Method of making contact for semiconductor device

• US 5,464,793 A
• Filed: 10/03/1994
• Issued: 11/07/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Qimonda AG (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Roehl, Siegfried
• Primary Examiner(s): Chaudhuri, Olik
• Assistant Examiner(s): EVERHART, CARIDAD
• Application Number:
  US08/317,151
• Time in Patent Office: 400 Days
• Field of Search: 437/186, 437/191, 437/193, 437/940, 437/979, 437/985, 148/DIG. 116
• US Class Current: 438/672
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76831 in via holes or trenches, e.g. non-conductive sidewall liners
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76834 formation of thin insulating films on the sidewalls or on top of conductors H01L21/76831 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76885 By forming conductive members before deposition of protective insulating material, e.g. pillars, studs
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76897 Formation of self-aligned vias or contact plugs, i.e. involving a lithographically uncritical step self-aligned silicidation on field effect transistors H01L29/665
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/53271 containing semiconductor material, e.g. polysilicon
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00

Abstract

A method of forming a capped and borderless contact of polysilicon on a body of a semiconductor material includes depositing a layer of undoped polysilicon on the surface of the body and forming an opening therethrough to the surface of the body. The side walls of the opening are then coated with a layer of silicon nitride and the opening is then filled with doped polysilicon which forms the contact. The doped and undoped polysilicon are heated in an oxidizing atmosphere to grow a layer of silicon dioxide thereon having a thicker portion over the doped polysilicon then over the undoped polysilicon. The silicon dioxide layer is etched to remove the thinner portion leaving the thicker portion over the doped polysilicon as a capping layer. The undoped polysilicon is then etched away and a layer of a dielectric material is deposited on the body and surrounding the doped polysilicon contact.

Claims

1. A method of making a semiconductor device conductive contact on a body of a semiconductor material comprising the steps of:

forming a layer of undoped polysilicon on a surface of the body;

forming an opening through the undoped polysilicon layer to the surface of the body;

filling said opening with doped polysilicon;

growing a layer of silicon dioxide on the doped and undoped polysilicon with the thickness of the silicon dioxide layer being thicker over the doped polysilicon than over the undoped polysilicon;

removing all of the silicon dioxide layer from over the undoped polysilicon while leaving a portion of the silicon dioxide over the doped polysilicon; and

removing the undoped polysilicon layer.

2. The method of claim 1 in which the layer of silicon dioxide is grown over the polysilicon by heating the polysilicon in an oxidizing atmosphere with the portion of the silicon dioxide layer over the doped polysilicon growing thicker than the portion of the silicon dioxide over the undoped polysilicon.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising the step of coating the side walls of the opening in the undoped polysilicon layer with a layer of silicon nitride prior to filling the opening with the doped polysilicon.

4. The method of claim 3 in which the doped polysilicon contains a concentration of dopant of about 5×

10²⁰ impurities/cm³.

5. The method of claim 4 in which the silicon dioxide layer is grown at a temperature of between 700°

C. and 900°

C. in steam.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising the step of depositing a layer of silicon dioxide on the surface of the body encircling the doped polysilicon after the undoped polysilicon is removed.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising the step of planarizing the surface of the silicon dioxide layer which surrounds the doped polysilicon so as to be planar with the surface of the doped polysilicon.

8. A method of making a conductive contact to a surface of a body of a semiconductor material comprising the steps of:

depositing on the surface of the body a layer of undoped polysilicon;

forming an opening through the undoped polysilicon layer to the surface of the body;

coating side walls of the opening with a layer of silicon nitride;

filling the remaining portion of the opening with doped polysilicon;

heating the doped and undoped polysilicon in an oxidizing atmosphere to grow a layer of silicon dioxide thereon which is thicker over the doped polysilicon than over the undoped polysilicon;

etching the silicon dioxide layer so as to remove a portion thereof over the undoped polysilicon while leaving a portion of the silicon dioxide layer over the doped polysilicon;

removing the undoped polysilicon; and

forming a layer of a dielectric material on the body surface surrounding the doped polysilicon.

9. The method of claim 8 in which the doped polysilicon contains a concentration of the dopant of about 5×

10²⁰ impurities/cm³.

10. The method of claim 9 in which the silicon dioxide layer is grown at a temperature of between 700°

C. and 900°

C. in steam.

11. The method of claim 8 in which the opening is formed in the undoped polysilicon by forming a masking layer on the undoped polysilicon with the masking layer having an opening therethrough where the opening in the undoped polysilicon layer is to be provided, and then etching the undoped polysilicon layer through the opening in the masking layer.

12. The method of claim 11 in which the undoped polysilicon layer is removed by etching with a suitable etchant.

13. The method of claim 8 in which the dielectric layer is a layer of silicon dioxide deposited over the surface of the body.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of planarizing the surface of the silicon dioxide layer which surrounds the doped polysilicon so as to be essentially planar with the surface of the doped polysilicon.