Patent ID: 6027564
Filing Date: 2000-02-22
Classification: C04B,C30B,H01L,Y10S

Abstract:
A method of forming an epitaxial layer of a desired material chemically comprising a first species on a deposition surface of a substrate chemically comprising one or more substrate species including at least one species different from the first species, at a predetermined deposition rate, comprising the steps of:placing a crystallographically oriented target surface of a substrate in a low vacuum environment, the species present in the target surface substantially consisting of the substrate species, and one or more materials selected from the group consisting of desired native oxides of one or more of the substrate species, and contaminant materials, which include undesired native oxides of one or more of the substrate species and adsorbed surface contaminants;heating the target surface to a temperature which is less than about 90% of the melting point of the second material but greater than the threshold temperature for forming an epitaxial layer of the desired material on the substrate material in a high vacuum environment at the predetermined deposition rate;directing a layer-forming stream comprising a dispersion of the first species in an inert carrier gas at a first velocity greater than about 1 m/sec toward said target surface through said low vacuum environment;directing a dispersion of a beneficially reactive second species at a velocity greater than about 1 m/sec toward said target surface through said low vacuum environment at a velocity substantially similar to said first velocity;reacting said second species with one or more of the species present in the target surface to condition the target surface and promote the nucleation of the epitaxial layer;depositing a desired material chemically comprising said first species onto said target surface at the predetermined deposition rate to form an epitaxial layer on said substrate.