Abstract: A process for forming planar trench oxide isolated integrated circuit devices. In particular, the process fills trenches of diverse widths, yet provides a final structure in which the narrow trench dielectrics, the wide trench dielectrics, and the active region surfaces are substantially coplanar. Furthermore, the process reduces the likelihood of creating voids in the narrow trenches. According to one practice, following the formation of the trenches in the substrate, successive layers of conformal silicon nitride, conformal polysilicon, and relatively conformal CVD oxide are formed to the relative depth of the trenches. A photoresist mask is then first selectively formed over the central regions of the wide trenches and then used as a mask during the anisotropic etch of exposed oxide. The underlying polysilicon layer serves as an oxide etchant stop, and also provides the material from which the next successive oxidation partially fills the previously etched regions with thermal silicon dioxide.