Semiconductor device including a superlattice and adjacent semiconductor layer with doped regions defining a semiconductor junction

Abstract

A semiconductor device may include a superlattice comprising a plurality of stacked groups of layers. Each group of layers of the superlattice may include a plurality of stacked base silicon monolayers defining a base silicon portion and an energy band-modifying layer thereon. The energy band-modifying layer may include at least one non-semiconductor monolayer constrained within a crystal lattice of adjacent base silicon portions. The semiconductor device may further include a semiconductor layer adjacent the superlattice and comprising at least one first region therein including a first conductivity type dopant. The superlattice may also include at least one second region therein including a second conductivity type dopant to define, with the at least one first region, at least one semiconductor junction.

Description

technical field [0001] The present invention relates to the field of semiconductors, and more particularly, the present invention relates to semiconductors with enhanced properties based on energy band engineering and related methods. Background technique [0002] Structures and techniques such as increasing the mobility of carriers have been proposed to improve the performance of semiconductor devices. For example, US Patent Application No. 2003 / 0057416 to Currie et al. discloses a strained material layer of silicon, silicon germanium, and relaxed silicon, and also includes regions free of impurities that would otherwise degrade the performance of the semiconductor. The resulting biaxial strain in the upper silicon layer can alter the mobility of the charge carriers resulting in higher speed devices and / or lower power consumption. Published US Patent Application No. 2003 / 0034529 to Fitzgerald et al. discloses a CMOS inverter based on a similar strained silicon technology. ...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

[0010] Although considerable efforts have been made in materials engineering to increase charge carrier mobility in semiconductor devices, greater improvements are still needed

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