The present invention relates to semiconductor devices, in general, and to a bipolar transistor and a manufacturing method thereof, in particular.
Prior radio frequency (RF) bipolar technology devices utilize common base wells containing multiple emitter finger device structures. The frequency response of such devices is lithographically established by the emitter width. RF power gain, distortion figures, noise factor and efficiency are significantly impacted by the magnitude and linearity of the associated parasitic base-to-collector capacitance, base-to-emitter capacitance, and base resistance. These prior RF devices have excessive, nonlinear extrinsic base-to-collector capacitance and base resistance. To attain a very high speed for a junction bipolar transistor, it is necessary to diminish the base resistance, base-to-emitter capacitance and base-to-collector capacitance.
A common process for forming bipolar transistors includes the steps of doping an n-type silicon substrate layer that acts as a collector terminal with p-type dopant to form a base region. A layer of polysilicon is formed on the surface of the substrate layer to provide electrical contact to an emitter region and to the base region. The emitter region is formed by diffusing an n-type dopant from the layer of polysilicon into the base region in the substrate layer.
To enhance electrical contact to the base region, an additional base contact region is formed by diffusing a p-type dopant from the layer of polysilicon into the base region in the substrate layer. However, during subsequent high temperature processing, some of the p-type dopant used to form the base contact region migrates through the layer of polysilicon and gathers in the layer of polysilicon in the n-type emitter portion of the bipolar transistor. The lateral diffusion of the p-type dopant forms a minority carrier concentration gradient in the layer of polysilicon above the emitter region. The presence of this concentration gradient creates variability in the resistance of the emitter portion of the layer of polysilicon. This variability in resistance makes it more difficult to predict and control the exact performance characteristics of the bipolar transistor.
Conventional methods to compensate for this problem are directed towards increasing the gain (beta) of the bipolar transistor and reducing the breakdown voltage of the transistor. However, these solutions are not applicable when the bipolar transistor is intended for use in RF power applications. RF power applications require relatively low beta values with high breakdown voltage and high current carrying capability.
Accordingly, a need exists for a bipolar transistor for RF and other bipolar and/or MOS device applications requiring very high performance. It is desired for the device to have very high frequency, linear, rugged, low noise performance in high speed and/or high speed/high power communication applications and other applications requiring high speed and high frequency performance. It is also desired that inherent bipolar device parasitics be reduced to near theoretical minimums resulting in low noise and distortion products, maximum efficiencies, high linearity, and high power gains.
The invention will be better understood from a reading of the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which like reference indicators are used to designate like elements in the various drawing figures, and in which:
It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, elements illustrated in the figures have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements are exaggerated relative to other elements for clarity.
The starting material of the fabrication process for transistor 100 is typically an n-type silicon substrate layer 101. An epitaxial growth process forms an epitaxial layer 103 over the substrate layer 101 that, like the substrate layer 101, is n-type. The n-type epitaxial layer 103 has low, variable resistivity and will vary in thickness and doping to obtain whatever resistivity is required for performance characteristics of a particular application. The epitaxial layer 103 acts as an intrinsic collector of the transistor 100, and the bottom surface of the substrate layer 101 serves as the external contact terminal to the transistor 100.
A base region 105 is formed within the epitaxial layer 103 by doping the top portion of the epitaxial layer 103 to p-type conductivity. The base region 105 consists of two different regions: a base enhancement region 107 and an active base region 109. The base enhancement region 107 is immediately adjacent to the active base region 109, but has a different doping concentration. The base enhancement region 107 is higher in doping concentration than the active base region 109 and would usually be considered p+.
An emitter 111 is formed at the top of the epitaxial layer 103, in the center of the base region 105 in accordance with FIG. 1. The emitter 111 has a doping type opposite that of the base region 105, typically n-type with the base region 105 being p-type, and usually has a high concentration, n+. It is well known that the emitter region 112 should not be intentionally doped with p-type dopant, as this increases the capacitance of the emitter 111 and degrades the performance of the transistor 100. A thin oxide dielectric layer 117 is patterned over the base region 105 and the emitter 111. A first nitride layer 115 is then patterned over the dielectric layer 117, or more likely, both the dielectric layer 117 and the first nitride layer 115 will be patterned after the deposition of the first nitride layer 115. A polysilicon deposition and patterning forms both a base contact region 113 and a center region 121, which is an emitter polysilicon cap. However, while the base contact region 113 is doped p-type, the center region 121 is doped n-type in order to provide variable performance characteristics for a particular application. A top nitride layer 119 is deposited over base contact region 113 and center region 121. The base contact region 113, the center region 121 and the top nitride layer 119 are then etched to the first nitride layer 115 in accordance with the illustration in FIG. 1.
The base current flows through the low and high resistance regions of the base region 105. The resistance of the base enhancement region 107, represented by a resistor 104, is significantly lower than the resistance of the active base region 109, represented by a resistor 102. The total base resistance across a distance 131 is equal to the sum of the high resistance value of resistor 102 of the active base region 109 and the lower value resistance of resistor 104 of the base enhancement region 107. One objective of the present invention is to reduce the total base resistance of transistor 100. The base-to-collector capacitance of transistor 100, as illustrated by a capacitor 130, is non-linear. Another objective of the invention is to provide a bipolar transistor with a linear base-to-collector capacitance.
From the center of the base contact region 113 of one transistor to the center of the base contact region 113 of the same transistor, as indicated by a distance 123, is typically 3.2 micrometers. To reduce the junction capacitance, another objective of the invention is to reduce the distance 123 by half, as indicated by distance 125, thereby reducing the base-to-collector capacitance 130.
The transistor 200 contains the substrate layer 101 covered by an epitaxial layer 203. A p-type base region 205 is located within the epitaxial layer 203. The base region 205 consists of a base enhancement region 207 and an active base region 209. An emitter region 211 of opposite conductivity type than the base region 205 is located at the top of the epitaxial layer 203 and in the top, center portion of the base region 205. The emitter region 211 is typically n-type, and usually has a high concentration, n+. A nitride region 215 overlays a dielectric region 217 and connects to a top nitride 219. In the preferred embodiment, the dielectric is a thin oxide. A first polysilicon layer forms a base contact region 213, and a second polysilicon layer forms an emitter polysilicon cap 221. The dielectric region 217 covers the base region 205. In this transistor 200, the base region 205 and the emitter region 211 are metallized as indicated by a base metal region 229 and an emitter metal region 231, respectively. A nitride layer 227 overlays a portion of the emitter polysilicon cap 221 and is coupled to the nitride region 215 that is directly above the dielectric region 217.
One solution for reducing and linearizing the base-to-collector capacitance of the prior art is by using silicon dioxide refilled moats or trenches that are partially filled with base polycrystalline silicon (polysilicon). Adjacent to the n-type epitaxial layer 203 are trenches 233 filled with dielectric. Using a field oxide for the dielectric, the net effect is that 50% of the base-to-collector junction capacitance 130 in transistor 100 of
In
The reduced base-to-collector capacitance 230 and internal base resistance 202, 204 of transistor 200 embodied in
Although certain embodiments have been disclosed herein, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that variations and modifications of such embodiments may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, it is intended that the invention shall be limited only to the extent required by the appended claims.
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 09/516,350, filed Mar. 1, 2000, now abandoned.
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Number | Date | Country |
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20020190351 A1 | Dec 2002 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 09516350 | Mar 2000 | US |
Child | 10211842 | US |