Stock material or miscellaneous articles – All metal or with adjacent metals – Composite; i.e. – plural – adjacent – spatially distinct metal...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-08-28
2001-09-11
Hiteshew, Felisa (Department: 1765)
Stock material or miscellaneous articles
All metal or with adjacent metals
Composite; i.e., plural, adjacent, spatially distinct metal...
C428S632000, C428S633000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06287710
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention was made with Government support under Contract No. DE-AC05-96OR22464 awarded by the U.S. Department of Energy to Lockheed Martin Energy Research Corporation, and the Government has certain rights in the invention.
This invention relates generally to the preparation of structures utilizing a semiconductor-based substrate and relates, more particularly, to the formation of crystalline oxide thin films upon a substrate comprised of a Group IV material, such as germanium or silicon.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,225,031, we described a process for depositing an oxide epitaxially onto a silicon substrate so that the structures which result from the process would be suitable for use in semiconductor and related applications. However, such a discussion was limited to the build-up of a crystalline oxide on silicon, a Group IV semiconductor material.
For use in some semiconductor devices, such as a transistor, having an epitaxial build-up of a crystalline oxide onto a semiconductor-based substrate, a germanium substrate is likely to provide better operating characteristics than those provided by a silicon substrate. For example, the electron hole mobility of germanium (related to the gain coefficient of the material) and which corresponds to the speed at which current can flow through the material is about four times higher in germanium than in silicon. Along the same lines, the switching speed (again, a function of electron hole mobility) is about four times faster in germanium than in silicon. Consequently, a transistor whose substrate is comprised of germanium could theoretically be switched about four times faster than a transistor having a silicon substrate. Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a generic process which can be used for constructing a crystalline oxide upon any Group IV semiconductor material, including germanium.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a process for growing a thin oxide film epitaxially upon a substrate comprised of elements from Group IV of the periodic table, and in particular, germanium or silicon.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a structure prepared by the process of the invention.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a structure which is well-suited for use in semiconductor and related applications.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a ferroelectric field effect transistor which embodies the structure of this invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention resides in improvements to a structure and to an associated process for growing a crystalline oxide epitaxially upon the surface of a Group IV semiconductor substrate comprised of germanium or silicon and wherein the process includes the steps of depositing an alkaline earth oxide or an alkaline earth-containing perovskite oxide upon the substrate surface in a layer-by-layer build-up and wherein the alkaline earth oxide or alkaline earth-containing perovskite oxide includes an alkaline earth metal.
The improvement of the process is characterized in that prior to the initiation of a build-up of a first oxide layer upon the substrate, the substrate surface is passivated against the subsequent reaction with oxygen by forming a monolayer of germanide or silicide.
The structure includes a layup of epitaxial crystalline oxide upon the surface of a Group IV semiconductor substrate comprised of germanium or silicon, and the improvement to the structure is characterized by a monolayer of a germanide or a silicide interposed between the substrate surface and the crystalline oxide.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4868633 (1989-09-01), Plumton et al.
patent: 5013682 (1991-05-01), Plumton et al.
patent: 5089862 (1992-02-01), Warner, Jr. et al.
patent: 5225031 (1993-07-01), McKee et al.
patent: 5248633 (1993-09-01), Morar et al.
patent: 5310696 (1994-05-01), McCann et al.
patent: 5482003 (1996-01-01), McKee et al.
patent: 5830270 (1998-11-01), McKee et al.
patent: 5937318 (1999-08-01), Warner et al.
patent: 6110840 (2000-08-01), Yu et al.
Chisholm Matthew F.
McKee Rodney A.
Walker Frederick J.
Anderson Matthew
Hiteshew Felisa
McKee Michael E.
UT-Battelle LLC
LandOfFree
Generic process for preparing a crystalline oxide upon a... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Generic process for preparing a crystalline oxide upon a..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Generic process for preparing a crystalline oxide upon a... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2474553