Method of sequential cleaning and passivating a GaAs substrate using remote oxygen plasma

• US 4,877,757 A
• Filed: 12/07/1988
• Issued: 10/31/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Smith, Patricia B., Luttmer, Joseph D., Davis, Cecil J., York, Rudy L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hearn, Brian E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pawbkowski, Beverly A.
• Application Number:
  US07/282,927
• Time in Patent Office: 328 Days
• Field of Search: 437/235, 437/228, 437/232, 156/643, 156/646, 427/34, 427/38, 427/39, 148/DIG. 17
• US Class Current: 438/767
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/465 Chemical or electrical treatment, e.g. electrolytic etching to form insulating layers H01L21/469
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/471 Inorganic layers H01L21/475, H01L21/4757 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67028 for cleaning followed by drying, rinsing, stripping, blasting or the like
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 148/017 Clean surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 148/021 Continuous process
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 148/056 Gallium arsenide

Abstract

A processing apparatus and method for depositing a passivating layer on a mercury-cadmium-telluride wafer utilizing a single process chamber to provide oxygen gas to the chamber with the excitation energy being provided by a remotely generated plasma in order to remove any organic residue and then supplying either a sulfide or selenide gas in combination with illuminating the wafer with an in situ generated ultraviolet energy to produce a passivating layer.

Claims

1. A method for sequential cleaning and passivating a mercury-cadmium-telluride wafer with sulfide in a single process chamber, comprising:

(a) disposing said wafer in a process chamber within a process module at low pressure;

(b) generating a remote plasma from oxygen gas; and

(c) introducing the remote plasma within said chamber and to the face of the wafer for an appropriate time period;

(d) introducing a sulfide gas into the chamber and to the face of the wafer for an appropriate time period; and

(e) illuminating said sulfide gas within said chamber with additional Ultraviolet light produced within said module.

2. The process as set forth in claim 1 including the step of purging said chamber with oxygen gas after disposing said wafer.

3. The process as set forth in claim 1 including the step of purging said chamber with nitrogen gas after illuminating said sulfide gas.

4. A method for passivating a mercury-cadmium-telluride wafer with selenide comprising:

(a) disposing a wafer in a process chamber within a process module at low pressure;

(b) generating a remote plasma from oxygen gas;

(c) introducing the remote plasma into said chamber and to the face of the wafer for an appropriate time period;

(d) introducing a selenide gas within the chamber and to the face of the wafer for an appropriate time period; and

(e) illuminating said selenide gas within said chamber with additional Ultraviolet light produced within said module.

5. The process as set forth in claim 4 including the step of purging said chamber with oxygen gas after disposing said wafer.

6. The process as set forth in claim 4 including the step of purging said chamber with nitrogen gas after illuminating said sulfide gas.

7. A method for sequential cleaning and passivating a mercury-cadmium-telluride film with sulfide in a single processing chamber, comprising the steps of:

(a) generating free radicals from an oxygen containing gas in a plasma generator remote from the processing chamber; and

(b) introducing the free radicals to said chamber and to the face of the wafer for an appropriate time period; and

(c) introducing a sulfur containing gas to the chamber and to the face of the wafer for an appropriate time period.

8. The method as set forth in claim 7 including the step of illuminating said sulfur containing gas within said chamber with additional ultraviolet light produced within said module.

9. The method as set forth in claim 7 including the step of purging said chamber with oxygen gas after disposing said wafer.

10. The method as set forth in claim 7 including the stp of purging said chamber with nitrogen gas after illuminating said sulfide gas.