film  36  is deposited both within isolation trench  32 , and over both of insulator island  22  and spacer  28 . As set forth above, densification of isolation film  36  is a preferred step to be carried out either at this stage of fabrication or at a subsequent selective stage. Planarization or etchback of isolation film  36  is next carried out as set forth in the first embodiment of the present invention, and as illustrated in  FIG. 7B . 
         [0064]    The process of planarization or etchback of isolation film  36  reduces insulator island  22  to form reduced island  52  as illustrated in  FIG. 7B . Next, additional selective ion implantations can be made through polysilicon island  24  and into the active area of semiconductor substrate  12  that lies beneath polysilicon island  24 . 
         [0065]    In  FIG. 8B , it can be seen in phantom that spacer  28  has a top surface that is co-planar with third upper surface  42  of isolation structure  48  after planarization. Polysilicon island  24  and spacer  28  are formed as shown in  FIG. 8B . Removal of spacer  28  from the structures illustrated in  FIG. 8B  can be accomplished by patterning and etching with a mask that covers head  54  that extends above and away from isolation trench  32  seen in  FIG. 8B . The etching process exposes a surface on semiconductor substrate  12  upon which a gate oxide layer is deposited or grown. 
         [0066]    To form the structure seen in  FIG. 9B , semiconductor structures  10  of  FIGS. 7B  or  8 B are subjected to implantation of semiconductor substrate  12  with ions. Semiconductor structure  10  is then subjected to a heat treatment so as to fuse together isolation film  36 , optional pad oxide  14 , insulation liner  30 , and spacer  28  into an integral filled isolation trench. 
         [0067]    Subsequent to the process illustrated in  FIGS. 6A-8A  and  6 B- 9 B a final thermal treatment, or subsequent thermal treatments, can be performed. Heat treatment may cause isolation structure  48  to be wider proximal to third upper surface  42  than proximal to doped trench bottom  34 . When so shaped, an unoxidized portion of the active area of semiconductor substrate  12  that forms sidewall  50  would have a trapezoidal shape when viewed in cross-section, where the widest portion is second upper surface  40  and the narrowest portion is at doped trench bottom  34 . Where a trapezoidal shape of the trench portion causes unwanted encroachment into the active area of semiconductor substrate  12 , the optional formation of insulation liner  30  from a nitride material or equivalent is used to act as an oxidation barrier for sidewall  50 . Semiconductor structure  10  is illustrated in  FIG. 9B  as being implanted by doping ions, as depicted with downwardly directed arrows. Following a preferred implantation, thermal processing may be carried out in order to achieve dopant diffusion near upper surface  42   b  of implanted ions residing within semiconductor substrate  12 . Due to head  54  extending onto semiconductor substrate  12 , a doping concentration gradient can be seen between the active area  53   a  and the active area  53   b.  The starting and stopping point of the doping concentration gradient in relation to flange sidewalls  64  will depend upon the duration and temperature of a thermal treatment. 
         [0068]    The present invention may be carried out wherein spacer  28  and isolation film  36  are substantially composed of the same oxide material, and insulator island  22  is substantially composed of a nitride composition. Other compositions may be chosen wherein etch selectivity or CMP selectivity slightly favors insulator island  22  over both spacer  28  and isolation film  36 . The specific selection of materials will depend upon the application during fabrication of the desired isolation trench. 
         [0069]    The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrated and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims and their combination in whole or in part rather than by the foregoing description. All changes that come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.

Technology Classification (CPC): 7