This present application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202311330824.0, filed on Oct. 13, 2023, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
The present application relates to the field of semiconductor technologies, and in particular, to a semiconductor structure and a manufacturing method for the semiconductor structure.
Gallium Nitride (GaN) materials have many advantages of wide band gap, high breakdown field strength and the like, AlGaN/GaN heterojunction devices prepared based on the GaN materials have a high electron mobility, and a high-concentration of two-Dimensional Electron Gas (2DEG) may be formed at a heterojunction interface through polarization under a condition of unintentional doping, so that Gallium Nitride-based High Electron Mobility Transistor (GaN HEMT) devices have a wide application prospect in the field of microwave power. However, GaN HEMT devices face a serious nonlinear problem, which seriously restricts applications of the GaN HEMT devices in the field of communications.
In view of this, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a semiconductor structure and a manufacturing method therefor to improve a linearity of a gallium nitride high electron mobility transistor device.
According to an aspect of the present disclosure, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a semiconductor structure, which includes: a substrate, a nucleation layer, a buffer layer and a heterojunction structure layer that are stacked sequentially. The nucleation layer includes a first nucleation layer and a second nucleation layer, the first nucleation layer includes a plurality of strip-shaped structures, a strip-shaped trench is formed between two adjacent strip-shaped structures in the plurality of strip-shaped structures, an extension direction of the strip-shaped trench is parallel to a plane where the substrate is located, the strip-shaped trench and the first nucleation layer are covered by the second nucleation layer, and an ion penetration capability of the second nucleation layer is higher than an ion penetration capability of the first nucleation layer.
As an optional embodiment, a thickness of the second nucleation layer is less than a thickness of the first nucleation layer.
As an optional embodiment, a thickness of the second nucleation layer is less than 100 nm.
As an optional embodiment, a material of the first nucleation layer includes Ala1Inb1Ga1−a1−b1N, where 0≤a1≤1, 0≤b1≤1 and 0≤1−a1−b1≤1; and a material of the second nucleation layer includes Ala2Inb2Ga1−a2−b2N, where 0≤a2≤1, 0≤b2≤1 and 0≤1−a2−b2≤1.
As an optional embodiment, an Al component content of the second nucleation layer is less than an Al component content of the first nucleation layer.
As an optional embodiment, a plurality of strip-shaped trenches are formed in the first nucleation layer, and at least two strip-shaped trenches in the plurality of strip-shaped trenches have different widths, and/or at least two strip-shaped trenches in the plurality of strip-shaped trenches have different spacing distances.
As an optional embodiment, the buffer layer includes a first buffer layer and a second buffer layer, the first buffer layer is corresponding to the first nucleation layer, the second buffer layer is corresponding to the strip-shaped trench, and an n-type ion doping concentration of the second buffer layer is higher than an n-type ion doping concentration of the first buffer layer.
As an optional embodiment, a surface of a side, away from the substrate, of the buffer layer is a plane.
As an optional embodiment, the buffer layer is conformally disposed on the nucleation layer.
As an optional embodiment, an n-type ion doping concentration of the buffer layer is gradually decreased along a direction away from the substrate.
As an optional embodiment, a material of the substrate includes at least one of silicon and silicon carbide.
As an optional embodiment, an n-type ion in the buffer layer is a silicon ion.
As an optional embodiment, the semiconductor structure further includes:
According to another aspect of the present disclosure, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a manufacturing method for a semiconductor structure, which includes:
As an optional embodiment, after the buffer layer is grown, an n-type ion in the substrate disposed below the strip-shaped trench diffuses into the buffer layer to form a second buffer layer corresponding to the strip-shaped trench and to form a first buffer layer corresponding to the first nucleation layer, and an n-type ion doping concentration of the second buffer layer is higher than an n-type ion doping concentration of the first buffer layer.
As an optional embodiment, the n-type ion for forming the second buffer layer is a silicon ion.
As an optional embodiment, the manufacturing method for the semiconductor structure further includes:
Technical solutions in embodiments of the present disclosure are described clearly and completely below with reference to the drawings of the embodiments of the present disclosure. Apparently, the described embodiments are only a part, but not all of the embodiments of the present disclosure. All other embodiments that may be obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments in the present disclosure without any inventive efforts fall into the protection scope of the present disclosure.
In order to improve a linearity of a gallium nitride high electron mobility transistor device, the present disclosure provides a semiconductor structure and a manufacturing method for the semiconductor structure. The semiconductor structure includes a substrate, a nucleation layer, a buffer layer and a heterojunction structure layer that are stacked sequentially. The nucleation layer includes a first nucleation layer and a second nucleation layer. The first nucleation layer includes a plurality of strip-shaped structures, a strip-shaped trench is formed between two adjacent strip-shaped structures in the plurality of strip-shaped structures, and an extension direction of the strip-shaped trench is parallel to a plane where the substrate is located. The strip-shaped trench and the first nucleation layer are covered by the second nucleation layer, and an ion penetration capability of the second nucleation layer is higher than an ion penetration capability of the first nucleation layer. The first nucleation layer and the second nucleation layer with different ion penetration capacities are designed in the present disclosure to enable an n-type ion (such as a silicon ion) in the substrate to diffuse into the buffer layer through the second nucleation layer, so that a first buffer layer and a second buffer layer with different n-type ion concentrations are formed in the buffer layer. Along a channel width direction, a doping concentration of the buffer layer changes, and an influence on a concentration of a two-dimensional electron gas is also changed, so that different threshold voltages may be formed at different positions of a channel layer, thereby improving the linearity of the device.
A semiconductor structure and a manufacturing method therefor, mentioned in the present disclosure, are illustrated with examples below with reference to
In some embodiments, the substrate 10 may include n-type ions. The n-type ions may be silicon ions or other ions. When the substrate 10 includes silicon ions, a material of the substrate 10 may include at least one of silicon and silicon carbide. Further, when the substrate 10 includes n-type ions such as silicon ions, since an ion penetration capability of the second nucleation layer 22 is higher than an ion penetration capability of the first nucleation layer 21, the silicon ions in the substrate 10 may penetrate through the second nucleation layer 22 and diffuse into the buffer layer 30. The n-type ions in the buffer layer 30 are silicon ions, the buffer layer 30 of silicon-doped may release electrons, and an energy level of a semi-filled state formed by impurities and defects in the nucleation layer 20 may capture the electrons, thereby reducing capture of device electrons, enhancing device performance and improving reliability of the device. Moreover, the buffer layer 30 of silicon-doped may supplement carriers to improve a concentration of the two-dimensional electron gas and reduce a channel on-resistance. Since the n-type ions in the buffer layer 30 are diffused from the substrate 10, an n-type ion doping concentration of the buffer layer 30 is gradually decreased along a direction away from the substrate 10. The n-type ion doping concentration of the buffer layer 30 is negatively correlated with a thickness of the buffer layer 30, so that high resistance performance of the buffer layer 30 is prevented from being affected by doping, and leakage possibility is reduced.
In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the ion penetration capability of the second nucleation layer 22 is higher than the ion penetration capability of the first nucleation layer 21. In an embodiment, a material of the first nucleation layer 21 includes Ala1Inb1Ga1−a1−b1N, wherein 0≤a1≤1, 0≤b1≤1 and 0≤1−a1−b1≤1; and a material of the second nucleation layer 22 includes Ala2Inb2Ga1−a2−b2N, wherein 0≤a2≤1, 0≤b2≤1 and 0≤1−a2−b2≤1. Further, an Al component content of the second nucleation layer 22 is less than an Al component content of the first nucleation layer 21. The less the Al component content, the greater the In component content or Ga component content, the greater a lattice constant of the material of the second nucleation layer 22, and a lattice gap of the material of the second nucleation layer 22 is greater, so that the silicon ions in the substrate 10 may penetrate through the second nucleation layer 22 into the buffer layer 30, and the silicon ions in the substrate 10 may be prevented by the first nucleation layer 21 from penetrating into the buffer layer 30. In another embodiment, a thickness of the second nucleation layer 22 is less than a thickness of the first nucleation layer 21, so that the ion penetration capability of the second nucleation layer 22 is higher than the ion penetration capability of the first nucleation layer 21. For example, a thickness of the second nucleation layer 22 is less than 100 nm, which further benefits the silicon ions in the substrate 10 to penetrate through the second nucleation layer 22 into the buffer layer 30. In another embodiment, the Al component content of the second nucleation layer 22 is less than the Al component content of the first nucleation layer 21, and the thickness of the second nucleation layer 22 is less than the thickness of the first nucleation layer 21.
By designing the first nucleation layer 21 and the second nucleation layer 22 with different ion penetration capabilities, the silicon ions in the substrate 10 may diffuse into the buffer layer 30 through the second nucleation layer 22, so that the first buffer layer 31 and the second buffer layer 32 that are alternately arranged along a channel width direction are formed in the buffer layer 30, and a silicon concentration of the second buffer layer 32 is greater than a silicon concentration of the first buffer layer 31. Along the channel width direction, a doping concentration of the buffer layer 30 changes, and an influence on a concentration the two-dimensional electron gas is also changed, so that different threshold voltages may be formed at different positions of a channel layer, thereby improving the linearity of the device.
According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a manufacturing method for a semiconductor structure is further provided.
Step S1: providing a substrate. As shown in
Step S2: growing a first nucleation layer on the substrate, and etching a plurality of strip-shaped trenches in the first nucleation layer to form a plurality of strip-shaped structures, where an extension direction of each strip-shaped trench in the plurality of strip-shaped trenches is parallel to a plane where the substrate is located.
Specifically, as shown in
Step S3: growing conformally a second nucleation layer in the strip-shaped trenches and on the first nucleation layer, where an ion penetration capability of the second nucleation layer is higher than an ion penetration capability of the first nucleation layer.
Specifically, as shown in
Step S4: growing a buffer layer on the nucleation layer including the first nucleation layer and the second nucleation layer.
Specifically, as shown in
Step S5: growing a heterojunction structure layer on the buffer layer.
Specifically, as shown in
In an embodiment, surfaces of a side, away from the substrate 10, of the buffer layer 30 and the heterojunction structure layer 40 are planes, as shown in
Further, the manufacturing method for the semiconductor structure may further include Step S6.
Step S6: forming a dielectric layer, a source and a drain that are located on the heterojunction structure layer, and forming a gate located on the dielectric layer and between the source and the drain, where a direction from the source to the drain is parallel to the extension direction of the strip-shaped trench.
Specifically, a dielectric layer 54, a source 51 and a drain 52 that are located on the heterojunction structure layer 40 are formed, a gate 53 located on the dielectric layer 54 and between the source 51 and the drain 52 is formed, and a direction from the source 51 to the drain 52 is parallel to an extension direction of the strip-shaped trenches 201, that is, the semiconductor structure shown in
The present disclosure provides a semiconductor structure and a manufacturing method for the semiconductor structure, and the semiconductor structure includes a substrate, a nucleation layer, a buffer layer and a heterojunction structure layer that are stacked sequentially. The nucleation layer includes a first nucleation layer and a second nucleation layer. The first nucleation layer includes a plurality of strip-shaped structures, a strip-shaped trench is formed between two adjacent strip-shaped structures in the plurality of strip-shaped structures, and an extension direction of the strip-shaped trench is parallel to a plane where the substrate is located. The strip-shaped trench and the first nucleation layer are covered by the second nucleation layer, and an ion penetration capability of the second nucleation layer is higher than an ion penetration capability of the first nucleation layer. The first nucleation layer and the second nucleation layer with different ion penetration capacities are designed in the present disclosure to enable an n-type ion (such as a silicon ion) in the substrate to diffuse into the buffer layer through the second nucleation layer, so that a first buffer layer and a second buffer layer with different n-type ion concentrations are formed in the buffer layer. That is, the first buffer layer and the second buffer layer that are alternately arranged along a channel width direction are formed, and a silicon concentration of the second buffer layer is greater than a silicon concentration of the first buffer layer. The buffer layer of silicon-doped may release electrons, and an energy level of a semi-filled state formed by impurities and defects in the nucleation layer may capture the electrons, thereby reducing capture of device electrons, enhancing device performance and improving reliability of the device. Moreover, the buffer layer of silicon-doped may supplement carriers to improve a concentration of the two-dimensional electron gas and reduce a channel on-resistance. Along the channel width direction, a doping concentration of the buffer layer changes, and an influence on a concentration of the two-dimensional electron gas is also changed, so that different threshold voltages may be formed at different positions of a channel layer, thereby improving the linearity of the device.
It should be understood that the term “including” and its modification used in this disclosure are open-ended, that is, “including but not limited to”. The term “an embodiment” represents “at least one embodiment”; and the term “another embodiment” means “at least one another embodiment”. In this specification, a schematic description of foregoing terms does not have to be directed to a same embodiment or example. Further, specific features, structures, materials, or features described may be incorporated in an appropriate manner in any one or more embodiments or examples. In addition, without being contradictory, a person skilled in the art may combine and permutate different embodiments or examples described in this specification and features of different embodiments or examples.
The foregoing descriptions are merely exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. Any modification, an equivalent replacement, or the like made within a spirit and principles of the present disclosure shall be included in a protection scope of the present disclosure.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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202311330824.0 | Oct 2023 | CN | national |