Method of formation of buried mirror semiconductive device

• US 6,150,190 A
• Filed: 05/27/1999
• Issued: 11/21/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: VLSI Technology LLC (FIG LLC (d/b/a Fortress Investment Group LLC))
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Fowler, Burt Wayne, Stankus, John J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bowers, Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHRISTIANSON, KEITH ALAN
• Application Number:
  US09/320,866
• Time in Patent Office: 544 Days
• Field of Search: 438/29, 438/31, 438/32, 438/42, 438/44, 438/72, 372/45, 372/99, 257/13, 257/98, 257/436
• US Class Current: 438/72
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/02327 the optical elements being integrated or being directly associated to the device, e.g. back reflectors optical coatings H01L31/0216
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/1804 comprising only elements of Group IV of the Periodic Table
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/10 with a light reflecting structure, e.g. semiconductor Bragg reflector
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/547 Monocrystalline silicon PV cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

A method for forming a buried optical mirror in an integrated circuit (IC) begins by forming an opening (18) within a substrate (12). The opening (18) is then filled with a plurality of dielectric layers (20-26) that have different indexes of refraction whereby a Bragg reflector can be formed. A chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) process is then used to planarize the layers (20-26) such that these layers (20-26) only reside within the opening (18) whereby a mirror is formed. Lateral selective epitaxial growth, polysilicon deposition and recrystallization, or wafer bonding is then used to form a single crystalline or near single crystalline semiconductive material (32b) over a top of the substrate (12) and the reflecting mirror. Photodevice(s) are then formed over the mirror in the region (28) of material (32b) whereby reflecting mirror (20-26) will improve the quantum efficiency and speed of the photodevice(s).

Claims

1. A method for forming a semiconductor device for reflecting electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength X, the method comprising the steps of:

forming an opening in a semiconductor substrate;

depositing at least one reflective layer in the opening;

removing the at least one reflective layer such that the at least one reflective layer is substantially coplanar with the substrate; and

forming a semiconductor layer so as to overlie the at least one reflective layer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one reflective layer comprises a first pair of reflective layers consisting of a first reflective layer and a second reflective layer, and the first reflective layer has a first index of refraction and the second reflective layer has a second index of refraction.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein at least one of the first reflective layer and the second reflective layer comprises silicon dioxide.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the other of first reflective layer and the second reflective layer comprises silicon nitride.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the other of first reflective layer and the second reflective layer comprises polycrystalline silicon.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one reflective layer comprises additional pairs of reflective layers.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein each of the first and second reflective layers has a thickness Nλ

/4, wherein N is an odd integer and λ

is the wavelength of the electromagnetic radiation.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one reflective layer comprises a mirror stack comprised of a plurality of reflective layers, the mirror stack having an active area over which an active device is formed in the monocrystalline silicon layer, and a peripheral area.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein each of the plurality of reflective layers is exposed along a top surface of the peripheral area.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein a photodetector is formed in the monocrystalline silicon layer so as to overlie the at least one reflective layer.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one reflective layer comprises a metallic layer.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising a step of providing a dielectric layer so as to overlie at least the metallic layer.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the dielectric layer is formed by oxidizing at least a portion of the metallic layer.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein another dielectric layer is formed underlying the metallic layer.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the metallic layer comprises aluminum.

16. A method for forming a semiconductor device for reflecting electromagnetic radiation having wavelength λ

, the method comprising the steps of;

forming an opening in a semiconductor substrate;

depositing at least two reflective layers including a first reflective layer and a second reflective layer in the opening, the first reflective layer having a first index of refraction and the second reflective layer having a second index of refraction, wherein the first index of refraction is different from the second index of refraction;

polishing portions of the at least two reflective layers such that the at least two reflective layer are substantially coplanar with the substrate;

forming a single-crystalline silicon layer so as to overlie the at least one reflective layer; and

forming a photo device on a portion of the single-crystalline silicon layer overlying the at least two reflective layers.

17. A method for forming a semiconductor device for reflecting electromagnetic radiation having wavelength X, the method comprising the steps of:

forming at least one reflective layer on a semiconductor substrate, the at least one reflective layer having sidewalls defining an outer periphery of the at least one reflective layer;

forming sidewall spacers along the outer periphery of the at least one reflective layer; and

forming a semiconductive layer on the semiconductor substrate so as to surround the sidewalls of the at least one reflective layer;

removing the sidewall spacers;

processing the semiconductive layer to form an improved semiconductive layer; and

growing semiconductive material from the improved semiconductive layer so as to overlie the at least one reflective layer.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the at least one reflective layer comprises a stack of reflective layers, alternating reflective layers in the stack having different indices of refraction.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the alternating reflective layers comprises silicon oxide and at least one material from the group consisting of silicon nitride and polysilicon.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein removal of the sidewall spacers leaves behind gaps between the at least one reflective layer and the semiconductive layer, where the growth of semiconductive material substantially fills the gaps.

21. A method for forming a semiconductor device for reflecting electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength X, the method comprising the steps of:

depositing a stack of reflective layers on a substrate wafer, wherein alternating layers of the stack have different indices of refraction; and

forming a semiconductor material to the substrate wafer, such that the stack of reflective layers lies between the substrate wafer and the semiconductor material to form a silicon on insulator wafer that has a reflective buried insulator layer comprised of the stack of reflective layers.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the step of forming is performed by bonding a semiconductor substrate material to the substrate wafer.