Method of Forming a Trench Using Epitaxial Lateral Overgrowth and Deep Vertical Trench Structure

• Main Authors: KUENLE MATTHIAS, HAGHOFER ANDREAS, GRUBER CHRISTOPH, EHRENTRAUT GEORG, POELZL MARTIN, STEINBRENNER JUERGEN, JOSHI RAVI, BAUMGARTL JOHANNES
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 06.08.2015
• Subjects: BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; ELECTRIC SOLID STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ELECTRICITY; SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES

In one aspect, a method of forming a trench in a semiconductor material includes forming a first dielectric layer on a semiconductor substrate. The first dielectric layer includes first openings. An epitaxial layer is grown on the semiconductor substrate by an epitaxial lateral overgrowth process. The first openings are filled by the epitaxial layer and the epitaxial layer is grown onto adjacent portions of the first dielectric layer so that part of the first dielectric layer is uncovered by the epitaxial layer and a gap forms between opposing sidewalls of the epitaxial layer over the part of the first dielectric layer that is uncovered by the epitaxial layer. The gap defines a first trench in the epitaxial layer that extends to the first dielectric layer.