Clathrate structure for electronic and electro-optic applications

• US 6,103,403 A
• Filed: 05/15/1997
• Issued: 08/15/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: University Of Kentucky Research Foundation (University of Kentucky)
• Original Assignee: University of Kentucky Research Foundation Intellectual Property Development
• Inventors: Eklund, Peter, Fang, Shaoli, Grigorian, Leonid
• Primary Examiner(s): Jones, Deborah
• Assistant Examiner(s): LA VILLA, MICHAEL EUGENE
• Application Number:
  US08/856,750
• Time in Patent Office: 1,188 Days
• Field of Search: 423/579, 423/592, 423/641, 423/344, 423/324, 423/325, 423/348, 423/326, 423/332, 423/334, 423/700, 423/713, 428/446, 428/420, 428/688, 428/689, 428/641, 428/702, 427/255, 427/250, 420/578, 502/60, 502/63, 502/64, 117/930, 117/939
• US Class Current: 428/641
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 33/06 Metal silicides alloys C22
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/31695 Deposition of porous oxides or porous glassy oxides or oxide based porous glass
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12674 Ge- or Si-base component

Abstract

A method including the steps of (a) depositing a metal layer on a selected portion of a silicon substrate under a first set of predetermined conditions to form an metal silicide layer and an intermediate n-type silicon layer; and (b) exposing the metal silicide layer and the n-type silicon layer to a second set of predetermined conditions to form a silicon clathrate film on the selected portion of the silicon substrate, where the intermediate n-type silicon layer acts to bond the silicon clathrate to the silicon substrate to form a silicon clathrate structure.

Claims

1. A silicon clathrate structure, comprising:

a silicon substrate;

a silicon clathrate film on a selected portion of said silicon substrate; and

an intermediate n-type silicon layer, bonding said silicon clathrate to said silicon substrate.

2. The silicon clathrate structure of claim 1, wherein said silicon clathrate film includes an alkali metal.

3. The silicon clathrate structure of claim 2, wherein the alkali metal is sodium.

4. The silicon clathrate structure of claim 1, wherein said silicon clathrate film includes a rare earth metal.

5. The silicon clathrate structure of claim 1, wherein said silicon clathrate film includes a metal.