SELF-ALIGNED PROCESS FOR FABRICATING A PASSIVATING LEDGE IN A HETEROJUNC ION BIPOLAR TRANSISTOR
Field of the Intervention The present invention relates to a method of fabricating a self-aligned heterojunction bipolar transistor having ledge passivation to reduce surface recombination effects. Background of the Invention Heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBT) are used in a variety of applications requiring active devices having low "one over f" (1/f) noise and a good high frequency performance. The HBT consists of a vertical structure with an emitter layer on top of a base layer on top of a collector layer, with selected portions of each layer removed to expose the different layers and to facilitate electrical connections via metal contacts. One commonly used structure consists of an emitter fabricated of n- AlGaAs, a p- type GaAs base and an n- type GaAs collector. A functioning HBT creates a flow of electrons from the emitter through the base and into the collector. The electron current is modulated by holes injected into the base from the base contacts. Specifically, the extrinsic base region is exposed, and due to high surface recombination velocity, high surface recombination occurs at the extrinsic base surface. Degradation processes within the HBT manifest themselves as a reduction in β, the DC current gain, the ratio of collector current to base current. A high current density at the emitter/base junction, which lies at the corner between the emitter layer and the base layer, results in high recombination current. In a mesa HBT structure, there is a region of the extrinsic base which is exposed. This exposed extrinsic base is susceptible to degradation due to recombination current described herein. In a mesa structure HBT, carriers from the emitter reco bine with holes from the
base. The extrinsic base being exposed results in recombination at the surface. This surface recombination contributes to device degradation. The lead structure is utilized to reduce this degradation. A ledge structure extends the semiconductor crystal layer of the emitter mesa across the extrinsic base. This ledge is depleted of carriers in operation, thereby reducing the potential for recombination that contributes to the degradation. The result is that the hole/carrier interaction between the base and emitter respectively occurs in the semiconductor base layer and not at an exposed surface as occurs without the ledge. Accordingly, ledges which passivate the extrinsic base layer surface are an attractive alternative to improve device performance.
Passivation has been effected by a variety of techniques. One such technique is as disclosed in U.S. Patent 5,298,439 to Liu, et al., the disclosure which is specifically incorporated herein by reference. In the reference to Liu, et al., the emitter layer of the HBT has a ledge fabricated across a substantial portion of the exposed extrinsic base area between the original emitter mesa and the base contacts. The "439 reference discloses a passivation technique that uses a portion of the depleted emitter layer on top of the extrinsic base layer to reduce surface recombination. While this reference discloses a technique for fabricating a ledge in the tightly toleranced ledge-to-base region, which results in spacing that enable a lower extrinsic base resistance and base-collector capacitance, the method disclosed "439 reference has certain drawbacks. To this end, the reference to Liu, et al. is not a self-aligned process. That is, the reference to Liu, et al. results in the finite tolerances in aligned techniques. These tolerances are manifest as different ledge widths, and difference base separations. Additionally, the base contacts are not self aligned. The overall result is a
non-symmetrical structure about a plane through the semi-conductor mesa. The result is a reduction in yield due to a reduction in uniformity of device performance across a wafer in large scale wafer fabrication. The final result is an increase in price per unit of acceptable device to an unacceptable level.
The prior art requires the mesa to be defined prior to defining the ledge and the thickness of the ledge is less than the thickness of the mesa. Accordingly, what is needed is a technique for fabricating a heterojunction bipolar transistor having a ledge passivation through a self-aligned technique. The resulting structure will allow a greater yield and a uniformity across the wafer with the final result being a reduction in cost per unit of acceptable product. Summary of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of fabricating a heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) having a passivating ledge structure wherein the emitter mesa, ledge mesa and base contact metallization are self-aligned relative to one another. To this end, a photolithographic step defines the separation of the base contact metallization. The geometry of the ledge is defined in a masking material lying beneath the photolithographically defined material. It is a result of process art that the masking material has a slightly smaller geometry than the photolithographically defined material. The difference is referred to an undercut. Preferably the dielectric material is silicon nitride. The ledge is formed by a mesa etch. Thereafter, the masking material is reduced in area using standard semiconductor processing techniques and without the need for another photolithographic step, resulting in a further undercut. The emitter mesa is formed preferably using an isotropic etching step. The resulting profile maintains the ledge and provides a sufficient undercut to allow the self-aligned deposition of the base contact
metallization. The resulting structure has a base metallization separated from a passivating ledge, of controlled dimensions, by a controlled distance and accordingly an improved manufacturability and higher yield when compared to aligned techniques.
Objects, Features, and Advantages of the Invention
It is an object of the present invention to have a process for forming a heterojunction bipolar transistor with a passivating ledge on the emitter layer at the emitter/base interface with the resultant device being symmetric about a plane through the emitter mesa.
It is a feature of the present invention to have a process for fabricating a passivating ledge in a first etching step and to etch the emitter mesa thereafter through an isotropic etching step.
It is a further feature of the present invention to have a self-aligned process for fabricating semiconductor ledge structures such that the width of the ledge and the gap between the ledge and base metallization is uniform.
It is a further feature of the present invention to have a self-aligned process such that the gap between the ledge and base metallization is reduced in dimension compared to previous techniques. It is an advantage of the present invention that the resulting device have a uniform structure and accordingly uniform performance characteristics facilitating large scale production. Brief Description of the Drawings Figure 1 shows the preferred materials of the present invention.
Figure 2 shows the emitter layer of the present invention having a layer of dielectric material deposited thereon. Figure 3 shows the patterned photoresist disposed on the dielectric layer.
Figure 4 shows the dry etching step used to remove unprotected dielectric with the undercut in the dielectric layer resulting.
Figure 5 shows the etching step of the passivating ledge by standard wet etching technique.
Figure 6 is the second etching of the dielectric layer again having a slight undercut.
Figure 7 is the isotropic wet etch step used to fabricate the emitter mesa. Figure 8 shows the resulting emitter mesa passivating ledge of the present disclosure.
Figure 9 shows the emitter mesa and base contacts of the invention of the present disclosure.
Figure 10 shows the overall structure of a heterostructure bipolar transistor formed by the present invention . Detailed Description of the Invention
Figure 1 shows a table with the preferred materials and doping levels as well as the thicknesses of the materials of the present invention. The preferred structure of the present invention having a gallium arsenide substrate with epitaxial layers grown thereon by standard technique such as molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) or metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) . In Figure 2 emitter layer 101 has disposed thereon a dielectric layer 102 which is deposited by standard technique well known to one of ordinary skill in the art on top of the emitter layer 101. In the preferred embodiment the emitter consists of the emitter epitaxial layers and the emitter contact which is deposited previously using standard techniques, with the preferred dielectric material being silicon nitride. The separation of the base contacts, a very important aspect of the present invention, as well as the patterning of the dielectric material, is defined by a photoresist is shown as in Figure 3 at 203. In the preferred embodiment, this is Shipley Microposit 1813
photoresist. Unprotected dielectric material is thereafter removed using standard techniques. The preferred embodiment of the present step is to use a dry etching technique, preferably SF5 dry etch chemistry. A direct consequence of the process outlined above is that the masking material has slightly smaller geometry than the photoresist geometry as is shown clearly in Figure 4. The difference known as an undercut 304. This dielectric material geometry defines the passivating ledge of the present invention. The ledge thickness has been experimentally found to be preferably on the order of 200 to 1000 A. The ledge is etched using standard etching techniques with the result as is shown in Figure 5. In the preferred embodiment of the present process, a wet etch technique is effected at this point in order to fabricate the ledge. Again, as stated above, this step is preferably an isotropic etch and most preferably H2SO4-H2O2-H2O etching step. Again, these techniques are well known to one of ordinary skill in the art. This step is in contrast to the method utilized in the above reference to U.S. Patent 5,298,429. That is, in the present invention the etch step to fabricate the passivating ledge is done in the first etching of the mesa. Again, a small undercut is realized in the present etch step as is shown at 406 in Figure 5 with the resulting ledge as is shown at 405. The width of the ledge 405 is defined by further etching the dielectric material, increasing the level of the undercut as is shown in Figure 6. In the preferred embodiment a wet etch sequence is effected using a buffered HF acid. The emitter mesa etch shown in Figure 7 is an isotropic etch. By etching equally in all directions the ledge profile is retained as the mesa is defined. This is effected in a preferred embodiment using standard wet etching techniques outlined above.
This procedure outlined above differs significantly from the prior art as the ledge is defined prior to the
formation of the emitter mesa. The resulting structure has symmetry about an axis lying through the semiconductor emitter mesa. This axis of symmetry is shown at 609 in Figures 7, 8 and 9 within process tolerances, is assured across the wafer.
The above process fabricates the structure shown in Figure 7. Due to the isotropic nature of the emitter mesa etch step, the semiconductor emitter is undercut relative to dielectric material, which is undercut relative to the protecting photoresist. The bounds of the ledge also lie inside the bounds of the photoresist, as is shown in Figure 7. This allows the base contact metallization to be effected through standard deposition techniques and aligned to the whole geometry of the structure. In the preferred embodiment of the present disclosure, the excess dielectric material, the "overhang" shown as 610 is removed in a buffered hydrofluoric acid, with the photoresist hard baked to allow a second photoresist process to define the aligned edges of the base contact metallization. The metallization is effected through standard technique, with metal deposited as shown at 711, but also on the photoresist. This metal layer on the photoresist is removed with the photoresist and a further step. Certain salient features are worthy of specific mention. First of all, the distance between the edge of the ledge 712 and the base metallization 711 is identical within tolerance by virtue of the self-aligned technique of the present invention. Additionally, the ledge width which on the order of 0.50 microns is uniform with intolerance as well. The base contacts as shown in Figures 8, 9 and 10 at 711 are equal distant from line 609 as well as from the edges of the passivating ledge on each respective side of the ledge. This distance is delineated as 808. It is of interest to note that in an alternative embodiment, it is
possible to have one base contact for the device. Again, this base contact is self-aligned.
After the base contact metallization has been deposited preferably by electron beam evaporation, or other well known metallization techniques, the excess photoresist is removed with the structure resulting as shown in Figure 9.
After the formation of the emitter mesa including the passivating ledge as well as the deposition of the self-aligned base contacts, the base and collector mesas and collector contacts are effected by standard technique. The final HBT structure including the self aligned emitter mesa, passivating ledge and base contacts is shown in Figure 10. That is, the substrate layer 1001 of gallium arsenide has the n-type gallium arsenide sub-collector layer as shown at 1002 with collector contacts as shown at 1006. The base and collector layers are is shown at 1003 with base contact 711. Emitter mesa is shown at 1004 in Figure 10 with the passivating ledge shown at 712 and emitter contact 1007. The preferred materials and the doping and aluminum content thereof are as disclosed in the Table of Figure 1.
The invention having been described in detail it is clear that other variations and modifications are well within the purview of one of ordinary skill in the art. To the extent that such modifications to the present disclosure allows a self-aligned ledge process which maintains the symmetry of the passivating ledge on the sides of the emitter are within the purview of one of ordinary skill in the art having had the benefit of the present disclosure, such are deemed to be within the scope of the present invention.