Methods of forming recessed access devices associated with semiconductor constructions

• US 8,067,286 B2
• Filed: 01/24/2011
• Issued: 11/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Mathew, Suraj J., Tang, Sanh D., Trivedi, Jigish D., Parekh, Kunal R., Zahurak, John K.
• Primary Examiner(s): CHAUDHARI, CHANDRA P
• Application Number:
  US13/012,675
• Publication Number:
  US 20110117725A1
• Time in Patent Office: 309 Days
• Field of Search: 438/270, 438/437, 438/589, 257/E21.419, 257/E21.428, 257/E21.655
• US Class Current: 438/270
• CPC Class Codes: H10B 12/053 the transistor being at least partially in a trench in the substrate vertical transistor in combination with a capacitor formed in a substrate trench H10B12/0383
• CPC Class Codes: H10B 12/34 the transistor being at least partially in a trench in the substrate

Abstract

The invention includes methods of forming recessed access devices. A substrate is provided to have recessed access device trenches therein. A pair of the recessed access device trenches are adjacent one another. Electrically conductive material is formed within the recessed access device trenches, and source/drain regions are formed proximate the electrically conductive material. The electrically conductive material and source/drain regions together are incorporated into a pair of adjacent recessed access devices. After the recessed access device trenches are formed within the substrate, an isolation region trench is formed between the adjacent recessed access devices and filled with electrically insulative material to form a trenched isolation region.

Claims

1. A method of forming recessed access devices, comprising:

forming recessed access device channels extending into a semiconductor substrate;

filling the recessed access device channels with a first electrically insulative material;

patterning the first electrically insulative material into a mask defining a plurality of access device regions, the access device regions being islands surrounded by an isolation region;

the access device regions comprising only portions of the recessed access device channels;

etching into the substrate of said isolation region to form a trench within the isolation region;

after forming the trench, covering the substrate with an electrically insulative laminate comprising silicon dioxide over silicon nitride;

the laminate filling the isolation region trench;

removing the first electrically insulative material to reopen the recessed access device channels while leaving the electrically insulative laminate within the isolation region trench; and

forming gate material within the re-opened recessed access device channels.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the substrate comprises monocrystalline silicon, and wherein the recessed access device channels extend into the monocrystalline silicon of the substrate.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the first electrically insulative material comprises a silicon nitride-containing layer over a silicon dioxide-containing layer.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein a bottom of the isolation region trench is below lowestmost levels of the recessed access device channels.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the access device regions are substantially elliptical.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the access device regions are substantially elliptical;

wherein the substantially elliptical access device regions have primary longitudinal elliptical axes;

wherein the recessed access device channels have primary length axes; and

wherein the primary longitudinal elliptical axes of the substantially elliptical access device regions are substantially orthogonal to the primary length axes of the recessed access device channels.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the access device regions are substantially elliptical;

wherein the substantially elliptical access device regions have primary longitudinal elliptical axes;

wherein the recessed access device channels have primary length axes; and

wherein the primary longitudinal elliptical axes of the substantially elliptical access device regions are not substantially orthogonal to the primary length axes of the recessed access device channels.

8. A method of forming recessed access devices, comprising:

forming recessed access device channels extending into a semiconductor material;

filling the recessed access device channels with a gate material;

forming a first electrically insulative material over the gate material and over the semiconductor material;

patterning the first electrically insulative material into a mask defining a plurality of access device regions, the access device regions being islands surrounded by an isolation region;

the access device regions comprising only portions of the recessed access device channels;

the access device regions being substantially elliptical;

etching into the semiconductor material of said isolation region to form a trench extending into the isolation region, the etching also removing the gate material from between the access device regions;

filling the trenched isolation region with a second electrically insulative material;

removing the first electrically insulative material; and

after removing the first electrically insulative material, forming a plurality of conductive lines, individual conductive lines extending across multiple access device regions and electrically interconnecting gate material of the multiple access device regions with one another.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the semiconductor material is monocrystalline silicon.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the substantially elliptical access device regions have primary longitudinal elliptical axes;

wherein the recessed access device channels have primary length axes; and

wherein the primary longitudinal elliptical axes of the substantially elliptical access device regions are substantially orthogonol to the primary length axes of the recessed access device channels.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the substantially elliptical access device regions have primary longitudinal elliptical axes;

wherein the recessed access device channels have primary length axes; and

wherein the primary longitudinal elliptical axes of the substantially elliptical access device regions are not substantially orthogonal to the primary length axes of the recessed access device channels.

12. The method of claim 8 whwerein:

the semiconductor material is monocrystalline silicon;

the recessed access device channels are formed to a first depth in the monocrystalline silicon; and

the isolation region trench is formed to a second depth in the monocrystalline silicon, with the second depth being at least two-fold greater than the first depth.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein the second electrically insulative material comprises silicon dioxide.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the second electrically insulative material comprises a liner of silicon nitride between the silicon dioxide and the semiconductor material.