Roles of sidewall oxidation in the devices with shallow trench isolation

The effects of sidewall sacrificial and sidewall oxidations on the characteristics of devices with shallow trench isolation (STI) have been investigated. We found that sidewall sacrificial and sidewall oxidations significantly affected junction leakage and gate oxide integrity (GOI). The sidewall sacrificial oxidation was shown to reduce oxidation-induced stresses and make the trench top corner more rounded. This reduced stress and more rounded top corner led to much improved junction leakage and GOI. These results clearly show that the sidewall sacrificial oxidation is worth using, although it adds complexity to the STI process.