Transcript NMOS#2 - UniMAP Portal

EMT362: Microelectronic Fabrication
CMOS ISOLATION TECHNOLOGY
Part 2
Ramzan Mat Ayub
School of Microelectronic Engineering
School of Microelectronic Engineering
Lecture Objectives
• Understand the basic operation of MOS Capacitor
• Able to calculate the Threshold Voltage for MOS Capacitor and Transistor
• Understand why isolation is needed in CMOS process
• Understand the isolation requirements and related design rules
• Able to describe in terms of wafer cross section, the process steps
for Semirecessed LOCOS, Fully Recessed LOCOS, STI and several
advanced isolation structures formation.
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PWELL
L
W
POLY
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NWELL
A
n+
n+
p+
p+
n+
n+
p+
p+
n+
n+
p+
p+
n+
n+
p+
p+
B
A’
B’
Device with the same polarity - simpler
NMOS
n+
NMOS
n+
n+
p-well
CROSS SECTION ALONG A TO A’ LINE
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n+
Device with the different polarity – more complicated
NMOS
n+
PMOS
p+
p+
n+
p-well
n-well
n or p-substrate
CROSS SECTION ALONG B TO B’ LINE
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MOS Device Isolation Requirements
MOS Transistors are isolated as long as;
• source-substrate and drain-substrate pn junctions are held at reverse bias
• unwanted channels are prevented from forming among adjacent devices
Field transistor
DRAIN
NMOS#1
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SOURCE
NMOS#2
• Electric circuit in VLSI technology is implemented by connecting isolated devices through specific
conducting path.
• To fabricate monolithic ICs, electrically isolated devices must be created in the silicon substrate.
• Only later they are connected.
• Improper isolated device will result;
• total circuit failure
• high leakage (large dc power dissipation)
• noise margin degradation
• voltage shift, cross talk between transistors and etc.
• The challenge is VLSI device only allows single transistor leakage < 10 pA/um). On the other hand,
process integration imposed a stringent requirement on the isolation technology;
• spacing between actives should be as small as possible
• to produce the surface topography as planar as possible
• isolation process module must be simple to implement and easy to control
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School of Microelectronic Engineering
•
•
•
VTF is the threshold (minimum) voltage to turn on the parasitic MOS (field transistor)
VTF is normally at least 8 V above supply voltage to ensure less than 1 pA/um between
isolated MOS device
2 methods of increasing the VTF;
•
making a thicker field oxide
VT  2F 
•
Increase the doping beneath field oxide (channel stop implant)
Field transistor
M-1
DRAIN
NMOS#1
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SOURCE
NMOS#2
Qb
Qi
 ms 
Ci
Ci
MOS Device Isolation Characterization
Test Structures for NMOS Isolation
n+
poly
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n+
Aluminum
n+
poly
n+
• The purpose;
• To find the VTFiso : The gate voltage at which the maximum allowable leakage current arise
• To find the optimum n+ to n+ spacing
• Gate voltage (VTFiso) at drain current @ 1nA or 1pA, at VD = Vcc, is measured
• VTFiso is plotted against n+ to n+ spacing to find the optimum n+ to n+ at certain VDS values
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VTFiso
Volts
Channel current
25
0.1 u A
20
1nA
15
10 p A
10
5
0.5 1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
n+ to n+ spacing in micron
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4
Overview on CMOS Isolation Techniques
•
Grow and etch thick oxide (1970)
•
Semi recessed LOCOS (1980)
• Basic LOCOS
• Poly buffered
• SILO and etc
•
Fully recessed LOCOS (1980)
• Side Wall Mask Isolation (SWAMI)
• Self Aligned Planar Oxidation (SPOT)
• FUROX (Fully Recessed Oxide)
•
Shallow Trench (STI) (1990)
•
SOI + STI (2000)
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Grow and Etch Technique
substrate
b) Pattern and etch
substrate
a) Grow thick oxide
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c) S/D diffusion
A) Grow and etch (used until late 70s)
•
•
Thick oxide is grown thermally in the furnace
Wafer is patterned and etch
Disadvantages
•
•
Sharp corners, difficult to cover in the latter
process steps
Channel stop must be implanted before oxide
is grown (active to be aligned with channel stop
region – low packing density)
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LOCOS Isolation Technology
oxidation
oxidation
nitride removal
nitride removal
a) Semi recessed LOCOS
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b) Fully recessed LOCOS
Basic Semi-recessed LOCOS Process
Step-1: Pad Oxide Layer
• Wafer is cleaned using RCA cleaning technique
• 200-500A SiO2 (called pad or buffer oxide) is thermally grown
• The function of this oxide is to cushion the transistion of stress between
the silicon substrate and the subsequently deposited nitride.
Silicon substrate
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Step-2: Silicon Nitride Layer
• 1000-2000A thick layer of CVD silicon nitride is deposited.
• The function of this nitride is as mask to the oxidation process.
• Silicon nitride is very effective as oxidation mask because oxygen and water
vapor diffuse very slowly through it, preventing oxidizing species from reaching
the silicon surface under the nitride.
• Silicon nitride however exhibiting a very high tensile stress (1010 dynes/cm2),
hence used with minimal thickness.
Silicon substrate
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Step-3: Photolithography-Active Area Definition
• To define the active area (where the transistors to be put)
Silicon substrate
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Silicon substrate
Step-4: Nitride Etch
• To cover the active regions, expose areas to form LOCOS
Silicon substrate
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Step-5: Channel stop implant
• To create a channel stop doping layer under Field Oxide.
• In NMOS circuit, a p implant (boron, 60-100 keV) is used, while in PMOS, arsenic is used.
• PR is removed after the implant
Silicon substrate
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Step-6: Grow Field Oxide
• Field oxide is thermally grown by wet oxidation at temperatures around 1000C to the
thickness 8000-10,000A.
• Oxide will grows where there is no masking nitride, but at the nitride’s edges, some
oxidation occurred.
• This caused the nitride’s edges to lift. Because of the shape, this structure is called
bird’s beak.
Silicon substrate
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• The bird’s beak is a lateral extension of the field oxide into the active area of the devices.
• For a typical 8000A LOCOS, bird’s beak ~ 5000A. Limiting factor for the usage of LOCOS.
8000 A
BIRD’S BEAK
FINAL ACTIVE
AREA
ORIGINAL MASK
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5000 A
SEM picture of Semi-Recessed LOCOS
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Step-7: Strip Masking Nitride Layer
• Oxynitride etch (200-300A top layer of nitride) – deglaze process
• Wet hot phosphoric process to remove nitride (good selectivity to oxide)
• Tricky process, deglaze process must be carefully characterized.
Silicon substrate
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Step-8: Regrow and strip sacrificial oxide
• Kooi et al discovered that a thin layer of silicon nitride can form on the silicon surface
(pad oxide – silicon interface).
• This nitride spot is called white ribbon or Kooi Effect and must be removed to prevent
defect from occuring when growing gate oxide.
• This can be done by regrowing a pad oxide and subsequently removed.
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Factors Affecting Bird’s Beak Length and Shape
1) Pad oxide thickness
Lateral oxidation can be reduced by using a thinner pad oxide, leading to a shorter
bird’s beak.
2) Pad layer composition – CVD oxynitride
3) Silicon crystal orientation – shorter bird’s beak in <111> compared to <100>
4) Field oxide process temperature – Shorter with higher oxidation temperature.
5) Thickness and mechanical properties of nitride layer – the thicker the nitride,
the shorter the bird’s beak
6) Mask stack geometry – depends on the shape and size of the structures
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Advanced Semi-Recessed LOCOS Process
A) Poly Buffered LOCOS
• Based on the fact that a thinner pad oxide will produce a shorter bird’s beak.
• Usual pad oxide is replaced with a polybuffered layer; poly 500A:oxide 100A
• Thicker nitride is used to suppress the bird’s beak more, 1000 – 2500A
B) Sealed Interface LOCOS
Q7, Tutorial 1
• Reduce the bird’s beak by depositing nitride layer directly onto the silicon.
• Lateral diffusion of oxidants is suppressed better, resulting a shorter bird’s beak.
Q8, Tutorial 1
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Basic Fully-recessed LOCOS Process
Step-1: Pad Oxide Layer
• Wafer is cleaned using RCA cleaning technique
• 200-500A SiO2 (called pad or buffer oxide) is thermally grown
• The function of this oxide is to cushion the transistion of stress between
the silicon substrate and the subsequently deposited nitride.
Silicon substrate
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Step-2: Silicon Nitride Layer
• 1000-2000A thick layer of CVD silicon nitride is deposited.
• The function of this nitride is as mask to the oxidation process.
• Silicon nitride is very effective as oxidation mask because oxygen and water
vapor diffuse very slowly through it, preventing oxidizing species from reaching
the silicon surface under the nitride.
• Silicon nitride however exhibiting a very high tensile stress (1010 dynes/cm2),
hence used with minimal thickness.
Silicon substrate
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Step-3: Photolithography-Active Area Definition
• To define the active area (where the transistors to be put)
Silicon substrate
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Silicon substrate
Step-4: Nitride Etch, Oxide Etch, Silicon Etch
• To cover the active regions, expose areas to form LOCOS
Silicon substrate
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Step-5: Channel stop implant
• To create a channel stop doping layer under Field Oxide.
• In NMOS circuit, a p implant (boron, 60-100 keV) is used, while in PMOS, arsenic is used.
• PR is removed after the implant
Silicon substrate
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Step-6: Grow Field Oxide
• Field oxide is thermally grown by wet oxidation at temperatures around 1000C to the
thickness 8000-10,000A.
• Oxide will grows where there is no masking nitride, but at the nitride’s edges, some
oxidation occurred.
• This caused the nitride’s edges to lift. Because of the shape, this structure is called
bird’s beak.
BIRD’S HEAD
BIRD’S BEAK
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SEM picture of Fully-Recessed LOCOS
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Step-7: Strip Masking Nitride Layer
• Oxynitride etch (200-300A top layer of nitride) – deglaze process
• Wet hot phosphoric process to remove nitride (good selectivity to oxide)
• Tricky process, deglaze process must be carefully characterized.
Step-8: Regrow and strip sacrificial oxide
• Kooi et al discovered that a thin layer of silicon nitride can form on the silicon surface
(pad oxide – silicon interface).
• This nitride spot is called white ribbon or Kooi Effect and must be removed to prevent
defect from occuring when growing gate oxide.
• This can be done by regrowing a pad oxide and subsequently removed.
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Advanced Fully-Recessed LOCOS Process
A) Side Wall Masked Isolation (SWAMI)
• Bird’s beak free structure, very planar process
Silicon substrate
1.
2.
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Pad Oxidation
CVD Nitride Deposition
Sloping sidewall, help to reduce
the stress during oxidation
3.
4.
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Oxide / Nitride Etch
Silicon Etch
5.
6.
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Second layer of pad oxide and nitride
CVD Oxide
7.
8.
9.
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Etch Oxide, Etch Nitride
Field Oxidation
Nitride / Oxide strip
LOCOS
Active
B) Self Aligned Planar Oxidation Technology (SPOT)
• Another modified fully-recessed LOCOS to eliminate the bird’s beak and head.
• Conventional semi-recessed LOCOS is grown using high pressure oxidation.
• The LOCOS then removed using BOE
SiO2
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•Second pad oxide is grown, followed by deposition of a second CVD nitride
• Nitride and oxide then anisotropically etched.
• Second LOCOS is then grown using High Pressure Oxidation
LOCOS
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C) Fully Recessed Oxide (FUROX)
D) OSELO
E) ETC
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Trench Isolation Technology
4 major applications
•
Locos replacement for isolation within the well (STI)
•
Isolation in bipolar (Moderate Trench)
•
Latch prevention in CMOS (Moderate Trench)
•
Trench capacitor in DRAM (Deep Trench)
3 categories
•
Shallow trench <1 um
•
Moderate 1-3 um
•
Deep >3um deep
Advantages
Increase the packing density tremendously
Disadvantages
Complex to fabricate, very expensive machines
Poor uniformity, Low throughput
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Trench etched
CVD oxide deposited
Oxide polished to surface
by CMP
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Shallow Trench Isolation (STI)
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Silicon On Insulator (SOI) with STI Isolation Technology
•
•
•
•
Completely isolate the transistor on silicon surface from the bulk silicon substrate.
Tremendously increase the packing density of IC chip
Mainstream isolation technology for high performance ICs for feature size below
0.13um process technology
Normally coupled with Copper Interconnect Technology and Low-k Interlevel
Dielectric.
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