Semiconductor device having a semiconductor region in which a band gap being continuously graded

• US 5,093,704 A
• Filed: 09/28/1989
• Issued: 03/03/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Saito, Keishi, Fujioka, Yasushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Jackson, Jr., Jerome
• Application Number:
  US07/413,776
• Time in Patent Office: 887 Days
• Field of Search: 357/16, 357/4, 357/34, 357/2
• US Class Current: 257/63
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/324 Thermal treatment for modifying the properties of semiconductor bodies, e.g. annealing, sintering H01L21/20 - H01L21/288 and H01L21/302 - H01L21/322 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48463 the connecting portion on the bonding area of the semiconductor or solid-state body being a ball bond
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/49107 on the semiconductor or solid-state body
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/247 Amorphous materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/109 the potential barrier being of the PN heterojunction type
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/1105 the device being a bipolar phototransistor
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/202 including only elements of Group IV of the Periodic Table
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/204 including AIVBIV alloys, e.g. SiGe, SiC
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

An improved semiconductor device such as an improved graded band gap transistor and an improved graded band gap diode, characterized by comprising a non-single-crystal material containing silicon atom, a band gap adjusting atom and a localized level reducing atom and having a region in which a band gap being continuously graded at least one position other than junction position and only one of a conduction band and a valence band being continuously graded. It gives a significant improvement in both the frequency characteristic and the photoresponse.

Claims

1. A semiconductor device having a transistor comprising:

(a) a collector region having a first conductivity type;

(b) an emitter region having a first conductivity type; and

(c) a base region having a second conductivity type opposite to said first conductivity type;

wherein (i) each of said collector and emitter regions comprises a non-single-crystal semiconductor material containing silicon atoms as the main constituent;

(ii) said base region comprises a non-single-crystal semiconductor material containing silicon atoms as the main constituent, band gap adjusting atoms and from 1 to 60 atomic % of hydrogen or halogen atoms as localized level reducing atoms;

(iii) said base region having a band gap grading region in which a band gap is continuously graded; and

(iv) said band gap grading semiconductor region having a conduction band and valence band, wherein only one of said conduction and valence bands is continuously graded.

2. A semiconductor device comprising a band gap grading semiconductor region between a first semiconductor region comprising a non-single-crystal semiconductor material containing silicon atoms as the main constituent, and a second semiconductor region comprising a non-single-crystal semiconductor material containing silicon atoms as the main constituent;

said band gap grading semiconductor region forming a junction with said first semiconductor region and with said second semiconductor region;

said band gap grading semiconductor region comprising a non-single-crystal semiconductor material containing silicon atoms as the main constituent, band gap adjusting atoms and from 1 to 60 atomic % of hydrogen or halogen atoms as localized level reducing atoms;

said band gap grading semiconductor region having a region in which a band gap is continuously graded; and

said band gap grading semiconductor region having a conduction band and valence band wherein only one of said conduction and valence bands is continuously graded.