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  • H01L21/02—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof
  • H01L21/02104—Forming layers
  • H01L21/02365—Forming inorganic semiconducting materials on a substrate
  • H01L21/02612—Formation types
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  • H01L21/02104—Forming layers
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  • H01L21/02439—Materials
  • H01L21/02488—Insulating materials
• • 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
  • C30B1/00—Single-crystal growth directly from the solid state
  • C30B1/02—Single-crystal growth directly from the solid state by thermal treatment, e.g. strain annealing
  • C30B1/023—Single-crystal growth directly from the solid state by thermal treatment, e.g. strain annealing from solids with amorphous structure
• • 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
  • C30B13/00—Single-crystal growth by zone-melting; Refining by zone-melting
• • 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
  • C30B13/00—Single-crystal growth by zone-melting; Refining by zone-melting
  • C30B13/16—Heating of the molten zone
  • C30B13/22—Heating of the molten zone by irradiation or electric discharge
  • C30B13/24—Heating of the molten zone by irradiation or electric discharge using electromagnetic waves
• • 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
  • C30B13/00—Single-crystal growth by zone-melting; Refining by zone-melting
  • C30B13/34—Single-crystal growth by zone-melting; Refining by zone-melting characterised by the seed, e.g. by its crystallographic orientation
• • 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
  • C30B29/02—Elements
  • C30B29/06—Silicon
• • 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
  • C30B29/60—Single crystals or homogeneous polycrystalline material with defined structure characterised by the material or by their shape characterised by shape
• • 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
  • H01L21/02104—Forming layers
  • H01L21/02365—Forming inorganic semiconducting materials on a substrate
  • H01L21/02367—Substrates
  • H01L21/0237—Materials
  • H01L21/02373—Group 14 semiconducting materials
  • H01L21/02381—Silicon, silicon germanium, germanium
• • 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
  • H01L21/02104—Forming layers
  • H01L21/02365—Forming inorganic semiconducting materials on a substrate
  • H01L21/02518—Deposited layers
  • H01L21/02521—Materials
  • H01L21/02524—Group 14 semiconducting materials
  • H01L21/02532—Silicon, silicon germanium, germanium
• • 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
  • H01L21/02104—Forming layers
  • H01L21/02365—Forming inorganic semiconducting materials on a substrate
  • H01L21/02518—Deposited layers
  • H01L21/02587—Structure
  • H01L21/0259—Microstructure
  • H01L21/02598—Microstructure monocrystalline
• • 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
  • H01L21/02104—Forming layers
  • H01L21/02365—Forming inorganic semiconducting materials on a substrate
  • H01L21/02656—Special treatments
  • H01L21/02664—Aftertreatments
  • H01L21/02667—Crystallisation or recrystallisation of non-monocrystalline semiconductor materials, e.g. regrowth
• • 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
  • H01L21/02104—Forming layers
  • H01L21/02365—Forming inorganic semiconducting materials on a substrate
  • H01L21/02656—Special treatments
  • H01L21/02664—Aftertreatments
  • H01L21/02667—Crystallisation or recrystallisation of non-monocrystalline semiconductor materials, e.g. regrowth
  • H01L21/02675—Crystallisation or recrystallisation of non-monocrystalline semiconductor materials, e.g. regrowth using laser beams
• • 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
  • H01L21/02104—Forming layers
  • H01L21/02365—Forming inorganic semiconducting materials on a substrate
  • H01L21/02656—Special treatments
  • H01L21/02664—Aftertreatments
  • H01L21/02667—Crystallisation or recrystallisation of non-monocrystalline semiconductor materials, e.g. regrowth
  • H01L21/02691—Scanning of a beam

Definitions

• This invention relates to a method of forming a sinqle crystal silicon film on an insulator, and particularly to a method in which seeded laser crystallization is employed.
• Laser crystallization is one conventional method by which a sinqle crystal silicon film is grown on an insulator.
• an insulating layer 20 of silicon dioxide (Si0 2 ) is formed on a silicon substrate 22, and a window 24 is formed in the insulatinq layer 20.
• a polysilicon layer 26 is formed on the insulating layer 20 and on the portion of the silicon substrate 22 which is exposed by the window 24.
• Laser crystallization is performed in order to convert the polysilicon layer 26 to a single crystal, by scanning a laser beam 28 startinq with a seed area at the interface of the polysilicon layer 26 and the silicon suhstrate 22 in the window 24.
• the laser beam 2ft is scanned across the polysilicon layer 26 to heat the polysilicon layer 26 to the melting point so as to crystallize the polysilicon layer 26.
• the conduction properties of the structure illustrated in FIG. 1 cause problems when laser crystallization is performed. In particular, heat conducts through the window 24 more rapidly than it conducts through the silicon dioxide insulating layer 20. In laser crystallization, it is desirable to melt all of the polysilicon at the same time.
• FIG. 1 With the structure of FIG.
• the portion of the polysilicon layer 26 over the silicon dioxide insulating layer 20 will heat up faster than the seed area (i.e., the portion of the polysilicon layer 26 in the window 24) because of the fact that the heat conducts through the window 24 more rapidly than it conducts through the oxide insulating layer 20. This makes it difficult to melt all of the polysilicon layer 26 at the same time.
• the portion of the polysilicon layer 26 in the window 24 will start to solidify more rapidly than the polysilicon over the insulating oxide layer 20.
• FIG. 2 is a graph of laser power versus temperature for the portion of the polysilicon layer 26 over the seed area and the portion of the polysilicon layer 26 over the oxide insulating layer 20.
• the temperature in the portion of the polysilicon layer 26 over the oxide insulating layer 20 rises with power until the melting point of silicon (1420 ⁇ C) is reached.
• the temperature of the polysilicon layer 26 over the oxide insulating layer 20 levels off at the melting point of silicon and does not increase until a higher power level which is sufficiently high to melt the entire film with the increased reflectivity, is reached.
• the portion of the polysilicon layer 26 over the oxide insulatinq layer 20 will beqin to agqlomerate, so that balls of silicon and holes will be created in the silicon layer.
• the thickness of the oxide insulatinq layer 20 is increased, this becomes a greater problem. It is also possible that the silicon under the oxide insulating layer 20 could melt, in which case the silicon dioxide would not be anchored and could rise up and thin out the upper polysilicon layer.
• the ranqe of laser power for scanninq the portion of the polysilicon layer 26 over the oxide insulatinq layer 20 must be limited to be below the point marked MAX on the qraph in PIG. 2.
• the portion of the polysilicon layer 26 over the seed area will have a lower temperature for the same power absorption.
• the laser power marked MIN on the graph in FIG. 2 is required in order to reach the melting point of silicon for the portion of the polysilicon layer 26 over the seed area.
• the performance of laser crystallization over a seed area and an oxide insulating layer is made very difficult, since the laser power must be maintained between the points marked MIN and MAX on the graph of FIG. 2.
• This ranqe which is a so-called "laser power window” will vary with the thickness of the oxide insulatinq layer.
• the laser power window can be extremely narrow and the required uniformity in the crystallization parameters may be difficult if not impossible to obtain. For example, typically a power window overheatinq problem will be caused if the thickness of the oxide insulating layer 20 is over 5000A, because the power window may be in the range of a fraction of a percent.
• FIG. 3 is an additional graph for illustrating the laser power ranges over the oxide insulatinq layer 20 and over the seed area. As illustrated in PIG. 3, it is only in the overlapping area between the minimum power for the seed area and the maximum power for the oxide insulating layer 20 (i.e., the "laser power window") which is available for performing laser crystallization. As indicated above, if the laser power extends outside the laser power window, insufficient crystallization or overheatinq (causinq warpaqe of the substrate, agglomeration, etc.) can occur. As an example, in the case of a 0.2 micron thick insulating silicon dioxide film, the power window is several percent when the substrate temperature is 500 ⁇ C.
• a further object of the present invention is to provide a method of forming a single crystal silicon film on an insulator, so that a hiqh quality isolated SOI circuit can be formed thereon.
• an insulating layer is formed on a substrate and a seed window is formed in the insulating layer.
• a layer of amorphous silicon is formed on the insulating layer and on the portion of the substrate in the seed window. Then, the amorphous silicon layer is heated so as to cause solid phase eDitaxial qrowth of a solid phase epitaxial sinqle crystal " silicon film in the seed window and extendinq over a portion of the insulating layer. During the heating step, the remainder of the amorphous silicon layer is converted to a polysilicon film. Next, a laser is scanned across the polysilicon film to extend the single crystal silicon film over the remaining portion of the insulating layer by performing seeded laser crystallization using the solid phase epitaxial sinqle crystal silicon film as a seed.
• the method of the present invention provides siqnificant advantaqes over the prior art in that the laser power window is extended to be as wide as the laser power window for laser crystallization over the insulating layer (see FIGS. 2 and 3).
• the thickness of the insulating layer can be increased, so that an SOI circuit with hiqh quality isolation properties can be formed thereon.
• FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a semiconductor structure for describing a prior art method of laser crystallization
• FIG. 2 is a graph of laser power versus temperature for both polysilicon over an insulatinq oxide layer and polysilicon over a seed area
• FIG. 3 is a qraph, similar to FIG. 2, for illustrating the "laser power window" for the prior art method of laser >.-ystallization described with respect to FIG. 1;
• FIGS. 4-10 are cross-sectional views for describing the steps of the method of forming a sinqle crystal silicon film in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
• an insulating layer 30 is formed on a silicon substrate 32 and seed windows 34 are formed to expose portions of the silicon substrate 32.
• a LOCOS (local oxidation of silicon) oxide film approximately 1 micron thick is qrown, as the insulatinq layer 30, over the portion of the substrate 32 where the final SOI film will be located.
• the seed windows 34 are formed in the insulating layer 30.
• an amorphous silicon layer 36 is deposited on the insulating layer 30 and on the portions of the silicon substrate 32 in the seed windows 34.
• the amorphous silicon layer 36 is approximately 0.2 to 0.5 microns thick.
• the amorphous silicon layer 36 is heated so as to cause solid phase epitaxial (SPE) growth of a solid phase epitaxial single crystal silicon film 38 in the seed windows 34 and extendinq laterally over a portion of the insulating layer 30 (FIG. 6). During this heating step, the remaining portion of the amorphous silicon layer 36 will be converted to a polysilicon film 40.
• SPE solid phase epitaxial
• the solid phase epitaxial crystallization takes place in an oven by isothermal heating of the substrate to a temperature in the range of 560 to 600 ⁇ C (if higher temperatures are employed, then nucleation will occur predominantly in the portions of the amorphous silicon layer 36 over the insulating layer 30; if lower temperatures are used to avoid nucleation on the insulator and to grow the SPE crystallized silicon further, then the crystallization process becomes too time- consuming).
• the SPE single crystal silicon film 38 is grown to extend about 5 microns over the insulating oxide layer 30, as described in "Solid-Phase Lateral Epitaxial Growth onto Adjacent Si0 2 Film From Amorphous Silicon
• the laser power 0 which is used for the laser crystallization of the invention can be determined based only on the appropriate laser power for crystallizing polysilicon over an insulating oxide layer, without taking into account the laser power range for crystallizing 5 polysilicon on a silicon substrate.
• an Si0 2 /Si3 4 mask 46 is formed over the area on which : the final SOI device is to be formed and an oxide film 48 is grown over the seed area (FIG. 9).
• the oxide film 48 is a LOCOS oxide film.
• the Si0 2 /Si 3 N 4 mask 46 is stripped to leave isolated single crystal silicon 5 film structures 50 (corresponding to the single crystal silicon film 38) available for fabrication of the SOI device thereon (FIG. 10).
• the method of the present invention provides siqnificant advantaqes 0 over the prior art by employinq seeded laser crystallization after lateral solid phase epitaxial growth. That is, by providinq the SPE seed 38 (FIG. 6), the laser power window available for laser crystallization of the polvsilicon 40 over the 5 insulating layer 30 will have a much greater range than the laser power window available for prior art laser crystallization methods.
• the thickness of the insulating layer 30 on which the single crystal silicon film 38 is formed can be made greater than that available in prior art methods, so that a high quality SOI device, having improved isolation characteristics, can be formed on the sinqle crystal silicon film.

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Cited By (5)

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• 1986
  • 1986-12-05 WO PCT/US1986/002618 patent/WO1987003916A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1986-12-05 EP EP87900476A patent/EP0289507A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 1986-12-05 JP JP62500188A patent/JPS63503345A/ja active Pending

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