Method of forming guard ringed schottky diode

• US 5,696,025 A
• Filed: 02/02/1996
• Issued: 12/09/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Renco Encoders, Inc. (Dr. Johannes Heidenhain GmbH), Micron Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Violette, Michael P., Gonzalez, Fernando
• Primary Examiner(s): Niebling, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): BILODEAU, THOMA
• Application Number:
  US08/597,479
• Time in Patent Office: 676 Days
• Field of Search: 437/175, 437/176, 437/177, 437/178, 437/179, 437/162, 437/160, 437/187, 437/193, 437/195, 437/203, 148/139, 148/140, 257/484
• US Class Current: 438/570
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/66143 Schottky diodes

Abstract

A method of forming a guard ring for a Schottky diode is comprised of the steps of forming anode and cathode contact openings. A layer of doped material is deposited and etched to create spacers in the anode and cathode openings. The outdiffusion of dopant from the spacers is controlled to form a guard ring in the well without affecting the active area. The method can be used to create a p-type guard ring in an n-well or an n-type guard ring in a p-well. A Schottky diode constructed according to the method is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of forming a guard ring for a Schottky diode having a well and an active area, comprising the steps of:

forming anode and cathode contact openings;

depositing a layer of doped material;

etching the layer of doped material to create spacers in the anode and cathode openings; and

controlling the outdiffusion of dopant from the spacers so as to form a guard ring in the well without affecting the active area.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of depositing a layer of doped material includes the step of depositing a layer of p-type insitu doped material.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said step of controlling the outdiffusion includes the step of controlling the outdiffusion so as to form a p-type guard ring in an n-type well.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of depositing a layer of doped material includes the step of depositing a layer of n-type insitu doped material.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said step of controlling the outdiffusion includes the step of controlling the outdiffusion so as to form an n-type guard ring in a p-type well.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of controlling the outdiffusion of dopant includes the step of thermal annealing at a temperature for a time.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the annealing temperature and the annealing time are determined by the concentration of dopant in the doped layer, the concentration of dopant in the well, and the concentration of dopants in the active area.

8. A method of forming a Schottky diode having a guard ring, comprising the steps of:

forming an anode contact opening extending to one of an active area and a well and a cathode contact opening extending to the other of the active area and the well;

depositing a layer of doped material;

etching the layer of doped material to create spacers in the anode and cathode openings;

controlling the outdiffusion of dopant from the spacers so as to form a guard ring in the well without affecting the active area;

depositing a Schottky barrier material at the bottom of the anode and cathode contact openings; and

substantially filling the anode and cathode contact openings with a conductive material.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said step of depositing a layer of doped material includes the step of depositing a layer of n-type insitu doped material.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said step of controlling the outdiffusion includes the step of controlling the outdiffusion so as to form an n-type guard ring in a p-type well.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein said step of depositing a layer of doped material includes the step of depositing a layer of p-type insitu doped material.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said step of controlling the outdiffusion includes the step of controlling the outdiffusion so as to form a p-type guard ring in an n-type well.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said step of depositing a layer of insitu doped material includes the step of depositing a layer of insitu doped polysilicon doped at a concentration of between approximately 5×

10¹⁷ and 1×

10²⁰ boron atoms/cm³.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said step of depositing a layer of insitu doped polysilicon includes the step of depositing a layer of insitu doped polysilicon approximately 500 angstroms thick.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said step of controlling the outdiffusion of dopant includes the step of thermal annealing at a temperature for a time.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said step of thermal annealing for a temperature for a time includes the step of thermal annealing at approximately 950°

C. for approximately twenty to thirty seconds.

17. The method of claim 8 wherein said step of etching the layer of doped material includes the step of anisotropically etching the layer of doped material.