At&t Bell Laboratories

Karen A Grim

George J Zydzik

Shobha Singh

LeGrand G Van Uitert

This invention is directed to the fabrication of semiconductor devices, especially those comprising III-V and II-VI compound semiconductor materials, and involves Rapid Thermal Annealing (RTA) of semiconductor wafers, especially those implanted with a dopant(s). The invention is also concerned with a black-box implement used in combination with the RTA. The process includes enclosing a wafer to be annealed within a 'black-box' comprising components of a black body material and subjecting the black box with the wafer therein to an RTA. In a preferred embodiment the RTA comprises (a) a pre-anneal step which includes heating to a temperature and for a period sufficient to preheat the wafer so as to reduce thermal shock due to a main annealing step, (b) the main annealing step being at a temperature and for a period sufficient to remove damage caused to said surface by the dopant implantation and to activate implanted dopant, and (c) a post-anneal step carried out at a temperature and for a period sufficient to relieve stresses which may result from the main-annealing step. The combined use of the RTA and the black box leads to wafers substantially free or slip lines and with reproducibly high mobilities and uniform activation.

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Reading, PA, United States of America

Karen A Grim