Buried porous silicon-germanium layers in monocrystalline silicon lattices

US5757024A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration · US

Inventors

• Robert W. Fathauer · Burbank, US
• Thomas George · Clinton, US
• Eric Jones · Los Angeles, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jul 10, 1996
• Grant date: May 26, 1998
• Expiry date: Jul 10, 2016

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H10H20/826
• WIPO field: Micro-structural and nano-technology
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

Monocrystalline semiconductor lattices with a buried porous semiconductor layer having different chemical composition. Also monocrystalline semiconductor superlattices with a buried porous semiconductor layers having different chemical composition than that of its monocrystalline semiconductor superlattice. Lattices of alternating layers of monocrystalline silicon and porous silicon-germanium have been produced. These single crystal lattices have been fabricated by epitaxial growth of Si and Si-Ge layers followed by patterning into mesa structures. The mesa structures are stain etched resulting in porosification of the Si-Ge layers with a minor amount of porosification of the monocrystalline Si layers. Thicker Si-Ge layers produced in a similar manner emitted visible light at room temperature.