IP Library › Patent Application 17796369
Patent Application
App. No. 17/796,369

SEMICONDUCTOR APPARATUS AND SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE, AND METHOD OF PRODUCING THE SAME

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Patent No.
US None
App. No.
17/796,369
Abstract

A semiconductor device comprising a wafer with a preferably single-piece semiconductor substrate, in particular silicon substrate, and at least one integrated electronic component extending in and/or on the semiconductor substrate, the wafer having a front-end-of-line and a back-end-of-line lying there above, the front-end-of-line comprising the integrated electronic component or at least one of the integrated electronic components, and a photonic platform fabricated on the side of the wafer facing away from the front-end-of-line, which photonic platform comprises at least one waveguide and at least one electro-optical device, in particular at least one photodetector and/or at least one electro-optical modulator, wherein the electro-optical device or at least one of the electro-optical devices of the photonic platform is connected to the integrated electronic component or at least one of the integrated electronic components of the wafer.

Claims (39)

1 . Semiconductor device comprising a wafer ( 1 ) with a preferably single-piece semiconductor substrate ( 2 ), in particular silicon substrate, and at least one integrated electronic component ( 3 ) extending in and/or on the semiconductor substrate ( 2 ), the wafer ( 1 ) having a front-end-of-line ( 5 ) and a back-end-of-line ( 6 ) lying there above, the front-end-of-line ( 5 ) comprising the integrated electronic component or at least one of the integrated electronic components ( 3 ), and a photonic platform ( 8 ) fabricated on the side ( 9 ) of the wafer ( 1 ) facing away from the front-end-of-line ( 5 ), which photonic platform ( 8 ) comprises at least one waveguide ( 12 ) and at least one electro-optical device ( 15 ), in particular at least one photodetector and/or at least one electro-optical modulator, wherein the electro-optical device ( 15 ) or at least one of the electro-optical devices ( 15 ) of the photonic platform ( 8 ) is connected to the integrated electronic component ( 3 ) or at least one of the integrated electronic components ( 3 ) of the wafer ( 1 ).

2 . Semiconductor device according to claim 1 , wherein the back-end-of-line ( 6 ) of the wafer ( 1 ) and the photonic platform ( 8 ) comprise interconnection elements ( 7 ) through which the integrated electronic component ( 3 ) or at least one of the integrated electronic components ( 3 ) of the wafer ( 1 ) is connected to the electro-optical device ( 15 ) or at least one of the electro-optical devices ( 15 ) of the photonic platform ( 8 ).

3 . Semiconductor device according to claim 1 , wherein the photonic platform ( 8 ) comprises material deposited on the side ( 9 ) of the wafer ( 1 ) facing away from the front-end-of-line ( 5 ).

4 . Semiconductor device according to claim 1 , wherein the photonic platform ( 8 ) comprises a planarization coat ( 10 ) of a dielectric material fabricated in particular on the side ( 9 ) of the wafer ( 1 ) facing away from the front-end-of-line ( 5 ), and preferably the waveguide or at least one of the waveguides is fabricated on the side ( 11 ) of the planarization coat ( 12 ) facing away from the wafer ( 1 ).

5 . Semiconductor device according to claim 3 , wherein the planarization coat ( 10 ) is a coat formed by deposition, in particular chemical vapor deposition, preferably low-pressure chemical vapor deposition and/or plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition, and/or by physical vapor deposition and/or atomic layer deposition of at least one coating material on the side ( 9 ) of the wafer ( 1 ) facing away from the front-end-of-line ( 5 ) and preferably subsequent processing of the deposited material on the side ( 11 ) facing away from the wafer ( 1 ) by means of chemical-mechanical polishing and/or by means of resist planarization,

and/or

wherein the planarization coat ( 10 ) is characterized on its side ( 11 ) facing away from the wafer ( 1 ) by a roughness of less than 2.0 nm RMS, preferably less than 1.0 nm RMS, particularly preferably less than 0.3 nm RMS,

and/or

wherein the planarization coat ( 10 ) comprises or consists of spin-on-glass and/or at least one polymer and/or at least one oxide, in particular silicon dioxide, and/or at least one nitride.

6 . Semiconductor device according to claim 3 , wherein the photonic platform ( 8 ) comprises at least one further planarization coat ( 13 ), the further planarization coat ( 13 ) or at least one of the further planarization coats ( 13 ) preferably being made of the same material as the planarization coat ( 10 ).

7 . Semiconductor device according to claim 6 , wherein the further planarization coat ( 13 ) or at least one of the further planarization coats ( 13 ) is formed by deposition, in particular chemical vapor deposition, preferably low-pressure chemical vapor deposition and/or plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition, and/or by physical vapor deposition and/or atomic layer deposition of at least one coating material on the side ( 9 ) of the wafer ( 1 ) facing away from the front-end-of-line ( 5 ) and preferably subsequent processing of the deposited material on the side ( 14 ) facing away from the wafer ( 1 ) by means of chemical-mechanical polishing and/or by means of resist planarization,

and/or

wherein the further planarization coat ( 13 ) or at least one of the further planarization coats ( 13 ) is characterized on its side ( 14 ) facing away from the wafer ( 1 ) by a roughness of less than 2.0 nm RMS, preferably less than 1.0 nm RMS, particularly preferably less than 0.3 nm RMS,

and/or

wherein the further planarization coat ( 13 ) or at least one of the further planarization coats ( 13 ) comprises or consists of spin-on-glass and/or at least one polymer and/or at least one oxide, in particular silicon dioxide, and/or at least one nitride.

8 . Semiconductor device according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one waveguide ( 12 ) comprises or consists of titanium dioxide and/or aluminium nitride and/or tantalum pentoxide and/or silicon nitride and/or aluminium oxide and/or silicon oxynitride and/or lithium niobate and/or silicon, in particular polysilicon, and/or indium phosphite and/or gallium arsenide and/or indium gallium arsenide and/or aluminium gallium arsenide and/or at least one dichalcogenide, in particular two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenide, and/or chalcogenide glass and/or resin or resin-containing materials, in particular SU8, and/or polymers or polymer-containing materials, in particular OrmoComp.

9 . Semiconductor device according to claim 1 , wherein the photonic platform ( 8 ) comprises a plurality of waveguides ( 12 ), preferably at least two waveguides ( 12 ) extending at least in sections one above the other.

10 . Semiconductor device according to claim 1 , wherein the semiconductor device, in particular the photonic platform ( 8 ) comprises at least one coupling device ( 20 ) associated with at least one of the waveguides ( 12 ), the at least one coupling device ( 32 ) preferably serving to couple electromagnetic radiation into the at least one associated waveguide ( 12 ), and/or to couple electromagnetic radiation out of the at least one associated waveguide ( 12 ).

11 . Semiconductor device according to claim 1 , wherein the electro-optical device ( 15 ) or at least one of the electro-optical devices ( 15 ) comprises at least one active element ( 16 , 16 a , 16 b ) comprising or consisting of at least one material, which absorbs electromagnetic radiation of at least one wavelength and generates an electrical photosignal as a result of the absorption and/or whose refractive index changes as a function of a voltage and/or the presence of a charge and/or an electric field.

12 . Semiconductor device according to claim 11 , wherein the electro-optical device ( 15 ) or at least one of the electro-optical devices is provided by a modulator ( 15 ) comprising an active element ( 16 a ) having or consisting of at least one material, whose refractive index changes as a function of a voltage and/or the presence of charge and/or an electric field, in particular graphene and/or at least one dichalcogenide, in particular two-dimensional transition dichalcogenide, and/or heterostructures of two-dimensional materials and/or germanium and/or lithium niobate and/or at least one electro-optical polymer and/or silicon and/or at least one compound semiconductor, in particular at least one III-V semiconductor and/or at least one II-VI semiconductor,

and a further active element ( 16 b ) comprising or consisting of at least one material, whose refractive index changes as a function of a voltage and/or the presence of charge and/or an electric field, in particular graphene and/or at least one dichalcogenide, in particular two-dimensional transition dichalcogenide, and/or heterostructures of two-dimensional materials and/or germanium and/or lithium niobate and/or at least one electro-optical polymer and/or silicon and/or at least one compound semiconductor, in particular at least one III-V semiconductor and/or at least one II-VI semiconductor, or an electrode,

wherein the two active elements ( 16 a , 16 b ) or the active element and the electrode are preferably spaced apart from one another and/or are arranged offset from one another in such a way that they lie one above the other in sections.

13 . Semiconductor device according to claim 1 , wherein the electro-optical device ( 15 ) or at least one of the electro-optical devices is given by a photodetector ( 15 ) comprising one, preferably exactly one active element ( 16 ) consisting of or comprising at least one material which absorbs electromagnetic radiation of at least one wavelength and generates an electrical photosignal as a result of the absorption, in particular graphene and/or at least one dichalcogenide, in particular two-dimensional transition dichalcogenide, and/or heterostructures of two-dimensional materials and/or germanium and/or silicon and/or at least one compound semiconductor, in particular at least one III-V semiconductor and/or at least one II-VI semiconductor.

14 . Semiconductor device according to claim 11 , wherein, on or above the active element or at least one of the active elements ( 16 , 16 a , 16 b ), at least one plasmonic structure ( 29 ) consisting of or comprising a plasmonically active material, preferably gold and/or silver and/or aluminium and/or copper, is provided, the plasmonic structure ( 29 ) preferably comprising at least one pair of plasmonic elements ( 30 ) arranged next to one another and consisting of or comprising the plasmonically active material, which plasmonic elements ( 30 ) are preferably characterized by a section tapering in the direction of the respective other plasmonic element ( 30 ).

15 . Semiconductor device according to claim 13 , wherein on at least one side of the active element or at least one active element ( 16 , 16 a , 16 b ) a waveguide ( 12 ) is provided with an end section ( 31 ) tapering in the direction of the active element and preferably ending in a tip, wherein the tapering end section ( 31 ) preferably extends up to the active element or the at least one active element ( 16 , 16 a , 16 b ), and/or wherein a contact element ( 19 ) is provided on each of two sides of the tapering section ( 31 ), which contact element ( 19 ) is connected to the active element or the at least one active element ( 16 , 16 a , 16 b ) and which contact element ( 19 ) has a section ( 19 a ) tapering in the opposite direction and lying next to the ta-pering end section ( 31 ) of the waveguide ( 12 ).

16 . Semiconductor device according to claim 15 , wherein a wave-guide ( 12 ) having an end section ( 31 ) tapering in the direction of the active element or the at least one active element ( 16 , 16 a , 16 b ) and preferably ending in a tip is provided on two sides of the active element or the at least one active element ( 16 , 16 a , 16 b ) in each case, wherein the respective tapering end section ( 31 ) preferably extends as far as the active element or the at least one active element ( 16 , 16 a , 16 b ), and/or wherein a contact element ( 19 ) is provided on each of two sides of the respective tapering section ( 31 ), which contact element ( 19 ) is connected to the active element or the at least one active element ( 16 , 16 a , 16 b ) and which contact element ( 19 ) has a section ( 19 a ) tapering in the opposite direction and lying next to the tapering end section ( 31 ) of the respective waveguide ( 12 ).

17 . Method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising the steps:

a wafer ( 1 ) having a preferably single-piece semiconductor substrate ( 2 ), in particular silicon substrate, and at least one integrated electronic component ( 3 ) extending in and/or on the semiconductor substrate ( 2 ) is provided, the wafer ( 1 ) having a front-end-of-line ( 5 ) and a back-end-of-line ( 6 ) lying there above, wherein the front-end-of-line ( 5 ) comprises the integrated electronic component ( 3 ) or at least one of the integrated electronic components ( 3 ),

a photonic platform ( 8 ) is fabricated on the side ( 9 ) of the wafer ( 1 ) facing away from the front-end-of-line ( 5 ), the photonic platform ( 8 ) comprising at least one waveguide ( 12 ) and at least one electro-optical device ( 15 ), in particular at least one photodetector and/or at least one electro-optical modulator.

18 . Method according to claim 17 , wherein the back-end-of-line ( 6 ) of the provided wafer ( 1 ) comprises interconnection elements ( 7 ) connected to the integrated electronic component ( 3 ) or at least one of the integrated electronic components ( 3 ) of the front-end-of-line ( 5 ) and, in the photonic platform ( 8 ), inter-connection elements ( 7 ) are fabricated which are connected, on the one hand, to the interconnection elements ( 7 ) of the back-end-of-line ( 6 ) and, on the other hand, to the electro-optical device ( 15 ) or at least one of the electro-optical devices ( 15 ).

19 . Method according to claim 17 , wherein the fabrication of the photonic platform ( 8 ) includes depositing material on the side ( 9 ) of the wafer ( 1 ) facing away from the front-end-of-line ( 5 ).

20 . Method according to claim 17 , wherein the fabrication of the photonic platform ( 8 ) includes fabricating a planarization coat ( 10 ) of a dielectric material in particular on the side ( 9 ) of the wafer ( 1 ) facing away from the front-end-of-line ( 5 ), and preferably the or at least one of the waveguides ( 12 ) is fabricated on the side ( 11 ) of the planarization coat ( 10 ) facing away from the wafer ( 1 ).

21 . Method according to claim 20 , wherein the fabrication of the planarization coat ( 10 ) includes that a coating material is applied, in particular deposited, to the side ( 9 ) of the wafer ( 1 ) and the coating material is at least on its side ( 11 ) facing away from the wafer ( 1 ) subsequently subjected to a planarization treatment, in particular chemically-mechanically polishing and/or resist-planarization, preferably in such a way that a roughness of the side of less than 2.0 nm, preferably less than 1.0 nm RMS, particularly preferably less than 0.3 nm RMS is obtained.

22 . Method according to claim 20 , wherein at least one further planarization coat ( 13 ) is preferably fabricated following the fabrication of the at least one waveguide ( 12 ), the fabrication of the further planarization coat ( 13 ) preferably including that a coating material is applied, in particular deposited, to the side ( 11 ) of the planarization coat ( 10 ) facing away from the wafer ( 1 ) and/or of the at least one waveguide ( 12 ) and the coating material is then, at least on its side ( 14 ) facing away from the wafer ( 1 ), subjected to a planarization treatment, in particular chemical-mechanical polishing and/or resist planarization, preferably in such a way that a roughness of the side of less than 2.0 nm, preferably less than 1.0 nm RMS, particularly preferably less than 0.3 nm RMS is obtained.

23 . Method according to claim 20 , wherein the fabrication of the planarization coat ( 10 ) and/or the further planarization coat ( 13 ) includes applying a further coating material to the treated side following the planarization treatment.

24 . Method according to claim 20 , wherein the fabrication of the at least one waveguide ( 12 ) includes applying a waveguide material in particular to the side ( 11 ) of the planarization coat ( 10 ) facing away from the wafer ( 5 ), preferably depositing or spinning or transferring it thereon, and then preferably carrying out a structuring of the applied waveguide material in particular by means of lithography and/or reactive ion etching.

25 . Method according to claim 17 , wherein the or at least one waveguide ( 12 ) at least one coupling device ( 32 ) is manufactured, which serves for coupling electromagnetic radiation into the at least one waveguide ( 12 ) and/or for coupling electromagnetic radiation out of the at least one waveguide ( 12 ).

26 . Method of manufacturing at least one semiconductor apparatus ( 38 ), wherein a semiconductor device according to claim 1 is provided and fragmented.

27 . A semiconductor apparatus ( 38 ) obtained by fragmenting a semiconductor device according to claim 1 .

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 2, 2023
From: GESELLSCHAFT FÜR ANGEWANDTE MIKRO- UND OPTOELEKTRONIK MIT BESCHRÄNKTER HAFTUNG - AMO GMBH
To: BLACK SEMICONDUCTOR GMBH
Reel/Frame 065088/0478 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 29, 2022
From: SCHALL, DANIEL
To: GESELLSCHAFT FÜR ANGEWANDTE MIKRO- UND OPTOELEKTRONIK MIT BESCHRÄNKTER HAFTUNG - AMO GMBH
Reel/Frame 060670/0037 →