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Theoretical Calculation and Experimental Verification for Dislocation Reduction in Germanium Epitaxial Layers with Semicylindrical Voids on Silicon
Published on: July 17, 2020
Atomically controlled processing in silicon-based CVD epitaxial growth.
Junichi Murota1, Masao Sakuraba, Bernd Tillack
1Laboratory for Nanoelectronics and Spintronics, Research Institute of Electrical Communication, Tohoku University, 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8577, Japan.
Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology
|November 22, 2011
Summary
Atomically controlled processing enables precise deposition of group IV semiconductors for ultrasmall devices. This research demonstrates self-limiting atomic layer formation and epitaxial growth below 500°C for advanced semiconductor fabrication.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Semiconductor Physics
- Surface Chemistry
Background:
- Achieving atomic-order control is crucial for developing ultrasmall silicon (Si)-based devices.
- Current fabrication methods face challenges in precise atomic layer deposition and control.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate a concept for atomically controlled processing of group IV semiconductors.
- To achieve self-limiting atomic layer formation and subsequent epitaxial growth on SiGe surfaces.
- To explore the incorporation and confinement of dopants (N, P, C) within SiGe epitaxial layers.
Main Methods:
- Utilized Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) for epitaxial growth on Si(1-x)Ge(x) (100) surfaces.
- Employed atomic-order surface reaction control based on thermal adsorption and reaction of hydride gases.
- Investigated self-limiting atomic layer formation using a Langmuir-type model.
- Analyzed dopant incorporation and confinement using techniques like secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) (implied).
Main Results:
- Demonstrated self-limiting formation of 1-3 atomic layers of group IV or related atoms.
- Achieved Si-based epitaxial growth on N, P, or C atomic layers at temperatures below 500°C.
- Showcased confinement of Nitrogen (N) atoms within ~1 nm (Si) or ~1.5 nm (Si0.5Ge0.5) regions, forming Si-N bonds.
- Observed that Phosphorus (P) atoms were confined within ~1 nm of the heterointerface in unstrained Si cap layers.
- Found that tensile strain in Si cap layers enhanced P surface segregation, reducing incorporation.
- Confirmed that heavy Carbon (C) atomic layer doping suppressed strain relaxation and Si-Ge intermixing.
Conclusions:
- Atomically controlled surface reactions enable precise group IV semiconductor processing.
- Epitaxial growth on controlled atomic layers below 500°C is feasible.
- Atomic layer doping with N and P allows for precise control of dopant confinement near heterointerfaces.
- Carbon atomic layer doping effectively manages strain and intermixing in SiGe/Si heterostructures.
- These findings pave the way for atomically controlled technology in Ultra-Large-Scale Integration (ULSI) devices.
