Method of depositing germanium films
View Patent ↗A chemical vapor deposition method provides a smooth continuous germanium film layer, which is deposited on a metallic substrate at a sufficiently lower temperature to provide a germanium device suitable for use with temperature sensitive materials such as aluminum and copper. Another chemical vapor deposition method provides a smooth continuous silicon germanium film layer, which is deposited on a silicon dioxide substrate at a sufficiently low temperature to provide a germanium device suitable for use with temperature sensitive materials such as aluminum, copper and chalcogenides memory materials.
1. A chemical vapor deposition process, comprising:
using a first precursor gas at a temperature between about 320° C. and about 380° C. to deposit a self-limited silicon film layer on a metallic substrate; and
using a second precursor gas at a temperature between about 320° C. and about 380° C. to deposit a germanium film layer on said self-limited silicon film layer.
2. A chemical vapor deposition process, comprising:
using a precursor gas at a temperature of about 320° C. to deposit an amorphous germanium film layer on a metallic substrate.
3. The chemical vapor deposition process according to claim 2 , further comprising:
using another precursor gas at a temperature of about 320° C. to deposit a silicon seed layer on said metallic substrate.
4. The chemical vapor deposition process according to claim 3 , wherein said metallic substrate is a TiN substrate.
5. The chemical vapor deposition process according to claim 4 , wherein said another precursor gas is SiH 4 .
6. The chemical vapor deposition process according to claim 5 , wherein said silicon seed layer is a self-limited seed layer.
7. A chemical vapor deposition process, comprising:
using a first precursor gas at a temperature of between about 320° C. and about 380° C. to deposit a silicon film layer on a metallic substrate; and
using a second precursor gas at a temperature of between about 320° C. and about 380° C. to deposit a germanium film layer on said silicon film layer.
8. The chemical vapor deposition process according to claim 7 , wherein said silicon film layer is a layer of silicon with a thickness of between about one atom thick to about three atoms thick.
9. The chemical vapor deposition process according to claim 8 , wherein said layer of silicon is a self-limited layer.
10. The chemical vapor deposition process according to claim 8 , wherein said metallic substrate is a TiN substrate.
11. The chemical vapor deposition process according to claim 10 , wherein said first precursor gas is SiH 4 .
12. The chemical vapor deposition process according to claim 10 , wherein said second precursor gas is GeH 4 .
13. The chemical vapor deposition process according to claim 7 , wherein said germanium film layer is an amorphous layer.
14. The chemical vapor deposition process according to claim 7 , wherein said germanium film layer is a polycrystalline layer.
15. A chemical vapor deposition process, comprising:
using a first precursor gas at a temperature of between about 320° C. and about 380° C. to deposit a silicon seed film layer on a substrate; and
using a second precursor gas at a temperature of between about 320° C. and about 380° C. to deposit a germanium film layer on said silicon seed film layer;
wherein the substrate comprises a metallic substrate, a silicon dioxide substrate, or a silicon nitride substrate.
16. The chemical vapor deposition process according to claim 15 , wherein said substrate is a metallic substrate.
17. The chemical vapor deposition process according to claim 16 , wherein said substrate is a TiN substrate.
18. The chemical vapor deposition process according to claim 15 , wherein said substrate is a SiO 2 substrate.
19. The chemical vapor deposition process according to claim 15 , wherein said silicon seed film layer is a self-limited seed film layer of silicon.
20. The chemical vapor deposition process according to claim 15 , wherein said germanium film layer is amorphous.
21. The chemical vapor deposition process according to claim 15 , wherein said germanium film layer is polycrystalline germanium.
22. The chemical vapor deposition process according to claim 15 , wherein said germanium film is a homogeneous film layer.
23. The chemical vapor deposition process according to claim 15 , wherein said first precursor gas is a silicon gas source.
24. The chemical vapor deposition process according to claim 23 , wherein said silicon gas source is selected from a group consisting of SiH 4 , Si 2 H 6 and Si 3 H 8 .
25. The chemical vapor deposition process according to claim 15 , wherein said second precursor gas is a germanium gas source.
26. The chemical vapor deposition process according to claim 25 , wherein said germanium gas source is selected from a group consisting of GeH 4 , GeF 4 , GeBr 4 , and GeCl 4 .
27. The chemical vapor deposition process according to claim 16 , wherein said metallic substrate is selected from a group of metallic substrates consisting of: TiN, Ta, TaN, W and WN.
28. The chemical vapor deposition process according to claim 15 , wherein said substrate is a SiN X substrate, and wherein x>0.
29. The chemical vapor deposition process according to claim 20 , further comprising:
heating said amorphous germanium film to a temperature of between about 350° C. and about 425° C. a sufficient period of time to cause said amorphous germanium film to crystallize.