TRENCH ISOLATION AND METHOD OF FABRICATING TRENCH ISOLATION
Trench isolation structure and method of forming trench isolation structures. The structures includes a trench in a silicon region of a substrate, the trench extending from a top surface of the substrate into the silicon region; an ion implantation stopping layer over sidewalls of the trench; a dielectric fill material filling remaining space in the trench, the dielectric fill material not including any materials found in the stopping layer; an N-type dopant species in a first region of the silicon region on a first side of the trench; the N-type dopant species in a first region of the dielectric material adjacent to the first side of the trench; a P-type dopant species in a second region of the silicon region on a second side of the trench; and the P-type dopant species in a second region of the dielectric material adjacent to the second side of the trench.
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The present application is a division of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/839,585 filed Aug. 16, 2007.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates to the field of integrated circuits and method of fabricating integrated circuits; more specifically, it relates to a trench isolation structure of integrated circuits and method of fabricating trench isolation during integrated circuit manufacture.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONComplementary metal-oxide-silicon (CMOS) based integrated circuits utilize p-channel field effect transistors (PFETs) and n-channel field effect transistors (NFETs). Many integrated circuit designs require the devices (i.e., the PFETs and NFETs) to be placed adjacent to each other, which is accomplished by isolating the PFETs and NFETs with trench isolation. Trench isolation is essentially a dielectric filled trench formed in the silicon substrate that surrounds the perimeter of and electrically isolates the regions of the PFETs and NFETs formed in the silicon substrate from each other.
However, with the ever increasing need for increased device density, the width of the trench isolation between adjacent devices is decreasing and defect free isolation structures are becoming more difficult to fabricate. Accordingly, there exists a need in the art to improve the trench isolation structure and fabrication methodologies to keep pace with the decreasing dimensions of the trench isolation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONA first aspect of the present invention is a method, comprising: (a) forming a trench in a silicon region of a substrate, the silicon region adjacent to a top surface of the substrate, the trench extending from the top surface of the substrate into the silicon region; (b) forming a stopping layer on sidewalls and a bottom of the trench; (c) removing the stopping layer from the bottom of the trench; (d) filling remaining space in the trench with a dielectric fill material, the dielectric fill material not including any materials found in the stopping layer; (e) performing an N-type ion implantation on a first side of the trench into a first region of the silicon region abutting the first side of the trench and into a first region of the dielectric material abutting the stopping layer on the first side of the trench; and (f) performing a P-type ion implantation on an second side of the trench into a second region of the silicon region abutting the second side of the trench and into a second region of the dielectric material abutting the stopping layer on the second side of the trench, the second side of the trench opposite the first side of the trench.
A second aspect of the present invention is a method comprising: (a) forming a trench in a silicon region of a substrate, the silicon region adjacent to a top surface of the substrate, the trench extending from the top surface of the substrate into the silicon region; (b) forming an insulating layer on sidewalls and a bottom of the trench; (c) forming a stopping layer on the insulating layer; (d) filling remaining space in the trench with a dielectric fill material, the dielectric fill material not including any materials found in the stopping layer; (e) performing an N-type ion implantation on a first side of the trench into a first region of the silicon region abutting the first side of the trench and into a first region of the dielectric material abutting the insulating layer on the first side of the trench; and (f) performing a P-type ion implantation on an second side of the trench into a second region of the silicon region abutting the second side of the trench and into a second region of the dielectric material abutting the stopping layer on the second side of the trench, the second side of the trench opposite the first side of the trench.
A third aspect of the present invention is a structure, comprising: a trench in a silicon region of a substrate, the silicon region adjacent to a top surface of the substrate, the trench extending from the top surface of the substrate into the silicon region; a stopping layer over sidewalls of the trench; a dielectric fill material filling remaining space in the trench, the dielectric fill material not including any materials found in the stopping layer; an N-type dopant species in a first region of the silicon region on a first side of the trench; the N-type dopant species in a first region of the dielectric material adjacent to the first side of the trench; a P-type dopant species in a second region of the silicon region on a second side of the trench, the second side of the trench opposite the first side of the trench; and the P-type dopant species in a second region of the dielectric material adjacent to the second side of the trench.
The features of the invention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, will be best understood by reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
A PFET 145 is formed in N-well 105. PFET 145 includes first and second source/drain 150A and 150B formed in N-well 105 on opposite sides of gate electrode 135 and first and second source/drain extensions 155A and 155B formed in the N-well under opposite edges of the gate electrode. First and second source/drains 155A and 155B abut trench isolation 115 and extend from top surface 120 of substrate 100 into N-well 105, but not through the bottom of the N-well. First and second source/drain extensions 155A and 155B abut trench isolation 115 and abut first and second source/drains 150A and 150B and extend from top surface 120 of substrate 100 into N-well 105, but not as far into the N-well as first and second source/drains 155A and 155B. First and second source/drains 155A and 155B and first and second source/drain extensions 155A and 155B are doped P-type. N-well 105 is doped N-type and forms the channel region of PFET 145.
An NFET 160 is formed in N-well 105. NFET 160 includes first and second source/drain 165A and 165B formed in P-well 110 on opposite sides of gate electrode 135 and first and second source/drain extensions 170A and 170B formed in the P-well under opposite edges of the gate electrode. First and second source/drains 170A and 170B abut trench isolation 115 and extend from top surface 120 of substrate 100 into P-well 110, but not through the bottom of the P-well. First and second source/drain extensions 170A and 170B abut trench isolation 115 and abut first and second source/drains 165A and 165B and extend from top surface 120 of substrate 100 into P-well 110, but not as far into the P-well as first and second source/drains 170A and 170B. First and second source/drains 170A and 170B and first and second source/drain extensions 170A and 170B are doped N-type. P-well 110 is doped P-type and forms the channel region of NFET 160.
Generally, N-well 105 and P-well 115 are formed by separate ion-implantations of dopant species through respective blocking layers whose edges overlay an already formed trench isolation 115. However, ion-implantation is subject to straggle. Straggle is the deflection of implanted species from their original trajectories as they penetrate into the target material, in the present case, N-well 105 and trench isolation 115 or P-well 110 and trench isolation 115. If the width of trench isolation 115 between N-well and P-well 110 is too small, then P-type regions 140A can form along the edges of the trench isolation in N-well 105 due to straggle of the P-well implant in trench isolation 115 and N-type regions 140B can form along the edges of the trench isolation in P-well 110 due to straggle of the N-well implant in trench isolation 115. P-type regions 140A can cause leakage between the first and second source/drains 150A and 150B of PFET 145 and N-type regions 140A can cause leakage between the first and second source/drains 165A and 165B of NFET 160.
The defect mechanism (regions 140A and 140B) illustrated in
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A typical N-well ion implantation process includes multiple ion-implantations of N-type dopant species at different and progressively lower voltages. For example, three ion implantations of 400 KeV, 250 KeV and 50 KeV at doses in the 1012 to 1013 atom/cm2 range.
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A typical P-well ion implantation process includes multiple ion-implantations of P-type dopant species at different and progressively lower voltages. For example, three ion implantations of 220 KeV, 120 KeV and 40 KeV at doses in the 1012 to 1013 atom/cm2 range.
Note, the P-well ion implantation and related processes may be performed before the N-well ion implantation and related processes.
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In a variant of the third embodiment of the present invention, stopping layer 220 is sufficiently thick to completely fill trench 215 and no dielectric fill 245 is required.
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In a variant of the fourth embodiment of the present invention, stopping layer 285 is sufficiently thick to completely fill trench 215 and no dielectric fill 245 is required.
Thus the present invention provides trench isolation structures and fabrication methodologies that allow decreasing dimensions of the trench isolation.
The description of the embodiments of the present invention is given above for the understanding of the present invention. It will be understood that the invention is not limited to the particular embodiments described herein, but is capable of various modifications, rearrangements and substitutions as will now become apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the first and third embodiments of the present invention may be performed on bulk silicon substrates (e.g. substrate 200 of, for example,
Claims
1. A method, comprising:
- (a) forming a trench in a silicon region of a substrate, said silicon region adjacent to a top surface of said substrate, said trench extending from said top surface of said substrate into said silicon region;
- (b) forming a stopping layer on sidewalls and a bottom of said trench;
- (c) removing said stopping layer from said bottom of said trench;
- (d) filling remaining space in said trench with a dielectric fill material, said dielectric fill material not including any materials found in said stopping layer;
- (e) performing an N-type ion implantation on a first side of said trench into a first region of said silicon region abutting said first side of said trench and into a first region of said dielectric material abutting said stopping layer on said first side of said trench; and
- (f) performing a P-type ion implantation on an second side of said trench into a second region of said silicon region abutting said second side of said trench and into a second region of said dielectric material abutting said stopping layer on said second side of said trench, said second side of said trench opposite said first side of said trench.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein said stopping layer comprising a material with a density of least 3.0 grams/cm3.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein said stopping layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of aluminum oxide, silicon carbide, hafnium oxide hafnium carbide, hafnium silicate tantalum oxide, zirconium oxide and combinations thereof.
4. The method of claim 1, further including:
- (g) forming a source and a drain of a PFET in said N-well, said source and said drain of said PFET abutting different regions of said first side of said trench and forming a source and a drain of an NFET in said P-well, said source and said drain of said NFET said abutting different regions of said second side of said trench.
5. A method, comprising:
- (a) forming a trench in a silicon region of a substrate, said silicon region adjacent to a top surface of said substrate, said trench extending from said top surface of said substrate into said silicon region;
- (b) forming an insulating layer on sidewalls and a bottom of said trench;
- (c) forming a stopping layer on said insulating layer;
- (d) filling remaining space in said trench with a dielectric fill material, said dielectric fill material not including any materials found in said stopping layer;
- (e) performing an N-type ion implantation on a first side of said trench into a first region of said silicon region abutting said first side of said trench and into a first region of said dielectric material abutting said insulating layer on said first side of said trench;
- (f) performing a P-type ion implantation on an second side of said trench into a second region of said silicon region abutting said second side of said trench and into a second region of said dielectric material abutting said stopping layer on said second side of said trench, said second side of said trench opposite said first side of said trench; and.
- between steps (c) and (d), removing said stopping layer from regions of said insulating layer in said bottom of said trench to expose said insulating layer in said bottom of said trench, said stopping layer remaining on regions of said insulating layer that are on said sidewalls of said trench.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein said stopping layer comprises a material with a density of least 8.0 grams/cm3.
7. The method of claim 5, wherein said stopping layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of nickel, cobalt, copper, chromium, molybdenum, germanium, palladium, silver, hafnium, tungsten, tungsten carbide, tungsten nitride, gold, platinum, and combinations thereof.
8. The method of claim 5, further including:
- (g) forming a source and a drain of a PFET in said first region of said silicon region, said source and said drain of a PFET said abutting different regions of said first side of said trench; and
- (h) forming source/drains of an NFET in said second region of said silicon region, said source and said drain of a PFET said abutting different regions of said first side of said trench.
9. A structure, comprising:
- a trench in a silicon region of a substrate, said silicon region adjacent to a top surface of said substrate, said trench extending from said top surface of said substrate into said silicon region;
- a stopping layer over sidewalls of said trench;
- a dielectric fill material filling remaining space in said trench, said dielectric fill material not including any materials found in said stopping layer;
- an N-type dopant species in a first region of said silicon region on a first side of said trench;
- said N-type dopant species in a first region of said dielectric material adjacent to said first side of said trench;
- a P-type dopant species in a second region of said silicon region on a second side of said trench, said second side of said trench opposite said first side of said trench; and
- said P-type dopant species in a second region of said dielectric material adjacent to said second side of said trench.
10. The structure of claim 9, wherein said stopping layer is formed over said bottom of said trench and wherein said silicon region is a silicon layer on a top surface of a buried oxide layer on a top surface of a silicon support substrate, said stopping layer abutting said buried oxide layer along said bottom of said trench.
11. The structure of claim 10, wherein said stopping layer is selected from the group consisting of nickel, cobalt, copper, chromium, molybdenum, germanium, palladium, silver, hafnium, tungsten, tungsten carbide, tungsten nitride gold, platinum, and combinations thereof.
12. The structure of claim 9, wherein said stopping layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of aluminum oxide, silicon carbide, hafnium oxide hafnium carbide, hafnium silicate tantalum oxide, zirconium oxide and combinations thereof.
13. The structure of claim 9, further including:
- an insulating layer on said sidewalls and on a bottom of said trench, said insulating layer between all sidewalls of said trench and said stopping layer.
14. The structure of claim 9, further including:
- an insulating layer on said sidewalls and a bottom of said trench between, said insulating layer between said sidewalls of said trench and said stopping layer and between said bottom of said trench and said stopping layer; and
- wherein said silicon region is a silicon layer on a top surface of a buried oxide layer on a top surface of a silicon support substrate, said insulating layer abutting said buried oxide layer along said bottom of said trench.
15. The structure of claim 14, further including:
- a source and a drain of a PFET in said first region of said silicon region, said source and said drain of said PFET abutting different regions of said first side of said trench; and
- a source and a drain of an NFET in said second region of said silicon region, said source and said drain of said NFET abutting different regions of said second side of said trench.
Type: Application
Filed: Jul 28, 2011
Publication Date: Nov 17, 2011
Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation (Armonk, NY)
Inventors: Terence Blackwell Hook (Jericho, VT), Jeffrey Bowman Johnson (Essex Junction, VT), James Spiros Nakos (Essex Junction, VT)
Application Number: 13/192,561
International Classification: H01L 27/092 (20060101); H01L 21/8238 (20060101);