# US 2013/0153902 A1 · Structures including passivated germanium

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- Number: US 2013/0153902 A1
- Document ID: US20130153902A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/740,399
- Filed: 2013-01-14
- Published: 2013-06-20
- Earliest claimed: 2005-05-05
- Assignees: Round Rock Research, LLC
- Inventors: Leonard Forbes; Kie Y. Ahn
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130153902A1

## CPC

- H10D 62/834: further characterised by the dopants
- H10F 71/1212: {consisting of germanium}
- H10F 71/1215: {comprising at least two Group IV elements, e.g. SiGe}
- Y02E 10/50: Photovoltaic [PV] energy
- H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
- H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

A passivated germanium surface that is a germanium carbide material formed on and in contact with the germanium material. A semiconductor device structure having the passivated germanium having germanium carbide material on the substrate surface is also disclosed.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A semiconductor device structure, comprising:
a substrate having, at least formed on its top surface, a germanium material and an amorphous germanium carbide material having the composition GexC1-x:H, where 0 is less than x and x is less than 1, wherein the amorphous germanium carbide material is in contact with at least a portion of the germanium material and wherein the germanium material and the amorphous germanium carbide material are formed on the top surface of the substrate;
a source region formed in the germanium material;
a drain region formed in the germanium material; wherein the source and drain regions are separated by a channel region; and
a gate region formed over the amorphous germanium carbide material over which is formed a conductive layer.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor device structure of claim 1, wherein the germanium material comprises a germanium substrate or a substrate comprising at least one other material and having a germanium material on a surface thereof.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor device of claim 1 wherein the substrate is selected from the group consisting of a silicon wafer, a silicon on insulator substrate, a silicon on glass substrate, a silicon on sapphire substrate, an epitaxial layer of silicon on a base semiconductor foundation, a silicon-germanium substrate, a gallium arsenide substrate, and an indium phosphide substrate.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor device structure of claim 1, wherein the amorphous germanium carbide material comprises approximately equal amounts of germanium and carbon.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor device structure of claim 1, wherein x is about 0.5.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor device structure of claim 1, wherein an interface between the amorphous germanium carbide material and the germanium material is substantially free of a distinct boundary.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor device structure of claim 1, wherein the germanium carbide material has a thickness within a range of from approximately 10 Å to approximately 500 Å.

### Claim 8

A semiconductor device comprising:
a substrate comprising a germanium material formed at least on the top surface of the substrate;
an amorphous germanium carbide material having the composition GexC1-x:H, where x is greater than 0 and less than 1 and wherein the amorphous germanium carbide material is in contact with at least a portion of the germanium material; and
at least one integrated circuit on a surface of a semiconductor device structure.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The semiconductor device of claim 8 further comprising:
a source region formed in the germanium material and a drain region formed in the germanium material, wherein the source and drain regions are separated by a channel region; and
a gate region formed over the amorphous germanium carbide material over which is formed a conductive layer.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The semiconductor device of claim 8 wherein the germanium material comprises a germanium substrate or a substrate comprising at least one other material and having a germanium material on a surface thereof.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The semiconductor device of claim 8, wherein the substrate comprises at least one other material and having a germanium material on a surface thereof is selected from the group consisting of a silicon wafer, a silicon on insulator substrate, a silicon on glass substrate, a silicon on sapphire substrate, an epitaxial layer of silicon on a base semiconductor foundation, a silicon-germanium substrate, a gallium arsenide substrate, and an indium phosphide substrate.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The semiconductor device of claim 8, wherein the semiconductor device structure is substantially free of a grain boundary between the germanium material and the germanium carbide material.

### Claim 13 (depends on 8)

The semiconductor device of claim 8, wherein an interface between the germanium carbide material and the germanium material is substantially free of a distinct boundary.

### Claim 14 (depends on 8)

The semiconductor device of claim 8, wherein the amorphous germanium carbide material has a thickness within a range of from approximately 10 Å to approximately 500 Å.

### Claim 15 (depends on 8)

The semiconductor device of claim 8, wherein the semiconductor device structure comprises a field effect transistor.

### Claim 16

A semiconductor device structure, comprising:
a substrate having, formed on its top surface, a germanium material and an amorphous passivated surface having the composition GexC1-x:H, wherein x is greater than zero and less than 1, wherein the amorphous passivated surface is in contact with at least a portion of the germanium material, and wherein the germanium material and the amorphous germanium carbide material are formed on the top surface of the substrate;
a source region formed in the germanium material;
a drain region formed in the germanium material; wherein the source and drain regions are separated by a channel region; and
a gate region formed over the amorphous germanium carbide material over which is formed a conductive layer.
a germanium material and an amorphous germanium carbide material having the composition GexC1-x:H wherein x is greater than zero and less than 1 and wherein the amorphous germanium material is in contact with at least a portion of the germanium material.