IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,611,032
Granted Patent B2
US 11,611,032 · App. 17/157,062 · Granted Mar 21, 2023

Semiconductor process optimized for quantum structures

Inventors: Dirk Robert Walter Leipold (Fremont, CA); George Adrian Maxim (Saratoga, CA); Michael Albert Asker (San Jose, CA)
Assignee: Equal1.Labs Inc.
H01L39/228G06N10/00H01L39/025H01L39/223H01L39/2493
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,611,032
App. No.
17/157,062
Granted
Mar 21, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

A novel and useful modified semiconductor fabrication technique for realizing reliable semiconductor quantum structures. Quantum structures require a minimization of the parasitic capacitance of the control gate and the quantum well. The modified semiconductor process eliminates the fabrication of the metal, contact, and optionally the raised diffusion layers from the quantum wells, thereby resulting in much lower well and gate capacitances and therefore larger Coulomb blockade voltages. This allows easier implementation of the electronic control circuits in that they can have larger intrinsic noise and relaxed analog resolution. Several processes are disclosed including implementations of semiconductor quantum structures with tunneling through an oxide layer as well as tunneling through a local well depleted region. These techniques can be used in both planar semiconductor processes and 3D, e.g., FinFET, semiconductor processes. A dedicated process masking step is used for realizing the raised diffusions. In addition, the edge of the raised diffusion layer may be placed either in the gate region or the active layer region.

Claims (43)

1. A method of manufacturing a quantum device, comprising:

providing a substrate;

forming a silicon layer over said substrate and configured to include a first interface device, a plurality of imposer devices, and a second interface device;

applying a stop mask configured to prevent doping of said plurality of imposer devices;

doping of one or more areas outside said stop mask; and

wherein said first interface device and said second interface device are electrically biased.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising forming a contact layer and metal layer to fabricate said first interface device and said second interface device.

3. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising forming an oxide layer between said substrate and said silicon layer.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said plurality of imposer devices are electrically floating.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein said electrically floating plurality of imposer devices are capacitively coupled to at least one of said first interface device and said second interface device.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said doped areas are selected from a group consisting of low doped (n−, p−), medium doped (n, p), high doped (n+, p+), and highly doped (n++, p++).

7. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising an interconnect contact layer (CA layer) disposed on said doped layer on one or both sides of a first control gate in said first interface device and a second control gate in said second interface device.

8. The method according to claim 7 , further comprising a metal layer disposed on said CA layer on one or both sides of said first and second control gate.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said first interface device and said second interface are formed by:

fabricating a doped layer over said silicon layer operative to function as a source or drain terminal;

fabricating an interconnect contact layer (CA layer) over said doped layer;

fabricating a metal layer over said CA layer; and

wherein said doped layer is selected from a group consisting of low doped (n−, p−), medium doped (n, p), high doped (n+, p+), and highly doped (n++, p++).

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said substrate is selected from a group comprising a semiconductor, silicon on insulator (SOI), insulating substrate replacement, and a bulk substrate having a global depletion layer that isolates top devices from said substrate.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said first interface device and said second interface device each comprise a classic raised diffusion source/drain region only on one side of their corresponding gate and no diffusion, contact, or metal layers on an opposite side of their corresponding gate.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said first interface device and said second interface device each comprise a classic raised diffusion source/drain region on a first side and a non-zero portion of a second side of their corresponding gate, wherein said classic raised diffusion source/drain region extends from said second side of said corresponding gate a non-zero portion of a distance to a corresponding gate on a corresponding adjacent imposer device, wherein a remaining distance to said corresponding gate on a corresponding adjacent imposer device comprising an undoped region.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said first interface device, said plurality of imposers, and said second interface device are constructed using a semiconductor process selected from the group consisting of planar semiconductor process with tunneling through a depletion region, a 3D FinFET semiconductor process with tunneling through a depletion region, a planar semiconductor process with tunneling through gate oxide, and a 3D FinFET semiconductor process with tunneling through gate oxide.

14. A method of manufacturing a quantum device, comprising:

providing a substrate;

forming a substantially undoped silicon layer over said substrate;

fabricating a plurality of control gates over said undoped silicon layer to form a plurality of qubits, each qubit including a quantum dot formed on either side of each control gate;

applying a stop mask configured to prevent doping of said plurality of qubits;

doping of one or more areas outside said stop mask; and

wherein the quantum dots in each qubit are maintained electrically floating.

15. The method according to claim 14 , wherein said undoped silicon layer is electrically insulated from said substrate by an oxide layer sandwiched therebetween.

16. The method according to claim 14 , wherein said substrate comprises a material selected from a group comprising a semiconductor, silicon on insulator (SOI), insulating substrate replacement, and a bulk substrate having a global depletion layer that isolates top devices from said substrate.

17. The method according to claim 14 , wherein said control gate comprises gate oxide, polysilicon, silicide, and nitride layers.

18. A method of manufacturing a quantum device, comprising:

providing a substrate;

forming a substantially undoped silicon layer over said substrate;

fabricating an oxide layer over said undoped silicon layer;

fabricating a control gate constructed over said oxide layer, said oxide layer and said control gate partially overlapping said undoped silicon layer, whereby a first quantum dot and a second quantum dot are formed on either side of said control gate;

applying a stop mask configured to prevent doping of said first quantum dot and said second quantum dot;

doping of one or more areas outside said stop mask;

wherein an electrical potential applied to said control gate enables tunneling between said first quantum dot and said second quantum dot through said oxide layer; and

wherein both said first quantum dot and said second quantum dot are maintained electrically floating.

19. The quantum device according to claim 18 , wherein said substrate is selected from a group comprising a semiconductor, silicon on insulator (SOI), insulating substrate replacement, and a bulk substrate having a global depletion layer that isolates top devices from said substrate.

20. The quantum device according to claim 18 , wherein said control gate comprises gate oxide, polysilicon, silicide, and nitride layers.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 25, 2021
From: MAXIM, GEORGE ADRIAN; LEIPOLD, DIRK ROBERT WALTER; ASKER, MICHAEL ALBERT
To: EQUAL1.LABS INC.
Reel/Frame 055018/0900 →
Continuity (27)
Division 16734337 · Jan 5, 2020
Continuation In Part 16445645 · Jun 19, 2019
Provisional Application 62794655 · Jan 20, 2019
Provisional Application 62794591 · Jan 19, 2019
Provisional Application 62791818 · Jan 13, 2019
Provisional Application 62788865 · Jan 6, 2019
Provisional Application 62731810 · Sep 14, 2018
Provisional Application 62726397 · Sep 3, 2018
Provisional Application 62726271 · Sep 2, 2018
Provisional Application 62726290 · Sep 2, 2018
Provisional Application 62703888 · Jul 27, 2018
Provisional Application 62698278 · Jul 15, 2018
Provisional Application 62695842 · Jul 10, 2018
Provisional Application 62694022 · Jul 5, 2018
Provisional Application 62692804 · Jul 1, 2018
Provisional Application 62692844 · Jul 1, 2018
Provisional Application 62692745 · Jun 30, 2018
Provisional Application 62689291 · Jun 25, 2018
Provisional Application 62689166 · Jun 24, 2018
Provisional Application 62689100 · Jun 23, 2018
Provisional Application 62689035 · Jun 22, 2018
Provisional Application 62688341 · Jun 21, 2018
Provisional Application 62687803 · Jun 21, 2018
Provisional Application 62687800 · Jun 20, 2018
Provisional Application 62687793 · Jun 20, 2018
Provisional Application 62687779 · Jun 20, 2018
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