Method for processing a semiconductor region and an electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10276362-B2
Application number	US-201615141855-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 29, 2016
Priority date	Apr 29, 2016
Publication date	Apr 30, 2019
Grant date	Apr 30, 2019

Abstract

According to various embodiments, a method for processing a semiconductor region, wherein the semiconductor region comprises at least one precipitate, may include: forming a precipitate removal layer over the semiconductor region, wherein the precipitate removal layer may define an absorption temperature at which a chemical solubility of a constituent of the at least one precipitate is greater in the precipitate removal layer than in the semiconductor region; and heating the at least one precipitate above the absorption temperature.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for processing a semiconductor region, wherein the semiconductor region comprises at least one precipitate, the method comprising:
forming a precipitate removal layer over the semiconductor region, wherein at an absorption temperature a chemical solubility of a constituent of the at least one precipitate is greater in the precipitate removal layer than in the semiconductor region; and
heating the at least one precipitate above the absorption temperature,
wherein an amorphous phase of the precipitate removal layer is at least one of formed and maintained by the absorption of the constituent in the precipitate removal layer.

2. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein heating the at least one precipitate above the absorption temperature comprises:
thermally activating absorption of the constituent from at least one precipitate in the precipitate removal layer.

3. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the constituent comprises a dopant material of the semiconductor region.

4. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the precipitate removal layer comprises a material different than the constituent.

5. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the precipitate removal layer is configured to decompose the at least one precipitate above the absorption temperature.

6. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one precipitate comprises a semiconductor material of the semiconductor region.

7. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein at least one precipitate forms a protrusion of the semiconductor region.

8. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one precipitate comprises a crystalline phase.

9. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the semiconductor region is planarized during the heating.

10. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the semiconductor region comprises an electronic element.

11. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the precipitate removal layer is electrically conductive.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
forming a metallization over the precipitate removal layer.

13. The method of claim 12 ,
wherein the metallization comprises at least one of zinc, nickel, aluminum, silicon and copper.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
forming a further metallization for contacting the semiconductor region at a side of the semiconductor region opposite the precipitate removal layer.

15. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the constituent is configured to reduce an electron lifetime of the semiconductor region.

16. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
removing remaining constituent disposed over the semiconductor region before forming the precipitate removal layer.

17. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein a mechanical hardness of the at least one precipitate is greater than a mechanical hardness of a semiconductor material of the semiconductor region.

18. A method for processing a semiconductor region,
wherein the semiconductor region comprises a dopant, the method comprising:
forming a precipitate removal layer over the semiconductor region,
wherein at an absorption temperature a chemical solubility of the dopant in the precipitate removal layer is greater than in the semiconductor region; and
thermally activating absorption of the dopant from the semiconductor region in the precipitate removal layer by heating above the absorption temperature,
wherein an amorphous phase of the precipitate removal layer is at least one of formed and maintained by the absorption of the constituent in the precipitate removal layer.

19. A method for processing a semiconductor region, the method comprising:
doping the semiconductor region with platinum;
forming a precipitate removal layer comprising tungsten over the semiconductor region, wherein at an absorption temperature a chemical solubility of platinum in the precipitate removal layer is greater than in the semiconductor region; and
thermally activating absorption of platinum from the semiconductor region in the precipitate removal layer by heating above the absorption temperature.

Assignees

• Infineon Technologies Ag

Inventors

• Napetschnig Evelyn
• Wirtitsch Sandra
• Barusic Mario
• Hinz Aleksander
• Hartl Robert
• Schinner Georg

Classifications

• H10P95/906

  for altering the shape of semiconductors, e.g. smoothing the surface · CPC title

• H10P70/56

  Cleaning of wafer backside · CPC title

• H10P70/50

  characterised by the part to be cleaned · CPC title

• H10P50/642

  Chemical etching · CPC title

• H10P32/171 Primary

  being group IV material · CPC title