A heat treatment system includes a heat treatment condition storing unit that stores a heat treatment condition with respect to a doping processing and a diffusion processing; a model storing unit that stores a model representing a relationship between a change of the heat treatment condition and a change of an impurity concentration in an impurity-doped thin film; a heat treatment unit that forms the impurity-doped thin film under the heat treatment condition; a calculating unit that calculates a heat treatment condition of the doping processing and the diffusion processing that causes the impurity concentration in the impurity-doped film to be included within the predetermined range, based on the impurity concentration in the impurity-doped thin film and the model; and an adjusting unit that adjusts the impurity concentration in the impurity-doped thin film to be included within the predetermined range.

A method for producing a semiconductor device includes forming a semiconductor-pillar on a substrate and forming a laminated-structure of at least two composite layers, each including a metal layer and a semiconductor layer in contact with the metal layer, the semiconductor layer containing donor or acceptor atoms, and two interlayer insulating layers sandwiching the composite layers, such that a side surface of at least one of the two interlayer insulating layers is separated from a side surface of the semiconductor pillar. The laminated-structure surrounds the semiconductor pillar. A first heat treatment causes a reaction between the metal layer and the semiconductor layer to form an alloy layer, and brings the alloy layer into contact with the side surface of the semiconductor pillar. A second heat treatment to expands the alloy layer into the semiconductor pillar and diffuses dopant atoms into the semiconductor pillar to form an impurity region therein.

A method for producing a semiconductor device includes forming a semiconductor-pillar on a substrate and forming a laminated-structure of at least two composite layers, each including a metal layer and a semiconductor layer in contact with the metal layer, the semiconductor layer containing donor or acceptor atoms, and two interlayer insulating layers sandwiching the composite layers, such that a side surface of at least one of the two interlayer insulating layers is separated from a side surface of the semiconductor pillar. The laminated-structure surrounds the semiconductor pillar. A first heat treatment causes a reaction between the metal layer and the semiconductor layer to form an alloy layer, and brings the alloy layer into contact with the side surface of the semiconductor pillar. A second heat treatment to expands the alloy layer into the semiconductor pillar and diffuses dopant atoms into the semiconductor pillar to form an impurity region therein.

An approach to providing a method of forming a dopant junction in a semiconductor device. The approach includes performing a surface modification treatment on an exposed surface of a semiconductor layer and depositing a dopant material on the exposed surface of the semiconductor layer. Furthermore, the approach includes alloying a metal layer with a dopant layer to form a semiconductor device junction where the semiconductor layer is composed of a Group III-V semiconductor material, the surface modification treatment occurs in a vacuum chamber to remove surface oxides from the exposed surface of the semiconductor layer, and each of the above processes occur at a low temperature.

An opening extending through a gate insulating layer and a gate conductor layer is formed in the circumferential portion of a Si pillar at an intermediate height of the Si pillar. A laminated structure including two sets each including a Ni film, a poly-Si layer containing donor or acceptor impurity atoms, and a SiO.sub.2 layer is formed so as to surround the opening. A heat treatment is carried out to form silicide from the poly-Si layers and this silicide formation causes the resultant NiSi layers to protrude and come into contact with the side surface of the Si pillar. The donor or acceptor impurity atoms diffuse from the NiSi layers into the Si pillar to thereby form an N.sup.+ region and a P.sup.+ region serving as a source or a drain of SGTs.

An opening extending through a gate insulating layer and a gate conductor layer is formed in the circumferential portion of a Si pillar at an intermediate height of the Si pillar. A laminated structure including two sets each including a Ni film, a poly-Si layer containing donor or acceptor impurity atoms, and a SiO.sub.2 layer is formed so as to surround the opening. A heat treatment is carried out to form silicide from the poly-Si layers and this silicide formation causes the resultant NiSi layers to protrude and come into contact with the side surface of the Si pillar. The donor or acceptor impurity atoms diffuse from the NiSi layers into the Si pillar to thereby form an N.sup.+ region and a P.sup.+ region serving as a source or a drain of SGTs.

What is proposed is a method of producing at least two differently heavily doped subzones (3, 5) predominantly doped with a first dopant type in a silicon substrate (1), in particular for a solar cell. The method comprises: covering at least a first subzone (3) of the silicon substrate (1) in which a heavier doping with the first dopant type is to be produced with a doping layer (7) of borosilicate glass, wherein at least a second subzone (5) of the silicon substrate (1) in which a lighter doping with the first dopant type is to be produced is not covered with the doping layer (7), and wherein boron as a dopant of a second dopant type differing from the first dopant type and oppositely polarized with respect to the same is included in the layer (7), and; heating the such prepared silicon substrate (1) to temperatures above 300 C., preferably above 900 C., in a furnace in an atmosphere containing significant quantities of the first dopant type. Additionally, at least a third doped subzone (15) doped with the second dopant type may be produced by the method additionally comprising, prior to the heating, a covering of the doping layer (7), above the third doped subzone (15) to be produced, with a further layer (17) acting as a diffusion barrier for the first dopant type.

The method uses the observation that a borosilicate glass layer seems to promote an in-diffusion of phosphorus from a gas atmosphere and may substantially facilitate a manufacturing for example of solar cells, in particular back contact solar cells.

A method for forming an electrical contact to a semiconductor structure is provided. The method includes providing a semiconductor structure, providing a metal on an area of said semiconductor structure, wherein said area exposes a semiconductor material and is at least a part of a contact region, converting said metal to a Si-comprising or a Ge-comprising alloy, thereby forming said electrical contact on said area, wherein said converting is done by performing a vapor-solid reaction, whereby said semiconductor structure including said metal is subjected to a silicon-comprising precursor gas or a germanium-comprising precursor gas.

A method for forming an electrical contact to a semiconductor structure is provided. The method includes providing a semiconductor structure, providing a metal on an area of said semiconductor structure, wherein said area exposes a semiconductor material and is at least a part of a contact region, converting said metal to a Si-comprising or a Ge-comprising alloy, thereby forming said electrical contact on said area, wherein said converting is done by performing a vapor-solid reaction, whereby said semiconductor structure including said metal is subjected to a silicon-comprising precursor gas or a germanium-comprising precursor gas.

An object is to use an electrode made of a less expensive material than gold (Au). A semiconductor device comprises: a first titanium layer that is formed to cover at least part of a semiconductor layer and is made of titanium; an aluminum layer that is formed on the first titanium layer on opposite side of the semiconductor layer and mainly consists of aluminum; a titanium nitride layer that is formed on the aluminum layer on opposite side of the first titanium layer and is made of titanium nitride; and an electrode layer that is formed on the titanium nitride layer on opposite side of the aluminum layer and is made of copper.