Part III – March 1969 - Papers - Heteroepitaxy of Silicon on Stoichiometric Spinel

Heteroepitaxy of silicon on stoichiometric spinel has been studied. Both boron-doped (p-type) and arsenic-doped (n-type) single-crystal silicon films have been grown by the pyrolysis of silane on sioichiometric spinel (MgAl2O4) substrates prepared by a flux technique. The spinel crystals are free from strain and subgrains, and exhibit no thermal instability at temperatures employed for silicon deposition. The growth parameters of epitaxial silicon have been studied. Effects of substrate orientation, surface preparation, and growth conditions on the silicon Properties have been determined. The silicon-spinel composite was characterized by X-ray diffraction, electron diffraction, electron microscopy, and optical techniques. Information on epitaxial orientation relationship, defect structures and film-substrate interface has been obtained. A parallel orientation relationship was found between silicon and spinel. The silicon films exhibit no subgrain structures. However, growth pyramids, microtwins, stacking faults, and dislocations are the prevalent defects. The deformation of epitaxial silicon was measured by an X-ray technique. It was found that the epitaxial silicon is strained under compres-sive stress due to the thermal expansion difference between the film and substrate. The stress was estimated using the classical plate theory and beam equation. Electrical properties of the epitaxial silicon have been measured, including resistivity, carrier concentration, and Hall mobility. MIS and vertical through diffused junction structures have been fabricated wing silicon-spinel composite. Information on MIS characteristics, minority carrier life time, and junction properties has been obtained. THE achievement of single-crystal growth of large area silicon semiconductor films on oxide insulating substrates is of technical importance to many solid state electronic devices. The semiconductor-insulator composite structure is also of scientific interest because the heteroepitaxy is determined by the spatial relationship between the atomic arrangement in the substrate and that of the atoms in the appropriate crystallographic plane of silicon. The degree of crystalline perfection of the silicon deposits depends also on the physical condition of substrate surface. Epitaxial growth of silicon on commercial flame fusion Al-rich spinel (MgO:3.3A12O3) has been reported by several investigators.'-4 The lattice of spinel of this composition is distorted. The material cracks and exsolves the excess alumina in the lattice at temperatures (-1200°C) used in fabricating silicon devices. Stoichiometric MgA12O4 spinel exhibits neither lattice distortion nor thermal instability. Results are given on the epitaxial growth and characterization of silicon on stoichiometric spinel. EXPERIMENTAL Fabrication of Silicon-Spinel Composite Structures. The MgA12O4 spinel substrate wafers were prepared from bulk single crystals grown at about 1200°C by a flux technique5 using a PbF2 flux. The crystals are free from strain and subgrains, and exhibit a typical dislocation density of less than 50 lines per sq cm. The crystals are thermally stable without cracking and exsolution of alumina to at least 1500°C. The spinel crystals were oriented for cutting by the Laue X-ray back-reflection method.6 Substrate wafers (about 25 mil thick) of (Ill), (loo), and (110) orientations have been obtained bu cutting the X-ray oriented crystals using a standard type diamond wheel. An accuracy of better than 1/2 deg is maintained throughout the operation. The spinel substrate wafers were mechanically lapped and polished to produce the flat and smooth surface which is required for silicon epitaxy. Lapping was carried out with about 30-µ boron carbide abrasives to obtain a flat coplanar surface. The lapped surface was further polished using successively finer grades of alumina, ending with the 0.3-µ grade. After polishing the wafers generally have a flatness of ±0.4 µ per cm, as revealed by interferometry. Fig. 1 shows (111) oriented MgA12O4 spinel wafers of various shapes.