Downstream ammonia plasma passivation of GaAs

Applicants have discovered that gallium arsenide surfaces can be dry passivated without heating or ion bombardment by exposing them downstream to ammonia plasma formation. Specifically, a workpiece (13) having exposed gallium arsenide surfaces is passivated by placing the workpiece in an evacuable c...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors GIAPIS, KONSTANTINOS PETROS, GOTTSCHO, RICHARD ALAN, AYDIL, ERAY SACIT
Format Patent
LanguageEnglish
French
German
Published 22.12.1993
Edition5
Subjects
BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
CHEMICAL SURFACE TREATMENT
CHEMISTRY
COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATIONOR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL
COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY IONIMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL
COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL
COATING METALLIC MATERIAL
DIFFUSION TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL
ELECTRIC SOLID STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
ELECTRICITY
INHIBITING CORROSION OF METALLIC MATERIAL OR INCRUSTATION INGENERAL
METALLURGY
SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THESURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION
Online AccessGet full text

Cover

More Information
Summary:Applicants have discovered that gallium arsenide surfaces can be dry passivated without heating or ion bombardment by exposing them downstream to ammonia plasma formation. Specifically, a workpiece (13) having exposed gallium arsenide surfaces is passivated by placing the workpiece in an evacuable chamber (10), evacuating in the chamber, generating an ammonia plasma removed from the immediate vicinity of the workpiece, and causing the plasma products to flow downstream into contact with the workpiece. Preferably the plasma gas pressure is 70 to 800 Pa (0.5 to 6.0 Torr), the substrate temperature is less than 100 DEG C. and the time of exposure is in excess of 5 min. The plasma should be generated at a location (12) sufficiently removed from the workpiece that the workpiece surface is not bombarded with ions capable of damaging the surface (more than about 10 cm) and sufficiently close to the workpiece that reactive plasma products exist in the flow (within about 30 cm). The workpiece should also not be placed within line-of-sight of the plasma to avoid radiation (UV, visible and X-ray) induced damage. The result is fast, stable, room temperature passivation, compatible with clustered dry processing techniques for integrated circuit manufacture.
Bibliography:Application Number: EP19930304508