Method and apparatus for low temperature, low pressure chemical vapor deposition of epitaxial silicon layers

• Main Author: MEYERSON; BERNARD S
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 29.03.1994
• Edition: 5
• Subjects: AFTER-TREATMENT OF SINGLE CRYSTALS OR A HOMOGENEOUSPOLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE; APPARATUS THEREFOR; 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; CRYSTAL GROWTH; DIFFUSION TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL; ELECTRIC SOLID STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ELECTRICITY; INHIBITING CORROSION OF METALLIC MATERIAL OR INCRUSTATION INGENERAL; METALLURGY; PRODUCTION OF A HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITHDEFINED STRUCTURE; REFINING BY ZONE-MELTING OF MATERIAL; SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; SINGLE CRYSTALS OR HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITHDEFINED STRUCTURE; SINGLE-CRYSTAL-GROWTH; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THESURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; UNIDIRECTIONAL SOLIDIFICATION OF EUTECTIC MATERIAL ORUNIDIRECTIONAL DEMIXING OF EUTECTOID MATERIAL

A method and apparatus for depositing single crystal, epitaxial films of silicon on a plurality of substrates in a hot wall, isothermal deposition system is described. The deposition temperatures are less than about 800 degrees C., and the operating pressures during deposition are such that non-equilibrium growth kinetics determine the deposition of the silicon films. An isothermal bath gas of silicon is produced allowing uniform deposition of epitaxial silicon films simultaneously on multiple substrates. This is a flow system in which means are provided for establishing an ultrahigh vacuum in the range of about 10-9 Torr prior to epitaxial deposition. The epitaxial silicon layers can be doped in-situ to provide very abruptly defined regions of either n- or p-type conductivity.