Granted Patent B2

US 8,722,519 · App. 13/182,568 · Granted May 13, 2014

Abstract

Claims (41)

1. A semiconductor fabrication method, comprising:

creating a data set which defines a set of tiles for a polysilicon deposition process;

deriving a polysilicon deposition mask set from the data set, wherein the polysilicon deposition mask set includes a plurality of polysilicon tiles overlying inactive regions of a substrate;

deriving an epitaxial growth mask set from the data set, wherein the epitaxial growth mask set includes a plurality of epitaxial tiles overlying inactive regions of a substrate; and

using the polysilicon deposition mask set and the epitaxial growth mask set to make a semiconductor device;

wherein the epitaxial growth mask set is derived from the data set by using at least a portion of the tile pattern defined in the data set for at least a portion of the tile pattern defined in the polysilicon deposition mask set;

reconfiguring the epitaxial growth mask set, thereby defining a reconfigured epitaxial growth mask set;

wherein reconfiguring the epitaxial growth mask set includes modifying an aspect of the tiles defined therein for an epitaxial process.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the epitaxial growth mask set is derived from the data set by using the tile pattern defined therein for the polysilicon deposition mask set.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the semiconductor device comprises a semiconductor substrate, an SOI layer, and a dielectric layer disposed between the SOI layer and the substrate.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein using the epitaxial growth mask set to make a semiconductor device comprises:

using the epitaxial growth mask set to define a plurality of trenches, wherein each of the plurality of trenches exposes a portion of the substrate; and

epitaxially growing the exposed portion of the substrate.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising using a trench chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) mask set to make the semiconductor device, and wherein the trench CMP mask set comprises a plurality of trench CMP tiles.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of epitaxial tiles are disposed in the spaces between the trench CMP tiles.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of polysilicon tiles are disposed in the spaces between the trench CMP tiles.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polysilicon tiles are disposed on top of the epitaxial tiles.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the epitaxial growth mask set is modified by changing the dimensions of at least some of the tiles defined therein.

10. The method of claim 5 , wherein modifying the epitaxial growth mask set includes changing the dimensions of at least some of the tiles defined therein which are adjacent to tiles belonging to the CMP mask set.

11. The method of claim 5 , wherein modifying the epitaxial growth mask set includes changing the orientation of at least some of the tiles defined therein which are adjacent to tiles belonging to the CMP mask set.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein, after the epitaxial growth mask is modified, at least some of the tiles in the epitaxial growth mask set are aligned along a first major axis, and wherein the first major axis is not parallel to a major axis of the trench CMP tiles in the trench CMP mask set.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the semiconductor device is a CMOS device.

14. A method for making a semiconductor device, comprising:

creating a data set which defines a set of tiles for a polysilicon deposition process;

deriving a polysilicon deposition mask set from the data set, wherein the polysilicon deposition mask set includes a plurality of polysilicon tiles overlying inactive regions of a substrate;

deriving an epitaxial growth mask set from the data set, wherein the epitaxial growth mask set includes a plurality of epitaxial tiles overlying inactive regions of a substrate; and

using the polysilicon deposition mask set and the epitaxial growth mask set to make a semiconductor device;

wherein the epitaxial growth mask set is derived from the data set by using at least a portion of the tile pattern defined in the data set for at least a portion of the tile pattern defined in the polysilicon deposition mask set; and

wherein using the polysilicon deposition mask set and the epitaxial growth mask set to make a semiconductor device includes:

providing a semiconductor stack comprising a semiconductor substrate, a silicon on insulator (SOI) layer, and a dielectric layer disposed between the SOI layer and the substrate;

forming a first plurality of trenches in the SOI layer which expose portions of the dielectric layer, thereby defining a plurality of trench CMP tiles;

filling the first plurality of trenches with an oxide;

forming a second plurality of trenches which extend through the oxide and the dielectric layer and which expose portions of the substrate;

using the epitaxial growth mask set to epitaxially grow the portions of the substrate exposed, thereby forming a plurality of epitaxial tiles; and

using the polysilicon deposition mask set to selectively deposit polysilicon over the epitaxial tiles, thereby forming a plurality of polysilicon tiles.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein forming the first plurality of trenches in the SOI layer comprises:

forming a hard mask over the SOI layer;

patterning the hard mask to expose portions of the SOI layer; and

etching the portions of the SOI layer exposed by the patterning of the hard mask.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the dielectric layer is used as an etch stop during etching of the SOI layer.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein portions of the second plurality of trenches which extend through the SOI layer are lined with oxide.

Assignments (30)