Devices and methods for electrochemical liquid phase epitaxy
AssigneeThe Regents of the University of Michigan
InventorsStephen Maldonado, Joshua DeMuth, Eli Fahrenkrug
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Abstract
Electrochemical liquid phase epitaxy (ec-LPE) processes and devices are provided that can form precipitated epitaxial crystalline films or layers on a substrate. The precipitated films may comprise a semiconductor, such as germanium, silicon, or carbon. Dissolution into, saturation within, and precipitation of the semiconductor from a liquid metal electrode (e.g., Hg pool) near an interface region with a substrate yields a polycrystalline semiconductor material deposited as an epitaxial film. Reactor cells for use in an electrochemical liquid phase epitaxy (ec-LPE) device are also provided that include porous membranes to facilitate formation of the precipitated epitaxial crystalline films.
Claims9
A reactor cell for an electrochemical liquid phase epitaxy (ec-LPE) device, the reactor cell comprising:
- a substrate;
- a liquid metal electrode adjacent to the substrate, wherein an interface region is defined between the substrate and the liquid metal electrode;
- a porous membrane disposed on a side of the liquid metal electrode opposite from the substrate;
- and
- a liquid electrolyte source disposed adjacent to and in fluid communication with the porous membrane, the source comprising a liquid electrolyte that comprises an oxide compound of a semiconductor element;
- wherein the substrate, liquid metal electrode, and porous membrane are compressed together under pressure, wherein a thickness of the liquid metal electrode is less than an effective pathlength of the semiconductor element in the liquid metal electrode and the reactor cell is configured in a presence of an electric potential to form an epitaxial planar layer of precipitated semiconductor element on the substrate at the interface region.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.