Semiconductor device manufacturing methods utilizing a predetermined flow of reactive substance over a dopant material

Claim 1

A method for producing a doped gallium arsenide semiconductor layer comprising the steps of: (a) directing a predetermined flow of a reactive substance selected from a group consisting of: iodine, a compound of iodine, bromine, or a component of bromine, over a material having a dopant; (b) chemically reacting the reactive substance with such material producing a corresponding flow of a doping vapor having the dopant, such doping vapor having a vapor pressure at a predetermined temperature at least an order of magnitude greater than the vapor pressure of the material at said predetermined temperature; and (c) depositing the doped gallium arsenide semiconductor layer on a gallium arsenide substrate by vapor phase epitaxy from material including a source of gallium and arsenic and the doping vapor.

Claim 2

A method for producing a doped gallium arsenide semiconductor layer comprising the steps of: (a) directing a predetermined flow of a reactive substance selected from a group consisting of: iodine, a compound of iodine, bromine, or a component of bromine, over a material having a dopant; (b) chemically reacting the reactive substance with such material producing a corresponding flow of a doping vapor having the dopant, such doping vapor having a vapor pressure at a predetermined temperature at least an order of magnitude greater than the vapor pressure of the material at said predetermined temperature; and (c) depositing the doped gallium arsenide semiconductor layer on a gallium arsenide substrate by vapor phase epitaxy from material including a source of gallium and arsenic and the doping vapor.

Claim 4

A method for producing a doped gallium arsenide semiconductor layer, comprising: (a) directing a predetermined flow of a reactive substance selected from a group consisting of iodine, hydrogen iodide, bromine or hydrogen bromide, over a material having a dopant, such material being of a group consisting of zinc arsenide or chromium; (b) chemically reacting the reactive substance with the material producing a corresponding flow of a doping vapor; and (c) depositing the doped gallium arsenide semiconductor layer on a gallium arsenide substrate by vapor phase epitaxy from material including the doping vapor.

Claim 5

A method for producing a doped gallium arsenide semiconductor layer, comprising: (a) directing a predetermined flow of a reactive substance selected from a group consisting of iodine, hydrogen iodide, bromine or hydrogen bromide, over a material having a dopant, such material being of a group consisting of zinc arsenide or chromium; (b) chemically reacting the reactive substance with the material producing a corresponding flow of a doping vapor; and (c) depositing the doped gallium arsenide semiconductor layer on a gallium arsenide substrate by vapor phase epitaxy from material including the doping vapor.

Claim 6

A method for producing a doped layer of gallium arsenide semiconductor layer comprising the steps of: (a) directing a predetermined flow of a reactive substance selected from a group consisting of: iodine, a compound of iodine, bromine, or a compound of bromine, over a first material having as a substantial fractional element thereof a dopant; (b) chemically reacting the reactive substance with such first material producing a corresponding flow of a doping vapor having the dopant; and (c) depositing the doped gallium arsenide semiconductor layer on a gallium arsenide substrate by vapor phase epitaxy from a second material including a source of the gallium and arsenic and the doping vapor, such second material and the doping vapor being transported to the substrate by a carrier gas of hydrogen, the flow of the carrier gas being controllable independently from the flow of the reactive substance.

Claim 7

A method for producing a doped layer of gallium arsenide semiconductor layer comprising the steps of: (a) directing a predetermined flow of a reactive substance selected from a group consisting of: iodine, a compound of iodine, bromine, or a compound of bromine, over a first material having as a substantial fractional element thereof a dopant; (b) chemically reacting the reactive substance with such first material producing a corresponding flow of a doping vapor having the dopant; and (c) depositing the doped gallium arsenide semiconductor layer on a gallium arsenide substrate by vapor phase epitaxy from a second material including a source of the gallium and arsenic and the doping vapor, such second material and the doping vapor being transported to the substrate by a carrier gas of hydrogen, the flow of the carrier gas being controllable independently from the flow of the reactive substance.

Claim 8

A method for producing a relatively narrow, high doping concentration layer between a pair of lower doping concentration layers, comprising the steps of: (a) directing a flow of a predetermined quantity of a reactive substance to a material having a doping element, the predetermined quantity being related to the doping concentration of the narrow, high doping concentration layer; (b) chemically reacting the predetermined quantity of the material producing a flow of a corresponding quantity of a doping vapor; (c) depositing such narrow, high doping concentration layer on a layer of semiconductor material having a relatively low doping concentration, such deposition being by vapor phase epitaxy from materials including the doping vapor; and (d) producing by vapor phase epitaxy a relatively lower doped semiconductor layer on the narrow, high doping concentration layer.

Claim 9

A method for producing a relatively narrow, high doping concentration layer between a pair of lower doping concentration layers, comprising the steps of: (a) directing a flow of a predetermined quantity of a reactive substance to a material having a doping element, the predetermined quantity being related to the doping concentration of the narrow, high doping concentration layer; (b) chemically reacting the predetermined quantity of the material producing a flow of a corresponding quantity of a doping vapor; (c) depositing such narrow, high doping concentration layer on a layer of semiconductor material having a relatively low doping concentration, such deposition being by vapor phase epitaxy from materials including the doping vapor; and (d) producing by vapor phase epitaxy a relatively lower doped semiconductor layer on the narrow, high doping concentration layer.

Claim 10

A method for forming a semiconductor device comprising the steps of: (a) forming at least one p-type doped gallium arsenide layer by vapor phase epitaxy comprising the steps of: chemically reacting a substance with a material having a p-type doping element producing a doping vapor having the p-type dopant; (b) forming at least one n-type gallium arsenide layer; and wherein such at least one p-type and at least one n-type gallium arsenide layers are formed contiguous one to the other.

Claim 11

A method for forming a semiconductor device comprising the steps of: (a) forming at least one p-type doped gallium arsenide layer by vapor phase epitaxy comprising the steps of: chemically reacting a substance with a material having a p-type doping element producing a doping vapor having the p-type dopant; (b) forming at least one n-type gallium arsenide layer; and wherein such at least one p-type and at least one n-type gallium arsenide layers are formed contiguous one to the other.

Claim 12

A method for producing a doped gallium arsenide semiconductor layer comprising the steps of: (a) directing a predetermined flow of a compound of iodine or iodine over a doped material, such doped material being selected from the group consisting of material having an elemental zinc or an elemental chromium; (b) chemically reacting the compound with the doped material producing a corresponding flow of a doping vapor, such doping vapor being a material from the group consisting of zince iodide or chromium iodide; and (c) depositing the doped gallium arsenide layer on a gallium arsenide substrate by vapor phase epitaxy from material including a source of arsenic, a source of gallium and the doping vapor, such being transported to the substrate by a carrier gas of hydrogen.

Claim 13

A method for producing a doped gallium arsenide semiconductor layer comprising the steps of: (a) directing a predetermined flow of a compound of iodine or iodine over a doped material, such doped material being selected from the group consisting of material having an elemental zinc or an elemental chromium; (b) chemically reacting the compound with the doped material producing a corresponding flow of a doping vapor, such doping vapor being a material from the group consisting of zince iodide or chromium iodide; and (c) depositing the doped gallium arsenide layer on a gallium arsenide substrate by vapor phase epitaxy from material including a source of arsenic, a source of gallium and the doping vapor, such being transported to the substrate by a carrier gas of hydrogen.

Claim 14

A method for producing a doped gallium arsenide semiconductor layer comprising the steps of: (a) directing a predetermined flow of a compound over a doped material, such compound being a material selected from the group consisting of iodine or a compound of iodine, or bromine, or a compound of bromine, such doped material being selected from the group consisting of material having an elemental zinc or an elemental chromium; (b) chemically reacting the compound with the doped material producing a corresponding flow of a doping vapor, such doping vapor being of a material selected from the group consisting of zinc iodide, zinc bromide, chromium iodide, or chromium bromide; and (c) depositing the doped gallium arsenide layer on a gallium arsenide substrate by vapor phase epitaxy from material including a source of arsenic, a source of gallium and the doping vapor, such being transported to the substrate by a carrier gas of hydrogen.

Claim 15

A method for producing a doped gallium arsenide semiconductor layer comprising the steps of: (a) directing a predetermined flow of a compound over a doped material, such compound being a material selected from the group consisting of iodine or a compound of iodine, or bromine, or a compound of bromine, such doped material being selected from the group consisting of material having an elemental zinc or an elemental chromium; (b) chemically reacting the compound with the doped material producing a corresponding flow of a doping vapor, such doping vapor being of a material selected from the group consisting of zinc iodide, zinc bromide, chromium iodide, or chromium bromide; and (c) depositing the doped gallium arsenide layer on a gallium arsenide substrate by vapor phase epitaxy from material including a source of arsenic, a source of gallium and the doping vapor, such being transported to the substrate by a carrier gas of hydrogen.

Claim 16

A method for producing a relatively narrow, high doping concentration layer between a pair of lower doping concentration layers, comprising the steps of: (a) directing a flow of a predetermined quantity of a reactive substance to a material having a doping element, the predetermined quantity being related to the doping concentration of the narrow, high doping concentration layer; (b) chemically reacting the predetermined quantity of the material producing a flow of a corresponding quantity of a doping vapor; (c) depositing such narrow high doping concentration layer on a layer of semiconductor material having a relatively low doping concentration, such deposition being by vapor phase deposition from materials including the doping vapor, such narrow high doping concentration layer having a width of about 0.1 micrometers at a doping concentration 50% below the peak doping concentration of such layer; and (d) producing by vapor phase deposition a relatively lower doped semiconductor layer on the narrow, high doping concentration layer.

Claim 17

A method for producing a relatively narrow, high doping concentration layer between a pair of lower doping concentration layers, comprising the steps of: (a) directing a flow of a predetermined quantity of a reactive substance to a material having a doping element, the predetermined quantity being related to the doping concentration of the narrow, high doping concentration layer; (b) chemically reacting the predetermined quantity of the material producing a flow of a corresponding quantity of a doping vapor; (c) depositing such narrow high doping concentration layer on a layer of semiconductor material having a relatively low doping concentration, such deposition being by vapor phase deposition from materials including the doping vapor, such narrow high doping concentration layer having a width of about 0.1 micrometers at a doping concentration 50% below the peak doping concentration of such layer; and (d) producing by vapor phase deposition a relatively lower doped semiconductor layer on the narrow, high doping concentration layer.

Claim 18

A method for producing a doped semiconductor layer comprising the steps of: (a) directing a predetermined flow of a reactive substance selected from a group consisting of: iodine, a compound of iodine, bromine, or a compound of bromine, over a material having a dopant; (b) chemically reacting the reactive substance with such material producing a corresponding flow of a doping vapor having the dopant, such doping vapor having a vapor pressure at a predetermined temperature at least an order of magnitude greater than the vapor pressure of the material at said predetermined temperature; and (c) depositing the doped semiconductor layer on a substrate by vapor phase deposition from material including a source of the semiconductor and the doping vapor.

Claim 19

A method for producing a doped semiconductor layer comprising the steps of: (a) directing a predetermined flow of a reactive substance selected from a group consisting of: iodine, a compound of iodine, bromine, or a compound of bromine, over a material having a dopant; (b) chemically reacting the reactive substance with such material producing a corresponding flow of a doping vapor having the dopant, such doping vapor having a vapor pressure at a predetermined temperature at least an order of magnitude greater than the vapor pressure of the material at said predetermined temperature; and (c) depositing the doped semiconductor layer on a substrate by vapor phase deposition from material including a source of the semiconductor and the doping vapor.

Claim 20

A method for producing a doped semiconductor layer comprising the steps of: (a) directing a predetermined flow of a reactive substance selected from the group consisting of: iodine, a compound of iodine, bromine, or a compound of bromine over a first material having as substantial fractional element thereof a dopant; (b) chemically reacting the reactive substance with such first material producing a corresponding flow of a doping vapor having the dopant; and (c) depositing the doped semiconductor layer on a substrate by vapor phase deposition from a second material including a source of the semiconductor and the doping vapor, such second material and the doping vapor being transported to the substrate by a carrier gas, the flow of the carrier gas being controllable independently from the flow of the reactive substance.

Claim 21

A method for producing a doped semiconductor layer comprising the steps of: (a) directing a predetermined flow of a reactive substance selected from the group consisting of: iodine, a compound of iodine, bromine, or a compound of bromine over a first material having as substantial fractional element thereof a dopant; (b) chemically reacting the reactive substance with such first material producing a corresponding flow of a doping vapor having the dopant; and (c) depositing the doped semiconductor layer on a substrate by vapor phase deposition from a second material including a source of the semiconductor and the doping vapor, such second material and the doping vapor being transported to the substrate by a carrier gas, the flow of the carrier gas being controllable independently from the flow of the reactive substance.

Claim 23

A method for forming a semiconductor device comprising the steps of: (a) forming at least one p-type doped semiconductor layer by vapor phase deposition comprising the step of chemically reacting a substance with a material having a p-type doping element producing a doping vapor having the p-type dopant; and (b) forming at least one n-type semiconductor layer by vapor phase deposition and wherein such at least one p-type and at least one n-type semiconductor layers are contiguous one to the other and wherein the same carrier gas is used during the vapor phase deposition of both the n-type and p-type semiconductor layers.

Claim 24

A method for forming a semiconductor device comprising the steps of: (a) forming at least one p-type doped semiconductor layer by vapor phase deposition comprising the step of chemically reacting a substance with a material having a p-type doping element producing a doping vapor having the p-type dopant; and (b) forming at least one n-type semiconductor layer by vapor phase deposition and wherein such at least one p-type and at least one n-type semiconductor layers are contiguous one to the other and wherein the same carrier gas is used during the vapor phase deposition of both the n-type and p-type semiconductor layers.