Tensile strained semiconductor photon emission and detection devices and integrated photonics system
AssigneeAcorn Technologies, Inc.
InventorsPaul A. Clifton, Andreas Goebel, R. Stockton Gaines
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Abstract
Tensile strained germanium is provided that can be sufficiently strained to provide a nearly direct band gap material or a direct band gap material. Compressively stressed or tensile stressed stressor materials in contact with germanium regions induce uniaxial or biaxial tensile strain in the germanium regions. Stressor materials may include silicon nitride or silicon germanium. The resulting strained germanium structure can be used to emit or detect photons including, for example, generating photons within a resonant cavity to provide a laser.
Claims21
A method, comprising:
- patterning and etching a germanium layer to form a germanium fin extending above a substrate region;
- forming compressive stressors on side walls of the germanium fin to impart uniaxial tensile strain in the germanium fin in a direction orthogonal to a plane defined by said substrate region, said compressive stressors formed by depositing a conformal blanket layer of compressively stressed silicon nitride over the germanium fin and then etching the deposited silicon nitride from a top region of the germanium fin, thereby exposing a top surface of the germanium fin.
A semiconductor device, comprising a tensile strained germanium fin extending above a portion of a substrate, and side wall silicon nitride layers abutting respective side walls of the germanium fin, wherein a top region of the germanium fin includes an exposed top surface of the germanium fin, and tensile strain in the germanium fin is orthogonal to a plane defined by the substrate.
A semiconductor structure, comprising a germanium fin extending above a portion of a substrate, and compressively stressed side wall dielectric layers abutting respective side walls of the germanium fin, wherein a top region of the germanium fin includes an exposed top surface of the germanium fin, the side wall dielectric layers include one or more discontinuities along their respective lengths, and strain in the germanium fin is biaxial to a plane defined by the portion of the germanium substrate in regions of the germanium fin.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.