SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES, A FLUID SENSOR AND A METHOD FOR FORMING A SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE

• US 20160351739A1
• Filed: 05/27/2016
• Published: 12/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Original Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Inventors: CLARA, Stefan, Lavchiev, Ventsislav M., Ostermann, Thomas, Popp, Thomas, Grille, Thomas, Hedenig, Ursula, Irsigler, Peter, Jakoby, Bernhard
• Granted Patent: US 9,941,432 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2933/0033 relating to semiconductor body packages
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/035209 comprising a quantum structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/035218 the quantum structure being quantum dots
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/035254 including, apart from doping materials or other impurities, only elements of Group IV of the Periodic Table, e.g. Si-SiGe superlattices
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/173 formed in, or on, a common substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/1812 including only AIVBIV alloys, e.g. SiGe
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/1864 Annealing
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/06 within the light emitting region, e.g. quantum confinement structure or tunnel barrier

Abstract

A semiconductor device comprises a plurality of quantum structures comprising predominantly germanium. The plurality of quantum structures are formed on a first semiconductor layer structure. The quantum structures of the plurality of quantum structures have a lateral dimension of less than 15 nm and an area density of at least 8×10¹¹ quantum structures per cm². The plurality of quantum structures are configured to emit light with a light emission maximum at a wavelength of between 2 μm and 10 μm or to absorb light with a light absorption maximum at a wavelength of between 2 μm and 10 μm.

Claims

1. A semiconductor device comprising:

a plurality of quantum structures comprising predominantly germanium,

wherein the plurality of quantum structures are formed on a first semiconductor layer structure,

wherein quantum structures of the plurality of quantum structures have a lateral dimension of less than 15 nm and an area density of at least 8×

10¹¹ quantum structures per cm²,

wherein the plurality of quantum structures are configured to emit light with a light emission maximum at a wavelength of between 2 μ

m and 10 μ

m or to absorb light with a light absorption maximum at a wavelength of between 2 μ

m and 10 μ

m.

2. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of quantum structures comprise germanium and antimony.

16. A detection system, comprising:

an emitter device comprising a semiconductor device according to claim 1;

a detector device comprising a semiconductor device according to claim 1,

wherein the emitter device and the detector device are arranged so that light emitted by the emitter device interacts with a substance to be detected by the detector device before reaching the detector device.

3. A semiconductor device, comprising:

a plurality of quantum structures formed on a first semiconductor layer structure,

wherein quantum structures of the plurality of quantum structures have a lateral dimension of less than 15 nm,

wherein the plurality of quantum structures comprise germanium and antimony, and

wherein the plurality of quantum structures are configured to emit light with a light emission maximum at a wavelength of between 5 μ

m and 7 μ

m or to absorb light with a light absorption maximum at a wavelength of between 5 μ

m and 7 μ

m.

4. The semiconductor device according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of quantum structures have an area density of at least 1×

10¹⁰ quantum structures per cm².

5. The semiconductor device according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of quantum structures comprise between 1% to 10% antimony.

6. The semiconductor device according to claim 3, wherein the first semiconductor layer structure comprises a first silicon sub-layer having a doping of a first conductivity type.

7. The semiconductor device according to claim 6, wherein the first semiconductor layer structure further comprises a first silicon buffer sub-layer formed on the first silicon sub-layer.

8. The semiconductor device according to claim 7, wherein the first semiconductor layer structure further comprises a first intrinsic silicon sub-layer, a highly-doped silicon sub-layer and a seed sub-layer comprising silicon-germanium or silicon doped with antimony or boron formed between the first silicon sub-layer and the plurality of quantum structures.

9. The semiconductor device according to claim 3, further comprising a second semiconductor layer structure covering the plurality of quantum structures, wherein the second semiconductor layer structure comprises a first silicon sub-layer.

10. The semiconductor device according to claim 9, wherein the second semiconductor layer structure further comprises an intrinsic silicon spacer layer covering the plurality of quantum structures.

11. The semiconductor device according to claim 10, wherein a tensile strain between the plurality of quantum structures, the first semiconductor layer structure and the intrinsic silicon spacer layer lies between 1% and 4%.

12. The semiconductor device according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of quantum structures are pyramid shaped or dome shaped.

13. A semiconductor device, comprising:

a quantum well layer stack comprising a plurality of first quantum well layers and a plurality of second quantum well layers,

wherein first quantum well layers of the plurality of first quantum well layers and second quantum well layers of the plurality of second quantum well layers are arranged alternatingly on a first semiconductor layer structure,

wherein the first quantum well layers of the plurality of first quantum well layers comprise silicon-germanium and the second quantum well layers of the plurality of second quantum well layers comprise silicon,

wherein the first quantum well layers of the plurality of first quantum well layers and the second quantum well layers of the plurality of second quantum well layers have a thickness of below 100 nm, and

wherein the quantum well layer stack is configured to emit light with a light emission maximum at a wavelength of between 2 μ

m and 10 μ

m or to absorb light with a light absorption maximum at a wavelength of between 2 μ

m and 10 μ

m.

14. The semiconductor device according to claim 13, wherein the first quantum well layers comprise silicon_x-germanium_1-x, wherein x lies between 0.25 and 0.35.

15. The semiconductor device according to claim 13, further comprising:

a first electrical contact structure in electrical contact with a first semiconductor layer structure; and

a second electrical contact structure in electrical contact with a second semiconductor layer structure,

wherein the plurality of first quantum well layers and the plurality of second quantum well layers are arranged between the first semiconductor layer structure and the second semiconductor layer structure,

wherein the quantum well layer stack is configured to emit light with a light emission maximum at a wavelength of between 5 μ

m and 7 μ

m or to absorb light with a light absorption maximum at a wavelength of between 5 μ

m and 7 μ

m based on a voltage applied to the first electrical contact structure and the second electrical contact structure, wherein the applied voltage lies between 1 V and 10 V.

17. A method for forming a semiconductor device, the method comprising:

forming a plurality of quantum structures comprising predominantly germanium on a first semiconductor layer structure,

wherein quantum structures of the plurality of quantum structures have a lateral dimension of less than 15 nm and an area density of at least 1×

10¹⁰ quantum structures per cm²,

wherein the plurality of quantum structures are configured to emit light with a light emission maximum at a wavelength of between 2 μ

m and 10 μ

m or to absorb light with a light absorption maximum at a wavelength of between 2 μ

m and 10 μ

m,

wherein the plurality of quantum structures are grown at least by using low pressure chemical vapor deposition.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising providing a gaseous germanium precursor at a surface of the first semiconductor layer structure at a temperature of between 550°

to 700°

to form the plurality of quantum structures.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising forming a layer of antimony on a plurality of germanium structures after providing the gaseous germanium precursor, and heating the plurality of germanium structures so that the antimony interdiffuses with the germanium to form the plurality of quantum structures.

20. A fluid sensor, comprising;

a detector comprising a processing module 790 configured to generate a detection signal based on light emitted by an emitter and propagated through a fluid,

wherein the detector or the emitter comprises a plurality of quantum structures comprising predominantly germanium,

wherein the plurality of quantum structures are formed on a first semiconductor layer structure,

wherein quantum structures of the plurality of quantum structures have a lateral dimension of less than 15 nm and an area density of at least 1×

10¹⁰ quantum structures per cm²,

wherein the plurality of quantum structures are configured to emit light with a light emission maximum at a wavelength of between 2 μ

m and 10 μ

m or to absorb light with a light absorption maximum at a wavelength of between 2 μ

m and 10 μ

m.