Semiconductor device and method of manufacturing a semiconductor device

Abstract

A semiconductor device comprises a semiconductor substrate having a substrate top surface on which a device should be formed; a gate electrode having an opposed surface opposed to said substrate top surface, and electrically insulated from said semiconductor substrate by a gate insulating film, a trench formed through said gate electrode into said semiconductor substrate to electrically isolate a device region for forming a device from the remainder region of said substrate top surface, a first boundary end portion, which is defined between a substrate side surface of said semiconductor substrate forming a part of the side surface of said trench and said substrate top surface, and a second boundary end portion, which is defined between a gate side surface of said gate electrode forming another part of the side surface of said trench and said opposed surface, wherein said first boundary end portion and said second boundary end portion have spherical shapes having a curvature radius not smaller than 30 angstrom.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A semiconductor device comprising: 
 a semiconductor substrate having a substrate top surface on which a device should be formed,    a gate electrode having an opposed surface opposed to said substrate top surface, and electrically insulated from said semiconductor substrate by a gate insulating film,    a trench formed through said gate electrode into said semiconductor substrate to electrically isolate a device region for forming a device from the remainder region of said substrate top surface,    a first boundary end portion, which is defined between a substrate side surface of said semiconductor substrate forming a part of the side surface of said trench and said substrate top surface, and    a second boundary end portion, which is defined between a gate side surface of said gate electrode forming another part of the side surface of said trench and said opposed surface,    wherein said first boundary end portion and said second boundary end portion have spherical shapes having a curvature radius not smaller than 30 angstrom.    
     
     
         2 . A semiconductor device comprising: 
 a semiconductor substrate having a substrate top surface on which a device should be formed,    a gate electrode having an opposed surface opposed to said substrate top surface, and electrically insulated from said semiconductor substrate by a gate insulating film,    a trench formed through said gate electrode into said semiconductor substrate to electrically isolate a device region for forming a device from the remainder region of said substrate top surface,    a first boundary end portion, which is defined between a substrate side surface of said semiconductor substrate forming a part of the side surface of said trench and said substrate top surface, and    a second boundary end portion, which is defined between a gate side surface of said gate electrode forming another part of the side surface of said trench and said opposed surface,    wherein said first boundary end portion overlaps said second boundary end portion when they are viewed from a direction vertical to said substrate top surface.    
     
     
         3 . A semiconductor device according to  claim 1  wherein an oxide film formed on said substrate side surface and an oxide film formed on said gate side surface are substantially equal in thickness on both said substrate side surface and said gate side surface.  
     
     
         4 . A semiconductor device according to  claim 2  wherein an oxide film formed on said substrate side surface and an oxide film formed on said gate side surface are substantially equal in thickness on both said substrate side surface and said gate side surface.  
     
     
         5 . A semiconductor device according to  claim 1  wherein said gate electrode is a floating gate electrode electrically insulated around it.  
     
     
         6 . A semiconductor device according to  claim 5  further comprising a nonvolatile semiconductor storage device including said floating gate electrode.  
     
     
         7 . A semiconductor device according to  claim 2  wherein said gate electrode is a floating gate electrode electrically insulated around it.  
     
     
         8 . A semiconductor device according to  claim 7  further comprising a nonvolatile semiconductor storage device including said floating gate electrode.  
     
     
         9 . A semiconductor device manufacturing method comprising: 
 forming a gate insulating film on a semiconductor substrate;    forming a gate electrode on said gate insulating film to be electrically insulated from said semiconductor substrate;    etching said gate electrode, said gate insulting film and said semiconductor substrate to form a trench which electrically isolate a device region for forming a device from the remainder region on said substrate top surface; and    oxidizing a substrate side surface of said semiconductor substrate, which forms a part of the side surface of said trench, and a gate side surface of said gate electrode, which forms another part of the side surface of said trench, in a hydrogen H 2  and oxygen O 2  atmosphere.    
     
     
         10 . A semiconductor device manufacturing method comprising: 
 forming a gate insulating film on a semiconductor substrate;    forming a gate electrode on said gate insulating film to be electrically insulated from said semiconductor substrate;    etching said gate electrode, said gate insulting film and said semiconductor substrate to form a trench which electrically isolate a device region for forming a device from the remainder region on said substrate top surface; and    oxidizing a substrate side surface of said semiconductor substrate, which forms a part of the side surface of said trench, and a gate side surface of said gate electrode, which forms another part of the side surface of said trench, in an ozone O 3  atmosphere.