Method of detecting a polishing endpoint layer of a semiconductor wafer which includes a non-reactive reporting specie

• US 6,080,670 A
• Filed: 08/10/1998
• Issued: 06/27/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bell Semiconductor, LLC (Hilco Inc. (d/b/a Hilco Global))
• Original Assignee: LSI Logic Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Miller, Gayle W., Shelton, Gail D., Chisholm, Brynne K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Utech, Benjamin L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DEO, DUY VU NGUYEN
• Application Number:
  US09/131,921
• Time in Patent Office: 687 Days
• Field of Search: 438/691, 438/692, 438/693, 438/5, 438/14, 216/84
• US Class Current: 438/691
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 37/04 designed for working plane surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 57/02 for feeding of fluid, sprayed, pulverised, or liquefied grinding, polishing or lapping agents
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/31053 involving a dielectric removal step
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76224 using trench refilling with dielectric materials trench filling with polycristalline silicon H01L21/763; together with vertical isolation, e.g. trench refilling in a SOI substrate H01L21/76264

Abstract

A method of planarizing a semiconductor wafer having a polishing endpoint layer that includes a sulfur-containing reporting specie includes the step of polishing a first side of the wafer in order to remove material from the wafer. The method also includes the step of detecting presence of the sulfur-containing reporting specie in the material removed from the wafer. The method further includes the step of terminating the polishing step in response to detecting presence of the sulfur-containing reporting specie. A shallow trench isolation process for fabricating a semiconductor wafer is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of planarizing a semiconductor wafer having a polishing endpoint layer that includes a sulfur-containing reporting specie, comprising the steps of:

polishing a first side of said wafer in order to remove material from said wafer;

detecting presence of said sulfur-containing reporting specie in said material removed from said wafer; and

terminating said polishing step in response to detecting presence of said sulfur-containing reporting specie.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

forming said polishing endpoint layer at a distance from a substrate of said wafer.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said forming step includes the step of chemically depositing said polishing endpoint layer at said distance from said substrate of said wafer.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

implanting said polishing endpoint layer through said first side of said wafer at a distance from said first side of said wafer.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said polishing step includes the step of applying a slurry to said first side of said wafer, said slurry receiving said material removed from said wafer, and

said detecting step includes the step of analyzing said slurry to determine whether said sulfur-containing reporting specie is present in said slurry.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said analyzing step includes the step of analyzing a portion of said slurry with a spectrographic technique.

7. A method of planarizing a semiconductor wafer down to a distance from a semiconductor substrate of said wafer, comprising the steps of:

forming in said wafer a sulfur-containing reporting specie that is at said distance from said substrate of said wafer;

polishing a first side of said wafer in order to remove material from said wafer;

detecting presence of said sulfur-containing reporting specie in said material removed from said wafer; and

terminating said polishing step in response to detection of said sulfur-containing reporting specie.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said forming step includes the step of chemically depositing said sulfur-containing reporting specie at said distance from said substrate of said wafer.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of:

implanting said sulfur-containing reporting specie through said first side of said wafer at said distance from said first side of said wafer.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein:

said polishing step includes the step of applying a slurry to said first side of said wafer, said slurry receiving said material removed from said wafer, and

said detecting step includes the step of analyzing said slurry to determine whether said sulfur-containing reporting specie is present in said slurry.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said analyzing step includes the step of analyzing a portion of said slurry with a spectrographic technique.

12. A shallow trench isolation process for fabricating semiconductor wafer which includes a first insulating layer disposed on a substrate, comprising the steps of:

forming a trench in said first insulating layer and said substrate;

forming a polishing endpoint layer that includes a non-reactive reporting specie;

forming a second insulating layer over said first insulating layer, whereby said trench is filled with material of said second insulating layer;

polishing a first side of said wafer in order to remove material from said second insulating layer of said wafer;

detecting presence of said non-reactive reporting specie; and

terminating said polishing step in response to detection of said non-reactive reporting specie,

wherein said non-reacting reporting specie includes a carbon-containing reporting specie.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said polishing endpoint forming step includes the step of forming said polishing endpoint layer at a distance from a substrate of said wafer.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein said polishing endpoint layer forming step includes the step of chemically depositing said polishing endpoint layer over said first insulating layer.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein said polishing endpoint layer forming step includes the step of implanting said non-reactive reporting specie through said first side of said wafer at a distance from said first side of said wafer.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein:

said polishing step includes the step of applying a slurry to said first side of said wafer, said slurry receiving said material removed from said wafer, and

said detecting step includes the step of analyzing said slurry to determine whether said non-reactive reporting specie is present in said slurry.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said analyzing step includes the step of analyzing a portion of said slurry with a spectrographic technique.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein said carbon-containing reporting specie is selected from the group consisting of a carbonate, a carbide, or a carbonyl.

19. A shallow trench isolation process for fabricating a semiconductor wafer which includes a first insulating layer disposed on a substrate, comprising the steps of:

forming a trench in said first insulating layer and said substrate;

forming a polishing endpoint layer that includes a non-reactive reporting specie;

forming a second insulating layer over said first insulating layer, whereby said trench is filled with material of said second insulating layer;

polishing a first ide of said wafer in order to remove material from said second insulating layer of said wafer;

detecting presence of said non-reactive reporting specie; and

terminating said polishing step in response to detection of said non-reactive reporting specie,

wherein said non-reacting reporting specie includes a sulfur-containing reporting specie.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said sulfur-containing reporting specie is selected from the group consisting of a sulfate, a sulfide, a sulfonyl, or a sulfur ion.