JPH08274037A - Growth of single crystal thin film semiconductor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To grow a single crystal thin film having a superior crystallinity by a method wherein a cleaning chamber for cleaning the surface of a substrate is added to a constitution, which consists of a growth chamber and a spare chamber, and in the cleaning chamber, the substrate is heated at a specified temperature and cleaning of the surface of the crystal substrate is conducted at a specified degree of vacuum. CONSTITUTION: A gate valve 2 is opened, a substrate is sent from a spare chamber 1 to a cleaning chamber 3, which is constituted in addition to a constitution consisting of a growth chamber 6 and the spare chamber 1, and the valve 2 is shut. In the chamber 3, the surface of the substrate is cleaned on a condition that the temperature in the interior of the chamber 3 is 85 deg.C or higher and the degree of vacuum in the interior of the chamber 3 at the time of the temperature of 85 deg.C or higher is 1×10<-6> pascals or lower. Then, a gate valve 5 is opened, the substrate is sent from the chamber 3 to the growth chamber 6, the valve 5 is shut and a single crystal thin film is grown on a prescribed condition. After the growth ends, a gate valve 9 is opened, the substrate is transferred from the chamber 6 to the chamber 1 and the valve 9 is shut. Such a continuous operation as the above operation is repeated and a single crystal thin film having a superior crystallizability is grown at a low temperature with good reproducibility.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a semiconductor crystal growth method for forming a semiconductor single crystal growth film with a precision of the order of a single atomic layer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In order to grow a high-quality single crystal at a low temperature, it is essential to clean the surface of a substrate. For this purpose, an oxide film for protecting the substrate surface from contamination is provided on the substrate using a chemical cleaning method, and then the substrate is heated under an ultra-high vacuum to remove the oxide film and clean the substrate. A method of exposing the surface has been conventionally employed. Conventionally, this surface cleaning has been performed using a vacuum chamber for growing crystals in an apparatus as shown in FIG. For example, published by Industrial Research Society. Semiconductor research
Volume 21. 5. Examples are introduced in P.101 to P.116.

[0003]

However, in a mass production process in which surface cleaning and crystal growth are repeated in the same apparatus, the following problems arise when the surface cleaning and crystal growth are performed in the same vacuum chamber. is there. That is, the reaction products during the growth are adsorbed to the peripheral portion and the wall surface of the substrate heating system in the vacuum chamber after the crystal growth, but the substrate temperature is generally higher during the surface cleaning than during the crystal growth. As shown in FIG. 4, the residual component adsorbed during the crystal growth is re-emitted as a gas due to the thermal effect at a higher substrate temperature during the next surface cleaning of the substrate, and the background in the growth tank is changed. Had worsened. When the surface is cleaned under such conditions, the surface of the substrate is not sufficiently cleaned, and as a result, the quality of the grown crystal deteriorates. In order to avoid this problem in the conventional apparatus, it is necessary to evacuate the vacuum chamber after growth for a long time before performing the next surface cleaning of the substrate, thereby deteriorating the mass productivity of the apparatus. There was a problem that.

[0004]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, according to the present invention, as shown in FIG. 1, a conventional crystal growth apparatus comprising a growth chamber and a preliminary chamber is used for cleaning the substrate surface. There is a cleaning room. This makes it possible to clean the surface with good reproducibility, and at the same time to form a single crystal thin film with good crystallinity. By adding a cleaning chamber for cleaning the substrate surface to the configuration consisting of a growth chamber and a spare chamber, the crystal surface cleaning with good reproducibility in a vacuum chamber without the influence of the background after growth. Therefore, a single crystal film having excellent crystallinity can be grown. In addition, a semiconductor crystal growth apparatus having unprecedented characteristics in terms of mass productivity.

[0005]

EXAMPLES The present invention will be described in detail below based on examples. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a semiconductor crystal growth apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention, wherein 1 is a preliminary chamber for taking in and out of a substrate, 2 is a gate valve, and 3 is a cleaning chamber for cleaning a substrate surface. , 4 is a heater for heating the substrate, 5 is a gate valve, 6 is a growth chamber, 7 is a heater for heating the substrate, 8 is a nozzle for introducing a source gas or the like, 9 is a gate valve, and 10 to 12 are gate valves. These are exhaust systems for evacuating the cleaning chamber, growth chamber, and preparatory chamber to high vacuum.

A method of growing a semiconductor, for example, a single crystal of Si, on the substrate with the above structure at a low temperature is carried out as follows. That is, the gate valve 2 is opened, the substrate is sent from the preliminary chamber 1 to the cleaning chamber 3, and the gate valve 2 is closed. Purification room 3
By maintaining the condition that the substrate temperature is, for example, 850 ° C. or higher, and the degree of vacuum at that time is, for example, 1 × 10 ⁻⁶ Pascal (hereinafter abbreviated as Pa) or less, for a predetermined time,
The substrate surface is cleaned (see FIG. 2).

Next, the gate valve 5 is opened and the cleaning chamber 3 is opened.
Then, the substrate is sent to the growth chamber 6, and the gate valve 5 is closed. Conclusion
The crystal growth is performed at a substrate temperature of 500 to 800 ° C.
Ground pressure 1 × 10^-6Pa or less, growth chamber 6 when gas is introduced
The pressure inside is 1 × 10^-3~ 1 x 10 ²Gas introduction within the range of Pa
A raw material gas and a gas that reacts with this are simultaneously supplied from the nozzle 8.
Under the operating conditions of
It is performed for a fixed time. Open gate valve 9 after growth is completed
The substrate is transferred from the growth chamber 6 to the preliminary chamber 1 and the gate valve 9 is moved.
Close. By repeating the above series of operations,
Therefore, a single crystal thin film with excellent crystallinity is reproducible at low temperature.
Can grow well.

[0008]

In the above-described embodiment, the flow of a specific substrate in the crystal growth apparatus according to the present invention has been described. In the mass production process, two or more substrates are set as one group in each of the preparatory chamber 1, the cleaning chamber 3, and the growth chamber 6, and each group controls the inside of the apparatus according to the series of operations in the above-described embodiment. I'm moving. At this time, since the atmosphere in the cleaning chamber 3 is not affected by the atmosphere in the growth chamber 6 that is repeatedly growing, a good background can be maintained as shown in FIG. Surface cleaning treatment can be performed. Therefore, few defects are generated during crystal growth, and epitaxial growth can be repeated at low temperatures. As described above, according to the present invention, a good quality single crystal thin film can be grown at low temperature with good reproducibility.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a semiconductor crystal growth apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a time change diagram of the degree of vacuum in the cleaning chamber and the growth chamber of the crystal growth apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of a conventional semiconductor crystal growth apparatus.

FIG. 4 is a time-dependent change diagram of the degree of vacuum in a vacuum chamber (a cleaning chamber and a growth chamber) of the crystal growth apparatus. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Preparatory room 2 Gate valve 3 Purification room 4 Heater 5 Gate valve 6 Growth room 7 Heater 8 Gas introduction nozzle 9 Gate valve 10-12 Exhaust system

Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification number Office reference number FI technical display location H01L 21/3065 H01L 21/302 N

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A step of inserting a substrate into a preparatory chamber from the outside, a step of moving the substrate to a preparatory chamber connected to the preparatory chamber via a first gate valve, and the cleaning chamber. And heating the substrate to a temperature of 850 ° C. or higher and applying a vacuum degree of 10 ⁻⁶ Pascal or less to clean the surface of the substrate, and connecting the cleaning chamber with a second gate valve. A step of moving the substrate to a growth chamber for growing a semiconductor thin film, and a step of growing a single crystal thin film semiconductor on the surface of the substrate in the growth chamber,
A single crystal thin film semiconductor growth method comprising: a step of moving the substrate to a preliminary chamber provided through the growth chamber and a third gate valve; and a step of taking out the substrate from the preliminary chamber. 2. The single crystal thin film semiconductor growth method according to claim 1, wherein said substrate is exposed to an atmosphere having a degree of vacuum of 10 ⁻⁶ Pa or less in said preliminary chamber.