Epitaxial growth of germanium photodetector for CMOS imagers

1. A method of fabricating a germanium photodetector comprising:

preparing a silicon wafer as a silicon substrate;

depositing a layer of silicon nitride on the silicon substrate;

patterning and etching the silicon nitride layer;

depositing a first germanium layer on the silicon nitride layer;

patterning and etching the germanium layer wherein a portion of the germanium layer is in direct physical contact with the silicon substrate;

depositing a layer of silicon oxide on the germanium layer wherein the germanium layer is encapsulated by the silicon oxide layer;

annealing the structure at a temperature wherein the germanium layer melts and the other layers remain solid;

cooling the structure in ambient conditions;

growing a second, single-crystal layer of germanium on the structure by liquid phase epitaxy;

selectively removing the silicon oxide layer;

implanting and activating ions to form N+ and P+regions; and

completing the germanium photodetector.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said preparing a silicon wafer as a silicon substrate includes fabricating a silicon CMOS device on the silicon substrate.

3. The method of claim 2 which includes fabricating multiple layers of metal connecting wires on the substrate prior to germanium photodetector fabrication.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said depositing a layer of silicon nitride on the silicon substrate includes depositing a layer of silicon nitride having a thickness of between about 10 nm to 500 nm.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said depositing a first germanium layer on the silicon nitride layer includes depositing a first germanium layer to a thickness of between about 20 nm to 1000 nm.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said depositing a first germanium layer includes depositing taken from the group of depositing methods consisting of CVD, PVD, MBE and other thin film deposition processes.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said depositing a layer of silicon oxide on the germanium layer includes depositing a layer of silicon oxide to a thickness of between about 20 nm to 1000 nm.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said annealing the structure includes annealing the structure at a temperature of between about 920° C. to 1000° C.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said annealing includes annealing in a RTA chamber for a time period of between about zero time and ten minutes.

10. A method of fabricating a germanium photodetector comprising:

preparing a silicon wafer as a silicon substrate;

depositing a layer of silicon nitride on the silicon substrate;

patterning and etching the silicon nitride layer;

depositing a first germanium layer on the silicon nitride layer;

patterning and etching the germanium layer wherein a portion of the germanium layer is in direct physical contact with the silicon substrate;

depositing a layer of silicon oxide on the germanium layer wherein the germanium layer is encapsulated by the silicon oxide layer;

annealing the structure at a temperature of between about 920° C. to 1000° C. in a RTA chamber for a time period of between about zero time and ten minutes;

cooling the structure in ambient conditions;

growing a second, single-crystal layer of germanium on the structure by liquid phase epitaxy;

selectively removing the silicon oxide layer;

implanting and activating ions to form N+ and P+ regions; and

completing the germanium photodetector.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said preparing a silicon wafer as a silicon substrate includes fabricating a silicon CMOS device on the silicon substrate.

12. The method of claim 11 which includes fabricating multiple layers of metal connecting wires on the substrate prior to germanium photodetector fabrication.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein said depositing a layer of silicon nitride on the silicon substrate includes depositing a layer of silicon nitride having a thickness of between about 10 nm to 500 nm.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein said depositing a first germanium layer on the silicon nitride layer includes depositing a first germanium layer to a thickness of between about 20 nm to 1000 nm by a deposition technique taken from the group of depositing techniques consisting of CVD, PVD, MBE and other thin film deposition processes.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein said depositing a layer of silicon oxide on the germanium layer includes depositing a layer of silicon oxide to a thickness of between about 20 nm to 1000 nm.

16. A method of fabricating a germanium photodetector comprising:

preparing a silicon wafer as a silicon substrate, including fabricating a CMOS device on the silicon substrate;

depositing a layer of silicon nitride on the silicon substrate;

patterning and etching the silicon nitride layer;

depositing a first germanium layer on the silicon nitride layer;

patterning and etching the germanium layer wherein a portion of the germanium layer is in direct physical contact with the silicon substrate;

depositing a layer of silicon oxide on the germanium layer wherein the germanium layer is encapsulated by the silicon oxide layer;

annealing the structure at a temperature of between about 920° C. to 1000° C. in a RTA chamber for a time period of between about zero time and ten minutes;

cooling the structure in ambient conditions;

growing a second, single-crystal layer of germanium on the structure by liquid phase epitaxy;

selectively removing the silicon oxide layer;

implanting and activating ions to form N+ and P+ regions; and

completing the germanium photodetector.

17. The method of claim 16 which includes fabricating multiple layers of metal connecting wires on the substrate prior to germanium photodetector fabrication.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein said depositing a layer of silicon nitride on the silicon substrate includes depositing a layer of silicon nitride having a thickness of between about 10 nm to 500 nm.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein said depositing a first germanium layer on the silicon nitride layer includes depositing a first germanium layer to a thickness of between about 20 nm to 1000 nm by a deposition technique taken from the group of depositing techniques consisting of CVD, PVD, MBE and other thin film deposition processes.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein said depositing a layer of silicon oxide on the germanium layer includes depositing a layer of silicon oxide to a thickness of between about 20 nm to 1000 nm.