US2817798A - Semiconductors - Google Patents
Semiconductors Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US2817798A US2817798A US427098A US42709854A US2817798A US 2817798 A US2817798 A US 2817798A US 427098 A US427098 A US 427098A US 42709854 A US42709854 A US 42709854A US 2817798 A US2817798 A US 2817798A
- Authority
- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- silicon
- germanium
- alloy
- rectifying
- electrode
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired - Lifetime
Links
- 239000004065 semiconductor Substances 0.000 title description 27
- XUIMIQQOPSSXEZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N Silicon Chemical compound [Si] XUIMIQQOPSSXEZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 23
- 239000010703 silicon Substances 0.000 description 22
- 229910045601 alloy Inorganic materials 0.000 description 20
- 239000000956 alloy Substances 0.000 description 20
- 229910052710 silicon Inorganic materials 0.000 description 19
- 239000013078 crystal Substances 0.000 description 15
- GNPVGFCGXDBREM-UHFFFAOYSA-N germanium atom Chemical compound [Ge] GNPVGFCGXDBREM-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 15
- 229910052732 germanium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 14
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 description 12
- 229910000676 Si alloy Inorganic materials 0.000 description 11
- 235000012431 wafers Nutrition 0.000 description 11
- LEVVHYCKPQWKOP-UHFFFAOYSA-N [Si].[Ge] Chemical compound [Si].[Ge] LEVVHYCKPQWKOP-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 10
- 229910000927 Ge alloy Inorganic materials 0.000 description 7
- 239000000155 melt Substances 0.000 description 4
- 229910052787 antimony Inorganic materials 0.000 description 3
- WATWJIUSRGPENY-UHFFFAOYSA-N antimony atom Chemical compound [Sb] WATWJIUSRGPENY-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 3
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 description 3
- 239000008188 pellet Substances 0.000 description 3
- 230000002411 adverse Effects 0.000 description 2
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 description 2
- 229910000679 solder Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- ZOXJGFHDIHLPTG-UHFFFAOYSA-N Boron Chemical compound [B] ZOXJGFHDIHLPTG-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 229910000906 Bronze Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 238000002231 Czochralski process Methods 0.000 description 1
- GYHNNYVSQQEPJS-UHFFFAOYSA-N Gallium Chemical compound [Ga] GYHNNYVSQQEPJS-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- OAICVXFJPJFONN-UHFFFAOYSA-N Phosphorus Chemical compound [P] OAICVXFJPJFONN-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 229910000577 Silicon-germanium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 229910052782 aluminium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- XAGFODPZIPBFFR-UHFFFAOYSA-N aluminium Chemical compound [Al] XAGFODPZIPBFFR-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 229910052797 bismuth Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- JCXGWMGPZLAOME-UHFFFAOYSA-N bismuth atom Chemical compound [Bi] JCXGWMGPZLAOME-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 229910052796 boron Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 239000010974 bronze Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000007796 conventional method Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000001816 cooling Methods 0.000 description 1
- KUNSUQLRTQLHQQ-UHFFFAOYSA-N copper tin Chemical compound [Cu].[Sn] KUNSUQLRTQLHQQ-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 238000007598 dipping method Methods 0.000 description 1
- -1 electron mobility Chemical compound 0.000 description 1
- 229910052733 gallium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 229910052738 indium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- APFVFJFRJDLVQX-UHFFFAOYSA-N indium atom Chemical compound [In] APFVFJFRJDLVQX-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 238000002844 melting Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000008018 melting Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000000203 mixture Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229910052759 nickel Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- PXHVJJICTQNCMI-UHFFFAOYSA-N nickel Substances [Ni] PXHVJJICTQNCMI-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 150000002815 nickel Chemical class 0.000 description 1
- 238000002360 preparation method Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000011863 silicon-based powder Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229910052720 vanadium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- LEONUFNNVUYDNQ-UHFFFAOYSA-N vanadium atom Chemical compound [V] LEONUFNNVUYDNQ-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 238000005406 washing Methods 0.000 description 1
Images
Classifications
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C30—CRYSTAL GROWTH
- C30B—SINGLE-CRYSTAL GROWTH; UNIDIRECTIONAL SOLIDIFICATION OF EUTECTIC MATERIAL OR UNIDIRECTIONAL DEMIXING OF EUTECTOID MATERIAL; REFINING BY ZONE-MELTING OF MATERIAL; PRODUCTION OF A HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE; SINGLE CRYSTALS OR HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE; AFTER-TREATMENT OF SINGLE CRYSTALS OR A HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE; APPARATUS THEREFOR
- C30B15/00—Single-crystal growth by pulling from a melt, e.g. Czochralski method
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C30—CRYSTAL GROWTH
- C30B—SINGLE-CRYSTAL GROWTH; UNIDIRECTIONAL SOLIDIFICATION OF EUTECTIC MATERIAL OR UNIDIRECTIONAL DEMIXING OF EUTECTOID MATERIAL; REFINING BY ZONE-MELTING OF MATERIAL; PRODUCTION OF A HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE; SINGLE CRYSTALS OR HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE; AFTER-TREATMENT OF SINGLE CRYSTALS OR A HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE; APPARATUS THEREFOR
- C30B29/00—Single crystals or homogeneous polycrystalline material with defined structure characterised by the material or by their shape
- C30B29/10—Inorganic compounds or compositions
- C30B29/52—Alloys
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
- H01L21/02—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof
- H01L21/04—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof the devices having potential barriers, e.g. a PN junction, depletion layer or carrier concentration layer
- H01L21/18—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof the devices having potential barriers, e.g. a PN junction, depletion layer or carrier concentration layer the devices having semiconductor bodies comprising elements of Group IV of the Periodic Table or AIIIBV compounds with or without impurities, e.g. doping materials
- H01L21/185—Joining of semiconductor bodies for junction formation
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L29/00—Semiconductor 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
Definitions
- This invention relates to improved semiconductor materials and to improved rectifying and transistor devices made from these materials. More particularly, the invention relates to improved devices which utilize a germanium-silicon alloy.
- germanium devices Many different semiconductor devices utilizing semiconductive germanium or silicon are known, but the operation of germanium devices is usually subject to relatively severe maximum temperature limitations. Silicon devices have certain electrical disadvantages when compared to those of germanium.
- the maximum operating temperature of a typical device is determined primarily by the energy gap between the valence band and the conduction band of the semiconductive material of the device. When the temperature of the device is increased to a value at which thermal energy is sufficient to drive substantial numbers of electrons across the energy gap, the semiconductive characteristics of the material are adversely affected.
- the energy gap of germanium is about 0.71 electron volt and many devices utilizing germanium become substantially inoperative above, temperatures as low as 40 C.
- silicon has a higher energy gap and its operation as a semiconductor is not adversely affected by much wider normal temperature changes.
- Silicon is a relatively more diflicult material to prepare in highly pure crystalline form and to fabricate into semiconductor devices such as transistors.
- the semiconductive properties of silicon such as electron mobility, hole mobility and lifetime are considerably inferior to those of germanium.
- alloys, of germanium and silicon permits the design and preparation of useful and practical semiconductor devices of prescribed intermediate temperature and electrical characteristics.
- the use of such alloys avoids some of the less desirable characteristics of each of the component materials of the alloy.
- Devices of such alloys thus provide much higher temperature stability normally only afforded by silicon and the greater lifetime and hole and electron mobility normally characteristic of germanium.
- single crystal germanium-silicon alloy is suitable for making many different types of semiconductor devices.
- the alloy may be prepared in polycrystalline form by melting together germanium and silicon. Utilizing a seed crystallite cut from a polycrystalline ingot, a single crystal may be grown from the melt by any of the conventional techniques such as the Czochralski process.
- Another object of the instant invention is to provide semiconductor rectifying devices having improved electrical and operating temperature characteristics.
- a further object of this invention is to provide improved semiconductor devices made from alloys of germanium and silicon.
- Figure 1 is a schematic, partially cross-sectional, elevational view of one form of semiconductor device having rectifying properties and made in accordance with the present invention.
- Figure 2 is a schematic, partially crosssectional, elevational view of another form of semiconductor device having rectifying properties and made in accordancewith the present invention.
- Figure 3 is a schematic, partially cross-sectional, elevational view of another form of semiconductor device having point'contact rectifying electrodes and made in accordance with the present invention.
- Figure 4 is a schematic, partially cross-sectional, elevational view of another. form of semiconductor device having alloy junction rectifying electrodes and made in accordance with the present invention.
- the single crystal wafers for such devices are cut from a single crystal ingot prepared from a melt of germanium and silicon.
- the single crystal ingot is prepared by taking a seed crystallite, for example, cut from a polycrystalline ingot, dipping this crystallite into the melt and slowly pulling it from the melt according to the Czochralski technique described in Crystal Growth by H. E. Buckley (Wiley, N. Y., 1951).
- a method of making crystalline semiconducting silicon-germanium alloy having improved uniformity is described in a copending application of Everett R. Johnson, Serial No.
- a germanium-silicon alloy suitable for making devices of the present invention is prepared by adding 1% or more of pure silicon powder to molten germanium which has previously been purified to provide a resistivity of over 1 ohm/cm.
- the relative amounts of germanium and silicon in the alloy are not critical, but the upper temperature stability limit of the device is increased as the proportion of silicon is increased. From this alloy, as described above, a single crystalline ingot is prepared and Wafers are then cut from the ingot.
- a specific embodiment of a device made in accordance with the present invention comprises a small area electrode type rectifying device wherein a wafer 3 of germanium-silicon alloy is afiixed to a conductive base electrode 4 by a layer of solder 5 to provide an ohmic base connection.
- the electrode 6 is a rectifying electrode.
- the surface of the alloy crystal in contact with the rectifying electrode 6 preferably is ground with A1 0 and etched according to the method hole and electron mobility as compared with devices .of
- Figure 2 illustrates a conventional alloy junction rectifier type semiconductor device according to the invention.
- This device is made from a. wafer 3" of'semiconductive germaniumsilicon,. alloy, ,for example, ofP-v type conductivity, which is dipped into an-etch solution consisting of:
- rial such as antimony, capable of. imparting. N-type conductivity to semi-conducting germanium-.01: silicon, is al-. loyed to the upper surface 9 of. the germanium-silicon alloy wafer 3.
- the pellet8 of antimony is, placed on the surface 9 of the etched wafer at room temperature and is heated for 5 to 10 minutes at 600 to700 C; to form a,
- rectifying junction 10 After cooling to room. tempera? ture the alloy is etched in two stages without intermediate, washing to clean the area around and improve theelec trical characteristics of thejunction 10,.and to improve;
- the first etch solution preferably con.-
- An electrode lead 11 is affixed to the alloyed pellet.
- the device of Figure 2 thus comprises a junction-type rectifier. Any other material, such as bismuth or vanadium, capableof imparting N-type conductivity to germanium or silicon, may be substituted for antimony.
- the pellet 8 should be of aluminum, gallium, indium or;
- Fig. 1 may be-modified' as in Fig. 3 to include an additional rectifying point contact electrode 12 to provide a transistor.
- the electrode 14, soldered to the wafer 3 functions as a base electrode.
- the device of Fig.2 may be modified, for example as shown in Fig. 4; to include an additional rectifying junction 13 and'an electrode lead 16 to provide a transistor device.
- This device also includes a base electrode which may be'in the form of a nickel tab soldered to the wafer 3.
- a semiconductor device including in combination a single crystal body of an alloy of germanium and at least 1% silicon having semiconductingproperties and at least one rectifyingelectrode connected thereto.
- a device according to claim 1 in whichsaid rectifyingelectrodeis asmall area type electrode.
- a semiconductor device comprising in combination a single crystal waferof germanium-silicon semiconducting-alloy ofone conductivity type and at least one P-N junction rectifying electrode.
- a semiconductor device including in'cornbination a single crystal body of an alloy of germanium and at least 1% silicon having semiconducting properties and a plurality ofrectifying electrodes connected thereto.
- a semiconductordevice of the alloy rectifying junction type comprising in combination a single crystalline wafer of germanium-silicon semiconducting alloy of one conductivity-type and a plurality of alloy junction type rectifying electrodes.
- a semiconductor device including in combination a single crystal body of an alloy of germanium and at least 1% silicon having semiconducting properties and at least onelarge area rectifying electrode in contact therewith.
- a semiconductor device including in combination a single crystal body of an alloy of germanium and at least 1% silicon having semiconducting properties and a plurality of large area rectifying electrodes in contact therewith.
- a transistor device comprising a semiconductor body of single crystal alloy of germanium and silicon and emitter, collector, andbase electrodes connected thereto.
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Microelectronics & Electronic Packaging (AREA)
- Power Engineering (AREA)
- General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Condensed Matter Physics & Semiconductors (AREA)
- Computer Hardware Design (AREA)
- Crystallography & Structural Chemistry (AREA)
- Materials Engineering (AREA)
- Metallurgy (AREA)
- Organic Chemistry (AREA)
- Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
- Ceramic Engineering (AREA)
- Inorganic Chemistry (AREA)
- Crystals, And After-Treatments Of Crystals (AREA)
- Electrodes Of Semiconductors (AREA)
Priority Applications (5)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
BE537841D BE537841A (de) | 1954-05-03 | ||
US427098A US2817798A (en) | 1954-05-03 | 1954-05-03 | Semiconductors |
FR1123706D FR1123706A (fr) | 1954-05-03 | 1955-03-11 | Perfectionnements aux semi-conducteurs électriques |
GB10698/55A GB808973A (en) | 1954-05-03 | 1955-04-13 | Improvements in semiconductor devices and methods for their manufacture |
CH354168D CH354168A (de) | 1954-05-03 | 1955-05-02 | Verfahren zur Herstellung einer elektrischen Halbleitervorrichtung und nach diesem Verfahren hergestellte Halbleitervorrichtung |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US427098A US2817798A (en) | 1954-05-03 | 1954-05-03 | Semiconductors |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US2817798A true US2817798A (en) | 1957-12-24 |
Family
ID=23693481
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US427098A Expired - Lifetime US2817798A (en) | 1954-05-03 | 1954-05-03 | Semiconductors |
Country Status (5)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US2817798A (de) |
BE (1) | BE537841A (de) |
CH (1) | CH354168A (de) |
FR (1) | FR1123706A (de) |
GB (1) | GB808973A (de) |
Cited By (6)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US2919389A (en) * | 1955-04-28 | 1959-12-29 | Siemens Ag | Semiconductor arrangement for voltage-dependent capacitances |
US2945286A (en) * | 1956-07-23 | 1960-07-19 | Siemens And Halske Ag Berlin A | Diffusion transistor and method of making it |
US3005132A (en) * | 1952-06-13 | 1961-10-17 | Rca Corp | Transistors |
US3118094A (en) * | 1958-09-02 | 1964-01-14 | Texas Instruments Inc | Diffused junction transistor |
US3124493A (en) * | 1959-01-26 | 1964-03-10 | Method for making the same | |
US3235957A (en) * | 1964-05-20 | 1966-02-22 | Rca Corp | Method of manufacturing a thermoelectric device |
Families Citing this family (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
NL266513A (de) * | 1960-07-01 | |||
CN115975745A (zh) * | 2023-01-04 | 2023-04-18 | 四川晶科能源有限公司 | 籽晶酸洗的配方和方法 |
Citations (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
GB602140A (en) * | 1944-07-20 | 1948-05-20 | Western Electric Co | Process for producing silicon and electrical translating elements made therefrom |
US2538593A (en) * | 1949-04-30 | 1951-01-16 | Rca Corp | Semiconductor amplifier construction |
US2731704A (en) * | 1952-12-27 | 1956-01-24 | Raytheon Mfg Co | Method of making transistors |
-
0
- BE BE537841D patent/BE537841A/xx unknown
-
1954
- 1954-05-03 US US427098A patent/US2817798A/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
-
1955
- 1955-03-11 FR FR1123706D patent/FR1123706A/fr not_active Expired
- 1955-04-13 GB GB10698/55A patent/GB808973A/en not_active Expired
- 1955-05-02 CH CH354168D patent/CH354168A/de unknown
Patent Citations (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
GB602140A (en) * | 1944-07-20 | 1948-05-20 | Western Electric Co | Process for producing silicon and electrical translating elements made therefrom |
US2538593A (en) * | 1949-04-30 | 1951-01-16 | Rca Corp | Semiconductor amplifier construction |
US2731704A (en) * | 1952-12-27 | 1956-01-24 | Raytheon Mfg Co | Method of making transistors |
Cited By (6)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US3005132A (en) * | 1952-06-13 | 1961-10-17 | Rca Corp | Transistors |
US2919389A (en) * | 1955-04-28 | 1959-12-29 | Siemens Ag | Semiconductor arrangement for voltage-dependent capacitances |
US2945286A (en) * | 1956-07-23 | 1960-07-19 | Siemens And Halske Ag Berlin A | Diffusion transistor and method of making it |
US3118094A (en) * | 1958-09-02 | 1964-01-14 | Texas Instruments Inc | Diffused junction transistor |
US3124493A (en) * | 1959-01-26 | 1964-03-10 | Method for making the same | |
US3235957A (en) * | 1964-05-20 | 1966-02-22 | Rca Corp | Method of manufacturing a thermoelectric device |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
FR1123706A (fr) | 1956-09-26 |
GB808973A (en) | 1959-02-18 |
BE537841A (de) | 1900-01-01 |
CH354168A (de) | 1961-05-15 |
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