Claims
- 1. A method for fabricating a semiconductor integrated circuit device, comprising the steps of:
(a) forming element isolation grooves in a silicon surface on a first main surface of a wafer; (b) forming an insulating film from outside on the element isolation grooves; (c) flattening said silicon surface to expose a portion on which a thermal oxidation film is to be formed on said silicon surface; (d) after the (c) step, preparing moisture from oxygen and hydrogen by use of a catalyst; (e) keeping the thus prepared moisture in a gaseous state and feeding it to an oxidation unit; and (f) forming a silicon oxide film, which arrives at said element isolation grooves in the silicon surface on the first main surface of said wafer and serves as a gate insulating film of a field effect transistor, in an oxidative atmosphere, which contains oxygen gas as a main component and in which a ratio of a partial pressure of the fed moisture to the total atmospheric pressure is in the range of 0.1% to 40%, in the moisture-fed oxidation unit by thermal oxidation treatment wherein the first main surface of the wafer is heated to 700° C. or over.
- 2. A method for fabricating a semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 1, wherein the preparation of said moisture is performed by acting said catalyst on a mixed gas containing oxygen and hydrogen.
- 3. A method for fabricating a semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 2, wherein said oxidative atmosphere is predominant of oxygen gas.
- 4. A method for fabricating a semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 3, wherein said thermal oxidation treatment is conducted while feeding said oxidative atmosphere to around the first main surface of said wafer.
- 5. A method for fabricating a semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 4, wherein said oxidative atmosphere is formed by dilution with a gas other than moisture after the preparation of said moisture.
- 6. A method for fabricating a semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 5, wherein a ratio between oxygen and hydrogen in a gas fed to said moisture preparing unit is substantially equal to a stoichiometric value corresponding to the preparation of moisture, or is such that oxygen is larger than the value.
- 7. A method for fabricating a semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 6, wherein said oxidative atmosphere is formed by dilution with a gas containing oxygen gas as a main component after the preparation of said moisture.
- 8. A method for fabricating a semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 7, wherein the flattening is effected by a chemical mechanical method.
- 9. A method for fabricating a semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 8, wherein the flattening is effected by chemical mechanical polishing.
- 10. A method for fabricating a semiconductor integrated circuit device as claimed in claim 9, wherein said insulating film from outside is formed by chemical vapor deposition.
- 11. A method for fabricating a semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 1, wherein said oxidative atmosphere is predominant of oxygen gas.
- 12. A method for fabricating a semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 1, wherein said thermal oxidation treatment is conducted while feeding said oxidative atmosphere to around the first main surface of said wafer.
- 13. A method for fabricating a semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 1, wherein said oxidative atmosphere is formed by dilution with a gas other than moisture after the preparation of said moisture.
- 14. A method for fabricating a semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 1, wherein a ratio between oxygen and hydrogen in a gas fed to said moisture preparing unit is substantially equal to a stoichiometric value corresponding to the preparation of moisture, or is such that oxygen is larger than the value.
- 15. A method for fabricating a semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 1, wherein said oxidative atmosphere is formed by dilution with a gas containing oxygen gas as a main component after the preparation of said moisture.
- 16. A method for fabricating a semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 1, wherein the flattening is effected by a chemical mechanical method.
- 17. A method for fabricating a semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 1, wherein the flattening is effected by chemical mechanical polishing.
- 18. A method for fabricating a semiconductor integrated circuit device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said insulating film from outside is formed by chemical vapor deposition.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
9-50781 |
Mar 1997 |
JP |
|
Parent Case Info
[0001] This application is a Divisional application of application Ser. No. 09/494,036, filed Jan. 31, 2000, which is a Continuation application of application Ser. No. 09/380,646, filed Sep. 7, 1999, which is an application filed under 35 USC 371 of International (PCT) Patent Application No. PCT/JP98/00892, filed Mar. 4, 1998.
Divisions (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09494036 |
Jan 2000 |
US |
Child |
09752766 |
Jan 2001 |
US |
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09380646 |
Sep 1999 |
US |
Child |
09494036 |
Jan 2000 |
US |