Electronic systems and methods of forming semiconductor constructions
View Patent ↗The invention includes semiconductor constructions having trenched isolation regions. The trenches of the trenched isolation regions can include narrow bottom portions and upper wide portions over the bottom portions. Electrically insulative material can fill the upper wide portions while leaving voids within the narrow bottom portions. The trenched isolation regions can be incorporated into a memory array, and/or can be incorporated into an electronic system. The invention also includes methods of forming semiconductor constructions.
1. A method of forming a semiconductor construction, comprising:
providing a semiconductor substrate;
forming a trench in the substrate, the trench having a lower region and an upper region over the lower region;
forming a liner within the trench to narrow the trench;
providing a sacrificial material which is along the liner within the lower region of the trench and not along the liner within the upper region of the trench, the sacrificial material comprising a material that is selectively removed relative to silicon oxide;
while the sacrificial material is along the liner within the lower region of the trench, reducing the thickness of the liner along the upper region of the trench;
removing the sacrificial material; and
forming electrically insulative material within the trench and along the liner, the electrically insulative material substantially filling the upper region of the trench and leaving a void within the lower region of the trench.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the liner and the electrically insulative material consist essentially of silicon dioxide.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the liner comprises at least two layers having different compositions relative to one another, and wherein the reduction of the thickness of the liner within the upper region of the trench comprises removal of one of the layers selectively relative to at least one other of the layers.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein some of the liner along the sacrificial material is also reduced in thickness during the reduction of the thickness of the liner within the upper region of the trench.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the sacrificial material comprises silicon.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein:
the semiconductor substrate comprises patterned lines over a semiconductor material;
the trench is between a pair of the patterned lines and extends into the semiconductor material; and
the liner is formed to extend over and along the patterned lines as well as within the trench.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein the sacrificial material is doped or undoped.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein the sacrificial material is doped with either p-type or n-type dopant.
9. The method of claim 8 wherein the sacrificial material is doped with p-type dopant.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein the sacrificial material is polycrystalline silicon.
11. A method of forming a semiconductor construction, comprising:
providing a semiconductor substrate;
forming a trench in the substrate, the trench having a lower region and an upper region over the lower region;
forming a liner within the trench to narrow the trench;
providing a sacrificial material which is along the liner within the lower region of the trench and not along the liner within the upper region of the trench, an uppermost surface of the sacrificial material comprising a curved uppermost surface;
while the sacrificial material is along the liner within the lower region of the trench, reducing the thickness of the liner along the upper region of the trench;
removing the sacrificial material; and
forming electrically insulative material within the trench and along the liner, the electrically insulative material substantially filling the upper region of the trench and leaving a void within the lower region of the trench.
12. The method of claim 11 wherein while the sacrificial material is along the liner, the liner comprises a curved surface extending from the curved uppermost surface of the sacrificial material.
13. The method of claim 11 wherein while the sacrificial material is along the liner, the liner comprises curved surfaces extending from opposite sides of the curved uppermost surface of the sacrificial material.
14. The method of claim 11 wherein the curved uppermost surface of the sacrificial material is a concave structure.
15. The method of claim 11 wherein the curved uppermost surface of the sacrificial material is a convex structure.
16. A method of forming a semiconductor construction, comprising:
providing a semiconductor substrate;
forming a trench in the substrate, the trench having a lower region and an upper region over the lower region;
providing a liner within the trench to narrow the trench;
providing a sacrificial material which is along the liner within the lower region of the trench and not along the liner within the upper region of the trench, the sacrificial material comprising either electrically conductive material or electrically insulative material other than silicon oxide;
while the sacrificial material is along the liner within the lower region of the trench, reducing the thickness of the liner along the upper region of the trench;
removing the sacrificial material; and
forming electrically insulative material within the trench and along the liner, the electrically insulative material substantially filling the upper region of the trench and leaving a void within the lower region of the trench.
17. The method of claim 16 wherein the sacrificial material is electrically conductive material.