Asm America, Inc.

Paul D Brabant

Matthias Bauer

Joseph P Italiano

Chantal Arena

Pierre Tomasini

Ivo Johannes Raaijmakers

Joe P Italiano

Jianqing Wen

Keith Doran Weeks

Ravinder K Aggarwal

Mark R Hawkins

Robert Michael Vyne

Mike Halpin

Tony J Keeton

Armand Ferro

Bob Haro

Gregory M Bartlett

Matt G Goodman

Trevan Landin

Lee Haen

Jereon Stoutyesdijk

Nyles Wynn Cody

Michael A Todd

Paul T Jacobson

Ronald T Bertram

Jeroen Stoutyesdijk

Matt Goodman

Bobby Vyne

Methods for depositing epitaxial films such as epitaxial Ge and SiGe films. During cooling from high temperature processing to lower deposition temperatures for Ge-containing layers, Si or Ge compounds are provided to the substrate. Smooth, thin, relatively defect-free Ge or SiGe layers result. Retrograded relaxed SiGe is also provided between a relaxed, high Ge-content seed layer and an overlying strained layer.

Epitaxial semiconductor deposition methods and structures

A substrate support system comprises a substrate holder having a plurality of passages extending between top and bottom surfaces thereof. The substrate holder supports a peripheral portion of the substrate backside so that a thin gap is formed between the substrate and the substrate holder. A hollow support member provides support to an underside of, and is configured to convey gas upward into one or more of the passages of, the substrate holder. The upwardly conveyed gas flows into the gap between the substrate and the substrate holder. Depending upon the embodiment, the gas then flows either outward and upward around the substrate edge (to inhibit backside deposition of reactant gases above the substrate) or downward through passages of the substrate holder, if any, that do not lead back into the hollow support member (to inhibit autodoping by sweeping out-diffused dopant atoms away from the substrate backside).

Substrate support system for reduced autodoping and backside deposition

Some embodiments of the invention are related to manufacturing semiconductors. Methods and apparatuses are disclosed that provide thin and fully relaxed SiGe layers. In some embodiments, the presence of oxygen between a single crystal structure and a SiGe heteroepitaxial layer, and/or within the SiGe heteroepitaxial layer, allow the SiGe layer to be thin and fully relaxed. In some embodiments, a strained layer of Si can be deposited over the fully relaxed SiGe layer.

Heteroepitaxial deposition over an oxidized surface

Methods are provided for low temperature, rapid baking to remove impurities from a semiconductor surface prior to in-situ deposition. Advantageously, a short, low temperature process consumes very little of the thermal budget, such that the process is suitable for advanced, high density circuits with shallow junctions. Furthermore, throughput is greatly improved by the low temperature bake, particularly in combination with low temperature plasma cleaning and low temperature wafer loading prior to the bake, and deposition after the bake at temperatures lower than conventional epitaxial deposition. The process enables epitaxial deposition of silicon-containing layers over semiconductor surfaces, particularly enabling epitaxial deposition over a silicon germanium base layer. By use of a low-temperature bake, the silicon germanium base layer can be cleaned to facilitate further epitaxial deposition without relaxing the strained crystal structure of the silicon germanium.

Low temperature load and bake

Chemical vapor deposition methods use trisilane and a halogen-containing etchant source (such as chlorine) to selectively deposit Si-containing films over selected regions of mixed substrates. Dopant sources may be intermixed with the trisilane and the etchant source to selectively deposit doped Si-containing films. The selective deposition methods are useful in a variety of applications, such as semiconductor manufacturing.

Selective deposition of silicon-containing films

A method comprises, in a reaction chamber, depositing a seed layer of germanium over a silicon-containing surface at a first temperature. The seed layer has a thickness between about one monolayer and about 1000 &#x212b;. The method further comprises, after depositing the seed layer, increasing the temperature of the reaction chamber while continuing to deposit germanium. The method further comprises holding the reaction chamber in a second temperature range while continuing to deposit germanium. The second temperature range is greater than the first temperature.

Germanium deposition

Methods for forming epitaxial films involve forming a buffer layer on a single crystal substrate, depositing an amorphous layer on the buffer layer, then forming an epitaxial film from the amorphous layer by solid phase epitaxy.

Methods for depositing amorphous materials and using them as templates for epitaxial films by solid phase epitaxy

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Phoenix, AZ, United States of America

Paul D Brabant