Manufacturing method for a shallow trench isolation

• US 9,012,300 B2
• Filed: 10/01/2012
• Issued: 04/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Microelectronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: United Microelectronics Corporation
• Inventors: Sie, Wu-Sian, Hsu, Chun-Wei, Chang, Chia-Lung, Lin, Chih-Hsun, Kung, Chang-Hung, Li, Yu-Ting, Tsao, Wei-Che, Chen, Yen-Ming, Hsu, Chia-Lin, Wang, Chun-Hsiung
• Primary Examiner(s): Slutsker, Julia
• Application Number:
  US13/633,104
• Publication Number:
  US 20140094017A1
• Time in Patent Office: 932 Days
• Field of Search: 438/400, 438/405, 438424-438, 438/444, 257/E21.546, 257/E21.54, 257/E21.58
• US Class Current: 438/400
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76229 Concurrent filling of a plurality of trenches having a different trench shape or dimension, e.g. rectangular and V-shaped trenches, wide and narrow trenches, shallow and deep trenches
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76232 of trenches having a shape other than rectangular or V-shape, e.g. rounded corners, oblique or rounded trench walls H01L21/76229 takes precedence

Abstract

A manufacturing method for a shallow trench isolation. First, a substrate is provided, a hard mask layer and a patterned photoresist layer are sequentially formed on the substrate, at least one trench is then formed in the substrate through an etching process, the hard mask layer is removed. Afterwards, a filler is formed at least in the trench and a planarization process is then performed on the filler. Since the planarization process is performed only on the filler, so the dishing phenomenon can effectively be avoided.

Claims

1. A method for forming a shallow trench isolation (STI), comprising:

providing a substrate, a hard mask layer and a first patterned photoresist layer sequentially formed on the substrate;

forming at least one trench in the substrate through an etching process;

removing the hard mask layer;

forming a filler at least in the at least one trench after the hard mask layer is removed;

performing a planarization process on the filler to form a flat surface, and

etching parts of the filler by using a second patterned photoresist layer as a protection layer, so as to expose parts of the substrate, wherein the second patterned photoresist layer is formed on the flat surface after the planarization process is performed, and disposed right above the at least one trench, and an area of the second patterned photoresist layer is larger than an area of the at least one trench.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising removing the first patterned photoresist layer before the trench is formed.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the hard mask layer is used as a protection layer during the etching process.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising removing the first patterned photoresist layer after the trench is formed.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the hard mask layer and the first patterned photoresist layer are used as a protection layer during the etching process.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising forming a liner between the substrate and the filler.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first patterned photoresist layer comprises a single layer structure or a multiple layer structure.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the hard mask layer comprises a single layer structure or a multiple layer structure.