Simplified Example of a
LOCOS Fabrication Process
Page 1
LOCOS Defined
• LOCOS = LOCal Oxidation of Silicon
• Defines a set of fabrication technologies where
– the wafer is masked to cover all active regions
– thick field oxide (FOX) is grown in all non-active regions
• Used for electrical isolation of CMOS devices
• Relatively simple to understand so often used to
introduce/describe CMOS fabrication flows
• Not commonly used in modern fabrication
– other techniques, such as Shallow Trench Isolation (STI) are
currently more common than LOCOS
Page 2
LOCOS –step 1
Form N-Well regions NWELL mask
• Grow oxide
• Deposit photoresist
oxide photoresist
p-type substrate
Cross section view
NWELL mask
Layout view
Page 3
LOCOS –step 1
Form N-Well regions NWELL mask
• Grow oxide
• Deposit photoresist
• Pattern photoresist
oxide photoresist
– NWELL Mask
– expose only n-well p-type substrate
areas
Cross section view
NWELL mask
Layout view
Page 4
LOCOS –step 1
Form N-Well regions
• Grow oxide
• Deposit photoresist
• Pattern photoresist
– NWELL Mask oxide
– expose only n-well p-type substrate
areas
• Etch oxide Cross section view
• Remove photresist
Layout view
Page 5
LOCOS –step 1
Form N-Well regions
• Grow oxide
• Deposit photoresist
• Pattern photoresist n-well
– NWELL Mask
– expose only n-well p-type substrate
areas
• Etch oxide Cross section view
• Remove photoresist
• Diffuse n-type
dopants through oxide
mask layer
Layout view
Page 6
LOCOS –step 2
Form Active Regions ACTIVE mask
• Deposit SiN over wafer
• Deposit photoresist
over SiN layer n-well
SiN photoresist
p-type substrate
ACTIVE mask
Page 7
LOCOS –step 2
Form Active Regions ACTIVE mask
• Deposit SiN over wafer
• Deposit photoresist
over SiN layer n-well
SiN photoresist
• Pattern photoresist
– *ACTIVE MASK p-type substrate
ACTIVE mask
Page 8
LOCOS –step 2
Form Active Regions
• Deposit SiN over wafer
• Deposit photoresist
over SiN layer n-well
SiN photoresist
• Pattern photoresist
– *ACTIVE MASK p-type substrate
• Etch SiN in exposed
areas
– leaves SiN mask
which blocks oxide
growth
ACTIVE mask
Page 9
LOCOS –step 2
Form Active Regions
• Deposit SiN over wafer
• Deposit photoresist
over SiN layer n-well
• Pattern photoresist
FOX
– *ACTIVE MASK p-type substrate
• Etch SiN in exposed
areas
– leaves SiN mask
which blocks oxide
growth
• Remove photoresist
• Grow Field Oxide
(FOX) ACTIVE mask
– thermal oxidation
Page 10
LOCOS –step 2
Form Active Regions
• Deposit SiN over wafer
• Deposit photoresist
over SiN layer n-well
• Pattern photoresist
FOX
– *ACTIVE MASK p-type substrate
• Etch SiN in exposed
areas
– leaves SiN mask
which blocks oxide
growth
• Remove photoresist
• Grow Field Oxide
(FOX) ACTIVE mask
– thermal oxidation
• Remove SiN
Page 11
LOCOS –step 3
Form Gate (Poly layer)
• Grow thin Gate Oxide
– over entire wafer
– negligible effect on
FOX regions gate oxide
Page 12
LOCOS –step 3
Form Gate (Poly layer) POLY mask
• Grow thin Gate Oxide
– over entire wafer
– negligible effect on
gate oxide polysilicon
FOX regions
• Deposit Polysilicon
• Deposit Photoresist
POLY mask
Page 13
LOCOS –step 3
Form Gate (Poly layer) POLY mask
• Grow thin Gate Oxide
– over entire wafer
– negligible effect on
FOX regions gate oxide
• Deposit Polysilicon
• Deposit Photoresist
• Pattern Photoresist
– *POLY MASK
• Etch Poly in exposed
areas
• Etch/remove Oxide
– gate protected by
poly
POLY mask
Page 14
LOCOS –step 3
Form Gate (Poly layer)
• Grow thin Gate Oxide
– over entire wafer
– negligible effect on
FOX regions gate oxide
• Deposit Polysilicon
• Deposit Photoresist
• Pattern Photoresist
– *POLY MASK
• Etch Poly in exposed
areas
• Etch/remove Oxide
– gate protected by
poly
Page 15
LOCOS –step 4
Form pmos S/D PSELECT mask
• Cover with photoresist
PSELECT mask
Page 16
LOCOS –step 4
Form pmos S/D PSELECT mask
• Cover with photoresist
• Pattern photoresist
– *PSELECT MASK
POLY mask
Page 17
LOCOS –step 4
Form pmos S/D
• Cover with photoresist
• Pattern photoresist
– *PSELECT MASK
• Implant p-type dopants
p+ dopant p+ dopant
• Remove photoresist
POLY mask
Page 18
LOCOS –step 5
Form nmos S/D NSELECT mask
• Cover with photoresist
p+ p+ p+
POLY mask
Page 19
LOCOS –step 5
Form nmos S/D NSELECT mask
• Cover with photoresist
• Pattern photoresist
p+ p+ p+
– *NSELECT MASK
n
POLY mask
Page 20
LOCOS –step 5
Form nmos S/D
• Cover with photoresist
• Pattern photoresist n+ n+ n+
p+ p+ p+
– *NSELECT MASK
n
• Implant n-type dopants
n+ dopant n+ dopant
• Remove photoresist
POLY mask
Page 21
LOCOS –step 6
CONTACT mask
Form Contacts
• Deposit oxide
• Deposit photoresist n+ n+ n+
p+ p+ p+
CONTACT mask
Page 22
LOCOS –step 6
CONTACT mask
Form Contacts
• Deposit oxide
• Deposit photoresist n+ n+ n+
p+ p+ p+
• Pattern photoresist
n
– *CONTACT Mask
– One mask for both
active and poly
contact shown
CONTACT mask
Page 23
LOCOS –step 6
Form Contacts
• Deposit oxide
• Deposit photoresist n+ n+ n+
p+ p+ p+
• Pattern photoresist
n
– *CONTACT Mask
– One mask for both
active and poly
contact shown
• Etch oxide
Page 24
LOCOS –step 6
Form Contacts
• Deposit oxide
• Deposit photoresist n+ n+ n+
p+ p+ p+
• Pattern photoresist
n
– *CONTACT Mask
– One mask for both
active and poly
contact shown
• Etch oxide
• Remove photoresist
• Deposit metal1
– immediately after
opening contacts so
no native oxide
grows in contacts
• Planerize
– make top level
Page 25
LOCOS –step 7
METAL1 mask
Form Metal 1 Traces
• Deposit photoresist
n+ p+ p+ n+ n+ p+
METAL1 mask
Page 26
LOCOS –step 7
METAL1 mask
Form Metal 1 Traces
• Deposit photoresist
• Pattern photoresist n+ n+ n+
p+ p+ p+
– *METAL1 Mask
n
METAL1 mask
Page 27
LOCOS –step 7
Form Metal 1 Traces
• Deposit photoresist
• Pattern photoresist n+ n+ n+
p+ p+ p+
– *METAL1 Mask
n
• Etch metal
metal over poly outside of cross section
Page 28
LOCOS –step 7
Form Metal 1 Traces
• Deposit photoresist
• Pattern photoresist n+ n+ n+
p+ p+ p+
– *METAL1 Mask
n
• Etch metal
• Remove photoresist
Page 29
LOCOS –step 8
VIA mask
Form Vias to Metal1
• Deposit oxide
• Planerize oxide n+ n+ n+
p+ p+ p+
• Deposit photoresist
n
VIA mask
Page 30
LOCOS –step 8
VIA mask
Form Vias to Metal1
• Deposit oxide
• Planerize n+ n+ n+
p+ p+ p+
• Deposit photoresist
n
• Pattern photoresist
– *VIA Mask
VIA mask
Page 31
LOCOS –step 8
Form Vias to Metal1
• Deposit oxide
• Planerize n+ n+ n+
p+ p+ p+
• Deposit photoresist
n
• Pattern photoresist
– *VIA Mask
• Etch oxide
• Remove photoresist
Page 32
LOCOS –step 8
Form Vias to Metal1
• Deposit oxide
• Planerize n+ n+ n+
p+ p+ p+
• Deposit photoresist
n
• Pattern photoresist
– *VIA Mask
• Etch oxide
• Remove photoresist
• Deposit Metal2
Page 33
LOCOS –step 9
METAL2 mask
Form Metal2 Traces
• Deposit photoresist
n+ p+ p+ n+ n+ p+
METAL2 mask
Page 34
LOCOS –step 9
METAL2 mask
Form Metal2 Traces
• Deposit photoresist
• Pattern photoresist n+ n+ n+
p+ p+ p+
– *METAL2 Mask
n
METAL2 mask
Page 35
LOCOS –step 9
Form Metal2 Traces
• Deposit photoresist
• Pattern photoresist n+ n+ n+
p+ p+ p+
– *METAL2 Mask
n
• Etch metal
Page 36
LOCOS –step 9
Form Metal2 Traces
• Deposit photoresist
• Pattern photoresist n+ n+ n+
p+ p+ p+
– *METAL2 Mask
n
• Etch metal
• Remove photoresist
Page 37
LOCOS –step 10+
Form Additional Traces
• Deposit oxide
• Deposit photoresist n+ n+ n+
p+ p+ p+
• Pattern photoresist
n
• Etch oxide
• Deposit metal
p-type substrate
• Deposit photresist
• Pattern photoresist
• Etch metal
• Repeat for each
additional metal
Page 38
Simplifications from complete process
• skipped several substrate doping steps
– channel implant to adjust threshold voltages
– surface implant to increase breakdown voltage
• no LDD, lightly-doped drain
• no deposition of contact interface materials
• metal patterning simplified
– more complex “lift-off” process often used
• no overglass (thick top dielectric) layer
• no bonding pad layer
• simplified use of dark/clear field masks and
positive/negative photoresist
Page 39