Method of fabricating semiconductor devices on a group IV substrate with controlled interface properties and diffusion tails

• Main Authors: NORBERT PUETZ, SIMON FAFARD, JOSEPH RENE BRUNO RIEL
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 14.02.2008
• Subjects: BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; ELECTRIC SOLID STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ELECTRICITY; SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES

An opto-electronic device, such as a solar cell or a light emitting diode, is fabricated by forming a nucleating layer (22) on a p-type group IV layer (20). The nucleating layer (22) includes a III-V compound selected from the group consisting of AlAs, AlSb, AIN, Bas, BSb, GaN, GaSB, and InAs. A first III-V compound layer (24) is formed on the nucleating layer (22) and includes as group III element, at least one of gallium, indium, and aluminium, and as a group V element, phosphorus. The p-type group IV layer, which may be a p-type silicon layer, includes phosphorus atoms diffused from the first III-V compound layer, the concentration of the phosphorus atoms therein being a function of the thickness of the nucleating layer. The first III-V compound layer includes group IV atoms diffused from the p-type group IV layer, the concentration of the group IV atoms therein being a function of the thickness of the nucleating layer.