# US 12,772,753 B2 · Method for preparing a germanium substrate and germanium substrate structure for epitaxial growth of a germanium layer > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,772,753 B2 - Document ID: US12772753B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/554,725 - Filed: 2022-04-11 - Published: 2024-06-06 - Granted: 2026-10-20 - Earliest claimed: 2021-04-12 - Assignees: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V. - Applicants: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V. - Inventors: Stefan Janz; Waldemar Schreiber - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12772753B2 ## CPC - H10P 14/36: {characterised by treatments done before the formation of the materials} - H10F 77/1223: characterised by the dopants - H10P 14/2905: {Silicon, silicon germanium or germanium} - H10P 14/3411: {Silicon, silicon germanium or germanium} - H10P 50/613: {of Group IV materials} - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 - H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION ## Abstract A method for preparing a germanium substrate for epitaxial growth of a germanium layer, having the steps of: A.) providing a germanium substrate having a processing side and a rear side opposite the processing side and electrochemical etching at least the processing side with at least the following etching steps: A.0) passivation of the processing side, which is polarized as a cathode, A.1) etching the processing side, the processing side being alternately polarized in an anode pulse as an anode and in a cathode pulse as a cathode, A.2) passivation of the processing side, the processing side being polarized as a cathode; A.3) etching the processing side, the processing side being alternately polarized in an anode pulse as an anode and in a cathode pulse as a cathode; B.) reorganizing the processing side, the germanium substrate being heated to greater than 500° C. A germanium substrate structure is also provided. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for preparing a germanium substrate (1) for epitaxial growth of a germanium layer (7), comprising the following method steps: A. providing a germanium substrate (1) having a processing side and a rear side opposite the processing side, and electrochemical processing at least of the processing side of the germanium substrate (1) with at least the following processing steps: A.0 passivating the processing side, the processing side being polarized as a cathode, A.1 etching of the processing side, the processing side being alternately polarized in an anode pulse as an anode and in a cathode pulse as a cathode, A.2 electrochemical passivation of the processing side of the germanium substrate (1), the processing side being polarized as a cathode, A.3 etching of the processing side, the processing side being alternately polarized in an anode pulse as an anode and in a cathode pulse as a cathode; B. reorganization of the processing side, the germanium substrate (1) being heated to a temperature of greater than 500° C.; and carrying out method step A.2 for a period in the range from 5 minutes to 20 minutes. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising producing a dendritic layer (2) on the processing side by method step A.1. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein in method step A.1 a pulse duration of the anode pulse is equal to a pulse duration of the cathode pulse. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising carrying out method step A. 1 for a period of greater than 15 minutes. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein in method step A.1 an etching current density is in a range from 0.1 mA/cm2 to 1 mA/cm2. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising carrying out method step A.3 for a period in a range from 3 minutes to 1 hour. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein in method step B at least one of i) heating is effected to a temperature in a range from 600° C. to 800° C., ii) the heating is effected for a period of greater than or equal to 15 minutes, or iii) method step B is carried out in a hydrogen atmosphere or argon atmosphere. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a pulse duration in at least one of method step A.1 or method step A.3 is in each case less than 10 seconds. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of method step A.0 or method step A.2 is carried out for a period of greater than 10 seconds. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising applying a semiconductor component layer structure directly or indirectly to the processing side of the germanium substrate (1), the semiconductor component layer structure having at least a first layer of germanium or of compound semiconductors comprising elements of main groups 3 and 5 of the Periodic Table. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein (i) the first layer of the semiconductor component layer structure consists of germanium and the semiconductor component layer structure has multiple layers of compound semiconductors, or (ii) the first layer of the semiconductor component layer structure consists of germanium and has a thickness of 10 to 150 μm. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the semiconductor component layer structure is separated from the germanium substrate (1). ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the germanium substrate (1) is used multiple times, and, after removing the semiconductor component layer structure as a first semiconductor component layer structure, at least a second semiconductor component layer structure is applied to the germanium substrate (1) and then separated from the germanium substrate (1). ### Claim 14 A method for preparing a germanium substrate (1) for epitaxial growth of a germanium layer (7), comprising the following method steps: A. providing a germanium substrate (1) having a processing side and a rear side opposite the processing side, and electrochemical processing at least of the processing side of the germanium substrate (1) with at least the following processing steps: A.0 passivating the processing side, the processing side being polarized as a cathode, A.1 etching of the processing side, the processing side being alternately polarized in an anode pulse as an anode and in a cathode pulse as a cathode, A.2 electrochemical passivation of the processing side of the germanium substrate (1), the processing side being polarized as a cathode, A.3 etching of the processing side, the processing side being alternately polarized in an anode pulse as an anode and in a cathode pulse as a cathode; B. reorganization of the processing side, the germanium substrate (1) being heated to a temperature of greater than 500° C.; wherein in method step A.2 a current density is in a range from 0.5 mA/cm2 to 2 mA/cm2. ### Claim 15 A method for preparing a germanium substrate (1) for epitaxial growth of a germanium layer (7), comprising the following method steps: A. providing a germanium substrate (1) having a processing side and a rear side opposite the processing side, and electrochemical processing at least of the processing side of the germanium substrate (1) with at least the following processing steps: A.0 passivating the processing side, the processing side being polarized as a cathode, A.1 etching of the processing side, the processing side being alternately polarized in an anode pulse as an anode and in a cathode pulse as a cathode, A.2 electrochemical passivation of the processing side of the germanium substrate (1), the processing side being polarized as a cathode, A.3 etching of the processing side, the processing side being alternately polarized in an anode pulse as an anode and in a cathode pulse as a cathode; B. reorganization of the processing side, the germanium substrate (1) being heated to a temperature of greater than 500° C. U; wherein in method step A.3 an etching current density is in a range from 2 mA/cm2 to 15 mA/cm2, and a duration of the anode pulse is in a range from 0.5 s to 2.5 s. ### Claim 16 A method for preparing a germanium substrate (1) for epitaxial growth of a germanium layer (7), comprising the following method steps: A. providing a germanium substrate (1) having a processing side and a rear side opposite the processing side, and electrochemical processing at least of the processing side of the germanium substrate (1) with at least the following processing steps: A.0 passivating the processing side, the processing side being polarized as a cathode, A.1 etching of the processing side, the processing side being alternately polarized in an anode pulse as an anode and in a cathode pulse as a cathode, A.2 electrochemical passivation of the processing side of the germanium substrate (1), the processing side being polarized as a cathode, A.3 etching of the processing side, the processing side being alternately polarized in an anode pulse as an anode and in a cathode pulse as a cathode; B. reorganization of the processing side, the germanium substrate (1) being heated to a temperature of greater than 500° C.; wherein in method step A.3 a duration of the anode pulse is shorter than a duration of the cathode pulse. ### Claim 17 A method for preparing a germanium substrate (1) for epitaxial growth of a germanium layer (7), comprising the following method steps: A. providing a germanium substrate (1) having a processing side and a rear side opposite the processing side, and electrochemical processing at least of the processing side of the germanium substrate (1) with at least the following processing steps: A.0 passivating the processing side, the processing side being polarized as a cathode, A.1 etching of the processing side, the processing side being alternately polarized in an anode pulse as an anode and in a cathode pulse as a cathode, A.2 electrochemical passivation of the processing side of the germanium substrate (1), the processing side being polarized as a cathode, A.3 etching of the processing side, the processing side being alternately polarized in an anode pulse as an anode and in a cathode pulse as a cathode; B. reorganization of the processing side, the germanium substrate (1) being heated to a temperature of greater than 500° C.; and in a method step A.1A, between method step A.1 and A.2, etching the processing side with an etching current density that is higher than method step A.1, the processing side being alternately polarized in an anode pulse as an anode and in a cathode pulse as a cathode, and an anode pulse duration is shorter than a cathode pulse duration. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein a layer having a thickness in a range from 0.5 μm to 2 μm and a porosity in a range from 5% to 15% is produced by method step A. 1A. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein in method step A. 1A the cathode pulse duration is in a range from 30% to 70% of the anode pulse duration. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein method step A. 1A is carried out for a period of greater than 45 minutes. ### Claim 21 (depends on 17) The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein in method step A.1A the etching current density is greater than an etching current density in method step A. 1 by at least 10%. ### Claim 22 A method for preparing a germanium substrate (1) for epitaxial growth of a germanium layer (7), comprising the following method steps: A. providing a germanium substrate (1) having a processing side and a rear side opposite the processing side, and electrochemical processing at least of the processing side of the germanium substrate (1) with at least the following processing steps: A.0 passivating the processing side, the processing side being polarized as a cathode, A.1 etching of the processing side, the processing side being alternately polarized in an anode pulse as an anode and in a cathode pulse as a cathode, A.2 electrochemical passivation of the processing side of the germanium substrate (1), the processing side being polarized as a cathode, A.3 etching of the processing side, the processing side being alternately polarized in an anode pulse as an anode and in a cathode pulse as a cathode; B. reorganization of the processing side, the germanium substrate (1) being heated to a temperature of greater than 500° C. U; and after method step A.3, etching the processing side in a method step A.4, the processing side being alternately polarized in an anode pulse as an anode and in a cathode pulse as a cathode and an anode pulse duration is longer than a cathode pulse duration. ### Claim 23 A germanium substrate structure having a germanium substrate (1) produced by a method comprising the following method steps: A. providing a germanium substrate (1) having a processing side and a rear side opposite the processing side, and electrochemical processing at least of the processing side of the germanium substrate (1) with at least the following processing steps: A.0 passivating the processing side, the processing side being polarized as a cathode, A.1 etching of the processing side, the processing side being alternately polarized in an anode pulse as an anode and in a cathode pulse as a cathode, A.2 electrochemical passivation of the processing side of the germanium substrate (1), the processing side being polarized as a cathode, A.3 etching of the processing side, the processing side being alternately polarized in an anode pulse as an anode and in a cathode pulse as a cathode; B. reorganization of the processing side, the germanium substrate (1) being heated to a temperature of greater than 500° C.; and a germanium layer (7) epitaxially applied to the germanium substrate (1), the germanium layer (7) has p-type or n-type doping with a doping concentration of greater than 1015 cm−3, the germanium substrate (1) has at least one porous layer having a thickness in a range from 0.1 to 1.5 μm and a porosity of greater than 40% which is arranged on a processing side of the germanium substrate and has a growth layer terminating the germanium substrate (1) at the processing side and having a thickness in a range from 1 μm to 2 μm and a porosity of less than 5%, and the germanium layer (7) has an irregular, pyramid-shaped structure on a surface facing the porous layer.