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US5316969A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Method of shallow junction formation in semiconductor devices using gas immersion laser doping

Assignee: Leland Stanford Junior University
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Filing: 1992-12-21
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Granted: 1994-05-31
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Expires: 2012-12-21
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Abstract

Abstract Shallow regions are formed in a semiconductor body by irradiating the surface region with a pulsed laser beam in an atmosphere including the dopant. The pulsed laser beam has sufficient intensity to drive in dopant atoms from the atmosphere but insufficient intensity to melt the semiconductor material. A silicide layer can be placed over the surface of the semiconductor material prior to irradiation with the dopant being driven from the atmosphere through the silicide into the surface region of the semiconductor body. Alternatively, the silicide layer can include dopant atoms prior to irradiating the surface region.

Inventors

  • 👤 Emi Ishida
  • 👤 Thomas W. Sigmon
  • 👤 William T. Lynch

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-04 14:06
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10P; H10P72/00; H10P72/06; H10P72/0604; H10P32/00; H10P32/10; H10P32/12; H10P32/14; H10P32/1404; H10P32/1408; H10P32/1414; H10P32/17; H10P32/171; H10P32/30; H10P32/302; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S148/00; Y10S148/129

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 21
Claim 1
Independent Claim 87 words
A method of doping a surface region in a surface of a semiconductor body comprising the steps of (a) masking said surface with a reflective material with said surface region exposed, (b) immersing said semiconductor body in an atmosphere including a dopant, with said surface adsorbing dopant atoms, and (c) irradiating said surface with a pulsed radiation beam of sufficient intensity to drive into said surface region atoms of said dopant without melting said semiconductor body, said dopant atoms being replenished on said surface between laser pulses.
Claim 2
Independent Claim 87 words
A method of doping a surface region in a surface of a semiconductor body comprising the steps of (a) masking said surface with a reflective material with said surface region exposed, (b) immersing said semiconductor body in an atmosphere including a dopant, with said surface adsorbing dopant atoms, and (c) irradiating said surface with a pulsed radiation beam of sufficient intensity to drive into said surface region atoms of said dopant without melting said semiconductor body, said dopant atoms being replenished on said surface between laser pulses.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 19 words
The method as defined by claim 1 wherein step (c) includes directing a pulsed laser beam onto said surface.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 42 words
The method as defined by claim 2 and further including the step of applying a silicide layer on said surface prior to masking said surface, and wherein step (c) drives atoms of said dopant through said silicide layer into said surface region.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 19 words
The method as defined by claim 3 wherein the semiconductor body comprises silicon and said silicide comprises tungsten silicide.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 22 words
The method as defined by claim 3 wherein said silicide layer includes atoms of said dopant prior to irradiating said semiconductor body.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 13 words
The method as defined by claim 2 wherein said masking material comprises aluminum.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 14 words
The method as defined by claim 2 wherein said masking material comprises polycrystalline silicon.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 16 words
The method as defined by claim 2 wherein said masking material comprises a high temperature material.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 17 words
The method as defined by claim 2 wherein said pulsed laser beam is a patterned laser beam.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 13 words
The method as defined by claim 1 wherein said semiconductor material comprises silicon.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 29 words
The method as defined by claim 10 wherein said atmosphere includes a gas selected from the group consisting of BF 3 , ASF 3 , and PF 5 .
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 16 words
The method as defined by claim 11 wherein said gas comprises substantially 100% of said atmosphere.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 16 words
The method as defined by claim 12 wherein pressure of said atmosphere is approximately 50 Torr.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 35 words
The method as defined by claim 1 and further including the step of irradiating and melting said surface region to form a surface region having a box-like shape and depth of less than 1 micron.
Claim 16
Independent Claim 83 words
A method of doping a surface region in a surface of a semiconductor body comprising the steps of (a) forming a silicide layer on said surface of said semiconductor body, (b) immersing said semiconductor body and silicide layer in an atmosphere including a dopant, with said silicide layer adsorbing dopant atoms, and (c) irradiating said silicide layer with a pulsed radiation beam of sufficient energy to drive atoms into said silicide layer, said dopant atoms being replenished on said surface between laser pulses.
Claim 17
Independent Claim 83 words
A method of doping a surface region in a surface of a semiconductor body comprising the steps of (a) forming a silicide layer on said surface of said semiconductor body, (b) immersing said semiconductor body and silicide layer in an atmosphere including a dopant, with said silicide layer adsorbing dopant atoms, and (c) irradiating said silicide layer with a pulsed radiation beam of sufficient energy to drive atoms into said silicide layer, said dopant atoms being replenished on said surface between laser pulses.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 41 words
The method as defined by claim 15 and further including before irradiating said silicide layer the step of masking said silicide layer with a reflective material with said silicide layer over said surface region being exposed to said pulsed radiation beam.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 19 words
The method as defined by claim 16 wherein said semiconductor body comprises silicon and said silicide comprises tungsten silicide.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 13 words
The method as defined by claim 17 wherein said masking material comprises aluminum.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 14 words
The method as defined by claim 17 wherein said masking material comprises polycrystalline silicon.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US4151008A Cited
US4558507A Cited
US4669176A Cited
US4661177A Cited
US4914500A Cited
US5114876A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1997-05-30 1997-11-29 1998-05-31 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2001-05-30 2001-11-29 2002-05-31 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2005-05-30 2005-11-29 2006-05-31 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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