Patent · US Expired

Method of forming a silicon nitride layer

US5907792A · kind A · utility

65Cited by
2References
14Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 25, 1997
Grant dateMay 25, 1999
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 25, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S438/961
  • WIPO fieldSemiconductors
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method of forming a silicon nitride layer or film on a semiconductor wafer structure includes forming a silicon nitride layer on the surface of a wafer structure using a molecular beam of high purity elemental Si and an atomic beam of high purity nitrogen. In a preferred embodiment, a III-V compound semiconductor wafer structure is heated in an ultra high vacuum system to a temperature below the decomposition temperature of said compound semiconductor wafer structure and a silicon nitride layer is formed using a molecular beam of Si provided by either thermal evaporation or electron beam evaporation, and an atomic nitrogen beam provided by either RF or microwave plasma discharge.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.