摘要 |
Techniques are disclosed for shallow trench isolation (STI). The techniques can be used to form STI structures on any number of semiconductor materials, including germanium (Ge), silicon germanium (SiGe), and III-V material systems. In general, an interfacial passivation layer is used as a liner between the semiconductor surface (such as diffusion) and isolation materials within the STI. The interfacial layer provides a passivation layer on trench surfaces to restrict free bonding electrons of the substrate material. In addition, this passivation layer is oxidized, thereby effectively forming a bi-layer (passivation and oxidation sub-layers) to form an electrically defect free interface. The interfacial bi-layer structure can be implemented, for example, with materials that will covalently bond with free bonding electrons of the substrate materials, and that will oxidize to provide transition to oxide material.
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