SemiconductorProcessing

EE805
Diffusion :
Depositing Impurities in
Semiconductors

MuhammadRaffi

PhD (MaterialsEngineering)

DepartmentofElectricalEngineering
CollegeofEME,NationalUniversityofScienceandTechnology(NUST)
Islamabad,Pakistan
 DiffusioninSilicon
FicksFirstLaw
FicksSecondLaw
DiffusionCoefficients
DiffusionSystemsandSources
MeasurementTechniquesfor
Diffusion
 Diffusion
Diffusion:Masstransportbyatomicmotion

Mechanisms:
Gases&Liquidsrandom(Brownian)motion
Solidsvacancydiffusionorinterstitialdiffusion
 Diffusion
Interdiffusion: In an alloy, atoms tend to migrate
from regions of high conc. to regions of low conc.
Initially After some time
 Diffusion
Self-diffusion: In an elemental solid, atoms
also migrate.
Label some atoms After some time
C
C
A D
A
D
B
B
 DiffusionMechanisms
Vacancy Diffusion:
atoms exchange with vacancies
applies to substitutional impurities atoms
rate depends on:
-- number of vacancies
-- activation energy to exchange

increasing elapsed time

 DiffusionMechanisms
Interstitialdiffusionsmalleratomscan
diffusebetweenatoms.

More rapid than vacancy diffusion

 ProcessingUsingDiffusion
Doping silicon with phosphorus for n-type semiconductors:
Process: 0.5 mm
1. Deposit P rich
layers on surface.
magnified image of a computer chip

silicon
2. Heat it.
3. Result: Doped light regions: Si atoms
semiconductor
regions.

light regions: Al atoms

silicon
 Mechanism,Models
Substitutional(1012cm2/s) N
Interstitialreplacement(106cm2/s) J D
x
Interstitialmovement
Substitutionalpreferred(bettercontrol)
N 2 N
Au,Cudiffusebyinterstitialmechanism D 2
B,Petcbysubstitutionalmechanism t x

Twoidealcases
Constantsource,limitedsource
UsingFicksFirst&SecondLaw
J=Flux
D=DiffusivityofAinB
N=Concentration
x=Distance
 SteadyStateDiffusion
Rate of diffusion independent of time
dC
Flux proportional to concentration gradient =
dx
C1 C 1
FicksFirstLawofDiffusion
C2 C2
dC
x1
x
x2
J D
dC C C2 C1
dx
if linear
dx x x2 x1 D Diffusion Coefficient

For steady state diffusion condition, the net flow of atoms by atomic
diffusion is equal to diffusivity D times the diffusion gradient dC/dx
 Diffusivity/DiffusionCoefficient
Diffusion coefficient increases with increasing T.

Qd

D Do exp
R T

D = diffusion coefficient [m2/s]

Do = pre-exponential [m2/s]

Qd = activation energy [J/mol or eV/atom]

R = gas constant [8.314 J/mol-K]

T = absolute temperature [K]

 DependenceofDiffusivity

1. Typeofdiffusionmechanism(interstitial/
substitutional)
2. Temperatureatwhichdiffusiontakesplace
3. Typeofcrystalstructureofthesolvent(matrix)
lattice
4. Thetypeofcrystalimperfectionsinmatrix
5. Concentrationofthediffusingspecies
 NonsteadyStateDiffusion
Theconcentrationofdiffusingspeciesisafunctionofboth
timeandpositionC=C(x,t)
InthiscaseFicksSecondLawisused

FicksSecondLaw C 2C
D 2
t x

Therateofcompositionalchangeisequaltothediffusivity
timestherateofchangeoftheconcentrationgradient
 ControlledJunctionDepth
Controlleddopantconcentrationandprofile

Preferred
locationof
P+ P+ Drain
maximum
Source
concentration
Nwell neednotbethe
surface
Wafer(Substrate):PType
 DiffusionandIonImplantation
IonImplantation Bombardmentofions

SOURCE

Electric Ions
Field JunctioniswhereN=P
Canalsobeusedwhen
OXIDE BLOCK
dopingNinN

Wafer(Substrate)`
 DiffusionandIonImplantation

Diffusion
Solidinsolid
Hightemperatures(1000C)
Distancescoveredareinumornm

Diffusion
OXIDE BLOCK

Wafer(Substrate)`
 Diffusion:Steps
Dep
Diffusion 1.PreClean
Toremoveparticles
OXIDE BLOCK Thinoxidegrows

2.HFEtch
Toremoveoxide
Nottoomuch!

3.Deposit(predep)
Depositenoughtobehigher
thanthesolubilitylimit
5.Deglaze(HFEtch)
Oxidemayactasdopantsourceinfuture
steps
Removinghighlydopedoxidemaybe
problem(fordryetch)
4.DriveIn
Hightemptoenablediffusion
insideSi
AlsoformsSiO2(withhigh
dopantconcentration)
2STEPdiffusion(usual)
 Diffusion:Schematics
WafersareHorizontal

Gas BetterUniformity
Flow Lesswafersperbatch

Vertical

PoorUniformity
Gas Morewafersperbatch(or
Flow canhavesmallerchamber)

Dummywafersplacedinthebeginning&end
DiffusionCoefficientsinPolysiliconFilms
 DiffusionSystemsandSources
DopantcanbeinGas/Liquid/SolidState,butistypically
carriedusingN2ingaseousform

Carriergasmaybe
bubbledthroughliquid
source
Chamber Carriergasmaypass
overheatedsolidsource
Inertgascanprovide
volumetomaintain
CarrierGas(N2)+ laminarflow

Source
Reactiongas
 Doping:GasPhase
Phosphorusoxychloride
4 POCl3 3 O2 2 P2O5 6 Cl2
Phosphine
2 PH 3 4 O2 P2O5 3 H 2O
2 P2O5 5 Si 4 P 5 SiO2
ArsenicOxide
2 As2O3 3 Si 3SiO2 4 As

Diborane 300o C
B2 H 6 3 O2
B2O3 3 H 2O
B2 H 6 6 CO
2 2O3 3
B H 2O 6CO
BoronTribromide
4 BBr3 3O2 2 B2O3 6 Br2 2 B O 3 Si 4 B 3 SiO
2 3 2
 SolidPhase
SolidSource
Slugsbetweenwafers
Lowerthroughput
Cleaningisissue(slugscanbreak)
Safertohandle(notoxicvaporatroom
temp)
Spincoating(withsolvents)
Similartophotoresistcoating
Costofextraspin/bakesteps
Thicknessvariations
 Doping:SolidPhase
Phosphorouspentoxide
2 P2O5 5 Si 4 P 5 SiO2

ArsenicOxide 2 As O 3 Si 3SiO 4 As
2 3 2

AntimonyTriOxide
2 Sb2O3 3Si 3SiO2 4Sb

BoronTrioxide
2 B2O3 3 Si 4 B 3 SiO2

TriMethylBorate(TMB)
900o C
2(CH 3O)3 B 9O2
B2O3 6 CO2 9 H 2O
 Issues
Sidediffusion
Increaseswithtemperature/time
Limitsthespacebetweendevices
Maximumdopantconcentrationisnearsurface
==>majorityofcurrentnearsurface
Surfacetendstohavemaxdefects
==>lesscontrol
Dislocationgeneration(thermaldrivein)
Surfacecontamination
Lowdopantconcentrationandthinjunction(smalljunction
depth)aredifficult
At0.18m,junctiondepthis~40nm
At0.09m,junctiondepthmaybe20nm
 ExamplesofRealSystems

HitachiVertronV HitachiZestoneVII
1mx3.5mx3.3m 2mx3mx3m
200mmwafer 300mmwafer
150wafersatatime onewaferatatime
higherthermalbudget lowerthermalbudget
goodcontrol, bettercontrol,
uniformity uniformity
highthroughput lowthroughput
 MeasurementofDiffusion

SheetResistance(average)
Fourpointprobe,VDP(VanderPauw)
Bevel
Interference
SecondaryIonBeamSpectroscopy(SIMS)
Chapter8:
StanleyWolf,SiliconProcessingfortheVLSIEra,
Vol1,LatticePress,
California,UnitedStatesofAmerica
 NationalInstituteofLasersandOptronics(NILOP)
Islamabad,Pakistan

Muhammad Raffi
Phone:
Cellular: 0333 543 4857
Office: 051-924 8693
Email:
muhammad_raffi@hotmail.com