GB2358959A - Metamorphic heterojunction bipolar transistor for low cost fabrication on large size gallium arsenide wafers - Google Patents

Metamorphic heterojunction bipolar transistor for low cost fabrication on large size gallium arsenide wafers Download PDF

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Publication number
GB2358959A
GB2358959A GB0020938A GB0020938A GB2358959A GB 2358959 A GB2358959 A GB 2358959A GB 0020938 A GB0020938 A GB 0020938A GB 0020938 A GB0020938 A GB 0020938A GB 2358959 A GB2358959 A GB 2358959A
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layer
forming
type
inp
ohmic contact
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GB0020938D0 (en
GB2358959B (en
Inventor
Peng-Sheng Chao
Chan-Shin Wu
Tony Yen-Chin Lin
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WIN Semiconductors Corp
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WIN Semiconductors Corp
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    • HELECTRICITY
    • H01ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01LSEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L29/00Semiconductor devices specially adapted for rectifying, amplifying, oscillating or switching and having potential barriers; Capacitors or resistors having potential barriers, e.g. a PN-junction depletion layer or carrier concentration layer; Details of semiconductor bodies or of electrodes thereof ; Multistep manufacturing processes therefor
    • H01L29/66Types of semiconductor device ; Multistep manufacturing processes therefor
    • H01L29/68Types of semiconductor device ; Multistep manufacturing processes therefor controllable by only the electric current supplied, or only the electric potential applied, to an electrode which does not carry the current to be rectified, amplified or switched
    • H01L29/70Bipolar devices
    • H01L29/72Transistor-type devices, i.e. able to continuously respond to applied control signals
    • H01L29/73Bipolar junction transistors
    • H01L29/737Hetero-junction transistors
    • H01L29/7371Vertical transistors
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H01ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01LSEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L29/00Semiconductor devices specially adapted for rectifying, amplifying, oscillating or switching and having potential barriers; Capacitors or resistors having potential barriers, e.g. a PN-junction depletion layer or carrier concentration layer; Details of semiconductor bodies or of electrodes thereof ; Multistep manufacturing processes therefor
    • H01L29/66Types of semiconductor device ; Multistep manufacturing processes therefor
    • H01L29/68Types of semiconductor device ; Multistep manufacturing processes therefor controllable by only the electric current supplied, or only the electric potential applied, to an electrode which does not carry the current to be rectified, amplified or switched
    • H01L29/70Bipolar devices
    • H01L29/72Transistor-type devices, i.e. able to continuously respond to applied control signals
    • H01L29/73Bipolar junction transistors
    • H01L29/737Hetero-junction transistors

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Microelectronics & Electronic Packaging (AREA)
  • Power Engineering (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Ceramic Engineering (AREA)
  • Condensed Matter Physics & Semiconductors (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Computer Hardware Design (AREA)
  • Bipolar Transistors (AREA)

Abstract

A metamorphic heterojunction bipolar transistor having a material structure for low cost fabrication on large size gallium arsenide wafers comprises a semi-insulating GaAs substrate 20; an undoped AlGaAsSb (or AlInGaAs) metamorphic buffer layer 21; a heavily doped n-type InGaAs layer 22, forming an ohmic contact for the collector of the MHBT; a lightly doped n-type InGaAs or InP or InAlAs layer 23, forming the collector of the MHBT; a heavily doped p-type InGaAs layer 24, forming the base and an ohmic contact for the base of the MHBT; an n-type InAlAs (or graded AlInGaAs or InP) layer 25, forming the emitter of the MHBT; and a heavily doped n-type InGaAs layer, forming an ohmic contact for the emitter of the MHBT. Such material structure makes high-indium content MHBTs feasible to be fabricated on large size gallium arsenide wafers with diameters of six inches or larger, resulting in lower manufacturing cost, higher power, and higher efficiency at a very low operation voltage.

Description

2358959 New Metamorphic Heterojunction Bipolar Transistor Having Material
Structure for Low Cost Fabrication on Large Size Gallium Arsenide Wafers
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to a metamorphic heterojunction bipolar transistor (to be abbreviated as here below), and more particularly, to an T having a material structure for low cost fabrication on large size gallium arsenide (GaAs) wafers.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Recently, there has been increasing interest in developing high performance transistor-based amplifiers which are essential for both military and commercial applications in digital computers, telecommunication systems, and advanced electronic systems as they can handle signals at high frequencies. These ampl ifiers have the potential for low cost, high. gain, low noise, and high efficiency operation with reliability superior to that of MATTs and TWTAs.
Heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT), as the term suggests, has a heterojunction formed between semiconductors of different compositions and band-gaps. The use of a wide band-gap emitter and a low band-gap base provides band offset at the hetero-interface that favors electron injection, in an N-p-n transistor, into the base while retarding hole injection into the emitter. It also provides benefits for high-speed operation because the electrons that surmount the energy barrier are injected into the base with high forward velocities, reduemig base transit time.
Accordingly, GaAs HBTs, based on A1GaAs (or InGaP)/Ga.As material structure, have gained a wide acceptance especially for cellular phone power amplifier (PA) applications, as they exhibit advantages of high frequency, high linearity, and small die size, and only one power supply is required. The high turn-on voltage of GaAs JABTs, however, practically limits the operation of the devices in the range of 3.0 to 3. 6V in the cellular phones now in use.
1 The trend in mobile communication is to reach a system level solution that will support a single cell L] battery design of 1.2 to 1.5V (down ftom 3.6V). This is due to size and weight reduction of the battery pack, which accounts for approximately 60% of the total weight of a wireless handset.
The InP HBT is, on the- contrary, is an ideal candidate for 1.5V operation, since it has a lower turn on voltage, and also offers higher gain and higher efficiency than the GaAs HBT due to its intrinsic advantages of higher mobilities, faster non-equilibrium transport velocities and lower surface recombination.
The InP HBT, based on InAlAs (or graded AlInGaAs)/InGaAs heterojunction material structure, has been fabricated on an InP substrate. Please refer to FIG. 1, which is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating an example of material structure an InP-based HBT in the prior art. As can be seen in the drawing, the epitaxially grown material structure comprises a semi-insulating InP substrate 10; a heavily doped n-type InGaAs layer 12, forinffig an ohmic contact for the collector of said InP-based HBT; a lightly doped n-type InGaAs layer 13, forming the collector of said InPbased BBT; a heavily doped p-type InGaAs layer 14, forming the base and an ohmic contact for the base of said InP-based HBT; an n-type hLAdAs (or graded AlInGa.As) layer 15, forming the emitter of said InP-based HBT; and a heavily doped n-type InGaAs layer 16, forming an ohmic contact for the emitter of said InP-based HBT.
Therefore, the InP-based HBT has advantages of providing higher maximum frequency of operation and cutoff frequency for significantly lower noise figure, higher gain and better efficiency. This is due to the fact that the InP-based HBT has high indium. content and thus has higher electron velocity, current density, and transconductance. Although InP HBTs are very attractive for low voltage and high efficiency operation especially in use in the PAs of the cellular phones, they are, however, difficult to process (primarily due to the InP substrate). Furthermore, the InP wafer is very fragile, costly (about 10 times of GaAs) and presently limited to only 3- in. in size. On the contrary, the processing technology for GaAs HBTs has higher yield and lower cost (presently 40% less), if 6-in. wafers are used.
Accordingly, there is a need for a new device with both high 2 1 efficiency, low voltage operation and low manufacturing cost.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore a main object of the present invention to provide a new metamorphic heterojunction bipolar transistor having material structure with high efficiency, low voltage operation.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new metamorphic heterojunction bipolar transistor having matenial structure with low manufacturing cost.
In order to accomplish the foregoing objects, the present invention io provides a metamorphic heterejunction bipolar trwsistor (NU-IBT), having a material structure for low cost fabrication on large size gallium arsenidlel (GaAs) wafers, comprising: a semi-insulating GaAs substrate; an undoped metamorphic buffer layer, such as A1Ga.AsSb or AlInGaAs buffer; a heavily doped n-type InGaAs layer, forming an ohmic contact for the collector of said MHBT; a lightly doped n-type InGaAs layer or InP or InAlAs layer, forming the collector of said MHBT; a heavily doped p-type InGaAs layer, ffirming the base and an ohmic contact for the base of said NMT; an n-type InAlAs layer or graded AlInGa.As or InP layer, forming the emitter of said NWT; and a heavily doped n-type InGaM layer, forming an ohmic contact for the emitter of said MEBT.
It is preferable that said material structure is epitaxially grown on large size GaAs wafers with diameters of six inches or larger.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The object, features and advantages of the present invention will be readily understood from the following descriptions of the preferred embodiment with reference to the drawings, in which:
FIG- 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating an example of material structure of an InP-based HBT in the prior art.
FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating an example of material structure of an NMT in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention.
3 Table 1 shows the comparisons of present power transistor technologies for wireless handsets.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Please refer to FIG. 2, which is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating an example of material structure of an MEBT in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the drawing, the epitaxially grown material structure comprises: a semi insulating GaAs substrate 20; an undoped metamophic buffer layer, such as A1GaAsSb or AlInGaAs buffer layer 21; a heavily doped n-type InGaAs io layer 22, forming an ohmic contact for the collector of said MIMT; a lightly doped n-type InGa-As or InP or InAlAs layer 23, forming the collector of said MHBT; a heavily doped p-type InGaAs layer 24, forming the base and an ohmic contact for the base of said T; an n-type ls (or graded AfinGaAs or InP) layer 25, forming the emitter of said NMT; and a heavily doped n-type InGaAs layer 26, forming an ohmic contact for the enfitter of said NMT.
It is notable that the NMT material structure featuring a buffer layer 21 sandwiched between the substrate 20 and the collector contact layer 22 This allows the T to employ the InP-based HBT active structure 22-26 on a GaAs substrate20, since the buffer layer 21 makes a lattice constant transition between the GaAs substrate 20 and high-indium epitaxially grown layers 22-26 lattice-matched to InP 10.
Therefore, the NMT has the InP-based HBT performance but with the GaAs wafer 20 processing cost. Particularly, the use of a GaAs substrate in UMBT allows a production of very high performance devices/NMCs with very low substrate and wafer processing cost. The chip cost of NMTs can be further reduced when a larger size GaAs wafer, for instance 6-in. is used. It is notable that 6-in. GaAs wafers are available, but only 3-Mi. InP wafers are available. The lattice constant shifting buffer growth technology needed in the NMT is currently commercially available (e.g. epi houses such as IQE mi U.S.A. and Picogiga in France).
The metamorphic technology also allows a wider range of AI and In 4 1 compositions in the material structure, providing an excellent potential for even higher performance, such as higher breakdown and efficiency, than that of the conventional MP-based H13T.
To sum up, let us review the previously disclosed arts and the present invention, we will find, Mi Table 1, that the advantages of the new MIffiT include:
(1) ten times lower substrate cost of the same size, (2) less fragile substrate for improved fine yield, (3) easy to process backside of the wafer, translating to 40% Cost savings in processmig, (4) larger wafer size available for very low cost chip production.
Although the present invention has been disclosed and illustrated with reference to the preferred embodiments, the principles involved are susceptible for use mi numerous other embodiments that will be apparent to persons skilled in the art such that modification s and changes may be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. This invention is, therefore, to be determined not with reference to th.e above descniption but with reference to the appended claims along With their full scope of equivalents.
1 Table 1 Comparisons of power transistor technologies for wireless handsets Transistor Key Elements Remarks Technology GaAs HBT A1GaAs(or InGaP)/ Good reliability, matur-1, InGaAs heterojunetion technoloRv GaAs substrate Low cost Production ready InP HBT AlInAs(or graded Difficult to process AlInGaAs or InP)/ High substrate and InGaAs/ (or InP processinc, cost or InAlAs) Limited substrate size Hereojunction available InP substrate Not suitable for manufacturing, lvMT AlInAs(or graded GaAs-like processing AlInGaAs or In-P)/ 6" substrates available InGaAs(or InP Low cost, suitable for orInAlAs) manufacturinc, /A1GaAsSb(or Flexibility of Layer AlInGa,As) compositions provides Heterojunction even hi2her Lattice constant breakdown shifting buffer and efficiency than GaAs substrate conventional InP HBTs!! -7

Claims (4)

  1. CLAIM
    I.A metamorphic heterojunction bipolar transistor (1vWT.) having a material structure for low cost fabrication on large size gallium arsenide (GaAs) wafers with six inches or larger, comprising:
    a senn-insulating GaAs substrate; an undoped metamorphic buffer layer; a heavily doped n-type InGaAs layer, forming an ohmic contact for the collector of said NSIBT; a lightly doped n-type layer forming the collector of said NM T, io wherein the lightly doped n-type layer is In GaAs or InP or InALAS; a heavily doped p-type InGaAs layer, forming the base ancl an ohmic contact for the base of said NMT; a layer forming the emitter of said NMT, wherein the layer is an Ti type.hiA]As layer, or an graded n-type AlInGa.As layer, or an n-type InP layer; and a heavily4oped n-type InGaAs layer, forming an ohmic contact. for the emitter of said Nfi-IBT.
  2. 2.The M1IBT as recited in claim 1, wherein said undoped metamorphic bufFer layer is A1GraAsSb bufFer layer.
  3. 3.The MEBT as recited 'm claim 1, wherein said undoped metamorphic bufFer layer is AlInClaAs buffer layer.
  4. 4.The MEBT as described herein with reference to the drawings.
GB0020938A 1999-10-07 2000-08-24 Metamorphic heterojunction bipolar transistor having material structure for low cost fabrication on large size gallium arsenide wafers Expired - Fee Related GB2358959B (en)

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Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US7122734B2 (en) * 2002-10-23 2006-10-17 The Boeing Company Isoelectronic surfactant suppression of threading dislocations in metamorphic epitaxial layers
RU2474924C1 (en) * 2011-08-08 2013-02-10 Учреждение Российской академии наук Институт сверхвысокочастотной полупроводниковой электроники РАН (ИСВЧПЭ РАН) Semiconductor nanoheterostructure inalas/ingaas with metac metamorphic buffer
RU2474923C1 (en) * 2011-06-23 2013-02-10 Учреждение Российской академии наук Институт сверхвысокочастотной полупроводниковой электроники РАН (ИСВЧПЭ РАН) SEMICONDUCTOR METAMORPHIC NANOHETEROSTRUCTURE InAlAs/InGaAs
CN110970340A (en) * 2019-10-31 2020-04-07 中国电子科技集团公司第五十五研究所 Flexible InP HBT device and preparation method thereof

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JP2006210452A (en) * 2005-01-26 2006-08-10 Sony Corp Semiconductor apparatus
CN100452303C (en) * 2005-05-24 2009-01-14 中国科学院微电子研究所 Metal alloy system suitable for ohmic contact of high-speed gallium arsenide-based device
CN102651417B (en) * 2012-05-18 2014-09-03 中国科学院苏州纳米技术与纳米仿生研究所 Three-knot cascading solar battery and preparation method thereof
US20170084771A1 (en) * 2015-09-21 2017-03-23 The Boeing Company Antimonide-based high bandgap tunnel junction for semiconductor devices

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Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US7122734B2 (en) * 2002-10-23 2006-10-17 The Boeing Company Isoelectronic surfactant suppression of threading dislocations in metamorphic epitaxial layers
US7626116B2 (en) 2002-10-23 2009-12-01 The Boeing Company Isoelectronic surfactant suppression of threading dislocations in metamorphic epitaxial layers
RU2474923C1 (en) * 2011-06-23 2013-02-10 Учреждение Российской академии наук Институт сверхвысокочастотной полупроводниковой электроники РАН (ИСВЧПЭ РАН) SEMICONDUCTOR METAMORPHIC NANOHETEROSTRUCTURE InAlAs/InGaAs
RU2474924C1 (en) * 2011-08-08 2013-02-10 Учреждение Российской академии наук Институт сверхвысокочастотной полупроводниковой электроники РАН (ИСВЧПЭ РАН) Semiconductor nanoheterostructure inalas/ingaas with metac metamorphic buffer
CN110970340A (en) * 2019-10-31 2020-04-07 中国电子科技集团公司第五十五研究所 Flexible InP HBT device and preparation method thereof

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KR100400486B1 (en) 2003-10-01
CN1296291A (en) 2001-05-23
GB0020938D0 (en) 2000-10-11
GB2358959B (en) 2002-01-16
FR2799884A1 (en) 2001-04-20
CA2322080A1 (en) 2001-04-07
KR20010050866A (en) 2001-06-25
JP2001144101A (en) 2001-05-25
DE10049148A1 (en) 2001-04-19

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