Method of forming silicon-contained crystal thin film

• US 6,468,884 B2
• Filed: 01/19/2001
• Issued: 10/22/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nissin Electric Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nissin Electric Company Limited
• Inventors: Ogata, Kiyoshi, Miyake, Koji
• Primary Examiner(s): Elms, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): Luu, Pho M.
• Application Number:
  US09/765,728
• Publication Number:
  US 20010019877A1
• Time in Patent Office: 641 Days
• Field of Search: 438/481, 438/400, 438/4, 438/7, 252/501.1, 252/510, 136/255
• US Class Current: 438/481
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 19/00 Liquid-phase epitaxial-layer growth
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 19/12 characterised by the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 29/06 Silicon
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 29/60 characterised by shape
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 31/22 by ion-implantation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/26506 in group IV semiconductors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76254 with separation/delamination along an ion implanted layer, e.g. Smart-cut, Unibond

Abstract

A method of forming a silicon-contained crystal thin film can efficiently form the crystal thin film of a relatively large thickness. In the method, hydrogen ions are implanted into a silicon-contained crystal substrate. Voids are formed by immersing the ion-implanted crystal substrate in a melted metal liquid containing, e.g., silicon and indium for heating the substrate. While pressing an ion-injected surface of the substrate, the substrate is heated by the melted metal liquid to form the voids. By cooling the liquid, the silicon in the supersaturated liquid is deposited on the surface of the substrate so that the silicon-contained crystal film is formed on the surface of the substrate. The substrate is divided in the void-formed position. Thereby, a thin film including the silicon-contained crystal film layered on a portion of the substrate is obtained. The silicon-contained crystal thin film thus obtained can be adhered to a support substrate, if necessary.

Claims

1. A method of forming a silicon-contained crystal thin film comprising:

an ion implanting step of implanting hydrogen ions or helium ions into a silicon-contained crystal substrate containing silicon at 10% or more by weight;

a void forming step of forming a void in an ion-implanted position of said crystal substrate by heating said crystal substrate subjected to the ion implantation;

an epitaxial growth step of immersing the ion-implanted crystal substrate in a melted metal liquid containing silicon, and cooling said liquid to cause epitaxial growth to form a monocrystalline or polycrystalline thin film primarily made of silicon on an ion-injected surface of said substrate; and

a dividing step of dividing the crystal substrate provided with the crystal thin film in the void-formed position, wherein

the heating of said crystal substrate performed for the void formation in said void forming step is performed by immersing at least the ion-injected surface of said crystal substrate in the melted metal liquid used in said epitaxial growth step.

2. The method of manufacturing the silicon-contained crystal thin film according to claim 1, wherein

the heating of said crystal substrate in said void forming step is performed while heating the melted metal liquid used in said epitaxial growth step to a predetermined temperature and/or while cooling said melted metal liquid in aid epitaxial growth step.

3. The method of manufacturing the silicon-contained crystal thin film according to claim 1, wherein

the cooling of said melted metal liquid in said epitaxial growth step is performed at a rate from about 0.1°

C./minute to about 5°

C./minute.

4. The method of manufacturing the silicon-contained crystal thin film according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

removing a portion previously forming a portion of said crystal substrate, and having the crystal thin film formed in said epitaxial growth step, after said dividing step.

5. The method of manufacturing the silicon-contained crystal thin film according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

removing metal adhered due to said melted metal liquid from the crystal thin film formed on said crystal substrate in said epitaxial growth step.

6. The method of manufacturing the silicon-contained crystal thin film according to claim 5, further comprising the step of:

adhering a support substrate to the crystal thin film formed in said epitaxial growth step.

7. The method of manufacturing the silicon-contained crystal thin film according to claim 1, wherein

said melted metal liquid contains, in addition to the silicon, at least one kind of metal among indium, gallium, aluminum and copper at a rate of 10% or more by weight.

8. The method of manufacturing the silicon-contained crystal thin film according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

adhering a support substrate to the crystal thin film formed in said epitaxial growth step.

9. A method of forming a silicon-contained crystal thin film comprising:

an ion implanting step of implanting hydrogen ions or helium ions into a silicon-contained crystal substrate primarily made of silicon;

a film forming step of forming a predetermined film on an ion-injected surface of said silicon-contained crystal substrate;

a void forming step of forming a void in an ion-implanted position of said crystal substrate by heating said crystal substrate provided with said film; and

a dividing step of dividing said crystal substrate in the void-formed position, wherein

said film forming step is performed to provide a thickness of 2 μ

m or more from a surface of said predetermined film to the ion-implanted position.

10. The method of manufacturing the silicon-contained crystal thin film according to claim 9, wherein

said film formed in said film forming step is an insulating film.

11. The method of manufacturing the silicon-contained crystal thin film according to claim 9, wherein

said film formed in said film forming step is an electrically conductive film.

12. The method of manufacturing the silicon-contained crystal thin film according to claim 11, wherein

said electrically conductive film is primarily made of aluminum, and

said method further includes a step of heating the crystal substrate provided with said electrically conductive film at 500°

C. or more for one hour or more.

13. The method of manufacturing the silicon-contained crystal thin film according to claim 12, wherein

a p-type monocrystalline silicon substrate is used as said silicon-contained crystal substrate,

said method further includes the step of implanting n-type dopant into said crystal substrate provided with said electrically conductive film through a separation surface formed in said dividing step after said dividing step, and

a thin film of an npp⁺ structure is formed on said electrically conductive film.

14. The method of manufacturing the silicon-contained crystal thin film according to claim 13, further comprising the step of:

adhering a support substrate to the film formed in said film forming step.

15. The method of manufacturing the silicon-contained crystal thin film according to claim 9, further comprising the step of:

adhering a support substrate to the film formed in said film forming step.