Patterned atomic layer epitaxy

• US 7,799,132 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2007
• Issued: 09/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zyvex Labs, Llc
• Original Assignee: Zyvex Labs, Llc
• Inventors: Stallcup, Richard E., Peng, Jingping, Skidmore, George D., Randall, John N., Liu, Jun-Fu, Folaron, Robert J., Baur, Christof
• Primary Examiner(s): Kunemund; Robert M
• Application Number:
  US11/955,845
• Publication Number:
  US 20080092803A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,013 Days
• Field of Search: 117/84, 117/89, 117/94, 117/104, 117/105
• US Class Current: 117/84
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 25/04 Pattern deposit, e.g. by using masks
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 25/14 Feed and outlet means for the gases; Modifying the flow of the reactive gases

Abstract

A patterned layer is formed by removing nanoscale passivating particle from a first plurality of nanoscale structural particles or by adding nanoscale passivating particles to the first plurality of nanoscale structural particles. Each of a second plurality of nanoscale structural particles is deposited on each of corresponding ones of the first plurality of nanoscale structural particles that is not passivated by one of the plurality of nanoscale passivating particles.

Claims

1. A method of creating a structure, comprising:

patterning a first portion of a first passivation layer with a first pattern, wherein the first passivation layer comprises a plurality of first nanoscale passivating particles, and wherein the first passivation layer is located on a first structural layer that comprises a plurality of first nanoscale structural particles such that patterning the first portion of the first passivation layer exposes a first portion of the first structural layer;

growing, via at least one heteroepitaxial cycle of selective atomic layer epitaxy (ALE), a plurality of second nanoscale structural particles on the first portion of the first structural layer, the plurality of second nanoscale structural particles having a different composition than the plurality of first nanoscale structure particles;

removing a second portion of the first passivation layer to expose a second portion of the first structural layer;

growing, via at least one homoepitaxial cycle of selective ALE, a plurality of third nanoscale structural particles on the second portion of the first structural layer, the third nanoscale structural particles having the same composition as the first nanoscale structure particles;

removing a plurality of second nanoscale passivating particles associated with the plurality of second nanoscale structural particles and growing a plurality of fourth nanoscale structural particles on the second nanoscale structural particles exposed by removing the plurality of second nanoscale passivating particles; and

removing a plurality of third nanoscale passivating particles associated with the plurality of third nanoscale structural particles and growing a plurality of fifth nanoscale structural particles on the third nanoscale structural particles exposed by removing the plurality of third nanoscale passivating particles.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of first nanoscale structural particles are comprised of one of silicon and germanium and the plurality of second nanoscale structural particles are comprised of the other of silicon and germanium.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein removing the second portion of the first passivation layer comprises physical removal of at least some of the plurality of first nanoscale passivating particles utilizing at least one of a probe, a tip, and a stamp.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein removing the second portion of the first passivation layer comprises a global removal of the plurality of first nanoscale passivating particles using at least one depassivation technique selected from the group consisting of chemical, thermal, photon bombardment, and charged-particle bombardment.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of second nanoscale passivating particles and the plurality of third nanoscale passivating particles have different compositions.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the plurality of second nanoscale passivating particles comprise a methyl group and the plurality of third nanoscale passivating particles comprise chlorine.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

removing a plurality of fourth nanoscale passivating particles associated with at least some of the plurality of fourth nanoscale structural particles and growing a plurality of sixth nanoscale structural particles on the fourth nanoscale structural particles exposed by removing the plurality of fourth nanoscale passivating particles; and

removing a plurality of fifth nanoscale passivating particles associated with at least some of the plurality of fifth nanoscale structural particles and growing a plurality of seventh nanoscale structural particles on the fifth nanoscale structural particles exposed by removing the plurality of fifth nanoscale passivating particles.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein growing the plurality of sixth nanoscale structural particles comprises at least one homoepitaxial cycle of selective ALE.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein growing the plurality of seventh nanoscale structural particles comprises at least one homoepitaxial cycle of selective ALE.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein growing the plurality of seventh nanoscale structural particles comprises at least one heteroepitaxial cycle of selective ALE.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein growing the plurality of sixth nanoscale structural particles comprises at least one heteroepitaxial cycle of selective ALE.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein growing the plurality of seventh nanoscale structural particles comprises at least one homoepitaxial cycle of selective ALE.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein each of removing the plurality of fourth nanoscale passivating particles comprises and removing the plurality of fifth nanoscale passivating particles comprises utilizing at least one depassivation technique selected from the group consisting of chemical, thermal, photon bombardment, and charged-particle bombardment.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein removing the first portion of the first passivation layer comprises physical removal of at least some of the plurality of first nanoscale passivating particles utilizing at least one of a probe, a tip, and a stamp.

15. A method of creating a structure, comprising:

removing a portion of a first passivation layer to form a first pattern that exposes portions of a first structural layer underlying the first passivation layer;

growing passivated structural material over the exposed portions of the first structural layer via at least one cycle of selective atomic layer epitaxy (ALE) to define a second structural layer and a second passivation layer;

removing a portion of the second passivation layer to form a second pattern that exposes portions of the second structural layer; and

growing passivated structural material over the exposed portions of the second structural layer via at least one cycle of selective atomic layer epitaxy (ALE) to define a third structural layer and a third passivation layer, the third passivation layer formed of a material different than the first passivation layer.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the second passivation layer is formed of a material different than the first passivation layer.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the second structural layer is formed of a material different than the first structural layer.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the second pattern is different from the first pattern.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein growing the passivated structural material over the exposed portions of the first structural layer comprises at least one heteroepitaxial cycle of selective ALE.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein growing the passivated structural material over the exposed portions of the first structural layer further comprises at least one homoepitaxial cycle of selective ALE.

21. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

removing a portion of the third passivation layer to form a third pattern that exposes portions of the third structural layer; and

growing passivated structural material over the exposed portions of the third structural layer via at least one cycle of selective atomic layer epitaxy (ALE).

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the third pattern is different from the second pattern.

23. A method of creating a structure, comprising:

(a) patterning a first portion of a passivation layer to expose a first portion of a structural layer underlying the passivation layer;

(b) growing a first passivated structural material over the first portion of the structural layer via at least one heteroepitaxial cycle of selective ALE of a first material to define a first portion of an additional structural layer and a first portion of an additional passivation layer;

(c) removing a second portion of the passivation layer to expose a second portion of the structural layer;

(d) growing a second passivated structural material over the second portion of the structural layer via at least one homoepitaxial cycle of selective ALE of a second material, the second material being of a different composition than the first material, to define a second portion of the additional structural layer and a second portion of the additional passivation layer, wherein the second portion of the additional structural layer is substantially coplanar with the first portion of the additional structural layer and wherein the second portion of the additional passivation layer is substantially coplanar with the first portion of the additional passivation layer;

(e) removing a first portion of the additional passivation layer to expose a first portion of the additional structural layer;

(f) growing a third passivated structural material over the first portion of the additional structural layer via at least one cycle of selective ALE of a third material to define a first portion of a further structural layer and a first portion of a further passivation layer;

(g) removing a second portion of the additional passivation layer to expose a second portion of the additional structural layer;

(h) growing a fourth passivated structural material over the second portion of the additional structural layer via at least one cycle of selective ALE of a fourth material, the fourth material being of a different composition than the third material, to define a second portion of the further structural layer and a second portion of the further passivation layer; and

repeating steps (e), (f), (g), and (h) to form further structural layers.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein at least one cycle of step (e) includes patterning the additional passivation layer with a different pattern than used in step (a).

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the second material has a high etching selectivity relative to the first material.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the first material is a sacrificial material, and the method further comprises:

(i) etching to remove the sacrificial material.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein removing the sacrificial material releases a complex three-dimensional structure formed by performing steps (a), (b), (c), and (d) and repeating steps (e), (f), (g), and (h).

28. The method of claim 23, wherein steps (e) and (g) are each performed using at least one depassivation technique selected from the group consisting of chemical, thermal, photon bombardment, electron bombardment, and charged-particle bombardment.

29. The method of claim 23, wherein, for at least one cycle of steps (e), (f), (g), and (h):

the first portion of the additional structural layer is comprised of a first structural material;

the second portion of the additional structural layer is comprised of the first structural material;

growing the third passivated structural material comprises at least one cycle of selective homoepitaxial ALE; and

growing the fourth passivated structural material comprises at least one cycle of selective heteroepitaxial ALE.

30. The method of claim 23, wherein, for at least one cycle of steps (e), (f), (g), and (h):

the first portion of the additional structural layer is comprised of a first structural material and a second structural material; and

growing the third passivated structural material comprises at least one cycle of selective homoepitaxial ALE and at least one cycle of selective heteroepitaxial ALE.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein, for the at least one cycle of steps (e), (f), (g), and (h):

the second portion of the additional structural layer is comprised of at least one of the first structural material and the second structural material; and

growing the fourth passivated structural material comprises at least one of at least one cycle of selective homoepitaxial ALE and at least one cycle of selective heteroepitaxial ALE.