Method of improving the quality of defective semiconductor material

• US 6,825,102 B1
• Filed: 09/18/2003
• Issued: 11/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: GlobalFoundries, Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Narasimha, Shreesh, Bedell, Stephen W., Fogel, Keith E., Sadana, Devendra K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fourson, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): GARCIA, JOANNIE A
• Application Number:
  US10/664,714
• Time in Patent Office: 439 Days
• Field of Search: 438/4, 438/482, 438/486, 438/517, 438/530, 438/660, 438/663, 438/766, 438/933, 438/FOR.385, 117/8
• US Class Current: 438/486
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02441 Group 14 semiconducting materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02447 Silicon carbide
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0245 Silicon, silicon germanium, germanium
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02461 Phosphides
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02463 Arsenides
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02488 Insulating materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02502 consisting of two layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02524 Group 14 semiconducting materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02529 Silicon carbide
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02532 Silicon, silicon germanium, germanium
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02538 Group 13/15 materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02543 Phosphides
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02546 Arsenides
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02667 Crystallisation or recrystallisation of non-monocrystalline semiconductor materials, e.g. regrowth
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 438/933 Germanium or silicon or Ge-Si on III-V

Abstract

A method in which a defective semiconductor crystal material is subjected to an amorphization step followed by a thermal treatment step is provided. The amorphization step amorphizes, partially or completely, a region, including the surface region, of a defective semiconductor crystal material. A thermal treatment step is next performed so as to recrystallize the amorphized region of the defective semiconductor crystal material. The recrystallization is achieved in the present invention by solid-phase crystal regrowth from the non-amorphized region of the defective semiconductor crystal material.

Claims

1. A method of improving the material quality of a defective semiconductor crystal material comprising the steps of:

amorphizing, partially or completely, a region of a defective semiconductor crystal material to form an amorphized region, said defective semiconductor crystal material comprising a heterostructure containing epitaxial growth-related defects and said amorphized region does not extend to a buried insulating layer within said defective semiconductor crystal material; and

thermally treating the amorphized region to recrystallize said partially or completely amorphized region forming a recrystallized region that has a reduced defect density, in terms of said epitaxial growth-related defects, as compared to the defective semiconductor crystal material.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the defective semiconductor crystal material comprises a Si layer formed atop a SiGe alloy layer.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the Si layer is strained in a tensile manner, and the SiGe alloy layer is partially or completely relaxed.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the SiGe alloy layer is located atop a Ge resistant diffusion barrier layer.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the defective semiconductor crystal material comprises a semiconductor selected from the group consisting of Si, SiGe, SiGeC, SiC, Ge, GaAs, InP, InAs, silicon-on-insulators, and SiGe-on-insulators.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said amorphizing is carried out using ions that are capable of forming said amorphized region.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said ions are selected from the group consisting of B, Ga, In, C, Si, Ge, N, P, As, Sb, rare gas ions, and any isotope or mixtures thereof.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein said ions comprise Ge or its isotopes.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said amorphizing is carried out by ion implantation.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the defective semiconductor crystal material is maintained at a temperature below 20°

C. during said ion implantation.

11. The method of claim 1 when in said amorphizing is carried out by plasma immersion implantation.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein said amorphizing is carried out by a plasma discharge source.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said plasma discharge source is a radio-frequency or a direct-current plasma discharge source.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein said amorphized region has a depth, as measured from an upper surface of the defective semiconductor crystal material, from about 1 to about 200 nm.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein said amorphizing is performed by ion implantation using an ion dose of about 10¹² to about 10¹⁶ atoms/cm².

16. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of thermally treating is performed in an inert gas ambient.

17. The method of claim 16 where said inert gas comprises He, Ar, N₂, Xe, Kr, Ne or mixtures thereof.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein said inert gas ambient is diluted with an oxygen-containing gas.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of thermally treating is performed at a temperature of about 500°

C. or greater.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of thermally treating comprises a furnace anneal.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein said furnace anneal is performed at a temperature of about 500°

C. or greater for a time period of about 15 minutes or greater.

22. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of thermally treating comprises a rapid thermal anneal (RTA).

23. The method of claim 22 wherein said RTA is carried out at a temperature of about 800°

C. or greater for a time period of about 10 minutes or less.

24. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of thermally treating comprises a spike anneal.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the spike anneal is performed at a temperature of about 900°

C. or greater for a time period of about 5 seconds or less.

26. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of thermally treating is performed to a single targeted temperature.

27. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of thermally treating is performed using various ramp and soak cycles.

28. The method of claim 1 wherein the steps of amorphizing and thermally treating are repeated any number of times.

29. A method of improving the material quality of a defective semiconductor crystal material comprising the steps of:

introducing ions into a region of a defective semiconductor crystal material to form an amorphized region within said defective semiconductor crystal material, said defective semiconductor crystal material comprising a heterostructure containing epitaxial growth-related defects and said amorphized region does not extend to a buried insulating layer within said defective crystal material; and

heating the defective semiconductor crystal material containing said amorphized region to recrystallize said amorphized region forming a recrystallized region that has a reduced defect density, in terms of said epitaxial growth-related defects, as compared to the defective semiconductor crystal material.

30. A method of improving the material quality of a defective semiconductor crystal material comprising the steps of:

implanting ions into a region of a defective semiconductor crystal material to form an amorphized region within said defective semiconductor crystal material, said implant is performed at an ion dose from about 10¹²-10¹⁶ atoms/cm², said defective semiconductor crystal material comprising a heterostructure containing epitaxial growth-related defects and said amorphized region does not extend to a buried insulating layer within said defective crystal material; and

heating the defective semiconductor crystal material containing the amorphized region to recrystallize said amorphized region forming a recrystallized region that has a reduced defect density, in terms of said epitaxial growth-related defects, as compared to the defective semiconductor crystal material, said heating is performed using a rapid thermal anneal that is carried out a temperature of about 800°

C. or greater for a time period of about 10 minutes or less.