Angle defined trench conductor for a semiconductor device

• US 5,610,441 A
• Filed: 05/19/1995
• Issued: 03/11/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Nguyen, Son V., Carl, Daniel A., Mlynko, Walter E., Kenney, Donald M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Meier, Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): WHITEHEAD JR, CARL W
• Application Number:
  US08/444,465
• Time in Patent Office: 662 Days
• Field of Search: 257/244, 257/283, 257/304, 257/311, 257/330, 257/385, 257/754, 257/774, 257/734
• US Class Current: 257/774
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/763 Polycrystalline semiconductor regions H01L21/76264 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H10B 12/038 the capacitor being in a trench in the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 148/05 Etch and refill

Abstract

Polysilicon in a trench is etched at an angle to produce a conductor within the trench that has shape characteristics which approximate the shadow of the side wall of the trench closest the beam source. Specifically, when the first side wall is closest to the beam source and the second side wall is furthest from the beam source, the polysilicon on the first side wall is almost as high as the first side wall, while the polysilicon on the more exposed side wall is considerably lower than the first side wall and approximates the shadow of the first side wall on the second side wall relative to the beam. The polysilicon in the trench may be in the shape of a solid angled block approximating the shadow line from the top of side wall to the shadow line on side wall however, it is preferred that the polysilicon take the form of a conformal layer in trench prior to etching such that the polysilicon ultimately has an angled "U" shape which approximates the shadow line. Contact is made to the polysilicon using strap that electrically connects the side wall with the polysilicon. Strap is sized such that it does not extend to the opposite side wall of trench, thereby avoiding short circuits. Having the polysilicon approximate the shadow line of the etch permits narrowing the distance between adjacent straps and in an array without the risk of creating a short.

Claims

1. A substrate with densely packed conductors, comprising:

a substrate;

a trench in said substrate including first and second spaced apart sidewalls, said trench having a closed bottom which extends between said first and second spaced apart sidewalls and an open top;

polysilicon positioned within said trench and contacting said first and second sidewalls, said polysilicon having a top edge which is angled to approximate a shadow line that extends from said top of said trench on said first sidewall to an intermediate point on said second sidewall; and

a conductor positioned on said substrate adjacent said trench, said conductor being in contact with said top edge of said polysilicon adjacent said first side wall of said trench.

2. The substrate of claim 1 wherein said polysilicon fills said trench between said first and second sidewalls.

3. The substrate of claim 1 wherein said polysilicon coats an internal surface defined by said first sidewall, said closed bottom, and said second sidewall, and assumes an angled U shape.