Process and apparatus for fabricating a semiconductor device
AssigneeFujitsu Limited
InventorsTakashi Mimura, Kohki Hikosaka, Kouichiro Odani
Life of this patent
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Abstract
MOlecular beam epitaxy (MBE) requires that the surface of a substrate on which a semiconductor layer is formed by MBE be clean. Physical etching damages the substrate, while usual chemical etching damages vacuum pumps and contaminates MBE apparatuses. Hydrogen plasma etching can clean a substrate without damaging a substrate and a vacuum pump and without contaminating an MBE apparatus. Further, by combining MBE with formation of a protective layer without breaking the vacuum used in MBE, diffusion of an impurity in the semiconductor layer formed by MBE can be greatly decreased during a subsequent high-temperature heat treatment.
Claims43
A process for fabricating a semiconductor device, comprising the steps of:
- etching a part of a semiconductor substrate by hydrogen plasma in vacuum;
- growing a semiconductor layer on the semiconductor substrate at the etched part by molecular beam epitaxy with unbroken vacuum;
- and
- forming a protective layer on the surface of the semiconductor layer with unbroken vacuum.
A process for fabricating a semiconductor device, comprising the steps of:
- etching a part of a semiconductor substrate by hydrogen plasma in vacuum and then
- growing a semiconductor layer on the semiconductor substrate at the etched part by molecular beam epitaxy with unbroken vacuum.
A process for fabricating a semiconductor device, comprising the steps of:
- growing a semiconductor layer by molecular beam epitaxy in vacuum and then
- forming a protective layer on the surface of the semiconductor layer with unbroken vacuum.
An apparatus for fabricating a semiconductor device, comprising:
- a first closed chamber for molecular beam epitaxy;
- a second closed chamber for hydrogen plasma etching communicated with the first chamber;
- a third closed chamber for forming a protective layer communicated with the first chamber;
- means for transporting a wafer to be treated among the first, second, and third chambers with unbroken vacuum;
- a vacuum pump for evacuating one of the first, second, and third chambers;
- a hydrogen source connected to the second chamber for supplying hydrogen gas;
- and
- a gas supply connected to the third chamber for supplying a required gas.
An apparatus for fabricating a semiconductor device, comprising:
- a first closed chamber for hydrogen plasma etching;
- a second closed chamber for molecular beam epitaxy communicated with the first chamber through a gate valve;
- means for transporting a wafer to be treated between the first and second chambers by external operation with unbroken vacuum;
- a vacuum pump for evacuating one of the first and second chambers;
- and
- a hydrogen source connected to the first chamber for supplying hydrogen gas.
An apparatus for fabricating a semiconductor device, comprising:
- a first closed chamber for molecular beam epitaxy;
- a second closed chamber for forming a protective layer communicated with the first closed chamber;
- means for transporting a wafer to be treated between the first and second chambers;
- a vacuum pump for evacuating one of the first and second chambers;
- and
- a gas source connected to the second chamber for supplying a required gas.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.