A study on the Dislocation-Free Shallow Trench Isolation (STI) Process

Dislocation-Free Shallow Trench Isolation 공정 연구

Dislocations are often found at Shallow Trench Isolation (STI) process after repeated thermal cycles. The residual stress after STI process often leads defect like dislocation by post STI thermo-mechanical stress. Thermo-mechanical stress induced by STI process is difficult to remove perfectly by plastic deformation at previous thermal cycles. Embedded flash memory process is very weak in terms of post STI thermo-mechanical stress, because it requires more oxidation steps than other devices. Therefore, dislocation-free flash process should be optimized.