公开(公告)号：US20010011723A1

公开(公告)日：2001-08-09

申请号：US09832724

申请日：2001-04-11

Applicant: U.S. PHILIPS CORPORATION

Inventor： Adam R. Brown ,  Godefridus A.M. Hurkx ,  Wiebe B. De Boer ,  Jan W. Slotboom

IPC: H01L029/16 ,  H01L021/20

CPC classification number: H01L29/885 ,  Y10S438/979

Abstract: A semiconductor device with a tunnel diode (23) is particularly suitable for various applications. Such a device comprises two mutually adjoining semiconductor regions (2, 3) of opposed conductivity types and having doping concentrations which are so high that breakdown between them leads to conduction by means of tunnelling. A disadvantage of the known device is that the current-voltage characteristic is not yet steep enough for some applications. In a device according to the invention, the portions (2A, 3A) of the semiconductor regions (2, 3) adjoining the junction (23) comprise a mixed crystal of silicon and germanium. It is surprisingly found that the doping concentration of both phosphorus and boron are substantially increased, given the same amount of dopants being offered as during the formation of the remainder of the regions (2, 3). The tunnelling efficiency is substantially improved as a result of this, and also because of the reduced bandgap of said portions (2A, 3A), and the device according to the invention has a much steeper current-voltage characteristic both in the forward and in the reverse direction. This opens perspectives for inter alia an attractive application where the tunnelling pn junction (23) is used as a transition between two conventional diodes, for example pn or pin diodes, which are used one stacked on the other and which can be formed in a single epitaxial growing process thanks to the invention. The portions (2A, 3A) adjoining the tunnelling junction (22) are preferably 5 to 30 nm thick and comprise between 10 and 50 at % germanium. The doping concentration may be 6null1019 or even more than 1020 at/cm3. The invention further relates to a simple method of manufacturing a device according to the invention. This is preferably done at a temperature of between 550null C. and 800null C.

Abstract translation: 具有隧道二极管（23）的半导体器件特别适用于各种应用。 这种器件包括相对导电类型的两个相互邻接的半导体区域（2,3），并且具有如此之高的掺杂浓度，使得它们之间的击穿导致通过隧道导通。 已知装置的缺点是电流 - 电压特性对于某些应用尚不够陡。 在根据本发明的装置中，与接合部（23）相邻的半导体区域（2,3）的部分（2A，3A）包括硅和锗的混合晶体。 令人惊奇地发现，与形成其余区域（2,3）期间相同量的掺杂剂，磷和硼两者的掺杂浓度显着增加。 因此，由于所述部分（2A，3A）的带隙减小，所以隧道效率显着提高，并且根据本发明的装置在电流 - 电压的正向和反向特性方面具有更陡峭的电流 - 电压特性 相反方向。 这揭示了一个有吸引力的应用，其中隧道pn结（23）用作两个常规二极管（例如pn或pin二极管）之间的过渡的一个有吸引力的应用，它们被一个堆叠在另一个上并且可以形成在单个 外延生长过程由于本发明。 与隧道结（22）相邻的部分（2A，3A）优选为5至30nm厚，并且包含10至50at％的锗。 掺杂浓度可以为6×1019或甚至高于1020 at / cm3。 本发明还涉及一种制造根据本发明的装置的简单方法。 这优选在550℃至800℃的温度下进行。