US6033928A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method of manufacturing aggregate of semiconductor micro-needles
Assignee: Panasonic Holdings Corp
•
Filing: 1994-11-02
•
Granted: 2000-03-07
•
Expires: 2014-11-02
Abstract
Abstract On a silicon substrate is formed a silicon dioxide film and then hemispherical grains made of silicon, each having an extremely small diameter, are deposited thereon by LPCVD. After annealing the hemispherical grains, the silicon dioxide film is etched using the hemispherical grains as a first dotted mask, thereby forming a second dotted mask composed of the silicon dioxide film. The resulting second dotted mask is used to etch the silicon substrate to a specified depth from the surface thereof, thereby forming an aggregate of semiconductor micro-needles. Since the diameter of each of the semiconductor micro-needles is sufficiently small to cause the quantum size effects as well as has only small size variations, remarkable quantum size effects can be obtained. Therefore, it becomes possible to constitute a semiconductor apparatus with a high information-processing function by using the aggregate of semiconductor micro-needles (quantized region).
Inventors
- 👤 Koji Eriguchi
- 👤 Masafumi Kubota
- 👤 Masaaki Niwa
- 👤 Noboru Nomura
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 12:29
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10F; H10F71/00; H10F71/121; B; B82; B82Y; B82Y10/00; G; G02; G02B; G02B6/00; G02B6/10; G02B6/12; G02B6/122; G02B6/124; G02B6/1245; G11; G11C; G11C23/00; H01; H01H; H01H1/00; H01H1/0036; H10F77/00; H10F77/10; H10F77/14; H10P; H10P50/00; H10P50/69; H10P50/691; H10P50/693; H10P50/695; G02B2006/12083; G02B2006/12102; G02B2006/12166; G02B2006/12173; G02B2006/12176; H10H; H10H20/00; H10H20/80; H10H20/81; H10H20/814; H10H20/817; H10H20/818; Y; Y02; Y02E; Y02E10/00; Y02E10/50; Y02E10/547; Y02P; Y02P70/00; Y02P70/50; Y10; Y10S; Y10S438/00; Y10S438/942; Y10S438/947; Y10S438/962; Y10S438/964
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
90 words
A method of manufacturing an aggregate of semiconductor micro-needles, comprising the steps of: forming a dotted mask comprising tin or rhodium crystal growth nuclei on a silicon substrate; and etching said silicon substrate using said dotted mask so as to form a first number of semiconductor micro-needles, each micro-needle extending from the surface of said silicon substrate to a first depth, each granule of said granular semiconductor material having a diameter sufficiently small to form a micro-needle having a diameter sufficiently small to cause quantum size effects in said micro-needle.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
90 words
A method of manufacturing an aggregate of semiconductor micro-needles, comprising the steps of: forming a dotted mask comprising tin or rhodium crystal growth nuclei on a silicon substrate; and etching said silicon substrate using said dotted mask so as to form a first number of semiconductor micro-needles, each micro-needle extending from the surface of said silicon substrate to a first depth, each granule of said granular semiconductor material having a diameter sufficiently small to form a micro-needle having a diameter sufficiently small to cause quantum size effects in said micro-needle.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
48 words
The method of manufacturing an aggregate of semiconductor micro-needles according to claim 1, further comprising the step of: forming an insulating film to intervene between said dotted mask and said silicon substrate so that said dotted mask is formed on said silicon substrate via said formed insulating film.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of manufacturing an aggregate of semiconductor micro-needles to claim 1, further comprising the step of: performing surface treatment with respect to said dotted mask.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
48 words
The method of manufacturing an aggregate of semiconductor micro-needles according to claim 3, further comprising the step of: forming an insulating film to intervene between said dotted mask and said silicon substrate so that said dotted mask is formed on said silicon substrate via said formed insulating film.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
98 words
A method of manufacturing an aggregate of semiconductor micro-needles, comprising the steps of: forming metal crystal growth nuclei on a silicon substrate; forming a dotted mask comprising a granular semiconductor material on said crystal growth nuclei; and etching said silicon substrate using said dotted mask so as to form a first number of semiconductor micro-needles, each micro-needle extending from the surface of said silicon substrate to a first depth, each granule of said granular semiconductor material having a diameter sufficiently small to form a micro-needle having a diameter sufficiently small to cause quantum size effects in said micro-needle.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
98 words
A method of manufacturing an aggregate of semiconductor micro-needles, comprising the steps of: forming metal crystal growth nuclei on a silicon substrate; forming a dotted mask comprising a granular semiconductor material on said crystal growth nuclei; and etching said silicon substrate using said dotted mask so as to form a first number of semiconductor micro-needles, each micro-needle extending from the surface of said silicon substrate to a first depth, each granule of said granular semiconductor material having a diameter sufficiently small to form a micro-needle having a diameter sufficiently small to cause quantum size effects in said micro-needle.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
48 words
The method of manufacturing an aggregate of semiconductor micro-needles according to claim 5, further comprising the step of: forming an insulating film to intervene between said dotted mask and said silicon substrate so that said dotted mask is formed on said silicon substrate via said formed insulating film.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
87 words
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor apparatus, comprising the steps of: forming a dotted mask comprising tin or rhodium crystal growth nuclei on a silicon substrate; etching said silicon substrate using said dotted mask so as to form a first number of semiconductor micro-needles, each micro-needle extending from the surface of said silicon substrate to a first depth, each granule of said granular semiconductor material having a diameter sufficiently small to form a micro-needle having a diameter sufficiently small to cause quantum size effect in said micro-needle.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
87 words
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor apparatus, comprising the steps of: forming a dotted mask comprising tin or rhodium crystal growth nuclei on a silicon substrate; etching said silicon substrate using said dotted mask so as to form a first number of semiconductor micro-needles, each micro-needle extending from the surface of said silicon substrate to a first depth, each granule of said granular semiconductor material having a diameter sufficiently small to form a micro-needle having a diameter sufficiently small to cause quantum size effect in said micro-needle.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
46 words
The method of manufacturing a semiconductor apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising the step of: forming an insulating film to intervene between said dotted mask and said silicon substrate so that said dotted mask is formed on said silicon substrate via said formed insulating film.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of manufacturing a semiconductor apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising the step of: performing surface treatment with respect to said dotted mask.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
45 words
The method of manufacturing a semiconductor apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising the step of: forming an insulating film to intervene between said dotted mask and said silicon substrate so that said dotted mask is formed on said silicon via said formed insulating film.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
124 words
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor apparatus, comprising the steps of: forming metal crystal growth nuclei on a silicon substrate; forming a dotted mask comprising a granular semiconductor material on said crystal growth nuclei; etching said silicon substrate using said dotted mask so as to form a first number of semiconductor micro-needles, each micro-needle extending from the surface of said silicon substrate to a first depth, each granule of said granular semiconductor material having a diameter sufficiently small to form a micro-needle having a diameter sufficiently small to cause quantum size effect in said micro-needle; removing said dotted mask; and forming an upper electrode over the upper ends of said semiconductor needles, the upper electrode being electrically connected to each of said semiconductor micro-needles.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
124 words
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor apparatus, comprising the steps of: forming metal crystal growth nuclei on a silicon substrate; forming a dotted mask comprising a granular semiconductor material on said crystal growth nuclei; etching said silicon substrate using said dotted mask so as to form a first number of semiconductor micro-needles, each micro-needle extending from the surface of said silicon substrate to a first depth, each granule of said granular semiconductor material having a diameter sufficiently small to form a micro-needle having a diameter sufficiently small to cause quantum size effect in said micro-needle; removing said dotted mask; and forming an upper electrode over the upper ends of said semiconductor needles, the upper electrode being electrically connected to each of said semiconductor micro-needles.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
46 words
The method of manufacturing a semiconductor apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising the step of: forming an insulating film to intervene between said dotted mask and said silicon substrate so that said dotted mask is formed on said silicon substrate via said formed insulating film.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
WO1991009420A1
Cited
US5102832A
Cited
US5256587A
Cited
JPH04356977A
Cited
US5112773A
Cited
JPH0537012A
Cited
JPH0537013A
Cited
US5227322A
Cited
JPH0555627A
Cited
EP0544408A2
Cited
US5244842A
Cited
JPH05206514A
Cited
JPH05251725A
Cited
US5204280A
Cited
EP0567748A1
Cited
US5427977A
Cited
US5240558A
Cited
US5308786A
Cited
US5466626A
Cited
US5427974A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2003-03-07 | 2003-09-06 | 2004-03-07 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2007-03-07 | 2007-09-06 | 2008-03-07 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2011-03-07 | 2011-09-06 | 2012-03-07 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |