Phosphorous-comprising dopants and methods for forming phosphorous-doped regions in semiconductor substrates using phosphorous-comprising dopants
Phosphorous-comprising dopants, methods for forming phosphorous-doped regions in a semiconductor material, and methods for fabricating phosphorous-comprising dopants are provided. In one embodiment, a phosphorous-comprising dopant comprises a phosphorous source comprising a phosphorous-comprising salt, a phosphorous-comprising acid, phosphorous-comprising anions, or a combination thereof, an alkaline material, cations from an alkaline material, or a combination thereof, and a liquid medium.
1. A phosphorous-comprising dopant comprising:
a phosphorous source comprising a phosphorous-comprising salt, a phosphorous-comprising acid, phosphorous-comprising anions, or a combination thereof;
a hydrocarbon group-comprising alkaline material, cations from a hydrocarbon group-comprising alkaline material, or a combination thereof;
a liquid medium; and
nanoparticles.
2. The phosphorous-comprising dopant of claim 1 , wherein the phosphorous source comprise an inorganic, non-metal, phosphorous-comprising acid, an inorganic, non-metal, phosphorous-comprising salt, or a combination thereof.
3. The phosphorous-comprising dopant of claim 1 , wherein the phosphorous source comprises a phosphorous-comprising acid selected from the group consisting of phosphoric acid (H 3 PO 4 ), phosphorous acid (H 3 PO 3 ), hypophosphorous acid (H 3 PO 2 ), pyrophosphoric acid (H 4 P 2 O 7 ), and acids having the formula HR 1 R 2 PO 2 and H 2 RPO 3 , where R, R 1 , and R 2 are alkyls, aryls, or combinations thereof.
4. The phosphorous-comprising dopant of claim 1 , wherein the phosphorous source comprises a phosphorous-comprising salt selected from the group consisting of ammonium phosphate ((NH 4 ) 3 PO 4 ), ammonium dihydrogen phosphate (NH 4 H 2 PO 4 ,), diammonium hydrogen phosphate ((NH 4 ) 2 HPO 4 ), ammonium phosphite ((NH 4 ) 3 PO 3 ), diammonium hydrogen phosphite ((NH 4 ) 2 HPO 3 ), ammonium dihydrogen phosphite (NH 4 H 2 PO 3 ), ammonium hypophosphite ((NH 4 ) 3 PO 2 ), diammonium hydrogen hypophosphite ((NH 4 ) 2 HPO 2 ), ammonium dihydrogen hypophosphite (NH 4 H 2 PO 2 ), ammonium pyrophosphate ((NH 4 ) 4 P 2 O 4 ), triammonium hydrogen pyrophosphate ((NH 4 ) 3 HP 2 O 4 ), diammonium dihydrogen pyrophosphate ((NH 4 ) 2 H 2 P 2 O 4 ), ammonium trihydrogen pyrophosphate (NH 4 H 3 P 2 O 4 ), and phosphate salts having the formula (NR 3 R 4 R 5 R 6 ) 3 PO 4 , (NR 3 R 4 R 5 H) 3 PO 4 , (NR 3 R 4 H 2 ) 3 PO 4 , (NR 3 H 3 ) 3 PO 4 , where R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , and R 6 are alkyls, aryls, or combinations thereof.
5. The phosphorous-comprising dopant of claim 1 , wherein the phosphorous-comprising dopant has a pH in a range of from about 0 to about 10.
6. The phosphorous-comprising dopant of claim 5 , wherein the phosphorous-comprising dopant has a pH in a range of from about 6 to about 7.
7. The phosphorous-comprising dopant of claim 1 , wherein the phosphorous element of the phosphorous source comprises no greater than about 60% by weight of the phosphorous-comprising dopant.
8. The phosphorous-comprising dopant of claim 1 , wherein the liquid medium is selected from the group consisting of alcohols, N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP), propylene glycol methyl ether acetate (PGMEA), ethyl acetate, dimethyl formamide (DMF), glycerol, tetrahydrofuran (THF), water, and mixtures thereof.
9. The phosphorous-comprising dopant of claim 1 , wherein the liquid medium comprises no greater than about 95% by volume of the phosphorous-comprising dopant.
10. The phosphorous-comprising dopant of claim 1 , wherein the hydrocarbon group-comprising alkaline material comprises greater than about zero and no greater than about 50% by weight of the phosphorous-comprising dopant.
11. The phosphorous-comprising dopant of claim 1 , wherein the hydrocarbon group-comprising alkaline material comprises an ammonia alkaline material.
12. The phosphorous-comprising dopant of claim 1 , further comprising nanoparticles having an average particle size of no greater than about 1 μm.
13. The phosphorous-comprising dopant of claim 1 , wherein the nanoparticles comprise no greater than about 10% by weight of the phosphorous-comprising dopant.
14. The phosphorous-comprising dopant of claim 1 , wherein the hydrocarbon group- comprising alkaline material comprises an ammonium alkaline material.
15. A method for forming phosphorous-doped regions in a semiconductor material, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a phosphorous-comprising dopant formed using a phosphorous-comprising acid, a phosphorous-comprising salt, or a combination thereof, a hydrocarbon group-comprising alkaline material, and nanoparticles in a liquid medium;
depositing the phosphorous-comprising dopant overlying the semiconductor material;
optionally, causing the liquid medium of the phosphorous-comprising dopant to evaporate; and
diffusing phosphorous elements of the phosphorous-comprising dopant into the semiconductor material.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the step of providing comprises the step of providing a phosphorous-comprising dopant formed using a phosphorous-comprising acid selected from the group consisting of phosphoric acid (H 3 PO 4 ), phosphorous acid (H 3 PO 3 ), hypophosphorous acid (H 3 PO 2 ), pyrophosphoric acid (H 4 P 2 O 7 ), and acids having the formula HR 1 R 2 PO 2 and H 2 RPO 3 , where R, R 1 , and R 2 are alkyls, aryls, or combinations thereof.
17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the step of providing comprises the step of providing a phosphorous-comprising dopant formed using a phosphorous-comprising salt selected from the group consisting of ammonium phosphate ((NH 4 ) 3 PO 4 ), ammonium dihydrogen phosphate (NH 4 H 2 PO 4 ,), diammonium hydrogen phosphate ((NH 4 ) 2 HPO 4 ), ammonium phosphite ((NH 4 ) 3 PO 3 ), diammonium hydrogen phosphite ((NH 4 ) 2 HPO 3 ), ammonium dihydrogen phosphite (NH 4 H 2 PO 3 ), ammonium hypophosphite ((NH 4 ) 3 PO 2 ), diammonium hydrogen hypophosphite ((NH 4 ) 2 HPO 2 ), ammonium dihydrogen hypophosphite (NH 4 H 2 PO 2 ), ammonium pyrophosphate ((NH 4 ) 4 P 2 O 4 ), triammonium hydrogen pyrophosphate ((NH 4 ) 3 HP 2 O 4 ), diammonium dihydrogen pyrophosphate ((NH 4 ) 2 H 2 P 2 O 4 ), ammonium trihydrogen pyrophosphate (NH 4 H 3 P 2 O 4 ), and phosphate salts having the formula (NR 3 R 4 R 5 R 6 ) 3 PO 4 , (NR 3 R 4 R 5 H) 3 PO 4 , (NR 3 R 4 H 2 ) 3 PO 4 , (NR 3 H 3 ) 3 PO 4 , where R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , and R 6 are alkyls, aryls, or combinations thereof.
18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the step of providing comprises the step of providing a phosphorous-comprising dopant having a pH in a range of from about 0 to about 10.
19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the step of providing comprises the step of providing a phosphorous-comprising dopant comprising a liquid medium selected from the group consisting of alcohols, N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP), propylene glycol methyl ether acetate (PGMEA), ethyl acetate, dimethyl formamide (DMF), glycerol, tetrahydrofuran (THF), water and mixtures thereof.
20. The method of claim 15 , wherein the step of providing comprises the step of providing a phosphorous-comprising dopant formed using an ammonia hydrocarbon group-comprising alkaline material.
21. The method of claim 15 , wherein the step of providing comprises the step of providing a phosphorous-comprising dopant formed using nanoparticles having an average particle size of no greater than about 1 μm.
22. The method of claim 15 , wherein the step of depositing is performed by a non-contact printing process.
23. The method of claim 15 , wherein the step of causing comprises the step of permitting the liquid medium to evaporate at a temperature no greater than about 800° C.
24. The method of claim 15 , wherein the step of diffusing comprises the step of annealing the semiconductor material using high-temperature thermal annealing, laser annealing, or microwave annealing.
25. The method of claim 15 , further comprising, before the step of depositing, the step of subjecting the semiconductor material to a pre-dopant treatment.
26. The method of claim 25 , wherein the step of subjecting comprises applying to the semiconductor material an acid, a base, an oxidizer, a solvent, or a combination thereof, or heating the semiconductor material to a temperature no higher than 800° C., or a combination of applying and heating.
27. The method of claim 15 , further comprising, after the step of diffusing, the step of subjecting the semiconductor material to a post-diffusion treatment.
28. The method of claim 27 , wherein the step of subjecting comprises applying to the semiconductor material an acid, a base, an oxidizer, a solvent, or a combination thereof, or heating the semiconductor material to a temperature no higher than 800° C., or a combination of applying and heating.
29. The method of claim 15 , wherein the step of depositing comprises depositing the phosphorous-comprising dopant overlying the semiconductor material using a screen printing process.
30. A method of forming a phosphorous-comprising dopant, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a phosphorous source comprising a phosphorous-comprising acid, a phosphorous-comprising salt, or a combination thereof; and
combining the phosphorous source with a hydrocarbon group-comprising alkaline material, nanoparticles, and a liquid medium.
31. The method of claim 30 , wherein the step of providing comprises providing a phosphorous source comprising a phosphorous-comprising acid selected from the group consisting of phosphoric acid (H 3 PO 4 ), phosphorous acid (H 3 PO 3 ), hypophosphorous acid (H 3 PO 2 ), pyrophosphoric acid (H 4 P 2 O 7 ), and acids having the formula HR 1 R 2 PO 2 and H 2 RPO 3 , where R, R 1 , and R 2 are alkyls, aryls, or combinations thereof.
32. The method of claim 30 , wherein the step of providing comprises providing a phosphorous source comprising a phosphorous-comprising salt selected from the group consisting of ammonium phosphate ((NH 4 ) 3 PO 4 ), ammonium dihydrogen phosphate (NH 4 H 2 PO 4 ,), diammonium hydrogen phosphate ((NH 4 ) 2 HPO 4 ), ammonium phosphite ((NH 4 ) 3 PO 3 ), diammonium hydrogen phosphite ((NH 4 ) 2 HPO 3 ), ammonium dihydrogen phosphite (NH 4 H 2 PO 3 ), ammonium hypophosphite ((NH 4 ) 3 PO 2 ), diammonium hydrogen hypophosphite ((NH 4 ) 2 HPO 2 ), ammonium dihydrogen hypophosphite (NH 4 H 2 PO 2 ), ammonium pyrophosphate ((NH 4 ) 4 P 2 O 4 ), triammonium hydrogen pyrophosphate ((NH 4 ) 3 HP 2 O 4 ), diammonium dihydrogen pyrophosphate ((NH 4 ) 2 H 2 P 2 O 4 ), ammonium trihydrogen pyrophosphate (NH 4 H 3 P 2 O 4 ), and phosphate salts having the formula (NR 3 R 4 R 5 R 6 ) 3 PO 4 , (NR 3 R 4 R 5 H) 3 PO 4 , (NR 3 R 4 H 2 ) 3 PO 4 , (NR 3 H 3 ) 3 PO 4 , where R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , and R 6 are alkyls, aryls, or combinations thereof.
33. The method of claim 30 , wherein the step of combining comprises combining the phosphorous source with a liquid medium selected from the group consisting of alcohols, N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP), propylene glycol methyl ether acetate (PGMEA), ethyl acetate, dimethyl formamide (DMF), glycerol, tetrahydrofuran (THF), water, and mixtures thereof.
34. The method of claim 30 , wherein the step of combining comprises combining the phosphorous source with an ammonia hydrocarbon group-comprising alkaline material.
35. The method of claim 30 , wherein the step of combining comprises the step of combining the phosphorous source with the nanoparticles having an average particle size of no greater than about 1 μm.
36. A phosphorous-comprising dopant comprising:
a phosphorous source comprising a phosphorous-comprising salt, a phosphorous-comprising acid, phosphorous-comprising anions, or a combination thereof;
an a hydrocarbon group-comprising alkaline material, cations from an a hydrocarbon group-comprising alkaline material, or a combination thereof; and
a liquid medium; and
silica nanoparticles.
37. The phosphorous-comprising dopant of claim 36 , wherein the silica nanoparticles have an average particle size of no greater than 1 μm.
38. The phosphorous-comprising dopant of claim 36 , wherein the silica nanoparticles comprise no greater than about 10% by weight of the phosphorous-comprising dopant.