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US4885614A
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Semiconductor device with crystalline silicon-germanium-carbon alloy
Assignee: Hitachi Ltd
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Filing: 1988-07-08
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Granted: 1989-12-05
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Expires: 2008-07-08
Abstract
Abstract The present invention discloses a semiconductor device comprising a semiconductor layer being made of monocrystalline silicon or silicon-germanium alloy and a semiconductor layer being made of silicon-germanium-carbon alloy formed thereon, wherein the two layers form a heterojunction therebetween. In such a device, no lattice mismatch occurs between the layers or even if lattice mismatch occurs, it is only slight, so that the silicon-germanium-carbon alloy layer is in no danger of causing misfit dislocation therein.
Inventors
- 👤 Seijiro Furukawa
- 👤 Hiroyuki Etoh
- 👤 Akitoshi Ishizaka
- 👤 Toshikazu Shimada
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 23:07
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10F; H10F71/00; H10F71/121; H10F71/1215; H10D; H10D10/00; H10D10/80; H10D10/821; H10D10/891; H10D30/00; H10D30/40; H10D30/47; H10D30/471; H10D30/472; H10D62/00; H10D62/80; H10D62/82; H10D62/822; H10F30/00; H10F30/20; H10F30/21; H10F30/22; H10F30/223; H10F77/00; H10F77/10; H10F77/12; H10F77/122; H10F77/1226; H10P; H10P14/00; H10P14/20; H10P14/22; H10P14/24; H10P14/29; H10P14/2901; H10P14/2902; H10P14/2905; H10P14/34; H10P14/3402; H10P14/3404; H10P14/3408; H10P14/3411; Y; Y02; Y02E; Y02E10/00; Y02E10/50
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 32
Claim 1
Independent Claim
59 words
A semiconductor device comprising: a first crystalline semiconductor layer being made mainly of silicon; and a second single crystalline semiconductor layer made of silicon-germanium-carbon semiconductor material, wherein the first and the second semiconductor layers form a heterojunction therebetween, and wherein the atomic number ration of germanium/cabron in the second semiconductor layer is in the range of 6.7/1 to 12/1.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
59 words
A semiconductor device comprising: a first crystalline semiconductor layer being made mainly of silicon; and a second single crystalline semiconductor layer made of silicon-germanium-carbon semiconductor material, wherein the first and the second semiconductor layers form a heterojunction therebetween, and wherein the atomic number ration of germanium/cabron in the second semiconductor layer is in the range of 6.7/1 to 12/1.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
27 words
The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first crystalline semiconductor layer is one selected from the group consisting of crystalline silicon and crystalline silicon-germanium.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
38 words
The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first crystalline semiconductor layer has a first conductivity type and the second single crystalline semiconductor layer has a second conductivity type being different from the first conductivity type.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
30 words
The device as set forth in claim 3, wherein the first conductivity type is p-type and the second conductivity type is one selected from the group of n-type and i-type.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
41 words
The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said ratio of germanium/carbon in the second single crystalline semiconductor layer is provided such that said first crystalline semiconductor layer and said second single crystalline semiconductor layer have substantially matching lattice constants.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
31 words
The device as set forth in claim 5, wherein lattice mismatch of the lattice constants of the first crystalline and the second crystalline semiconductor layers is not larger than 1 percent.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
28 words
The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein carbon content in the second single crystalline semiconductor layer is in the range of 1 to 12 atomic percent.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
96 words
A semiconductor device comprising: a semiconductor substrate; a plurality of semiconductor layers stacked on the semiconductor substrate, having a first semiconductor layer which is made mainly of crystalline silicon and a second semiconductor layer formed on the first semiconductor layer, being made of single crystalline silicon-germanium-carbon having an atomic number ratio of germanium/carbon in the range of 6.7/1 to 12/1; a pair of first electrodes for making current flow in the plurality of semiconductor layers; and a second electrode for injecting signal current into the plurality of semiconductor layers so as to control the current flow.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
96 words
A semiconductor device comprising: a semiconductor substrate; a plurality of semiconductor layers stacked on the semiconductor substrate, having a first semiconductor layer which is made mainly of crystalline silicon and a second semiconductor layer formed on the first semiconductor layer, being made of single crystalline silicon-germanium-carbon having an atomic number ratio of germanium/carbon in the range of 6.7/1 to 12/1; a pair of first electrodes for making current flow in the plurality of semiconductor layers; and a second electrode for injecting signal current into the plurality of semiconductor layers so as to control the current flow.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
35 words
The device as set forth in claim 8, wherein the first semiconductor layer has a first conductivity type and the second semiconductor layer has a second conductivity type so as to form a pn-junction therebetween.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
28 words
The device as set forth in claim 8, wherein the first semiconductor layer is doped with p-type impurities and the second semiconductor layer is doped with n-type impurities.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
32 words
The device as set forth in claim 10, wherein one of the first electrodes is connected to the second semiconductor layer and the second electrodes are connected to the first semiconductor layer.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
28 words
The device as set forth in claim 8, wherein the first semiconductor layer makes up a base region and the second semiconductor layer makes up an emitter region.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
28 words
The device as set forth in claim 8, wherein the first semiconductor layer makes up a collector region and the second semiconductor layer makes up a base region.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
98 words
A semiconductor device comprising: a semiconductor substrate; a plurality of semiconductor layers stacked on the semiconductor substrate, having a first crystalline semiconductor layer made mainly of silicon and a second single crystalline semicondcutor layer made of a silicon-germanium-carbon alloy formed on said first crystalline semiconductor layer wherein an atomic number ratio of germanium/carbon in the second single crystalline semiconductor layer is in the range of 6.71 to 12/1; a pair of first electrodes for making a current flow in the plurality of semiconductor layers; and a second electrode for controlling current flow between said pair of first electrodes.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
98 words
A semiconductor device comprising: a semiconductor substrate; a plurality of semiconductor layers stacked on the semiconductor substrate, having a first crystalline semiconductor layer made mainly of silicon and a second single crystalline semicondcutor layer made of a silicon-germanium-carbon alloy formed on said first crystalline semiconductor layer wherein an atomic number ratio of germanium/carbon in the second single crystalline semiconductor layer is in the range of 6.71 to 12/1; a pair of first electrodes for making a current flow in the plurality of semiconductor layers; and a second electrode for controlling current flow between said pair of first electrodes.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
62 words
A semiconductor device comprising: a first semiconductor layer being made of crystalline silicon; a second semiconductor layer being made of single crystalline silicon-germanium-carbon alloy having an atomic number ratio of germanium/carbon in the range of 6.7/1 to 12/1, formed the first semiconductor layer, wherein incident light is converted into carriers; and a pair of electrodes for extracting current caused by the carriers.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
62 words
A semiconductor device comprising: a first semiconductor layer being made of crystalline silicon; a second semiconductor layer being made of single crystalline silicon-germanium-carbon alloy having an atomic number ratio of germanium/carbon in the range of 6.7/1 to 12/1, formed the first semiconductor layer, wherein incident light is converted into carriers; and a pair of electrodes for extracting current caused by the carriers.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
15 words
The device as set forth in claim 15, wherein the second semiconductor layer is undoped.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
23 words
The device as set forth in claim 16, wherein the second semiconductor layer is sandwiched by a p-type layer, and an n-type layer.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
18 words
The device as set forth in claim 15, wherein the first semiconductor layer is doped with n-type impurities.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
38 words
The device as set forth in claim 8, wherein said atomic number ratio of germanium/carbon of said second semiconductor layer is provided such that said first semiconductor layer and said second semiconductor layer have substantially matching lattice constants.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
43 words
The device as set forth in claim 14, wherein said atomic number ratio of germanium/carbon in said second single crystalline semiconductor layer is provided such that said first crystalline semiconductor layer and said second single crystalline semiconductor layer have substantially matching lattice constants.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
38 words
The device as set forth in claim 15, wherein said atomic number ratio of germanium/carbon of said second semiconductor layer is provided such that said first semiconductor layer and said second semicondcutor layer have substantially matching lattice constants.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
31 words
The device as set forth in claim 19, wherein lattice mismatch of the lattice constants of said first semiconductor layer and said second semiconductor layer is not larger than 1 percent.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
32 words
The device as set forth in claim 20, wherein lattice mismatch of the lattice constants of the first crystalline and the second single crystalline semiconductor layers is not larger than 1 percent.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
31 words
The device as set forth in claim 21, wherein lattice mismatch of the lattice constants of said first semiconductor layer and said second semiconductor layer is not larger than 1 percent.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
32 words
The device as set forth in claim 5, wherein lattice mismatch of the lattice constants of the first crystalline and the second single crystalline semiconductor layers is not larger than 0.5 percent.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
31 words
The device as set forth in claim 19, wherein lattice mismatch of the lattice constants of said first semiconductor layer and said second semiconductor layer is not larger than 0.5 percent.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
32 words
The device as set forth in claim 20, wherein lattice mismatch of the lattice constants of the first crystalline and the second single crystalline semiconductor layers is not larger than 0.5 percent.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
31 words
The device as set forth in claim 21, wherein lattice mismatch of the lattice constants of said first semiconductor layer and said second semiconductor layer is not larger than 0.5 percent.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1992-12-04 | 1993-06-05 | 1993-12-05 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1996-12-04 | 1997-06-05 | 1997-12-05 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
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