Heteroepitaxial growth of germanium on silicon by UHV/CVD

Claim 1

A method of depositing Ge onto a substrate in a reaction chamber, said method comprising the steps of: a) evacuating the reaction chamber and an associated load lock chamber to initial equilibrium pressures of below 10 -9 Torr; b) heating the reaction chamber to a prescribed process temperature; c) precleaning the substrate; d) placing the substrate into the load lock chamber, whereby the load lock chamber pressure rises to atmospheric pressure, the load lock chamber being isolated from the reaction chamber during the placing of the substrate into the load lock chamber; e) evacuating the load lock chamber slowly from atmospheric pressure to a first prescribed pressure and then further evacuating the load lock chamber quickly from the first scribed pressure to a second prescribed pressure; f) bleeding H 2 into the reaction chamber, whereby the reaction chamber pressure rises to a transfer pressure; g) opening the load lock chamber to the reaction chamber and transferring the substrate from the load lock chamber to the reaction chamber, whereby the bleeding of H 2 of the previous step reduces cross contamination between the load lock chamber and the reaction chamber during the transfer, and wherein the substrate heats up to the prescribed process temperature inside the reaction chamber; and, h) stopping the bleeding of H 2 and providing a mixture of GeH 4 and He gas int he reaction chamber to thereby deposit Ge onto the substrate, and wherein the reaction chamber equilibrates to a process pressure.

Claim 2

A method of depositing Ge onto a substrate in a reaction chamber, said method comprising the steps of: a) evacuating the reaction chamber and an associated load lock chamber to initial equilibrium pressures of below 10 -9 Torr; b) heating the reaction chamber to a prescribed process temperature; c) precleaning the substrate; d) placing the substrate into the load lock chamber, whereby the load lock chamber pressure rises to atmospheric pressure, the load lock chamber being isolated from the reaction chamber during the placing of the substrate into the load lock chamber; e) evacuating the load lock chamber slowly from atmospheric pressure to a first prescribed pressure and then further evacuating the load lock chamber quickly from the first scribed pressure to a second prescribed pressure; f) bleeding H 2 into the reaction chamber, whereby the reaction chamber pressure rises to a transfer pressure; g) opening the load lock chamber to the reaction chamber and transferring the substrate from the load lock chamber to the reaction chamber, whereby the bleeding of H 2 of the previous step reduces cross contamination between the load lock chamber and the reaction chamber during the transfer, and wherein the substrate heats up to the prescribed process temperature inside the reaction chamber; and, h) stopping the bleeding of H 2 and providing a mixture of GeH 4 and He gas int he reaction chamber to thereby deposit Ge onto the substrate, and wherein the reaction chamber equilibrates to a process pressure.

Claim 13

A method of depositing Ge onto a substrate in a reaction chamber, said method comprising the steps of: a) evacuating the reaction chamber and an associated load lock chamber to initial equilibrium pressures of below 10 -9 Torr; b) heating the reaction chamber to a prescribed process temperature; c) immersing the substrate in about a 5:1:1 solution of H 2 O;H 2 O 2 :NH 4 OH at about 65° C. for about 1 minute; d) rinsing the substrate with deionized H 2 O; e) immersing the substrate in about a 5:1:1 solution of H 2 O;H 2 O 2 :HCl at about 65° C. for about 1 minute; f) rinsing the substrate with dionized H 2 O; g) immersing the substrate in about a 10:1 solution of H 2 O:HF at room temperature for about 10 to 15 seconds; h) placing the substrate into the load lock chamber, whereby the load lock chamber pressure rises to atmospheric pressure, the load lock chamber being isolated form the reaction chamber during the placing of the substrate into the load lock chamber; i) evacuating the load lock chamber slowly from atmospheric pressure to a first prescribed pressure and then further evacuating the load lock chamber quickly from the first prescribed pressure to a second prescribed pressure; j) bleeding H 2 into the reaction chamber, whereby the reaction chamber pressure rises to a transfer pressure; k) opening the load lock chamber to the reaction chamber and transferring the substrate from the load lock chamber to the reaction chamber, whereby the bleeding of H 2 of the previous step reduces cross contamination between the load lock chamber and the reaction chamber during the transfer, and wherein the substrate heats up to the prescribed process temperature inside the reaction chamber; and, l) stopping the bleeding of H 2 and providing a mixture of GeH 4 and He gas int he reaction chamber to thereby deposit Ge onto the substrate, and wherein the reaction chamber equilibrates to a process pressure.

Claim 14

A method of depositing Ge onto a substrate in a reaction chamber, said method comprising the steps of: a) evacuating the reaction chamber and an associated load lock chamber to initial equilibrium pressures of below 10 -9 Torr; b) heating the reaction chamber to a prescribed process temperature; c) immersing the substrate in about a 5:1:1 solution of H 2 O;H 2 O 2 :NH 4 OH at about 65° C. for about 1 minute; d) rinsing the substrate with deionized H 2 O; e) immersing the substrate in about a 5:1:1 solution of H 2 O;H 2 O 2 :HCl at about 65° C. for about 1 minute; f) rinsing the substrate with dionized H 2 O; g) immersing the substrate in about a 10:1 solution of H 2 O:HF at room temperature for about 10 to 15 seconds; h) placing the substrate into the load lock chamber, whereby the load lock chamber pressure rises to atmospheric pressure, the load lock chamber being isolated form the reaction chamber during the placing of the substrate into the load lock chamber; i) evacuating the load lock chamber slowly from atmospheric pressure to a first prescribed pressure and then further evacuating the load lock chamber quickly from the first prescribed pressure to a second prescribed pressure; j) bleeding H 2 into the reaction chamber, whereby the reaction chamber pressure rises to a transfer pressure; k) opening the load lock chamber to the reaction chamber and transferring the substrate from the load lock chamber to the reaction chamber, whereby the bleeding of H 2 of the previous step reduces cross contamination between the load lock chamber and the reaction chamber during the transfer, and wherein the substrate heats up to the prescribed process temperature inside the reaction chamber; and, l) stopping the bleeding of H 2 and providing a mixture of GeH 4 and He gas int he reaction chamber to thereby deposit Ge onto the substrate, and wherein the reaction chamber equilibrates to a process pressure.

Claim 19

A method of constructing a semiconductor device, said method comprising the steps of: a) providing a substrate; b) evacuating a reaction chamber and an associated load lock chamber to initial equilibrium pressures of below 10 -9 Torr; c) heating the reaction chamber to a prescribed process temperature; d) precleaning the substrate; e) placing the substrate into the load lock chamber, whereby the load lock chamber pressure rises to atmospheric pressure, the load lock chamber being isolated from the reaction chamber during the placing of the substrate into the load lock chamber; f) evacuating the load lock chamber slowly from atmospheric pressure to a first prescribed pressure and then further evacuating the load lock chamber quickly from the first prescribed pressure to a second prescribed pressure; g) bleeding H 2 into the reaction chamber, whereby the reaction chamber pressure rises to a transfer pressure; h) opening the load lock chamber to the reaction chamber and transferring the substrate from the load lock chamber to the reaction chamber, whereby the bleeding of H 2 of the previous step reduces cross contaminating between the load lock chamber and the reaction chamber during the transfer, and wherein the substrate heats up to the prescribed process temperature inside the reaction chamber; and, i) stopping the bleeding of H 2 and providing a mixture of GeH 4 and He gas int he reaction chamber to thereby deposit Ge onto the substrate, and wherein the reaction chamber equilibrates to a process pressure.

Claim 20

A method of constructing a semiconductor device, said method comprising the steps of: a) providing a substrate; b) evacuating a reaction chamber and an associated load lock chamber to initial equilibrium pressures of below 10 -9 Torr; c) heating the reaction chamber to a prescribed process temperature; d) precleaning the substrate; e) placing the substrate into the load lock chamber, whereby the load lock chamber pressure rises to atmospheric pressure, the load lock chamber being isolated from the reaction chamber during the placing of the substrate into the load lock chamber; f) evacuating the load lock chamber slowly from atmospheric pressure to a first prescribed pressure and then further evacuating the load lock chamber quickly from the first prescribed pressure to a second prescribed pressure; g) bleeding H 2 into the reaction chamber, whereby the reaction chamber pressure rises to a transfer pressure; h) opening the load lock chamber to the reaction chamber and transferring the substrate from the load lock chamber to the reaction chamber, whereby the bleeding of H 2 of the previous step reduces cross contaminating between the load lock chamber and the reaction chamber during the transfer, and wherein the substrate heats up to the prescribed process temperature inside the reaction chamber; and, i) stopping the bleeding of H 2 and providing a mixture of GeH 4 and He gas int he reaction chamber to thereby deposit Ge onto the substrate, and wherein the reaction chamber equilibrates to a process pressure.

Claim 32

A method of constructing a semiconductor device, said method comprising the steps of: a) providing a substrate; b) evacuating a reaction chamber and an associated load lock chamber to initial equilibrium pressures of below 10 -9 torr; c) heating the reaction chamber to a prescribed process temperature; d) immersing the substrate in about a 5:1:1 solution of H 2 O;H 2 O 2 :NH 4 OH at about 65° C. for about 1 minute; e) rinsing the substrate with deionized H 2 O; f) immersing the substrate in about a 5:1:1 solution of H 2 O;H 2 O 2 :HCl at about 65° C. for about 1 minute; g) rinsing the substrate with dionized H 2 O; h) immersing the substrate in about a 10:1 solution of H 2 O:HF at room temperature for about 10 to 15 seconds; i) placing the substrate into the load lock chamber, whereby the load lock chamber pressure rises to atmospheric pressure, the load lock chamber being isolated from the reaction chamber during the placing to the substrate into the load lock chamber; j) evacuating the load lock chamber slowly from atmospheric pressure to a first prescribed pressure and then further evacuating the load lock chamber quickly from the first prescribed pressure to a second prescribed pressure; k) bleeding H 2 into the reaction chamber, whereby the reaction chamber pressure rises to a transfer pressure; l) opening the load lock chamber to the reaction chamber and transferring the substrate from the load lock chamber to the reaction chamber, whereby the bleeding of H 2 of the previous step reduces cross contamination between the load lock chamber and the reaction chamber during the transfer, and wherein the substrate heats up to the prescribed process temperature inside the reaction chamber; and, m) stopping the bleeding of H 2 and providing a mixture of GeH 4 and He gas in the reaction chamber to thereby deposit Ge onto the substrate, and wherein the reaction chamber equilibrates to a process pressure.

Claim 33

A method of constructing a semiconductor device, said method comprising the steps of: a) providing a substrate; b) evacuating a reaction chamber and an associated load lock chamber to initial equilibrium pressures of below 10 -9 torr; c) heating the reaction chamber to a prescribed process temperature; d) immersing the substrate in about a 5:1:1 solution of H 2 O;H 2 O 2 :NH 4 OH at about 65° C. for about 1 minute; e) rinsing the substrate with deionized H 2 O; f) immersing the substrate in about a 5:1:1 solution of H 2 O;H 2 O 2 :HCl at about 65° C. for about 1 minute; g) rinsing the substrate with dionized H 2 O; h) immersing the substrate in about a 10:1 solution of H 2 O:HF at room temperature for about 10 to 15 seconds; i) placing the substrate into the load lock chamber, whereby the load lock chamber pressure rises to atmospheric pressure, the load lock chamber being isolated from the reaction chamber during the placing to the substrate into the load lock chamber; j) evacuating the load lock chamber slowly from atmospheric pressure to a first prescribed pressure and then further evacuating the load lock chamber quickly from the first prescribed pressure to a second prescribed pressure; k) bleeding H 2 into the reaction chamber, whereby the reaction chamber pressure rises to a transfer pressure; l) opening the load lock chamber to the reaction chamber and transferring the substrate from the load lock chamber to the reaction chamber, whereby the bleeding of H 2 of the previous step reduces cross contamination between the load lock chamber and the reaction chamber during the transfer, and wherein the substrate heats up to the prescribed process temperature inside the reaction chamber; and, m) stopping the bleeding of H 2 and providing a mixture of GeH 4 and He gas in the reaction chamber to thereby deposit Ge onto the substrate, and wherein the reaction chamber equilibrates to a process pressure.