Linearity improvements of semiconductor substrate using passivation

US7915706B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• RF Micro Devices, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Daniel Charles Kerr · Oak Ridge, US
• Thomas Gregory McKay · Ramona, US
• Michael Carroll · Orlando, US
• Joseph M. Gering · Stokesdale, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jul 8, 2008
• Grant date: Mar 29, 2011
• Expiry date: Jul 8, 2028

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H10D86/201

Abstract

The present invention relates to using a potentially trap-rich layer, such as a polycrystalline Silicon layer, over a passivation region of a semiconductor substrate or a Silicon-on-insulator (SOI) device layer to substantially immobilize a surface conduction layer at the surface of the semiconductor substrate or SOI device layer at radio frequency (RF) frequencies. The potentially trap-rich layer may have a high density of traps that trap carriers from the surface conduction layer. The average release time from the traps may be longer than the period of any present RF signals, thereby effectively immobilizing the surface conduction layer, which may substantially prevent capacitance and inductance changes due to the RF signals. Therefore, harmonic distortion of the RF signals may be significantly reduced or eliminated. The semiconductor substrate may be a Silicon substrate, a Gallium Arsenide substrate, or another substrate.