Semiconductor wafer, method of producing semiconductor wafer, and heterojunction bipolar transistor
09761686 · 2017-09-12
Assignee
Inventors
Cpc classification
H01L21/0262
ELECTRICITY
International classification
H01L21/00
ELECTRICITY
H01L21/02
ELECTRICITY
H01L29/00
ELECTRICITY
Abstract
Techniques are provided that can impart sufficient electrical conductivity to a semiconductor crystal exhibiting low doping efficiency for silicon atoms, such as InGaAs, by implanting only a small amount of silicon atoms. Such a semiconductor wafer may include a first semiconductor crystal layer, a second semiconductor crystal layer exhibiting a conductivity type that is different from the first layer, a third semiconductor crystal layer exhibiting the conductivity type of the first layer and having a larger band gap than the second semiconductor crystal layer, and a fourth semiconductor crystal layer exhibiting the conductivity type of the first layer and having a smaller band gap than the third semiconductor crystal layer. The fourth semiconductor crystal layer contains a first element that generates a first carrier of a corresponding conductivity type and a second element that generates a second carrier of a corresponding conductivity type.
Claims
1. A semiconductor wafer comprising: a first semiconductor crystal layer exhibiting a first conductivity type that is one of a p-type and an n-type; a second semiconductor crystal layer exhibiting a second conductivity type that is different from the first conductivity type; a third semiconductor crystal layer exhibiting the first conductivity type and having a larger band gap than the second semiconductor crystal layer; and a fourth semiconductor crystal layer exhibiting the first conductivity type and having a smaller band gap than the third semiconductor crystal layer, wherein the first semiconductor crystal layer, the second semiconductor crystal layer, the third semiconductor crystal layer and the fourth semiconductor crystal layer are arranged in an order of the first semiconductor crystal layer, the second semiconductor crystal layer, the third semiconductor crystal layer and the fourth semiconductor crystal layer, the fourth semiconductor crystal layer contains a first element that generates a first carrier corresponding to the first conductivity type and a second element that generates a second carrier corresponding to the second conductivity type, the fourth semiconductor crystal layer has a carrier concentration of 1×10.sup.19 [cm.sup.−3] or higher and a mobility of 1000 [cm.sup.2/Vs] or higher according to a Hall effect measurement, the fourth semiconductor crystal layer is an In.sub.xGa.sub.1-xAs layer (0.4<x<0.8) exhibiting n-type conductivity, the first element is silicon, the second element is carbon, and the ratio in concentration of carbon to silicon in the InGaAs layer is 0.15 or lower.
2. The semiconductor wafer according to claim 1, wherein the fourth semiconductor crystal layer has a carrier concentration of 2×10.sup.19 [cm.sup.−3] or higher and a mobility of 1000 [cm.sup.2/Vs] or higher according to a Hall effect measurement.
3. A heterojunction bipolar transistor comprising the semiconductor wafer according to claim 1; wherein the first semiconductor crystal layer is used as a collector layer, the second semiconductor crystal layer is used as a base layer, the third semiconductor crystal layer is used as an emitter layer, and the fourth semiconductor crystal layer is used as an emitter contact layer.
4. A method of producing a semiconductor wafer, comprising sequentially epitaxially growing, on a wafer, a first semiconductor crystal layer exhibiting a first conductivity type that is one of a p-type and an n-type, a second semiconductor crystal layer exhibiting a second conductivity type that is different from the first conductivity type, a third semiconductor crystal layer exhibiting the first conductivity type and having a larger band gap than the second semiconductor crystal layer, and a fourth semiconductor crystal layer exhibiting the first conductivity type and having a smaller band gap than the third semiconductor crystal layer; wherein the fourth semiconductor crystal layer is formed by means of MOCVD using a first source gas containing a Group-III element and a second element, a second source gas containing a Group-V element and a third source gas containing a first element, the first element generates a first carrier corresponding to the first conductivity type and the second element generates a second carrier corresponding to the second conductivity type, and the fourth semiconductor crystal layer is formed with a feed rate ratio of the third source gas to the first source gas set to 0.6 or lower.
5. The method of producing a semiconductor wafer according to claim 4, wherein the fourth semiconductor crystal layer is formed with a growth temperature set to 550° C. or lower.
6. The method of producing a semiconductor wafer according to claim 4, wherein the first source gas contains an In source gas containing In and a Ga source gas containing Ga, during the formation of the fourth semiconductor crystal layer, the feed rate ratio of the In source gas to the Ga source gas is controlled so that the ratio x of In to Ga in the fourth semiconductor crystal layer is 0.4<x<0.8.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
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(8)
DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS
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(10) The support wafer 102 is designed to support the stack structure 104 and is not particularly limited in terms of its shape, materials or the like, as long as the support wafer 102 has necessary levels of mechanical strength, chemical stability, and thermal stability to form the respective layers making up the stack structure 104. When the stack structure 104 is made up by GaAs-based compound semiconductor crystal layers, the support wafer 102 is preferably a semi-insulative GaAs wafer. In addition to a GaAs wafer, a silicon wafer, a germanium wafer or the like can be used as the support wafer 102.
(11) The stack structure 104 includes a first connection layer 106, a first semiconductor crystal layer 108, a second semiconductor crystal layer 110, a third semiconductor crystal layer 112, a second connection layer 114 and a fourth semiconductor crystal layer 116. The first connection layer 106 is a semiconductor crystal layer heavily doped with impurity atoms and has the same conductivity type as the first semiconductor crystal layer 108. The first connection layer 106 is designed to establish electrical connection between the first semiconductor crystal layer 108 and electrodes to be later formed. The second connection layer 114 is a semiconductor crystal layer heavily doped with impurity atoms and has the same conductivity type as the third semiconductor crystal layer 112 and the fourth semiconductor crystal layer 116. The second connection layer 114 is designed to establish electrical connection between the third semiconductor crystal layer 112 and the fourth semiconductor crystal layer 116.
(12) The first semiconductor crystal layer 108 exhibits a first conductivity type, which is one of the p-type and the n-type. The second semiconductor crystal layer 110 exhibits a second conductivity type that is different from the first conductivity type. The third semiconductor crystal layer 112 exhibits the first conductivity type and has a greater band gap than the second semiconductor crystal layer 110. The fourth semiconductor crystal layer 116 exhibits the first conductivity type and has a smaller band gap than the third semiconductor crystal layer 112. The first semiconductor crystal layer 108, the second semiconductor crystal layer 110, the third semiconductor crystal layer 112 and the fourth semiconductor crystal layer 116 are arranged in the order of the first semiconductor crystal layer 108, the second semiconductor crystal layer 110, the third semiconductor crystal layer 112 and the fourth semiconductor crystal layer 116 as shown in
(13)
(14) In the case of the heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) 200 shown in
(15) The HBT 200 is configured such that the band gap of the third semiconductor crystal layer 112 serving as the emitter is greater than the band gap of the second semiconductor crystal layer 110 serving as the base. In this manner, the diffusing current from the emitter to the base can be guided to flow into the collector without being lost in the base region, and the diffusing current from the base to the emitter can be blocked by the heterojunction of the valence band. Accordingly, the HBT 200 can achieve high-speed operation. In addition, the band gap of the fourth semiconductor crystal layer 116 serving as the emitter contact is smaller than the band gap of the third semiconductor crystal layer 112. In this way, lowered contact resistance is observed between the emitter electrode 206 and the fourth semiconductor crystal layer 116, and increased current density can be achieved for the current flowing from the emitter electrode 206.
(16) As for the semiconductor wafer 100 of the present embodiment, the fourth semiconductor crystal layer 116 contains a first atom that generates a first-conductivity-type carrier and a second atom that generates a second-conductivity-type carrier, and the fourth semiconductor crystal layer 116 has a carrier concentration of 1×10.sup.19 [cm.sup.−3] or higher and mobility of 1000 [cm.sup.2/Vs] or higher, preferably a carrier concentration of 2×10.sup.19 [cm.sup.−3] or higher and mobility of 1000 [cm.sup.2/Vs] or higher, which are measured by means of the Hall effect measurements. Accordingly, the fourth semiconductor crystal layer 116 and the emitter electrode 206 form an ohmic contact, and the semiconductor wafer 100 can achieve lowered contact resistance and lowered resistance of the fourth semiconductor crystal layer 116.
(17) The carrier concentration of 1×10.sup.19 [cm.sup.−3] or higher and the mobility of 1000 [cm.sup.2/Vs] or higher of the fourth semiconductor crystal layer 116 can be achieved based on the following findings obtained by the inventors of the present invention from experiments and reviews.
(18) In order that the fourth semiconductor crystal layer 116 may exhibit the first conductivity type, the fourth semiconductor crystal layer 116 needs to contain such an amount of first atoms that the carriers generated by the first atoms are more than offset by the carriers generated by the second atoms. In addition, the fourth semiconductor crystal layer 116 needs to be doped with a large amount of first atoms in order to achieve a carrier concentration (approximately 1×10.sup.19 [cm.sup.−3]) that is enough to lower the contact resistance between the fourth semiconductor crystal layer 116 and the emitter electrode 206 to a required level. Such requirements poses problems in relation to the heavy doping of silicon atoms when the fourth semiconductor crystal layer 116 is, for example, an InGaAs layer, as set forth in the section of the related art.
(19) The inventors of the present invention have focused on the fact that the second atoms may offset the carriers and found that the amount of first atoms to be implanted can be reduced by reducing the amount of the second atoms to be implanted. In order to reduce the amount of the second atoms to be implanted, the fourth semiconductor crystal layer 116 may be grown at a higher rate. The fourth semiconductor crystal layer 116 can achieve enhanced purity and crystallinity by accomplishing lower concentrations of the first and second atoms. In this manner, the fourth semiconductor crystal layer 116 can achieve mobility of 1000 [cm.sup.2/Vs] or higher while it is ensured that the fourth semiconductor crystal layer 116 achieves the necessary carrier concentration.
(20) When the HBT 200 is of the npn-type, the fourth semiconductor crystal layer 116 can be, for example, an n-type In.sub.xGa.sub.1-xAs layer (0<×<1). In this case, the first atoms are silicon atoms and the second atoms are carbon atoms, for example. The ratio in concentration of the carbon atoms to the silicon atoms in the InGaAs layer can be 0.15 or lower, preferably 0.15 to 0.01, more preferably 0.1 to 0.01, most preferably 0.07 to 0.01. As described above, the carbon atoms, which are the second atoms, have a low concentration, and the ratio of the carbon atoms to the silicon atoms, which are the first atoms, is 0.15 or lower. When the fourth semiconductor crystal layer 116 is an n-type In.sub.xGa.sub.1-xAs layer (0<×<1), a carrier concentration of 1×10.sup.19 [cm.sup.−3] or higher and a mobility of 1000 [cm.sup.2/Vs] or higher, preferably a carrier concentration of 2×10.sup.19 [cm.sup.−3] or higher and a mobility of 1000 [cm.sup.2/Vs] or higher, can be achieved if the ratio in concentration of the carbon atoms, which are the second atoms, to the silicon atoms, which are the first atoms is 0.15 or lower.
(21) When the fourth semiconductor crystal layer 116 is an n-type In.sub.xGa.sub.1-xAs layer (0.4<×<0.8), a carrier concentration of 1×10.sup.19 [cm.sup.−3] or higher and a mobility of 1000 [cm.sup.2/Vs] or higher, preferably a carrier concentration of 2×10.sup.19 [cm.sup.−3] or higher and a mobility of 1000 [cm.sup.2/Vs] or higher, can be also achieved. When the In ratio x is 0.4<×<0.8 or relatively high, the InGaAs layer suffers from poor crystallinity and experiences considerable surface roughness unless formed at a low temperature of 550° C. or lower. In the present embodiment, however, the fourth semiconductor crystal layer 116 can achieve a low carbon atom concentration even if grown at a low temperature of 550° C. or lower. Thus, the fourth semiconductor crystal layer 116 can achieve a mobility of 1000 [cm.sup.2/Vs] or higher while it is ensured that the fourth semiconductor crystal layer 116 has a necessary carrier concentration. Accordingly, even when the In ratio x is 0.4<×<0.8, the fourth semiconductor crystal layer 116 of the present embodiment can achieve a carrier concentration of 1×10.sup.19 [cm.sup.−3] or higher and a mobility of 1000 [cm.sup.2/Vs] or higher, preferably a carrier concentration of 2×10.sup.19 [cm.sup.−3] or higher and mobility of 1000 [cm.sup.2/Vs] or higher without causing surface roughness.
(22) For example, the first connection layer 106 is an n.sup.+-type GaAs layer, the first semiconductor crystal layer 108 is an n-type GaAs layer, the second semiconductor crystal layer 110 is a p-type GaAs layer, the third semiconductor crystal layer 112 is an n-type InGaP layer, the second connection layer 114 is an n-type GaAs layer, and the fourth semiconductor crystal layer 116 is an n-type InGaAs layer.
(23) The first connection layer 106, the first semiconductor crystal layer 108, the second semiconductor crystal layer 110, the third semiconductor crystal layer 112 and the second connection layer 114 can be formed using MOCVD (Metal Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition). The MOCVD technique can use as the source gas, for example, TMGa (trimethylgallium), TEGa (triethylgallium), TMIn (trimethylindium), AsH.sub.3 (arsine), PH.sub.3 (phosphine) or the like. The carrier gas can be hydrogen. A compound can be alternatively used that is obtained by replacing some of the hydrogen atom groups of the source gas with chlorine atoms or hydrocarbon groups. The reaction temperature can be selected as appropriate within the range of 300° C. to 900° C., preferably 400° C. to 800° C. The thickness can be controlled by appropriately selecting the amount of the source gas to be fed and the reaction duration.
(24) Likewise, the fourth semiconductor crystal layer 116 cab be formed using MOCVD using a first source gas containing Group-III atoms and the second atoms, a second source gas containing Group-V atoms and a third source gas containing the first atoms. The formation of the fourth semiconductor crystal layer 116 is performed with the feed rate ratio of the third source gas to the first source gas set to 0.6 or lower, preferably 0.55 to 0.01. It should be noted that the first atoms generate the first carriers corresponding to the first conductivity type and that the second atoms generate the second carriers corresponding to the second conductivity type.
(25) The first source gas can be TMGa, TEGa and TMIn. The second source gas can be AsH.sub.3. When the first conductivity type is the n-type, the third source gas can be SiH.sub.4 (silane) or Si.sub.2H.sub.6 (disilane). The first source gas contains carbon atoms that are to generate holes, which are the second carriers.
(26) The carrier gas can be hydrogen. A compound can be alternatively used that is obtained by replacing some of the hydrogen atom groups of the source gas with chlorine atoms or hydrocarbon groups. The reaction temperature can be set 550° C. or lower. The In ratio can be controlled by regulating the ratio in fed amount between TMIn and one of TMGa and TEGa, which are the first source gas. The ratio in fed amount of the In source gas to the Ga source gas can be controlled such that the ratio x of the In atoms to the Ga atoms in the fourth semiconductor crystal layer 116 is 0.4<×<0.8. The thickness can be controlled by appropriately selecting the amount of the source gas to be fed and the reaction duration.
(27) (Working Example)
(28) A semiconductor wafer of a working example was manufactured by sequentially stacking, on a semi-insulative GaAs wafer (the support wafer 102), an n.sup.+-type GaAs layer to serve as the sub-collector (the first connection layer 106), an n-type GaAs layer to serve as the collector (the first semiconductor crystal layer 108), a p-type GaAs layer to serve as the base (the second semiconductor crystal layer 110), an n-type InGaP layer to serve as the emitter (the third semiconductor crystal layer 112), an n-type GaAs layer to serve as the sub-emitter (the second connection layer 114) and an n-type InGaAs layer to serve as the emitter contact (the fourth semiconductor crystal layer 116). The n-type InGaP layer to serve as the emitter (the third semiconductor crystal layer 112) had a larger band gap than the p-type GaAs layer to serve as the base (the second semiconductor crystal layer 110). The n-type InGaAs layer to serve as the emitter contact (the fourth semiconductor crystal layer 116) had a smaller band gap than the n-type InGaP layer to serve as the emitter (the third semiconductor crystal layer 112).
(29) The n-type InGaAs layer to serve as the emitter contact (the fourth semiconductor crystal layer 116) was formed using TEGa and TMIn as the Group-III source material, AsH.sub.3 as the Group-V source material, and Si.sub.2H.sub.6 as the Group-IV source material. The growth temperature was appropriately selected within the range of 466° C. to 503° C. and a high growth rate was achieved by feeding a large amount of TMIn. The thickness was 250 nm.
(30) As for the formation of the n-type InGaAs layer (the fourth semiconductor crystal layer 116), the feed rate ratio of the Group-IV source material to the Group-III source material (the IV/III ratio) was changed within the range of 0.07 to 0.51 to manufacture semiconductor wafers of first to fourth working examples. In addition, the In ratio was changed within the range of 0.5 to 0.68 to manufacture semiconductor wafers of fifth to eighth working examples. For the comparison purposes, the growth rate was lowered to 15.8 nm/min to 19.0 nm/min, and the IV/III ratio was changed within the range of 0.73 to 0.94 to manufacture semiconductor wafers of first to third comparative examples.
(31) It should be noted that the IV/III ratio is defined based on the actual flow rates of the Group-IV source material and the Group-III source material as fed from the tanks or bubblers. The actual flow rate of the source material is calculated as (the gas concentration in the tank)×(the gas flow rate) when the source material is fed from the tank in the gaseous phase, or as (the carrier gas flow rate)×(the vapor pressure of the source material within the bubbler)/(the internal pressure within the bubbler) when the source material is fed through the bubbler. The gas flow rate and the carrier gas flow rate are controlled by a mass flow controller.
(32) Tables 1 and 2 shows the measured values of the growth rate, electron concentration and mobility for the first to third comparative examples, the first to fourth working examples, and the fifth to eighth working examples. Table 2 additionally shows the measured values of the resistivity for the fifth to eighth working examples. Tables 1 and 2 also show the measured values of the ratio of the C atom concentration to the Si atom concentration (the C/Si ratio in concentration) for some of the working examples. Table 1 also shows the measured values for the first to third comparative examples. The electron concentration, mobility and resistivity were examined by means of the Hall effect measurement technique (the van der pauw method) using the ResiTest 8300 Hall Measurement system available from TOYO Corporation under the ASTM F76 standards. The C/Si ratio in concentration was examined by means of secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). The In ratio was examined using the X-ray diffraction technique. In Tables 1 and 2, CE stands for a comparative example and WE stands for a working example.
(33) TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 C/Si ELECTRON CONCEN- GROWTH IV/III CONCEN- TRATION RATE RATIO TRATION MOBILITY RATIO (nm/min) (—) (1/cm.sup.3) (cm.sup.2/Vs) (—) CE1 19.0 0.73 2.4E+19 970 — CE2 15.8 0.79 2.5E+19 990 0.18 CE3 18.7 0.94 2.5E+19 980 — WE1 27.1 0.07 1.2E+19 1,190 — WE2 27.6 0.26 2.5E+19 1,090 0.05 WE3 25.9 0.41 2.5E+19 1,060 — WE4 28.3 0.51 1.9E+19 1,020 —
(34) TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 GROWTH ELECTRON C/Si RATE In RATIO CONCENTRATION MOBILITY RESISTIVITY CONCENTRATION (nm/min) (—) (1/cm.sup.3) (cm.sup.2/Vs) (Ωcm) RATIO (—) WE5 25.7 0.50 2.5E+19 1,090 2.3E−04 — WE6 24.8 0.54 2.7E+19 1,050 2.2E−04 — WE7 25.3 0.57 3.0E+19 1,030 2.1E−04 — WE8 24.8 0.68 3.8E+19 1,000 1.6E−04 0.04
(35)
(36) Tables 1 and 2 reveal the following results. While the growth rate is 15.8 nm/min to 19.0 nm/min for the first to third comparative examples, a high growth rate of 24.8 nm/min or higher is achieved for the first to eighth working examples. While the C/Si ratio in concentration for the second comparative example is 0.18, a low C/Si ratio in concentration is observed for the second and eighth working examples, specifically speaking, 0.05 and 0.04 respectively. These results indicate that the increased growth rate can reduce the amount of carbon atoms. The growth rate can be increased by controlling the growth conditions for the MOCVD process. For example, when the crystal layer growth rate is limited by the surface reaction rate, the wafer temperature is raised to improve the surface reaction rate of the source gas, thereby increasing the growth rate. Alternatively, when the crystal layer growth rate is limited by the feed rate of the Group-III source material, the flow rate of the Group III source gas is raised to increase the feed rate of the Group III source material, thereby increasing the growth rate.
(37) By reducing the amount of the carbon atoms, a sufficiently high electron concentration can be obtained even with the IV/III ratio set to 0.5 or lower as shown in
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DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS
(39) 100 . . . semiconductor wafer, 102 . . . support wafer, 104 . . . stack structure, 106 . . . first connection layer, 108 . . . first semiconductor crystal layer, 110 . . . second semiconductor crystal layer, 112 . . . third semiconductor crystal layer, 114 . . . second connection layer, 116 . . . fourth semiconductor crystal layer, 200 . . . heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT), 202 . . . collector electrode, 204 . . . base electrode, 206 . . . emitter electrode, x . . . In ratio