Method of semiconductor integrated circuit fabrication
A method of fabricating a semiconductor IC is disclosed. The method includes receiving a device. The device includes a semiconductor substrate, a plurality of fins and trenches between fins in the semiconductor substrate. The method also includes filling the trenches with a dielectric material to form shallow trench isolations (STI), applying a low-thermal-budget annealing to the dielectric material, and applying a wet-treatment to the dielectric material.
1. A method for fabricating a semiconductor integrated circuit (IC), the method comprising:
receiving a fin-like field-effect transistor (FinFET) device, the FinFET device including:
a semiconductor substrate,
a plurality of fins in the semiconductor substrate, and
a plurality of trenches between fins in the semiconductor substrate;
filling the trenches with a dielectric material to form shallow trench isolation (STI) features;
applying a low-thermal-budget annealing to the dielectric material; and
after applying the low-thermal budget annealing to the dielectric material, applying a wet-treatment to the dielectric material.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the low-thermal-budget annealing is performed with a temperature in a range from about 200° C. to about 800° C. and with a duration in a range from about 10 minutes to about 3 hours.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wet-treatment includes a hot deionized (HDI) water treatment with a temperature in a range from about 50° C. to about 100° C. and with a duration in a range from about 5 minutes to about 1 hour.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wet-treatment includes a sulfuric acid-hydrogen peroxide mixture (SPM) with a temperature in a range from about 80° C. to about 250° C. and a duration in a range from about one minute to about 30 minutes.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wet-treatment includes a H 2 O steam treatment with a temperature in a range from about 100° C. to about 150° C. and a duration in a range from about 5 minutes to about one hour.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wet-treatment includes a H 2 O 2 treatment with a temperature in a range from about 50° C. to about 90° C. with a duration in the range from about 5 minutes to about one hour.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wet-treatment includes one or more from the group consisting of HDI, SPM, H 2 O steam, and H 2 O 2 .
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
applying a spike annealing to the dielectric material after applying the wet-treatment, wherein the spike annealing is performed with a temperature in a range from about 150° C. to about 400° C. and with a duration in a range from about one second to about 10 minutes.
9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
repeating the wet-treatment and the spike annealing to the dielectric material.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the dielectric material includes one or more materials from the group consisting of perhydropolysilazane (PHPS) based, silsesquioxane based, and polysilazane based.
11. A method for fabricating a semiconductor integrated circuit (IC), the method comprising:
receiving a device, the device including a semiconductor substrate and an isolation trench in the semiconductor substrate;
filling the isolation trench with a dielectric material;
applying a low-thermal-budget annealing to the dielectric material;
after applying the low-thermal budget annealing to the dielectric material, applying a wet-treatment to the dielectric material; and
after the wet-treatment to the dielectric material, applying a spike annealing to the dielectric material.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the low-thermal-budget annealing is performed with a temperature in a range from about 200° C. to about 800° C. and with a duration in a range from about 10 minutes to about 3 hours.
13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the wet-treatment includes one or more processes from a group consisting of:
a hot deionized (HDI) water treatment with a temperature in a range from about 50° C. to about 100° C. and with a duration in a range from about 5 minutes to about 1 hour;
a sulfuric acid-hydrogen peroxide mixture (SPM) with a temperature in a range from about 80° C. and about 250° C. and a duration in a range from about one minute to about 30 minutes;
a H 2 O steam treatment with a temperature in a range from about 100° C. to about 150° C. and a duration in a range from about 5 minutes to about one hour;
a H 2 O 2 treatment with a temperature in a range from about 50° C. to about 90° C. with a duration in a range from about 5 minutes to about one hour.
14. The method of claim 11 ,
wherein the spike annealing is performed with a temperature in a range from about 150° C. to about 400° C. and with a duration in a range from about one second to about 10 minutes.
15. A method for fabricating a semiconductor integrated circuit (IC), the method comprising:
receiving a device, the device including a semiconductor substrate, a plurality of gate stacks over the semiconductor substrate, and a plurality of gaps in the semiconductor substrate between the gate stacks;
filling the gaps with a dielectric material;
applying a low-thermal-budget annealing to the dielectric material, wherein the low-thermal-budget annealing is performed with a temperature in a range from about 200° C. to about 800° C. and with a duration in a range from about 10 minutes to about 3 hours;
after applying the low-thermal budget annealing to the dielectric material, applying a wet-treatment to the dielectric material, wherein the wet-treatment includes one or more from the group consisting of hot deionized (HDI) water treatment, sulfuric acid-hydrogen peroxide mixture (SPM), H 2 O steam treatment, and H 2 O 2 treatment;
after applying the wet-treatment, applying a spike annealing; and
repeating the wet-treatment and the spike annealing to the dielectric material.