US5420443A
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Microelectronic structure having an array of diamond structures on a nondiamond substrate and associated fabrication methods
Assignee: Kobe Development Corp
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Filing: 1993-03-23
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Granted: 1995-05-30
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Expires: 2013-03-23
Abstract
Abstract A microelectronic structure including a plurality of spaced apart diamond structures on which a plurality of semiconductor devices may be formed. The semiconductor devices include a semiconducting diamond layer on each of the diamond structures. The diamond structures are preferably oriented relative to a single crystal nondiamond substrate so that the diamond structures have a (100)-oriented outer face for forming the semiconductor devices thereon. The microelectronic structure may be diced into discrete devices, or the devices interconnected, such as to form a higher powered device. One embodiment of the microelectronic structure includes the plurality of diamond structures, wherein each diamond structure is formed of a highly oriented textured diamond layer approaching single crystal quality, yet capable of fabrication on a single crystal nondiamond substrate. A method for fabricating the nondiamond highly oriented textured diamond layer includes carburizing a face of the nondiamond substrate, nucleating the carburized face by electrical bias enhanced nucleation, and selectively growing diamond favoring growth of the (100)-oriented grains.
Inventors
- 👤 David L. Dreifus
- 👤 Brian R. Stoner
- 👤 Jeffrey T. Glass
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 16:58
CPC Classifications
C; C23; C23C; C23C16/00; C23C16/22; C23C16/26; C23C16/27; C23C16/274; C23C16/02; C23C16/44; C23C16/458; C23C16/4581; C30; C30B; C30B25/00; C30B25/02; C30B25/10; C30B25/105; C30B29/00; C30B29/02; C30B29/04
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 56
Claim 1
Independent Claim
114 words
A microelectronic structure comprising: a single crystal nondiamond substrate; a plurality of laterally spaced apart diamond structures on said single crystal nondiamond substrate, each of said diamond structures having an outermost face being substantially oriented relative to said single crystal nondiamond substrate wherein a crystal lattice plane generally defined at the outermost face is substantially parallel to a crystal lattice plane defined by a corresponding adjacent portion of said single crystal nondiamond substrate, each of said diamond structure comprising highly oriented textured diamond including a plurality of side-by-side columnar signal crystal diamond grains extending outwardly form said single crystal nondiamond substrate; and a respective semiconductor device on each of said plurality of diamond structures.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
114 words
A microelectronic structure comprising: a single crystal nondiamond substrate; a plurality of laterally spaced apart diamond structures on said single crystal nondiamond substrate, each of said diamond structures having an outermost face being substantially oriented relative to said single crystal nondiamond substrate wherein a crystal lattice plane generally defined at the outermost face is substantially parallel to a crystal lattice plane defined by a corresponding adjacent portion of said single crystal nondiamond substrate, each of said diamond structure comprising highly oriented textured diamond including a plurality of side-by-side columnar signal crystal diamond grains extending outwardly form said single crystal nondiamond substrate; and a respective semiconductor device on each of said plurality of diamond structures.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
31 words
A microelectronic structure according to claim 1 wherein each of said semiconductor devices comprises a respective semiconducting diamond layer on the outermost face of each of said plurality of diamond structures.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
38 words
A microelectronic structure according to claim 1 wherein said single crystal nondiamond substrate has a (100)-oriented face adjacent said plurality of diamond structures, and wherein the outermost face of each of said plurality of diamond structures is (100)-oriented.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
46 words
A microelectronic structure according to claim 1 wherein substantially all of said plurality of columnar single crystal diamond grains in each of said plurality of diamond structures are oriented with a tilt and azimuthal misorientation of less than about 8°relative to said single crystal nondiamond substrate.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
35 words
A microelectronic structure according to claim 1 wherein each of said highly oriented textured diamond layers has a diamond nucleation site concentration adjacent said nondiamond substrate of greater than about 10 4 /cm 2 .
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
49 words
A microelectronic structure according to claim 1 wherein each of said columnar single crystal diamond grains in respective diamond structures have outermost faces substantially flush with adjacent ones of said columnar single crystal diamond grains so that the outermost face at each of said diamond structures is relatively flat.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
72 words
A microelectronic structure according to claim 1 further comprising a respective semiconducting diamond layer on the outermost faces of said plurality of columnar single crystal diamond grains in each of said plurality of diamond structures, and wherein each of said semiconductor diamond layers has a hole mobility at room temperature corresponding to a value greater than about 100 cm 2 /V-s for a dopant concentration of about 10 18 cm -3 .
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
72 words
A microelectronic structure according to claim 1 further comprising a respective semiconducting diamond layer on the outermost faces of said plurality of columnar single crystal diamond grains in each of said plurality of diamond structures, and wherein each of said semiconductor diamond layers has a hole mobility at room temperature corresponding to a value greater than about 300 cm 2 /V-s for a dopant concentration of about 10 18 cm -3 .
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
42 words
A microelectronic structure according to claim 1 wherein each of said plurality of diamond structures has an innermost face adjacent said nondiamond substrate, and wherein the innermost face of each of said plurality of diamond structures is planar and devoid of protrusions.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
25 words
A microelectronic structure according to claim 1 further comprising a carbide interfacial layer between each of said plurality of diamond structures and said nondiamond substrate.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
28 words
A microelectronic structure according to claim 1 wherein each of said plurality of diamond structures are arranged in an array having predetermined lateral spacings between adjacent diamond structures.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
18 words
A microelectronic structure according to claim 1 wherein each of said semiconductor devices comprises a field effect transistor.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
28 words
A microelectronic structure according to claim 1 wherein each of said plurality of diamond structures has outermost face dimensions not less than about 20 microns on a side.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
15 words
A microelectronic structure according to claim 1 wherein said single crystal nondiamond substrate comprises silicon.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
36 words
A microelectronic structure according to claim 1 wherein said single crystal nondiamond substrate comprises a material selected from the group consisting of refractory metals and their carbides, cubic-boron nitride, α-silicon carbide, β-silicon carbide, copper, and nickel.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
42 words
A microelectronic structure according to claim 1 wherein said single crystal nondiamond substrate comprises copper, nickel or alloys thereof; and further comprising an interfacial layer between said substrate and said plurality of diamond structures, and wherein said interfacial layer comprises titanium carbide.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
21 words
A microelectronic device according to claim 1 further comprising a filler material between adjacent ones of said plurality of diamond structures.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
120 words
A microelectronic structure comprising: a single crystal nondiamond substrate; and a highly oriented textured diamond layer on said single crystal nondiamond substrate, said highly oriented textured diamond layer including a plurality of side-by-side columnar single crystal diamond grains extending outwardly from said single crystal nondiamond substrate, said highly oriented textured diamond layer having a nucleation site concentration adjacent said nondiamond substrate of greater than about 10 4 /cm 2 , said plurality of single crystal diamond grains having respective outermost faces being substantially oriented relative to said single crystal nondiamond substrate wherein respective crystal lattice planes defined at the outermost faces are substantially parallel to respective crystal lattice planes defined by corresponding adjacent portions of said single crystal nondiamond substrate.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
120 words
A microelectronic structure comprising: a single crystal nondiamond substrate; and a highly oriented textured diamond layer on said single crystal nondiamond substrate, said highly oriented textured diamond layer including a plurality of side-by-side columnar single crystal diamond grains extending outwardly from said single crystal nondiamond substrate, said highly oriented textured diamond layer having a nucleation site concentration adjacent said nondiamond substrate of greater than about 10 4 /cm 2 , said plurality of single crystal diamond grains having respective outermost faces being substantially oriented relative to said single crystal nondiamond substrate wherein respective crystal lattice planes defined at the outermost faces are substantially parallel to respective crystal lattice planes defined by corresponding adjacent portions of said single crystal nondiamond substrate.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
39 words
A microelectronic structure according to claim 18 wherein substantially all of said plurality of columnar single crystal diamond grains are oriented with a tilt and azimuthal misorientation of less than about 8° relative to said single crystal nondiamond substrate.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
41 words
A microelectronic structure according to claim 18 wherein the outermost faces of said plurality of columnar single crystal diamond grains are substantially flush with adjacent faces to form an overall relatively flat outermost face of said highly oriented textured diamond layer.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
59 words
A microelectronic structure according to claim 18 further comprising a semiconducting diamond layer on the outermost face of said highly oriented textured diamond layer, and wherein said semiconductor diamond layer has a hole mobility at room temperature corresponding to a value greater than about 100 cm 2 /V-s for a dopant concentration of about 10 18 cm -3 .
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
59 words
A microelectronic structure according to claim 18 further comprising a semiconducting diamond layer on the outermost face of said highly oriented textured diamond layer, and wherein said semiconductor diamond layer has a hole mobility at room temperature corresponding to a value greater than about 300 cm 2 /V-s for a dopant concentration of about 10 18 cm -3 .
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
29 words
A microelectronic structure according to claim 18 wherein said highly oriented textured diamond layer has an innermost face adjacent said nondiamond substrate being planar and devoid of any protrusions.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
40 words
A microelectronic structure according to claim 18 further comprising a semiconductor device on said highly oriented textured diamond layer, and wherein said semiconductor device comprises a semiconducting diamond layer on an outermost face of said highly oriented textured diamond layer.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
38 words
A microelectronic structure according to claim 18 wherein said single crystal nondiamond substrate has a (100)-oriented face adjacent said highly oriented textured diamond layer, and wherein an outermost face of said highly oriented textured diamond layer is (100)-oriented.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
26 words
A microelectronic structure according to claim 18 further comprising a carbide interfacial layer between said highly oriented textured diamond layer and said single crystal nondiamond substrate.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
27 words
A microelectronic structure according to claim 18 wherein said highly oriented textured diamond layer has outermost face dimensions not less than about 20 microns on a side.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
13 words
A microelectronic structure according to claim 18 wherein said nondiamond substrate comprises silicon.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
34 words
A microelectronic structure according to claim 18 wherein said nondiamond substrate comprises a material selected from the group consisting of refractory metals and their carbides, cubic-boron nitride, α-silicon carbide, β-silicon carbide, copper, and nickel.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
43 words
A microelectronic structure according to claim 18 wherein said single crystal nondiamond substrate comprises copper, nickel or alloys thereof; and further comprising an interfacial layer between said substrate and said highly oriented textured diamond layer, and wherein said interfacial layer comprises titanium carbide.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
41 words
A microelectronic structure according to claim 30 further comprising a semiconductor device on said highly oriented textured diamond layer, and wherein said semiconductor device comprises a semiconducting diamond layer on the second major face of said highly oriented textured diamond layer.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
23 words
A microelectronic structure according to claim 30 wherein the outer faces of said plurality of columnar single crystal diamond grains are (100) oriented.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
115 words
A microelectronic structure comprising a highly oriented textured diamond layer having opposing first and second major faces, said highly oriented textured diamond layer comprising a plurality of side-by-side columnar single crystal diamond grains extending between the first and second opposing major faces of said diamond layer, said highly oriented textured diamond layer having a nucleation site concentration at the first major face of greater than about 10 4 /cm 2 , said plurality of columnar single crystal diamond grains having respective outer faces at the second major face of said diamond layer being substantially oriented relative to one another wherein respective crystal lattice planes defined at the outermost faces are substantially parallel to one another
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
115 words
A microelectronic structure comprising a highly oriented textured diamond layer having opposing first and second major faces, said highly oriented textured diamond layer comprising a plurality of side-by-side columnar single crystal diamond grains extending between the first and second opposing major faces of said diamond layer, said highly oriented textured diamond layer having a nucleation site concentration at the first major face of greater than about 10 4 /cm 2 , said plurality of columnar single crystal diamond grains having respective outer faces at the second major face of said diamond layer being substantially oriented relative to one another wherein respective crystal lattice planes defined at the outermost faces are substantially parallel to one another
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
25 words
A microelectronic structure according to claim 33 wherein the first major face of said highly oriented textured diamond layer is planar and devoid of protrusions.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
36 words
A microelectronic structure according to claim 33 wherein substantially all of said plurality of columnar single crystal diamond grains are oriented with a tilt and azimuthal misorientation of less than about 8° relative to one another.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
54 words
A microelectronic structure according to claim 33 wherein the outer faces of said plurality of columnar single crystal diamond grains at the second major face of said highly oriented textured diamond layer are substantially flush with adjacent faces to form an overall relatively flat second major face for said highly oriented textured diamond layer.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
59 words
A microelectronic structure according to claim 33 further comprising a semiconducting diamond layer on the second face of said highly oriented textured diamond layer, and wherein said semiconductor diamond layer has a hole mobility at room temperature corresponding to a value greater than about 100 cm 2 /V-s for a dopant concentration of about 10 18 cm -3 .
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
59 words
A microelectronic structure according to claim 33 further comprising a semiconducting diamond layer on the second face of said highly oriented textured diamond layer, and wherein said semiconductor diamond layer has a hole mobility at room temperature corresponding to a value greater than about 300 cm 2 /V-s for a dopant concentration of about 10 18 cm -3 .
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
26 words
A microelectronic structure according to claim 33 further comprising a single crystal nondiamond substrate adjacent said first major face of said highly oriented textured diamond layer.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
13 words
A microelectronic structure according to claim 39 wherein said nondiamond substrate comprises silicon.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
34 words
A microelectronic structure according to claim 39 wherein said nondiamond substrate comprises a material selected from the group consisting of refractory metals and their carbides, cubic-boron nitride, α-silicon carbide, β-silicon carbide, copper, and nickel.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
43 words
A microelectronic structure according to claim 39 wherein said single crystal nondiamond substrate comprises copper, nickel or alloys thereof; and further comprising an interfacial layer between said substrate and said highly oriented textured diamond layer, and wherein said interfacial layer comprises titanium carbide.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
102 words
A microelectronic structure comprising: a single crystal nondiamond substrate; a plurality of diamond layers on said single crystal nondiamond substrate, each of said diamond layers comprising a plurality of single crystal diamond grains having progressively increasing outer face dimensions in successive layers extending outwardly from said nondiamond substrate, an outermost diamond layer comprising a plurality of laterally spaced apart single crystal diamond grains having respective outermost faces being substantially oriented relative to corresponding adjacent portions of said single crystal nondiamond substrate; and a respective semiconductor device on each of said laterally spaced apart single crystal diamond grains of the outermost diamond layer.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
102 words
A microelectronic structure comprising: a single crystal nondiamond substrate; a plurality of diamond layers on said single crystal nondiamond substrate, each of said diamond layers comprising a plurality of single crystal diamond grains having progressively increasing outer face dimensions in successive layers extending outwardly from said nondiamond substrate, an outermost diamond layer comprising a plurality of laterally spaced apart single crystal diamond grains having respective outermost faces being substantially oriented relative to corresponding adjacent portions of said single crystal nondiamond substrate; and a respective semiconductor device on each of said laterally spaced apart single crystal diamond grains of the outermost diamond layer.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
36 words
A microelectronic structure according to claim 43 wherein each of said semiconductor devices comprises a respective semiconducting diamond layer on the outermost face of each of said plurality of laterally spaced apart single crystal diamond grains.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
23 words
A microelectronic structure according to claim 43 further comprising a carbide interfacial layer between said plurality of diamond layers and said nondiamond substrate.
Claim 50
Dependent Claim
35 words
A microelectrOnic structure according to claim 43 wherein each of said plurality of laterally spaced apart single crystal diamond grains are arranged in an array having predetermined lateral spacings between adjacent single crystal diamond grains.
Claim 51
Dependent Claim
18 words
A microelectronic structure according to claim 43 wherein each of said semiconductor devices comprises a field effect transistor.
Claim 52
Dependent Claim
33 words
A microelectronic structure according to claim 43 wherein each of said plurality of laterally spaced apart single crystal diamond grains has outermost face dimensions not less than about 20 microns on a side.
Claim 53
Dependent Claim
15 words
A microelectronic structure according to claim 43 wherein said single crystal nondiamond substrate comprises silicon.
Claim 54
Dependent Claim
36 words
A microelectronic structure according to claim 43 wherein said single crystal nondiamond substrate comprises a material selected from the group consisting of refractory metals and their carbides, cubic-boron nitride, α-silicon carbide, β-silicon carbide, copper, and nickel.
Claim 55
Dependent Claim
42 words
A microelectronic structure according to claim 43 wherein said single crystal nondiamond substrate comprises copper, nickel or alloys thereof; and further comprising an interfacial layer between Said substrate and said plurality of diamond structures, and wherein said interfacial layer comprises titanium carbide.
Claim 56
Dependent Claim
26 words
A microelectronic device according to claim 43 further comprising a filler material between adjacent ones of said plurality of laterally spaced apart single crystal diamond grains.
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| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
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| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2002-05-29 | 2002-11-28 | 2003-05-30 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2006-05-29 | 2006-11-28 | 2007-05-30 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |