Methods of forming semiconductor patterns including reduced dislocation defects and devices formed using such methods

US9064699B2 · US · B2

Patent metadata
FieldValue
Publication numberUS-9064699-B2
Application numberUS-201414258704-A
CountryUS
Kind codeB2
Filing dateApr 22, 2014
Priority dateSep 30, 2013
Publication dateJun 23, 2015
Grant dateJun 23, 2015

How to read this patent

A practical reading order for non-experts. Skip the full description unless you need deep technical detail.

  1. Title

    What the patent document calls the invention.

  2. Abstract

    A short plain-language summary of the technical disclosure.

  3. Assignees and inventors

    Who owns or filed the patent and who is credited as inventor.

  4. Key dates

    Filing, priority, publication, and grant dates set the timeline.

  5. First independent claim

    The legal scope of protection — read this for what is actually claimed.

  6. CPC / IPC classifications

    Technology tags used to group this patent with similar filings.

  7. Citations and related patents

    Prior art links and similar publications in this corpus.

Abstract

Official abstract text for this publication.

Methods of forming semiconductor patterns including reduced dislocation defects and devices formed using such methods are provided. The methods may include forming an oxide layer on a substrate and forming a recess in the oxide layer and the substrate. The methods may further include forming an epitaxially grown semiconductor pattern in the recess that contacts a sidewall of the substrate at an interface between the oxide layer and the substrate and defines an upper surface of a void in the recess in the substrate.

First claim

Opening claim text (preview).

What is claimed is: 1. A method of forming a semiconductor pattern, the method comprising: forming an oxide layer on a substrate; forming a recess in the oxide layer and the substrate; and forming an epitaxially grown semiconductor pattern in the recess, which contacts a sidewall of the substrate at an interface between the oxide layer and the substrate and defines an upper surface of a void in the recess in the substrate. 2. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the recess comprises forming a lower portion of the recess in the substrate having an aspect ratio greater than 3 such that the void exposes the sidewall of the substrate. 3. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the recess comprises forming an upper portion of the recess through the oxide layer having an aspect ratio greater than 1. 4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: implanting oxygen ions into the substrate to form an insulating region under the recess. 5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: widening a portion of the recess in the substrate at the interface of the substrate and the oxide layer to form an undercut region. 6. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the epitaxially grown semiconductor pattern comprises: epitaxially growing a lower semiconductor pattern defining the upper surface of the void in the recess in the substrate using the sidewall of the substrate at the interface between the oxide layer and the substrate as a first seed layer; and epitaxially growing an upper semiconductor pattern in the recess using the lower semiconductor pattern as a second seed layer. 7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the void exposes the sidewall of the substrate. 8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the lower semiconductor pattern comprises a material different from the upper semiconductor pattern. 9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the lower semiconductor pattern comprises silicon germanium (SiGe), and the upper semiconductor pattern comprises germanium (Ge). 10. The method of claim 1 , wherein: the substrate comprises a first semiconductor layer and a second semiconductor layer extending between the oxide layer and the first semiconductor layer; the second semiconductor layer comprises germanium (Ge), silicon germanium (SiGe), indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs), or a III-V compound; and the epitaxially grown semiconductor pattern contacts a sidewall of the second semiconductor layer. 11. The method of claim 10 , wherein a thickness of the second semiconductor layer is in a range of about 100 nm to about 1 μm. 12. A method of forming a fin-shaped semiconductor pattern, the method comprising: forming an oxide layer on a substrate; forming a recess through the oxide layer and in the substrate; performing a first epitaxial growth process to form an overhang seed layer in the recess using a sidewall of the substrate at an interface between the oxide layer and the substrate as a first seed layer, the overhang seed layer defining an upper surface of a void in the recess; performing a second epitaxial growth process to form a semiconductor pattern in the recess using the overhang seed layer as a second seed layer; and recessing the oxide layer to form the fin-shaped semiconductor pattern by exposing an upper portion of the semiconductor pattern. 13. The method of claim 12 , wherein: performing the first epitaxial growth process further comprises forming a bottom seed pattern on a bottom of the recess; and the overhang seed layer is isolated from the bottom seed pattern. 14. The method of claim 12 , wherein: the substrate comprises a first semiconductor layer and a second semiconductor layer extending between the oxide layer and the first semiconductor layer, the second semiconductor layer comprising germanium (Ge), silicon germanium (SiGe), indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs), or a III-V compound; and the recess exposes a sidewall of the second semiconductor layer comprising the first seed layer. 15. The method of claim 14 , wherein a thickness of the second semiconductor layer is in a range of about 100 nm to about 1 μm. 16. A method of forming a semiconductor layer, the method comprising: sequentially forming a semiconductor seed layer and an oxide layer on the substrate; forming a plurality of recesses in the oxide layer and the semiconductor seed layer; epitaxially growing a plurality of semiconductor patterns in the respective plurality of recesses using portions of sidewalls of the semiconductor seed layer at an interface between the oxide layer and the semiconductor seed layer as seed layers until upper portions of the plurality of semiconductor patterns protrude from the respective plurality of recesses, the plurality of semiconductor patterns defining upper surfaces of a plurality of voids in the respective plurality of recesses; and epitaxially growing the semiconductor layer extending on the oxide layer using the plurality of semiconductor patterns as seed layers. 17. The method of claim 16 , wherein: forming the plurality of recesses comprises forming lower portions of the plurality of recesses in the semiconductor seed layer; and each of the lower portions of the plurality of recesses has an aspect ratio greater than 3 such that the each of the plurality of voids exposes the sidewalls of the semiconductor seed layer. 18. The method of claim 16 , wherein a thickness of the semiconductor seed layer is in a range of about 100 nm to about 1 μm. 19. The method of claim 16 , wherein epitaxially growing the plurality of semiconductor patterns comprises: epitaxially growing a plurality of lower semiconductor patterns defining the upper surfaces of the respective plurality of voids using the portions of sidewalls of the semiconductor seed layer at the interface between the oxide layer and the semiconductor seed layer as the seed layers; and epitaxially growing a plurality of upper semiconductor patterns in the respective plurality of recesses from the respective plurality of lower semiconductor patterns. 20. The method of claim 19 , wherein: epitaxially growing the plurality of upper semiconductor patterns comprises growing the plurality of upper semiconductor patterns protruding from the respective plurality of recesses; and epitaxially growing the semiconductor layer comprises laterally growing the plurality of upper semiconductor patterns until adjacent ones of the plurality of upper semiconductor patterns contact each other.

Assignees

Inventors

Classifications

  • Arsenides · CPC title

  • being group IIIA-VIA materials · CPC title

  • Silicon, silicon germanium or germanium · CPC title

  • Lateral overgrowth · CPC title

  • characterised by the preparation of substrate for selective deposition · CPC title

Patent family

Related publications grouped by family.

External sources

Frequently asked questions

Answers are generated from the same data shown on this page.

What does patent US9064699B2 cover?
Methods of forming semiconductor patterns including reduced dislocation defects and devices formed using such methods are provided. The methods may include forming an oxide layer on a substrate and forming a recess in the oxide layer and the substrate. The methods may further include forming an epitaxially grown semiconductor pattern in the recess that contacts a sidewall of the substrate at an…
Who is the assignee on this patent?
Wang Wei-E, Rodder Mark S, Bowen Robert C, and 1 more
What technology area does this patent fall under?
Primary CPC classification H10P14/3411. Mapped technology areas include Electricity.
When was this patent published?
Publication date Tue Jun 23 2015 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time) (B2). Legal status and post-grant events are not shown on this page.
What related patents are in patentsdb?
We list 8 related publications on this page (citations in our corpus or others sharing the same primary CPC).