Gas phase doping of semiconductor material in a cold-wall radiantly heated reactor under reduced pressure

A method for forming doped semiconductor, comprising:

• forming a layer of polycrystalline semiconductor on a reaction surface of a substrate;
• radiantly heating the layer on the reaction surface of the substrate within a reaction chamber to a controlled temperature;
• flowing a gas phase source of dopant at controlled pressure and concentration in contact with the layer so that the dopant is absorbed in the layer to a selected depth in the layer;
• and
• annealing the substrate to activate and further diffuse the dopant in a controlled manner within the layer of polycrystalline semiconductor.

A method for forming doped semiconductor, comprising:

• forming, in a first controlled pressure reaction chamber, a layer of polycrystalline semiconductor on a reaction surface of a substrate;
• transferring the substrate with the polycrystalline semiconductor layer, to a second controlled pressure reaction chamber without exposing the substrate to air;
• radiantly heating the layer on the reaction surface of substrate within the second reaction chamber to a controlled temperature;
• flowing, in the second reaction chamber, a gas phase source of dopant at controlled pressure and concentration in contact with the layer so that the dopant is absorbed in the layer to a selected depth in the layer;
• and
• annealing the substrate to activate and further diffuse the dopant in a controlled manner within the layer of polycrystalline semiconductor.

A method for forming doped semiconductor, comprising:

• placing a substrate comprising a semiconductor material in a radiantly heated, controlled pressure reaction chamber;
• masking the substrate to form a pattern on the substrate, the pattern exposing a contact region on the substrate;
• heating the substrate within the reaction chamber to a controlled temperature;
• flowing a gas source of dopant at a controlled pressure and concentration in contact with the substrate and the contact region so that the dopant is absorbed by the substrate and the contact region to a desired depth in the substrate and in the contact region;
• and
• annealing the substrate to further diffuse the dopant to a controlled concentration and depth.

A method for fabricating shallow junctions for contact regions for integrated circuit devices, comprising:

• forming a layer of polycrystalline semiconductor on a surface of a substrate;
• placing the substrate in a radiantly heated, reduced pressure reaction chamber;
• radiantly heating the substrate within the reaction chamber to a first controlled temperature;
• flowing for a controlled time a gas phase source of dopant at a controlled pressure and concentration in contact with the polycrystalline semiconductor so that dopant is absorbed by the polycrystalline semiconductor;
• annealing at a second controlled temperature to diffuse the dopant in a controlled manner into the polycrystalline semiconductor;
• and
• annealing further under conditions such that the dopant in the polycrystalline semiconductor diffuses in a controlled manner into the substrate to create junctions having a controlled shallow depth and controlled dopant concentration.