Patent · US Expired

Method for manufacturing a silicon structure

US7141116B2 · kind B2 · utility

0Cited by
1References
21Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateApr 1, 2005
Grant dateNov 28, 2006
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 1, 2025

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC C)Chemistry; Metallurgy
  • CPC primaryC30B1/023
  • WIPO fieldSurface technology, coating
  • WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

Provided are improved methods for forming silicon films, particularly single-crystal silicon films from amorphous silicon films in which a single-crystal silicon substrate is prepared by removing any native oxide, typically using an aqueous HF solution, and placed in a reaction chamber. The substrate is then heated from about 350° C. to a first deposition temperature under a first ambient to induce single-crystal epitaxial silicon deposition primarily on exposed silicon surfaces. The substrate is then heated to a second deposition temperature under a second ambient that will maintain the single-crystal epitaxial silicon deposition on exposed single-crystal silicon while inducing amorphous epitaxial silicon deposition on insulating surfaces. The amorphous epitaxial silicon can then be converted to single-crystal silicon using a solid phase epitaxy process to form a thin, high quality silicon layer. The first and second ambients include at least one silicon source gas and may include a non-oxidizing carrier gas.

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