Patent Application
20090078943
(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to nitride semiconductor devices and manufacturing methods thereof, and in particular, to a nitride semiconductor device used as a high-power device including a transistor made of GaN, and a manufacturing method thereof.
(2) Description of the Related Art
Once suffering from stagnation following the burst of the IT bubble in the year 2000, the recent power device market has enjoyed a steady growth to expand to be nearly a two-trillion-dollar market as of 2006. Key products of the power devices are the IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor), the MOSFET (Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor) the silicon-controlled rectifier, and the SBD (Schottky Barrier Diode), all of which are made of silicon.
Performance of the devices, however, has almost reached to the material limit of silicon. Thus, a new device, made of a new power semiconductor material having superior characteristics to the characteristics of silicon materials, is desired. In particular, GaN and SiC are under rapid development, since expected to be power device materials for the next generation.
Among the power device materials for the next generation, an Field Effect Transistor (FET) made of a GaN-material is significantly promising since the FET achieves a high sheet carrier concentration as great as 1013 (cm−2) in the HEMT (High Electron Mobility Transistor) structure, as well as a feature that the FET is high in a breakdown field, compared with the silicon.
Meanwhile, because a GaN transistor can run a large amount of current in a relatively small device area, a drawback is observed in that the GaN transistor produces a large amount of heat. A band gap of a GaN material is three times as large as silicon, and an effect of a junction temperature rise to a device is small compared with the effect to a silicon device. Still, when designing a device, heat dissipation from the GaN device should be thoroughly taken into consideration in order to take a full advantage of the characteristics of the device.
Practically, most of GaN transistors have been fabricated on a sapphire substrate in an early stage of the development; however, techniques to fabricate a transistor on a SiC substrate and a silicon substrate are being established. Further, a GaN FET with diamond having a high thermal conductivity has also been proposed.
The following describes an FET made of a conventional nitride semiconductor material disclosed in Patent Reference 1: Japanese Patent No. 3481427, using
According to Patent Reference 1, the structure in
Patent Reference 1 further discloses that the diamond is high in thermal conductivity, so that the above described structure is effective in improving heat dissipation efficiency of the device.
The above described conventionally structured FET is, however, has a diamond layer as thin as 500 Å or below, and thus, heat generated when bonding devices is not fully diffused to lateral orientation. In addition, the FET is not structured to improve heat dissipation characteristics up to the limit since the substrate of the FET is made of silicon. Moreover, since the difference between a lattice constant of the diamond layer and a lattice constant of the GaN layer is great, crystallinity of the GaN layer on the diamond layer is unfortunately inferior to crystallinity of the GaN layer on the conventional silicon substrate.
The present invention is conceived in view of the above problems and has an objective to provide a device having a GaN layer with particularly excellent heat dissipation characteristics and great crystallinity, and a manufacturing method thereof.
In order to solve the above problems, a nitride semiconductor device of the present invention includes: a substrate; a high thermal conductivity layer, formed on the substrate, having a thermal conductivity higher than a thermal conductivity of the substrate; an intermediate layer formed on said high thermal conductivity layer; and a nitride semiconductor epitaxial layer formed on said intermediate layer.
The above structure enables nitride semiconductor materials having excellent crystallinity to be crystally-grown even though lattice mismatch between a high thermal conductivity layer and the Nitride semiconductor materials is great. Further, the high thermal conductivity layer can effectively improve heat dissipation specifications.
Here, the high thermal conductivity layer is preferably a layer of diamond.
This allows a high thermal conductivity layer having a diamond layer to obtain significantly excellent heat dissipation specifications.
The layer of diamond has a thickness ranging from 1 μm to 50 μm.
This can effectively utilize the diamond layer as a heat spreader of a high thermal conductivity layer, as well as avoid warping.
Further, the high thermal conductivity layer may be a layer of AlN.
This enables a high thermal conductivity layer to be formed at a relatively low cost.
Here, the intermediate layer may be mainly made of silicon.
This can achieve a small lattice mismatch rate since a nitride semiconductor layer crystal-grows on a silicon layer. As a result, the growing nitride semiconductor layer has excellent crystallinity.
Moreover, the thermal conductivity of the substrate is higher than a thermal conductivity of the intermediate layer.
Compared with the case where nitride semiconductor materials are grown with materials forming an intermediate layer as a substrate, this can significantly improve heat dissipation specifications.
In addition, the substrate may be mainly made of diamond.
This significantly improves heat dissipation characteristics since diamond has a high thermal conductivity.
Further, the substrate is mainly made of either copper or aluminum.
This can form a nitride semiconductor device having high heat dissipation characteristics at a low cost.
Moreover, the nitride semiconductor device may have a conductive material on a surface of either the high thermal conductivity layer or said intermediate layer.
In particular, either: the high thermal conductivity layer preferably has a surface with a part of both the nitride semiconductor epitaxial layer and the intermediate layer removed; or the intermediate layer preferably has another surface with a part of the nitride semiconductor epitaxial layer removed, and the conductive material is preferably patterned on the surface or the other surface having the removed part.
This enables a passive component having excellent heat dissipation characteristics to be formed on a metal substrate. A microstrip line and a capacitor including the metal substrate and a diamond layer can be the passive component.
In addition, the substrate may also be mainly made of alloy with either copper and tungsten, or copper and molybdenum.
In particular, the copper preferably accounts for 10 to 50% of the alloy.
This can form a passive component having excellent heat dissipation characteristics on the above metal substrates, as well as improve heat dissipation characteristics, since the metal substrates have a high thermal conductivity. Further, with either tungsten or molybdenum added to copper, thermal expansion coefficients of the metal substrates and thermal expansion coefficients of nitride semiconductor materials become close, and thus a crack and warping can be reduced. In particular, the above effects become significant when the copper accounts for 10 to 50% of the alloy.
Here, the intermediate layer may be mainly made of silicon carbide.
This can achieve a smaller lattice mismatch rate since a nitride semiconductor layer crystal-grows on a silicon carbide layer. As a result, the growing nitride semiconductor has excellent crystallinity. Further, silicon carbide has a higher thermal conductivity than a thermal conductivity of nitride semiconductor materials, and thus, the silicon carbide layer works as a heat spreader. Hence, heat dissipation specifications of a device are improved further.
The present invention is also a method, for manufacturing a nitride semiconductor device, including: forming a high thermal conductivity layer, on a first substrate, by vapor deposition, the high thermal conductivity layer having a thermal conductivity higher than a thermal conductivity of the first substrate; surface bonding, as an intermediate layer, a second substrate onto a surface of the high thermal conductivity layer formed in the forming the high thermal conductivity layer; and epitaxially growing GaN on the second substrate bonded in the surface bonding.
This forms GaN-based materials having excellent crystallinity on a high thermal conductivity layer. Hence, a GaN-based device having excellent heat dissipation characteristics can be realized.
Further, the present invention preferably includes thinning the second substrate between the surface bonding and the forming the second substrate nitride.
This can improve crystallinity of a GaN layer without deteriorating heat dissipation characteristics.
Here, the present invention may also include a manufacturing method that the second substrate may have a surface on which p-n junction is formed, and the surface having contact with the high thermal conductivity layer may be mainly made of p-type silicon, and the second substrate may be thinned by selective etching removing n-type silicon in the thinning the second substrate.
This allows the first substrate to be etched with excellent controllability, and thus only very thin p-type silicon is left. Hence, an intermediate layer having both of improved crystallinity and heat dissipation characteristics can be obtained.
In addition, the thinning the second substrate may also include, in advance, a process exposing an equivalent plane to a (100) plane on a surface of an n-type silicon substrate.
This achieves high-speed etching in a process selectively removing n-type silicon.
Here, the present invention may also include a manufacturing method that the second substrate may be an SOI (Silicon On Insulator) substrate having an outermost surface layer and a silicon oxide layer, and in the thinning the second substrate, the SOI substrate may be removed through the silicon oxide layer by selective etching, and the second substrate may be thinned to only leave the outermost surface layer.
This enables an HF-based wet etching scheme to be used for removing a silicon oxide layer on an SOI substrate. Hence, the SOI substrate can be selectively etched quickly with excellent controllability, so that a very thin outermost surface layer is left. Thus, an intermediate layer having both of improved crystallinity and heat dissipation characteristics can be obtained.
Here, the present invention may also include a manufacturing method that the second substrate may be a carbonized SOI substrate.
This enables nitride-based semiconductor materials to be crystally-grown above silicon of which surface is carbonized; namely SiC. Thus, a lattice mismatch rate of nitride-based semiconductor materials can be lowered compared with the case where the nitride-based semiconductor materials are crystally-grown on silicon, and thus, nitride-based materials having high crystallinity can be formed. Further, excellent heat dissipation characteristics can be obtained.
The present invention may also be a manufacturing method including: removing the first substrate after the forming the second substrate nitride; and rear-surface bonding, on a rear-surface of the high thermal conductivity layer, a material having a thermal conductivity higher than the thermal conductivity of the first substrate after the removing the first substrate.
This can form materials to be a thermal sink on a rear-surface of a high thermal conductivity material. The materials have lower melting points than: a deposition temperature of a high thermal conductivity layer; or crystal growth temperatures of nitride-based semiconductor materials.
Here, the present invention may include a method for manufacturing a nitride semiconductor device including: forming a high thermal conductivity layer, on a surface of a first substrate, by vapor deposition, the high thermal conductivity layer having a thermal conductivity higher than a thermal conductivity of the first substrate; surface bonding a second substrate onto a surface of the high thermal conductivity layer formed in the forming the high thermal conductivity layer; and epitaxially growing GaN on a rear-surface of the first substrate as an intermediate layer, after the surface bonding.
This enables nitride-based semiconductor materials to be formed, not on a surface of a high thermal conductivity layer which is relatively unstable in surface flatness, but on a flat surface of the first substrate; namely a high thermal conductivity layer. This enables nitride-based semiconductor materials having excellent crystallinity to be crystally-grown. Moreover no bonded interface in a bonding process exists between the high thermal conductivity layer and the nitride-based semiconductor materials. This improves heat dissipation characteristics.
The present invention may also be a manufacturing method including thinning the first substrate between the surface bonding and the forming the first substrate nitride.
This can improve crystallinity of a GaN layer without deteriorating heat dissipation characteristics.
Here, the manufacturing method preferably features that the substrate has a surface on which p-n junction is formed, and the surface having contact with the thermal conductivity layer is mainly made of p-type silicon, and the first substrate is thinned by selective etching removing n-type silicon in the thinning the first substrate.
This allows the first substrate to be etched with excellent controllability, and thus only very thin p-type silicon is left. Hence, an intermediate layer having both of improved crystallinity and heat dissipation characteristics can be obtained.
Moreover, the thinning the first substrate may include, in advance, a process exposing an equivalent plane to a (100) plane on a surface of an n-type silicon substrate.
This manufacturing method achieves high-speed etching in a process to selectively remove n-type silicon.
Here, the manufacturing method may feature that, the first substrate is an SOI substrate having an outermost surface layer and a silicon oxide layer, and in the thinning the first substrate, the SOI substrate is removed through the silicon oxide layer by selective etching, and the first substrate is thinned with only the outermost surface layer left.
This enables an HF-based wet etching scheme to be used for removing a silicon oxide layer on an SOI substrate. Hence, the SOI substrate can be selectively etched quickly with excellent controllability, so that a very thin outermost surface layer is left. Thus, an intermediate layer having both of improved crystallinity and heat dissipation characteristics can be obtained.
Here, the manufacturing method may also feature that the first substrate is a carbonized SOI substrate.
This enables nitride-base semiconductor materials to be crystally-grown above silicon with a surface thereof carbonized; namely SiC. Thus, a lattice mismatch rate of nitride-based semiconductor materials can be lowered compared with the case where the nitride-based semiconductor materials are crystally-grown on silicon, and thus, nitride-based materials having high crystallinity can be formed. Further, excellent heat dissipation characteristics can be obtained.
As described above, the nitride semiconductor device and the manufacturing method thereof in the present invention, can provide a device having a GaN layer with particularly excellent heat dissipation characteristics and great crystallinity.
The disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2007-244508 filed on Sep. 20, 2007 including specification, drawings and claims is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
These and other objects, advantages and features of the invention will become apparent from the following description thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings that illustrate a specific embodiment of the invention. In the Drawings:
A nitride semiconductor device in a first embodiment realizes an GaN epitaxial layer with excellent heat dissipation characteristics and crystallinity, by having diamond on a substrate, an intermediate layer on the diamond, and the GaN epitaxial layer on the intermediate layer.
The first embodiment of the present invention shall be described in detail, referring to the drawings, hereinafter.
The substrate 10 has a high thermal conductivity. The diamond layer 11 contributes to improving heat dissipation characteristics of the device since diamond has a high thermal conductivity.
The SiC layer 12 is inserted between the GaN epitaxial layer 13 and the diamond layer 11 as an intermediate layer.
The GaN epitaxial layer 13 is a material for a nitride semiconductor device, such as an FET for a power device, and included in a transistor.
Since a lattice mismatch rate between the diamond layer 11 and the GaN epitaxial layer 13 is high, the SiC layer 12, inserted as the intermediate layer between the diamond layer 11 and the GaN epitaxial layer 13, decreases the lattice mismatch rate when the GaN epitaxial layer 13 is formed. This significantly improves the crystallinity of the GaN epitaxial layer 13.
The AlGaN layer 14 is formed on the GaN epitaxial layer 13, and the AlGaN layer 14 and the GaN epitaxial layer 13 form a transistor.
The source electrode 15, the drain electrode 16, and the gate electrode 17 are respectively formed on the AlGaN layer 14.
The passivation film 18 coats: part of the source electrode 15, the drain electrode 16, and the gate electrode 17; and an outermost surface of the AlGaN layer 14.
It is noted that a stoichiometry ratio of the AlGaN layer 14 is, for example, Al0.2Ga0.8N, and a material for the passivation film 18 is, for example, SiN.
Further, the diamond layer 11 may also be replaced with an AlN layer. As well as the diamond layer 11, this also improves heat dissipation characteristics of the entire device, since the thermal conductivity of the AlN layer is high.
In addition, silicon may be used as the intermediate layer instead of the SiC layer 12 in order to narrow a large lattice constant difference between the GaN epitaxial layer 13 and the diamond layer 11.
Using silicon for an intermediate layer also improves the crystallinity of the GaN epitaxial layer 13.
Meanwhile, using SiC for an intermediate layer can improve: heat dissipation capacity of the nitride semiconductor device in the present invention; as well as crystallinity of the GaN epitaxial layer 13.
It is noted that the thickness of the diamond layer is preferable to be 50 μm or smaller in thickness in order to avoid warping.
Hence, the above described materials for the structure of the present invention decrease a junction temperature of the nitride semiconductor device.
Here, a material for the substrate 10 having a high thermal conductivity preferably has a higher thermal conductivity than the thermal conductivity of the intermediate layer; that is, diamond is most desirable.
Meanwhile, use of copper or aluminum for the substrate 10 can realize a nitride semiconductor device with a relatively low thermal resistance at a low cost. Further, the nitride-based semiconductor materials can be partially removed in order to expose the diamond layer 11, so that a transmission line such as a microstrip line and a capacitor can be formed on the diamond layer 11.
In addition, as a material for a substrate having a high thermal conductivity, alloy with copper and tungsten, or alloy with copper and molybdenum can realize a nitride semiconductor device with totally small warping, as well as with a relatively thermal resistance.
This takes advantage of the fact that a thermal expansion coefficient of the GaN layer and the AlGaN layer, nitride-based materials, is relatively close to a thermal expansion coefficient of the above sets of alloy.
In particular, the above effects become significant with the copper accounting for 10 to 50% of the alloy. Because of the above reasons, either the alloy with copper and tungsten, or the alloy with copper and molybdenum may be used as a material for the substrate 10.
Next, a manufacturing process of the above nitride semiconductor device shall be described.
First, a diamond layer 31 is chemically vapor-deposited (CVD) on a silicon substrate 30 (
Next, a silicon substrate 32 having a (111) plane as a main surface is bonded onto a surface of the diamond layer 31 (
Next, the bonded silicon substrate 32 is thinned to 50 μm or thinner by rear-surface polishing, and finalized to be a mirror plane (
On the mirror polished silicon substrate 32, nitride-based semiconductor materials are deposited, using the MOCVD scheme. A GaN epitaxial layer 33 and an AlGaN layer 34 are grown on the silicon substrate 32, with a buffer layer therebetween. Here, the buffer layer preserves lattice matching with the GaN epitaxial layer 33 and thermal conductivity (
On the substrate formed as described above, a source electrode 35, a drain electrode 36, and a gate electrode 37 are formed, and then a passivation film 38 made of SiN is formed (
Finally, the silicon substrate 30 is completely removed by polishing and wet etching, so that the rear-surface of the diamond layer 31 is exposed. Then, a high heat dissipation substrate 39 is bonded on the rear-surface of the diamond layer 31 (
A typical diamond layer deposited on a silicon substrate is polycrystal, and thus, nitride-based semiconductor materials cannot be crystally grown on the diamond layer. The above described production scheme, however, allows nitride-based semiconductor materials having excellent crystallinity to be formed on a diamond layer.
As described above, the nitride semiconductor device in the first embodiment realizes an epitaxial layer with excellent dissipation characteristics and crystallinity, by having diamond on the substrate, an intermediate layer on the diamond, and a GaN epitaxial layer on the intermediate layer. In particular, since SiC and silicon are selected for the intermediate layer, crystallinity of the GaN epitaxial layer drastically improves. Moreover, the heat dissipation characteristics of the entire device significantly improve by using, as a substrate, either diamond, copper, aluminum, alloy with copper and tungsten, or alloy with copper and molybdenum.
A nitride semiconductor device in a second embodiment reduces a rise in a thermal resistance in an intermediate layer therein since a silicon layer of the nitride semiconductor device as the intermediate layer is thinned by the ion implantation scheme and selective etching. As a result, the heat dissipation characteristics of the nitride semiconductor device further improve.
First, a diamond layer 41 is chemically vapor-deposited on a silicon substrate 40. The hot-filament CVD scheme is preferable to the deposition scheme. Instead, the plasma CVD scheme may also be applicable. Using hydrogen as carrier gas, and methane as source gas, the diamond layer 41 is deposited at a substrate temperature of 850° C., for example (
It is noted that the diamond layer 41 may also be replaced with an AlN layer. As well as the diamond layer 41, this also improves dissipation characteristics of the entire device, since the thermal conductivity of the AlN layer is high.
Next, a silicon substrate 42 having a (111) plane as a main surface is bonded. Here, the silicon substrate 42 has: a surface on which p-n junction is formed; and a p-typed outermost surface (
Strength of the bonding can be increased by either: planarizing the diamond layer 41 by chemical polishing prior to the bonding; or depositing a flattening film such as a Phospho-Silicate-Glass (PSG) on the diamond layer 41, using the CVD scheme.
Next, only an n-type silicon layer 422 on the rear-surface of the bonded silicon substrate is selectively etched, using alkali-based etchant heated up to 80° C. (Tetramethyl Ammonium Hydroxide (TMAH), for example), so that only a p-type silicon layer 421 is left (
The description shall be continued, going back to
Following the removal of the n-type silicon layer 422 as described above, nitride-based materials are deposited on the p-type silicon layer 421, using the MOSVD scheme. A GaN epitaxial layer 43 and an AlGaN layer 44 are grown on the p-type silicon layer 421, with a buffer layer therebetween. Here, the buffer layer preserves lattice matching with the GaN epitaxial layer 43 and a thermal conductivity (
Next, on the substrate formed as described above, a source electrode 45, a drain electrode 46, and a gate electrode 47 are formed, and then a passivation film 48 made of SiN is formed (
Finally, the silicon substrate 40 is completely removed by polishing and wet etching, so that the diamond layer 31 is exposed. Then, a high heat dissipation substrate 49 is bonded on the rear-surface of the diamond layer 41 (
As described above, the manufacturing method of the nitride semiconductor device in the second embodiment of the present invention can realize a semiconductor device with a low thermal resistance because: nitride-based materials with excellent crystallinity are formed on a monocrystal silicon layer on a multicrystal diamond layer; and, in addition, the monocrystal silicon layer on the diamond layer can be thinned.
A nitride-based semiconductor device in a third embodiment includes a more thinned intermediate layer produced by processing an SOI (Silicon On Insulator) substrate to form the intermediate layer out of an outmost surface of the SOI substrate. As a result, a rise in a thermal resistance in the intermediate layer is reduced, and the heat dissipation characteristics of the nitride semiconductor device further improve. In addition, by processing a carbonized SOI substrate to form an intermediate layer out of SiC, the outermost surface layer of the SOI substrate, crystallinity of a GaN layer and the thermal conductivity of the entire nitride semiconductor device further improve.
First, a diamond layer 61 is chemically vapor-deposited on a silicon substrate 60 (
It is noted that the diamond layer 61 may also be replaced with an AlN layer. As well as the diamond layer 61, this also improves dissipation characteristics of the entire device, since the thermal conductivity of the AlN layer is high.
Then, an SOI substrate 62, either having a (111) plane as a main surface or carbonized, is bonded (
Then, the silicon oxide layer 622 is removed, using the HF-based wet etching scheme or the CHF3-based dry etching scheme, so that only the outermost surface layer 621 layer is left.
On the outermost surface layer 621 layer, nitride-based semiconductor materials are deposited, using the MOCVD scheme. A GaN epitaxial layer 63 and an AlGaN layer 64 are grown on the outermost surface layer 621 layer with a buffer layer therebetween. Here, the buffer layer preserves lattice matching with the GaN epitaxial layer 63 and a thermal conductivity (
On the substrate formed as described above, a source electrode 65, a drain electrode 66, and a gate electrode 67 are formed, and then a passivation film 68 made of SiN is formed (
Finally, the silicon substrate 60 is completely removed by polishing and wet etching, so that the diamond layer 61 is exposed. Then, a high heat dissipation substrate 69 is bonded on the rear-surface of the diamond layer 61 (
Here, in the case where the outermost surface layer 621 of the SOI substrate 62 is carbonized, nitride-based semiconductor materials crystal-grows on carbonized silicon; namely, SiC. A lattice mismatch rate of GaN, one of nitride-based materials, to SiC is lower than a lattice mismatch rate of GaN to silicon, for example. Thus, crystallinity of the nitride-based materials improves.
Further, a thermal conductivity of SiC is greater than a thermal conductivity of silicon. Hence, a nitride semiconductor device having a smaller thermal resistance is realized.
As mentioned above, the manufacturing method of the nitride semiconductor device in the third embodiment of the present invention can realize a semiconductor material with a low thermal resistance since the manufacturing method can achieve: to form, on a monocrystal silicon layer, or SiC on multicrystal diamond layer, nitride-based semiconductor materials having excellent crystallinity; and further to thin the monocrystal silicon layer or the SiC on the multicrystal diamond layer.
A nitride semiconductor device in a fourth embodiment uses, as an intermediate layer, a thinned rear-surface of a silicon substrate, the rear-surface having a diamond layer deposited thereon. Thus, heat, generated from bonded part of GaN-based semiconductor layers of the nitride semiconductor device, can be diffused to lateral orientation on a diamond layer, a heat spreader, without conducting a bonded interface. As a result, the nitride semiconductor device achieves a low thermal resistance. Moreover, a manufacturing method in the present invention allows a complex bonding process to be completed in one time.
First, a diamond layer 71 is chemically vapor-deposited on a surface of a silicon substrate 70 having a (111) plane as a main surface (
It is noted that the diamond layer 71 may also be replaced with an AlN layer. As well as the diamond layer 71, this also improves dissipation characteristics of the entire device, since the thermal conductivity of the AlN layer is high.
Next, a high heat dissipation substrate 72 having a high thermal conductivity is bonded onto the diamond layer 71 (
Strength of the bonding can be increased by either: planarizing the diamond layer 71 by polishing prior to the bonding; or depositing a flattening film such as a PSG on the diamond layer 71, using the CVD scheme.
Here, a material for the high heat dissipation substrate 72, one of copper, aluminum, alloy with copper and tungsten, or alloy with copper and molybdenum, as well as diamond, is preferable.
As a material for the high heat dissipation substrate 72, diamond is most desirable. Meanwhile, copper or aluminum for the substrate 10 can realize a nitride semiconductor device with a relatively low thermal resistance at a low cost. Further, nitride-based semiconductor materials can be partially removed in order to expose the diamond layer 71, so that a transmission line can be formed on the diamond layer 71. In addition, the alloy with copper and tungsten, or the alloy with copper and molybdenum can realize a nitride semiconductor device with totally small warping, as well as with a relatively low thermal resistance.
Next, the silicon substrate 70 is thinned to 50 μm or thinner by rear-surface polishing, and finalized to be a mirror plane (
On the rear-surface of the mirror polished and thinned silicon substrate 70, nitride-based semiconductor materials are deposited, using the MOCVD scheme. A GaN epitaxial layer 73 and an AlGaN layer 74 are grown on the rear-surface of the silicon substrate 70 with a buffer layer therebetween. Here, the buffer layer preserves lattice matching with the GaN epitaxial layer 73 and a thermal conductivity (
On the substrate formed as described above, a source electrode 75, a drain electrode 76, and a gate electrode 77 are formed, and then a passivation film 78 made of SiN is formed (
A typical diamond layer deposited on a silicon substrate is polycrystal, and thus, nitride-based semiconductor materials cannot be crystally grown on the diamond layer. The above described production scheme, however, allows nitride-based semiconductor materials having excellent crystallinity to be formed on a silicon substrate on which a diamond layer deposited. Thus, heat, generated from bonded part of the GaN-based semiconductor layers of the nitride semiconductor device, can be diffused to lateral orientation on the diamond layer, a heat spreader, without conducting the bonded interface. As a result, the nitride semiconductor device achieves a low thermal resistance. Moreover, the manufacturing method in the present invention allows a complex bonding process to be completed in one time.
A nitride semiconductor device in a fifth embodiment uses, as an intermediate layer, a silicon substrate with the rear-surface thereof thinned by a selective etching process, the silicon substrate, on which a diamond layer deposited, having p-n junction. Thus, heat, generated from bonded part of GaN-based semiconductor layers of the nitride semiconductor device, can be diffused to lateral orientation on a diamond layer, a heat spreader, without conducting a bonded interface on the GaN-based semiconductor layers. As a result, the nitride semiconductor device achieves a low thermal resistance. Moreover, the manufacturing method in the present invention allows a complex bonding process to be completed in one time. Further, a selective etching process performed on an n-type silicon layer decreases chip yield in a silicon removing process.
First, a diamond layer 81 is chemically vapor-deposited on a surface of a silicon substrate 80 having a (111) plane as a main plane. Here, the silicon substrate 80 has: a surface on which p-n junction is formed; and a p-typed outermost surface layer (
The silicon substrate 80 with the outermost surface layer p-typed is obtained by, for example, implanting boron into a surface of an n-type silicon substrate as much as 1×1020 (cm−3) in boron concentration, using the ion implantation scheme.
The hot-filament CVD scheme is preferable to the deposition scheme of the diamond layer 81. Instead, the plasma CVD scheme may also be applicable. Using hydrogen as carrier gas, and methane as source gas, the diamond layer 81 is deposited at a substrate temperature of 850° C., for example.
It is noted that the diamond layer 81 may also be replaced with an AlN layer. As well as the diamond layer 81, this also improves dissipation characteristics of the entire device, since the thermal conductivity of the AlN layer is high.
Next, a high heat dissipation substrate 82 having a high thermal conductivity is bonded onto the diamond layer 81 (
Strength of the bonding can be increased by either: planarizing the diamond layer 81 by polishing prior to the bonding; or depositing a flattening film such as a PSG on the diamond layer 81, using the CVD scheme.
Here, as a material for the high heat dissipation substrate 82, one of copper, aluminum, alloy with copper and tungsten, or alloy with copper and molybdenum, as well as diamond, is preferable.
As a material for the high heat dissipation substrate 82, diamond is most desirable. Meanwhile, copper or aluminum for the high heat dissipation substrate 82 can realize a nitride semiconductor with a relatively low thermal resistance at a low cost. Further, nitride-based semiconductor materials can be partially removed in order to expose the diamond layer 81, so that a transmission line can be formed on the diamond layer 81. In addition, alloy with copper and tungsten, or alloy with copper and molybdenum can realize a nitride semiconductor device with totally small warping, as well as with a relatively low thermal resistance.
Next, only an n-type silicon layer 802 of a rear-surface of the silicon substrate 80 is selectively etched, using alkali-based etchant heated up to 80° C. (Tetramethyl Ammonium Hydroxide (TMAH), for example), so that only a p-type silicon layer 801 is left (
Following the above process, nitride-based semiconductor materials are deposited on: a surface on which the n-type silicon layer 802 is removed; and a rear-surface of the p-type silicon layer 801, using the MOCVD scheme. A GaN epitaxial layer 83 and an AlGaN layer 84 are grown on the rear-surface of the p-type silicon layer 802 with a buffer layer therebetween. Here, the buffer layer preserves lattice matching with the GaN epitaxial layer 83 and a thermal conductivity (
On the substrate formed as described above, a source electrode 85, a drain electrode 86, and a gate electrode 87 are formed, and then a passivation film 88 made of SiN is formed (
A typical diamond layer deposited on a silicon substrate is polycrystal, and thus, nitride-based semiconductor materials cannot be crystally grown on the diamond layer. The above described production scheme, however, allows nitride-based semiconductor materials having excellent crystallinity to be formed on a silicon substrate on which a diamond layer deposited. Thus, heat, generated from bonded part of the GaN-based semiconductor layers of the nitride semiconductor device, can be diffused to lateral orientation on the diamond layer, a heat spreader, without conducting the bonded interface on the GaN-based semiconductor layers. As a result, the nitride semiconductor device achieves a low thermal resistance. Moreover, the manufacturing method in the present invention allows a complex bonding process to be completed in one time.
Further, a selective etching process performed on an n-type silicon layer decreases chip yield in a silicon removing process.
A nitride semiconductor device in a sixth embodiment uses, as an intermediate layer, an SOI substrate, on which a diamond layer deposited, thinned by a selective etching process. Thus, heat, generated from bonded part of GaN-based semiconductor layers of the nitride semiconductor device, can be diffused to lateral orientation on a diamond layer, a heat spreader, without conducting through a bonded interface on the GaN-based semiconductor layers.
As a result, the nitride semiconductor device achieves a low thermal resistance. Moreover, the manufacturing method in the present invention allows a complex bonding process to be completed in one time. Further, a selective etching process performed on an n-type silicon layer decreases chip yield in a silicon removing process.
Here, in the case where an outermost surface layer on the SOI substrate is carbonized, nitride-based semiconductor materials can crystal-grow on carbonized silicon; namely, SiC. A lattice mismatch rate of the nitride-based materials; namely GaN to SiC, is lower than a lattice mismatch rate of GaN to silicon, for example. Thus, crystallinity of the nitride-based materials improves. Further, a thermal conductivity of SiC is greater than a thermal conductivity of silicon. Hence, a nitride semiconductor device having smaller thermal resistance is realized.
First, a diamond layer 91 is chemically vapor-deposited on an SOI substrate 90 having: a (111) plane as a main plane; or the surface thereof being carbonized (
It is noted that the diamond layer 91 may also be replaced with an AlN layer. As well as the diamond layer 91, this also improves dissipation characteristics of the entire device, since the thermal conductivity of the AlN layer is high.
Next, a high heat dissipation substrate 92 having a high thermal conductivity is bonded onto the diamond layer 91 (
Strength of the bonding can be increased by either: planarizing the diamond layer 91 by polishing prior to the bonding; or depositing a flattening film such as a PSG on the diamond layer 91, using the CVD scheme.
Here, as a material for the high heat dissipation substrate 92, one of copper, aluminum, alloy with copper and tungsten, or alloy with copper and molybdenum, as well as diamond, is preferable.
As a material for the high heat dissipation substrate 92, diamond is most desirable. Meanwhile, copper or aluminum for the high heat dissipation substrate 92 can realize a nitride semiconductor with a relatively low thermal resistance at a low cost. Further, nitride-based semiconductor materials can be partially removed in order to expose the diamond layer 81, so that a transmission line can be formed on the diamond layer 91. In addition, the alloy with copper and tungsten, or the alloy with copper and molybdenum can realize a nitride semiconductor device with totally small warping, as well as with a relatively low thermal resistance.
Next, the rear-surface of the SOI substrate 90 is selectively etched, using etching gas (XeF, for example) to leave an outermost surface layer 901, and a silicon oxide layer 902. Then, the silicon oxide layer 902 is removed, using an HF-based wet etching scheme or CHF3-based dry etching scheme, and leave only the outermost surface layer 901 (
On the outermost surface layer 901, nitride-based semiconductor materials are deposited, using the MOCVD scheme. A GaN epitaxial layer 93 and an AlGaN layer 94 are grown on the outermost surface layer 901 with a buffer layer therebetween. Here, the buffer layer preserves lattice matching with the GaN epitaxial layer 93 and a thermal conductivity (
On the substrate formed as described above, a source electrode 95, a drain electrode 96, and a gate electrode 97 are formed, and then a passivation film 98 made of SiN is formed (
A typical diamond layer deposited on a silicon substrate is polycrystal, and thus, nitride-based semiconductor materials cannot be crystally grown on the diamond layer. The above described production scheme, however, allows nitride-based semiconductor materials having excellent crystallinity to be formed on a silicon substrate on which a diamond layer deposited. Thus, heat, generated from bonded part of the GaN-based semiconductor layers of the nitride semiconductor device, can be diffused to lateral orientation on the diamond layer, a heat spreader, without conducting the bonded interface on the GaN-based semiconductor layers. As a result, the nitride semiconductor device achieves a low thermal resistance. Moreover, the manufacturing method in the present invention allows a complex bonding process to be completed in one time.
Further, a selective etching process of silicon decreases chip yield in a silicon removing process.
Here, in the case where the outermost surface layer 901 on the SOI substrate 90 is carbonized, nitride-based semiconductor materials can crystal-grow on carbonized silicon; namely, SiC. A lattice mismatch rate of the nitride-based materials; namely GaN to SiC, is lower than a lattice mismatch rate of GaN to silicon, for example. Thus, crystallinity of the nitride-based materials improves. Further, a thermal conductivity of SiC is greater than a thermal conductivity of silicon. Hence, a nitride semiconductor device having smaller thermal resistance is realized.
As described above, the manufacturing method of the present invention can form, on a high thermal conductivity layer, nitride-based semiconductor materials having excellent crystallinity, since the manufacturing method can selectively form either a monocrystal silicon layer, or an SiC layer on a multicrystal diamond layer or an AlN layer. Further, silicon or the SiC on the high thermal conductivity layer can be thinned, which realizes a semiconductor device having a low thermal resistance.
Although only some exemplary embodiments of this invention have been described in detail above, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible in the exemplary embodiments without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of this invention. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this invention.
The present invention is useful for a transmission amplifier, for a cellular phone base station, having a build-in nitride semiconductor device. In particular, the present invention is most desirable for a power amplifier requiring a high-output and high heat dissipation characteristics.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007-244508 | Sep 2007 | JP | national |
