Methods and mask structures for substantially defect-free epitaxial growth

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10340139-B2
Application number	US-201615333995-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 25, 2016
Priority date	Feb 15, 2012
Publication date	Jul 2, 2019
Grant date	Jul 2, 2019

Abstract

Disclosed are methods and mask structures for epitaxially growing substantially defect-free semiconductor material. In some embodiments, mask structure includes a first level defining a first trench extending through the first level, wherein a bottom of the first trench is defined by a semiconductor substrate, and a second level on top of the first level, wherein the second level defines a plurality of second trenches positioned at a non-zero angle with respect to the first trench.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A mask structure comprising:
a first level defining a first trench extending through the first level, wherein a bottom of the first trench is defined by a substrate, wherein the first trench has a first length greater than a first width of the first trench, and wherein the first trench is oriented in a first direction along the first length; and
a second level on top of the first level, wherein the second level defines a plurality of second trenches, wherein each second trench of the plurality (i) has a second width and a second length that is greater than the second width and (ii) is oriented in a second direction along the second length,
wherein the first trench extending through the first level comprises the first trench separating the first level into a first side and a second side, wherein each second trench of the plurality extends through at least a portion of the second level over the first side of the first level, the first trench, and the second side of the first level, and
wherein the second direction is different from the first direction, thereby enabling the mask structure to trap defects in multiple directions during epitaxial growth of a semiconductor material.

2. The mask structure of claim 1 , wherein the first trench has a first height that is at least three times the first width of the first trench.

3. The mask structure of claim 1 , wherein the second direction being different from the first direction comprises the second direction being substantially perpendicular to the first direction.

4. The mask structure of claim 1 , wherein the second level further defines two barriers positioned on opposing sides of the first trench, wherein an end of each second trench of the plurality is respectively defined by one of the two barriers.

5. The mask structure of claim 1 , wherein each second trench of the plurality has a second height that is at least three times the second width.

6. The mask structure of claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises a first crystalline material having a first lattice constant, wherein the mask structure is configured for epitaxial growth of a second crystalline material on the bottom of the first trench until the second crystalline material fills at least a portion of the plurality of second trenches, and wherein the second crystalline material has a second lattice constant different from the first lattice constant.

7. The mask structure of claim 6 , further comprising the second crystalline material grown on the bottom of the first trench and filling at least a portion of the plurality of second trenches.

8. A mask structure comprising:
a first level defining a first trench extending through the first level, wherein a bottom of the first trench is defined by a top surface of a substrate, and wherein a longest side of the first trench is oriented in a first direction along a plane in the first level that is substantially parallel to the top surface of the substrate; and
a second level on top of the first level, wherein the second level defines a plurality of second trenches, wherein a longest side respectively of each second trench of the plurality is oriented in a second direction along a plane in the second level that is substantially parallel to the top surface of the substrate,
wherein the first trench extending through the first level comprises the first trench separating the first level into a first side and a second side, wherein each second trench of the plurality extends through at least a portion of the second level over the first side of the first level, the first trench, and the second side of the first level, and
wherein the second direction is different from the first direction.

9. The mask structure of claim 8 , wherein the first trench has a height that is at least three times a width of the first trench.

10. The mask structure of claim 8 , wherein the second direction being different from the first direction comprises the second direction being substantially perpendicular to the first direction.

11. The mask structure of claim 8 , wherein the mask structure is configured to trap defects in the first and second directions during epitaxial growth of a semiconductor material.

12. The mask structure of claim 8 , wherein the second level further defines two barriers positioned on opposing sides of the first trench, wherein an end of each second trench of the plurality is respectively defined by one of the two barriers.

13. The mask structure of claim 8 , wherein each second trench of the plurality has a second height that is at least three times the second width.

14. The mask structure of claim 8 , wherein the substrate comprises a first crystalline material having a first lattice constant, wherein the mask structure is configured for epitaxial growth of a second crystalline material on the bottom of the first trench until the second crystalline material fills at least a portion of the plurality of second trenches, and wherein the second crystalline material has a second lattice constant different from the first lattice constant.

15. The mask structure of claim 14 , further comprising the second crystalline material grown on the bottom of the first trench and filling at least a portion of the plurality of second trenches.

Assignees

• Imec

Inventors

• Vincent Benjamin
• Thean Voon Yew
• Witters Liesbeth

Classifications

• H10P14/3414

  being group IIIA-VIA materials · CPC title

• H10P14/3411

  Silicon, silicon germanium or germanium · CPC title

• H10P14/2922

  being non-crystalline insulating materials, e.g. glass or polymers · CPC title

• H10P14/2905

  Silicon, silicon germanium or germanium · CPC title

• H10P14/276

  Lateral overgrowth · CPC title