§
Luxuse
Patent Intelligence
Sign In
← Back to Patent Explorer
EP0260052A2 Expired / Lapsed EP ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Semiconductor device including ordered layers

Assignee: AT&T Inc
•
Filing: 1987-09-02
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2007-09-02
📄 Original PDF 🌐 Google Patents 🔄 Sync Now

Abstract

Abstract Semiconductor devices are described including a structure of alternating first and second layers of Group-IV materials which together form an ordered composite structure having a crystallographic unit cell which differs from the unit cells of both the first and second layer materials. Structures in which both first and second layers are not more than 8 atomic monolayers thick have properties (such as, e.g., electronic or optical properties) which are significantly different from those of previously known Group-IV semiconductor materials and structures. As a result, structures of the invention give rise to novel device applications. In the case of germanium and silicon layer materials, the number of monolayers in first and second layers strongly affects electroabsorption properties. A structure of alternating first layers of 4 atomic monolayers Ge and second layers of 4 atomic monolayers Si is of particular interest for photodetector use on account of strong optical absorption at wavelengths near 1.6 micrometer.

Inventors

  • 👤 Joze Bevk
  • 👤 Leonard Cecil Feldman
  • 👤 Alastair Malcolm Glass
  • 👤 Thomas Perine Pearsall

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction EP
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-05 23:09
CPC Classifications
B; B82; B82Y; B82Y20/00; C; C08; C08F; C08F6/00; C08F6/008; H; H10; H10D; H10D62/00; H10D62/80; H10D62/81; H10D62/815; H10D62/8161; H10D62/8162; H10D62/8164; H10F; H10F77/00; H10F77/10; H10F77/14; H10F77/146; H10F77/1465

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim 123 words
A device comprising a substrate and a plurality of layers deposited on a surface of said substrate, the crystallographic structure of said surface being compatible with an ordered structure of Group-IV semiconductor material, said device being CHARACTERIZED IN THAT said plurality of layers comprises alternating first and second ordered layers having a thickness which is less than or equal to 8 atomic monolayers, said first layers consisting essentially of a first Group-IV semiconductor material in ordered form, and said second layers consisting essentially of a second Group-IV semiconductor material in ordered form, whereby a property of said plurality of layers is significantly different from the corresponding property of a reference alloy consisting of said first and second Group-IV semiconductor materials in random combination.
Claim 2
Independent Claim 123 words
A device comprising a substrate and a plurality of layers deposited on a surface of said substrate, the crystallographic structure of said surface being compatible with an ordered structure of Group-IV semiconductor material, said device being CHARACTERIZED IN THAT said plurality of layers comprises alternating first and second ordered layers having a thickness which is less than or equal to 8 atomic monolayers, said first layers consisting essentially of a first Group-IV semiconductor material in ordered form, and said second layers consisting essentially of a second Group-IV semiconductor material in ordered form, whereby a property of said plurality of layers is significantly different from the corresponding property of a reference alloy consisting of said first and second Group-IV semiconductor materials in random combination.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 17 words
The device of claim 1 in which the material of said first layers consist essentially of germanium.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 17 words
The device of claim 2 in which the material of said second layers consists essentially of silicon.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 30 words
The device of claim 3 in which said plurality of layers is repeated on an auxiliary layer which comprises silicon and which does not comprise a significant amount of germanium.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 17 words
The device of claim 1 in which said property is an electronic property or an optical property.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 18 words
The device of claim 5, said device being designed for optical radiation incident on said plurality of layers.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 32 words
The device of claim 6 in which said first layers consist essentially of 4 atomic monolayers of germanium and in which said second layers consist essentially of 4 atomic monolayers of silicon.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 24 words
The device of claim 7, said device being designed for optical radiation incident on said plurality of layers at a wavelength near 1.6 micrometer.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 17 words
The device of claim 1 in which said substrate consists essentially of silicon having essentially (100) orientation.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 23 words
The device of claim 9 in which said plurality of layers is deposited on a buffer layer which comprises a dislocation trap region.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

No citation records indexed.

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Maintenance schedule is calculated for granted US utility patents.

Assigned Categories & Tags

No categories assigned to this patent yet.

Assign Category Tag