Impurity gettering in semiconductors
September 6, 2014. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.Patent ReferencesProcess for the manufacture of semiconductor wafers with a rear side having a gettering action Method of noise reduction in CCD solid state imagers Gettering process for semiconductor wafers Method of gettering heavy-metal impurities from silicon substrates by laser-assisted intrinsic gettering Method of annealing fully-fabricated, radiation damaged semiconductor devices Method of producing semiconductor wafer through gettering using spherical abrasives Method for the passivation of crystal defects in polycrystalline silicon material Hydrogen plasma passivation of GaAs Method of making silicon material with enhanced surface mobility by hydrogen ion implantation Method to getter contamination in semiconductor devices InventorApplicationNo. 301559 filed on 09/06/1994US Classes:438/475, Hydrogen plasma (i.e., hydrogenization)136/261, Silicon or germanium containing257/E21.212, Hydrogenation or deuterization, e.g., using atomic hydrogen or deuterium from a plasma (EPO)257/E21.318, Of silicon body, e.g., for gettering (EPO)438/476By layers which are coated, contacted, or diffusedExaminersPrimary: Chaudhuri, OlikAssistant: Mulpuri, S. Attorney, Agent or FirmForeign Patent References
International ClassH01L 021/26AbstractA process for impurity gettering in a semiconductor substrate or device such as a silicon substrate or device. The process comprises hydrogenating the substrate or device at the back side thereof with sufficient intensity and for a time period sufficient to produce a damaged back side. Thereafter, the substrate or device is illuminated with electromagnetic radiation at an intensity and for a time period sufficient to cause the impurities to diffuse to the back side and alloy with a metal there present to form a contact and capture the impurities. The impurity gettering process also can function to simultaneously passivate defects within the substrate or device, with the defects likewise diffusing to the back side for simultaneous passivation. Simultaneously, substantially all hydrogen-induced damage on the back side of the substrate or device is likewise annihilated. Also taught is an alternate process comprising thermal treatment after hydrogenation of the substrate or device at a temperature of from about 500° C. to about 700° C. for a time period sufficient to cause the impurities to diffuse to the damaged back side thereof for subsequent capture by an alloying metal. | |
