Silicon Substrate Wafer Passivation for Group III-V Defect Control

The patent applies preliminary action by forming a gettering region and a nitrogen-enriched passivation layer in the substrate wafer before fabricating the group III-V devices. The gettering region is created by implanting atoms (such as hydrogen, helium, or neon) and performing a first annealing treatment, while the nitrogen-enriched passivation layer is formed by implanting nitrogen ions and performing a second annealing treatment. These preliminary structures are established to prevent dangling bonds and reduce defect state densities before the devices are built, thereby ensuring proper device function from the outset.

The patent uses an intermediary approach by introducing a nitrogen-enriched passivation layer as a mediator between the silicon substrate and the group III-V device structure. This layer acts as an intermediate structure that saturates dangling bonds at the silicon surface and reduces charge densities, thereby mediating the interaction between the substrate and the sensitive group III-V devices. The nitrogen-enriched layer serves as a buffer that protects the devices from harmful effects of dangling bonds without requiring direct modification of the device structure itself.

The patent applies merging by combining multiple functions into the substrate wafer structure itself. The gettering region is integrated directly into the silicon substrate by implanting atoms and performing annealing treatments, merging the impurity trapping function with the substrate structure. Similarly, the nitrogen-enriched passivation layer is merged with the substrate to provide both passivation and structural support. This integration approach reduces the need for separate, complex processing steps and structures while achieving effective impurity trapping.

The patent uses parameter changes by modifying the physical and chemical parameters of the silicon substrate through controlled implantation and annealing processes. By changing parameters such as implantation energy, dose, and annealing temperature, the substrate is transformed to create the gettering region and nitrogen-enriched passivation layer. These parameter changes enable the substrate to acquire new properties (impurity trapping capability and passivation) without fundamentally changing its identity or requiring complex additional structures.

The patent replaces mechanical or chemical vapor deposition methods with ion implantation and thermal annealing to form the nitrogen-enriched passivation layer. Instead of using complex deposition equipment and processes, the invention uses ion implantation to introduce nitrogen atoms into the silicon substrate, followed by thermal annealing to diffuse and activate the nitrogen. This substitution of the formation mechanism simplifies the overall process while achieving effective dangling bond saturation and passivation.

The patent applies self-service by enabling the silicon substrate to passivate itself through the nitrogen-enriched layer formation process. The ion implantation and annealing treatment cause nitrogen to diffuse into the silicon and automatically saturate dangling bonds at the surface and interface regions. The substrate essentially performs its own passivation by utilizing the introduced nitrogen and its inherent thermal diffusion properties, reducing the need for external passivation layers or complex additional processing steps.