Semiconductor device and fabrication method therefor

1 . A method of fabricating a semiconductor device comprising:

forming an insulation film on or above a semiconductor substrate;

forming contact holes in the insulation film;

forming a metal layer in the contact holes;

polishing an upper portion of the insulation film below a top surface of an upper portion of the metal layer; and

polishing the upper portion of the metal layer.

2 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein forming the contact holes is forming the contact holes so that the contact holes in the upper portion of the insulation film is wider than the contact holes in a lower portion of the insulation film.

3 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein forming the insulation film includes forming a lower insulation film, forming a stopper layer above the lower insulation film, and forming an upper insulation film on or above the stopper layer, and

wherein polishing the upper portion of the insulation film includes polishing the upper insulation film to the stopper layer, and

wherein polishing the metal layer includes polishing the metal layer to the stopper layer.

4 . The method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the stopper layer is the insulation film including nitrogen.

5 . The method as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the stopper layer includes a silicon oxy-nitride film.

6 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein polishing the insulation film includes polishing the insulation film by using ceria slurry.

7 . The method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the upper insulation film includes a silicon oxide film.

8 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the metal layer includes tungsten.

9 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein forming the metal layer includes:

forming a layer to be the metal layer in the contact holes and on the insulation film; and

polishing the layer to be the metal layer to the insulation film.

10 . A method of fabricating a semiconductor device comprising:

forming an interlayer insulation film on or above a semiconductor substrate;

forming contact holes so that the contact holes in an upper portion of the interlayer insulation film is wider than the contact holes in a lower portion of the interlayer insulation film;

forming a metal layer in the contact holes; and

polishing the upper portion of the interlayer insulation film and the metal layer, the upper portion being wider than the other portion of the contact holes.

11 . A semiconductor device comprising:

an interlayer insulation film provided on or above a semiconductor substrate;

a silicon oxy-nitride film provided on or above the interlayer insulation film; and

a metal layer provided in contact holes formed in the interlayer insulation film, and having a top surface substantially coplanar with a top surface of the silicon oxy-nitride film.

12 . A wireless communications device, said wireless communications device comprising:

a flash memory comprising:

an interlayer insulation film provided on or above a semiconductor substrate;

a silicon oxy-nitride film provided on or above the interlayer insulation film; and

a metal layer provided in contact holes formed in the interlayer insulation film, and having a top surface substantially coplanar with a top surface of the silicon oxy-nitride film;

a processor;

a communications component;

a transmitter;

a receiver; and

an antenna connected to the transmitter circuit and the receiver circuit.

13 . The wireless communications device of claim 12 , wherein said flash memory is NAND flash memory.

14 . The wireless communications device of claim 12 , wherein said flash memory is NOR flash memory.

15 . The wireless communications device of claim 12 , wherein said flash memory utilizes mirrorbits technology.

16 . A computing device comprising:

a processor;

an input component;

an output component;

a memory comprising:

a volatile memory; and

a flash memory comprising:

an interlayer insulation film provided on or above a semiconductor substrate;

a silicon oxy-nitride film provided on or above the interlayer insulation film; and

a metal layer provided in contact holes formed in the interlayer insulation film, and having a top surface substantially coplanar with a top surface of the silicon oxy-nitride film.

17 . The computing device of claim 16 , wherein said computing device is a personal computer (PC).

18 . The computing device of claim 16 , wherein said computing device is a personal digital assistant (PDA).

19 . The computing device of claim 16 , wherein said computing device is a gaming system.

20 . A portable media player comprising:

a processor;

a cache;

a user input component;

a coder-decoder component; and

a memory comprising:

a flash memory comprising:

an interlayer insulation film provided on or above a semiconductor substrate;

a silicon oxy-nitride film provided on or above the interlayer insulation film; and

a metal layer provided in contact holes formed in the interlayer insulation film, and having a top surface substantially coplanar with a top surface of the silicon oxy-nitride film.

21 . The portable media player of claim 20 , wherein said portable media player is a portable music player.

22 . The portable media player of claim 20 , wherein said portable media player is a portable video player.

23 . An image capturing apparatus comprising:

a sensor for providing image data;

a memory capable of storing said image data, comprising:

an interlayer insulation film provided on or above a semiconductor substrate;

a silicon oxy-nitride film provided on or above the interlayer insulation film; and

a metal layer provided in contact holes formed in the interlayer insulation film, and having a top surface substantially coplanar with a top surface of the silicon oxy-nitride film;

a display operable to display an image from said image data.