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Titanium-based contacts are envisioned for the integration of III–V device contacts on a 300-mm platform, such as photodetectors, semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs), and III–V silicon hybrid lasers. For the first time, the impact of the thermal budgets of process integration, back-end of line (BEOL), and long-term thermal stress on the electrical characteristics of the Ti/p-In0.53Ga0.47As and Ti/n-InP contacts has been investigated. Additional physical characterizations have been used to supplement the electrical properties on both systems. Results have indicated that, given a thermal budget between 350 °C and 450 °C during 60 s right after metal deposition, 1) Ti as a contact metal has led to contact resistivity in low $10^{-{5}}\,\,\Omega \cdot \text {cm}^{{2}}$ for p-contacts and in mid $10^{-{5}}\,\,\Omega \cdot \text {cm}^{{2}}$ for n-contacts, which is in accordance with the device requirements; and 2) process integration, BEOL, and long-term thermal stress will not induce any change of the electrical properties. In the scope of III–V silicon hybrid laser contact integration, Ti has hence been evidenced as a suitable candidate for both p- and n-contacts.

In order to assess their potential use as contact layers for Si photonics devices, Ni 2 P thin films were developed on a 300 mm platform. Ni 2 P layers, obtained by magnetron sputtering of a Ni 2 P target, were implemented and integrated on III-V-based structures to extract the contact resistivity on n-InP and p-InGaAs. Due to its high thermal stability and low contact resistivities, Ni 2 P metallization exhibited the best results among the Ni-based metallizations studied for contacting n-InP layers.

Silicon photonics in the near-IR, up to 1.6 µm, is already one of key technologies in optical data communications, particularly short range. It also is being prospected for applications in quantum computing, artificial intelligence, optical signal processing, where complex photonic integration is to be combined with a large-volume fabrication. However, silicon photonics does not yet cover a large portion of applications in the mid-IR. In the wavelength range of 2–5 µm, environmental sensing, life sensing and security, all rely on optical signatures of molecular vibrations to identify complex individual chemical species. The markets for such analysis are huge and constantly growing, with a push for sensitivity, specificity, compactness, low-power operation and low cost. An all-group-IV, CMOS-compatible mid-IR integrated photonic platform would be a key enabler in this wavelength range. As for other wavelengths, such a platform should be complete with low-loss guided interconnects, detectors, eventually modulators, and most important an efficient and integrated light sources. This chapter reviews the recent developments of mid-IR silicon-compatible optically and electrically pumped lasers, light emitting diodes and photodetectors based on Ge, GeSn and SiGeSn alloys. It contains insights into the fundamentals of these developments, including bandstructure modelling, material growth and processing techniques.

Nickel-based metallization are envisioned for the p-contact integration of III-V / silicon hybrid lasers on a 300 mm platform. The electrical and physical characteristics of Ni 0.9 Pt 0.1 and Ni thin films on In 0.53 Ga 0.47 As layers have been studied. For the first time, the impact of the thermal budget of the process integration and laser operations on the contact integrity have been investigated. Results have shown that in the case of the Ni 0.9 Pt 0.1 / p-In 0.53 Ga 0.47 As system, with a rapid thermal annealing between 350 and 450 °C for 60 s applied after metal deposition, promising contact resistivities have been extracted (low 10–5 - high 10–6 Ω.cm2) along with a good electrical stability after process integration and laser operations. The Ni / p-In 0.53 Ga 0.47 As system have exhibited lower contact resistivities (low 10–6 - high 10–7 Ω.cm2) granted a rapid thermal annealing between 400 and 500 °C after metal deposition. A strong electrical stability after integration steps and laser operations has also been evidenced. Results suggest that the Ni / p-In 0.53 Ga 0.47 As system constitutes the most promising option for p-contact integration.

We used GeSn layers with 6% and 13% of Sn grown on Ge in a 200 mm RPCVD tool to fabricate mid-infrared vertical electro-absorption light modulators. Light modulations of 1.5% and 1% at 21 kV/cm were achieved at 2.15 and 3.05 µm, respectively.

The development of Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS)-compatible contact technology on III–V materials based on Ti for electronics or photonics applications was studied. In this framework, solid-state reactions between Ti thin films (20 nm) and In0.53Ga0.47As layers grown on InP substrates were studied from the as-deposited state up to 550 °C using a combination of advanced X-ray diffraction (in-plane reciprocal space mapping), Auger electron spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy analyses. The phase formation sequence was solved. At low temperature, an amorphous Ti–Ga–As intermixing layer coexists with the Ti film. As of 250 °C, the first crystalline phase to form is Ti 2 Ga 3 . At 300 °C, a new crystalline phase appears, namely TiAs 2 . On the other hand, TiAs and metallic In form at 350 °C and Ti is completely consumed between 450 and 500 °C. The diffusion of the various species lead to the formation of a non-nominal Ga-rich In x Ga 1−x As layer and at 550 °C to the formation of polycrystalline GaAs. Ti was found to be the main diffusing species at low temperature whereas III and V elements are the dominant diffusing species at higher temperatures. The nature of the phases formed above and below the original Ti/InGaAs interface might explain the In accumulation at the interface, the TiAs phase acting as a diffusion barrier.

In this paper, we experimentally demonstrate, for the first time, gate-all-around (GAA) nanosheet transistors with a record number of stacked channels. Seven levels stacked nanosheet (NS) GAA transistors fabricated using a replacement metal gate process, inner spacer and self-aligned contacts show an excellent gate controllability with extremely high current drivability $(3\mathrm{mA}/\mu \mathrm{m}\ \mathrm{at}\ \mathrm{V}_{\mathrm{DD}}=1\mathrm{V})$ and a 3 x improvement in drain current over usual 2 levels stacked- NS GAA transistors.

International audience; Using a metal-organic tungsten based precursor, a fluorine-free tungsten thin film has been obtained. The process deposition recipe includes a plasma-enhanced CVD (PECVD) step and atomic layer deposition (ALD) cycles. A set of physicochemical characterizations including X-ray reflectivity (XRR), in-plane X-ray diffraction (XRD), wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence (WDXRF), plasma profiling time of flight mass spectrometry (PPTOFMS) and microscope observations has been realized in order to study the W thin film structure and properties. The film is perfectly conformal whatever the structure size investigated (from tens of nanometers to micrometers wide). It was also highlighted that the F-free W film exhibits the lowest electrical resistivity phase (α-W) but is not pure. Indeed, in addition to a top surface oxidation, a layer located at the W film / substrate interface is present. This interface layer (IL) contains impurities, including carbon and oxygen, due to ligand decomposition. This IL might be deposited during the soak step or during the PECVD step. The W liner with thicknesses ranging from 3 to 4 nm has been implemented on PCRAM structures in order to evaluate its impact on contact plug resistivity. First electrical results are promising and demonstrate the interest of using a F-free low resistance W liner. At the aspect ratio studied, the gain in terms of contact plug resistivity is about 20% compared to the process of reference using a TiN liner. Modeling shows that this benefit is mainly due to the reduction of interface resistances.

In the scope of integrating III–V device contacts on a 300 mm platform, Ni-based contacts are envisioned. In this regard, the Pt redistribution in the Ni0.9Pt0.1/InP system, and the impact of Pt-alloying of Ni thin films on InP over solid-state reaction and layer morphology have been investigated. Results have shown that at low temperature (T 300 °C), the presence of Pt partially slows down the diffusion of Ni towards the InP substrate, which as a result delays the growth of an intermixing amorphous Ni–In–P layer. In addition, the presence of Pt in the system has delayed the consumption of the Ni0.9Pt0.1 layer. At higher temperatures (T ≥ 300 °C), the thermal energy brought to the system overcomes the Pt-induced partially slowed down Ni diffusion, and the observed phase formation sequence indicates that the Ni-based crystallized phases (Ni 2 P, Ni 3 P and Ni 2 InP) are identified regardless of the presence of Pt, which is not incorporated into the formed Ni-based phases (Ni 2 P, Ni 3 P and Ni 2 InP). Instead, the latter is rejected from the forming interface, which allows it to participate to the formation of the stable Pt 3 In 7 crystallized phase.

We have grown by Reduced Pressure Chemical Vapor Deposition (RPCVD) vertical GeSn light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with (i) Sn content ranging from 6% to 16% and (ii) with or without SiGeSn barriers. Direct band-gap behaviors and activation energies of defects affecting emission efficiency of our different stacks were analyzed by temperature dependent electroluminescence measurements. A strong light emission enhancement was observed thanks to SiGeSn confinement barriers compared to reference samples. The electroluminescence intensity of Ge0.84Sn0.16 LEDs was increased by a factor 2 compared to that of Ge0.87Sn0.13 devices. This strong enhancement at room temperature is attributed to the increase of the splitting energy between Γ and L valleys for higher Sn content LEDs.

Electrical properties of CMOS-compatible titanium contacts on n-InP and p-In0.53Ga0.47As using 300 mm tools, in the scope of integrating them on III-V / Si hybrid lasers, are presented. Electrical behaviors after i) processing, ii) integration and back-end sequences, and iii) several simulated laser uses were investigated.

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This study focuses on silicide formation on phosphorus in-situ doped samples, the phosphorus diffusion and its distribution during the solid-state reaction. The silicidation is achieved with a 16 nm thin film of Ni0.9Pt0.1 followed by a two steps annealing process using rapid thermal annealing, selective etching and dynamic surface annealing. Silicide formation is investigated thanks to in-situ X-ray diffraction and X-ray reflectivity, while the phosphorus concentration profiles after silicidation are obtained by Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectroscopy. Based on these profiles, simulation of the phosphorus redistribution is achieved. The latter is linked to a fast diffusion in the silicide and at its grain boundaries. This feature is put forward to explain how doping may influence the phase sequence of silicide formation.

In this work, the solid-state reaction between a 7 nm thick Ni0.9Co0.1 film and a silicon substrate has been studied. By combining various characterization methods (e.g. sheet resistance measurement, X-ray reflectivity, X-ray diffraction), a comprehensive phase sequence of the NiCo silicide formation has been proposed. At low temperature, we observed the formation of metal-rich Ni2Si-like phases: δ-(NiCo)2Si and θ-(NiCo)2Si. Contrary to Ni0.9Pt0.1 based silicides, the δ-Ni2Si phase appears before the θ-Ni2Si one. Beyond 320 °C, the (NiCo)Si monosilicide formation is initiated and this latter is complete at 400 °C. The presence of Co strongly decreases the NiSi2 formation temperature. This early formation of disilicide allows avoiding film agglomeration and enhances the thermal stability of NiSi silicide. Complementary studies using wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence allowed studying the cobalt behavior and highlighted the formation of a Co composition gradient into the metal-rich silicide phases at relatively low temperature (220–260 °C).

Improving the thermal stability of Ni/GeSn intermetallics is of great importance to avoid surface degradation and Sn segregation. For this purpose, we studied the effects of pre-amorphization by ion implantation (PAI) of GeSn layers prior to metallization. The impact of Si, Ge, C, or Ge + C PAI was evaluated in terms of phase sequence, morpohological, and electrical evolution during the solid-state reaction. The overall phase sequence, followed by in situ x-ray diffraction, was comparable with or without PAI and went as follows: the Ni 5(GeSn) 3 hexagonal phase was obtained first, followed by the mono-stanogermanide phase: Ni(GeSn). Nevertheless, the threshold temperature for phase formation varied. These variations, depending on the nature of the implanted ions, can be related to kinetic and/or thermodynamic factors as supported by the analysis of bibliography for silicides and germanides. Additionally, it was reported that the use of Si or Ge implantation did not significantly impacted the surface morphology of the layers. On the other hand, the implantation of C positively impacts the surface morphology evolution by delaying Sn long-range diffusion and Ni(GeSn) agglomeration. This trend was then highly beneficial for preserving electrical stability in an enhanced process window.

From surface preparation and solid-state reaction to laser integration, a short overview of the CMOS-compatible contacts developed in our group on n-InP and p-InGaAs for Si photonic applications is proposed.

A comprehensive analysis focused on the impact of Sn content in GeSn layers, on Ni-based contacts, is presented. In situ XRD, AFM and Rsh measurements were performed in order to follow phase growth, surface morphological evolution and electrical properties as the annealing temperature changed. Potential impact of those evolutions on devices integration is also discussed.

Phosphorus diffusion and its distribution during the solid-state reactions between Ni0.9Pt0.1 and implanted Si substrates are studied. Silicidation is achieved through a first rapid thermal annealing followed by a selective etching and a direct surface annealing. The redistribution of phosphorus in silicide layers is investigated after the first annealing for different temperatures and after the second annealing. Phosphorus concentration profiles obtained thanks to time of flight secondary ion mass spectrometry and atom probe tomography characterizations for partial and total reactions of the deposited 7 nm thick Ni0.9Pt0.1 film are presented. Phosphorus segregation is observed at the Ni0.9Pt0.1 surface and at Ni2Si interfaces during Ni2Si formation and at the NiSi surface and the NiSi/Si interface after NiSi formation. The phosphorus is evidenced in low concentrations in the Ni2Si and NiSi layers. Once NiSi is formed, a bump in the phosphorus concentration is highlighted in the NiSi layer before the NiSi/Si interface. Based on these profiles, a model for the phosphorus redistribution is proposed to match this bump to the former Ni2Si/Si interface. It also aims to bind the phosphorus segregation and its low concentration in different silicides to a low solubility of phosphorus in Ni2Si and in NiSi and a fast diffusion of phosphorus at their grain boundaries. This model is also substantiated by a simulation using a finite difference method in one dimension.

International audience; The low temperature integration of new materials (such as SiGe channels for the holes) is mandatory in advanced metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (i.e. in 14 nm technology node devices and beyond). In this paper, we have investigated the removal of SiGe oxides prior to Selective epitaxial Growth of Si or SiGe:B in Sources/Drains regions. A very efficient removal of contaminants (C, F, O…) is mandatory if the H2 bake that precedes epitaxy is removed because of thermal budget constraints. As germanium is very reactive in the air, in-situ surface preparation schemes (conducted for instance in a Siconi® chamber) might be useful on SiGe surfaces. This way, the queue-time issues associated with “HF-Last” (HF/HCl follow by deionization water rinse) processes in single wafer wet cleaning tools are avoided. Germanium-rich SiGe layers (Si0.6Ge0.4) were used to characterize the native oxide removal efficiency of “HF-Last” and Siconi® processes. Then, a new surface preparation strategy was developed based on i) a wet chemical oxide formation followed by ii) a standard Siconi® process whose efficiency towards SiO2 has conclusively been demonstrated. Parallel Angle Resolved X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy was used to study the chemical composition of the native or chemical oxide and evaluate the efficiency of that treatment on carbon, germanium oxide and silicon oxide.

We study optically pumped lasing in micro-cavities with high Sn content active GeSn layers. We show that the crystalline quality of the GeSn active layers are greatly improved when grown on GeSn step-graded buffers instead of directly on Ge strained relaxed buffers. High Sn content, up to 16% of Sn, was reached leading to lasing operation temperature up to 180K in micro-disks, paving the way to the use of GeSn in monolithically integrated light source devices.

In this paper we demonstrate the first integration of a hybrid III-V/Si laser in a fully CMOS compatible 200mm technology. Device with SMSR up to 50 dB and a maximum output power of 4mW coupled in the waveguide have been measured. The fabrication flow is fully planar and compatible with large scale integration silicon photonics circuit.

In this paper, we report on the experimental and theoretical study of BInGaAs/GaAs Single Quantum Well elaborated by Metal Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition (MOCVD). We carried out the photoluminescence (PL) peak energy temperature-dependence over a temperature range of 10–300 K. It shows the S-shaped behavior as a result of a competition process between localized and delocalized states. We simulate the peak evolution by the empirical model and modified models. The first one is limited at high PL temperature. For the second one, a correction due to the thermal redistribution based on the Localized State Ensemble model (LSE). The new fit gives a good agreement between theoretical and experimental data in the entire temperature range. Furthermore, we have investigated an approximate analytical expressions and interpretation for the entropy and enthalpy of formation of electron-hole pairs in quaternary BInGaAs/GaAs SQW.

International audience; Opening the way to large bandwidths and high data rates Silicon Photonics is of great interest. In the scope of co-integrating III-V devices with CMOS very large scale integration (VLSI), innovative contacts to III-V materials have to be developed. In this paper we study the metallurgical and electrical properties of Ni-based metallizations to n-InP and p-InGaAs. It appears that the integration of both metallizations must be realized at temperatures lower than or equal to 340 °C starting with that on n-InP.

Auteur correspondant: "philippe.rodriguez@cea.fr"; International audience; In this work, we studied the solid-state reaction between a Ni$_{0.9}$Co$_{0.1}$ film and a silicon substrate. NiCo silicide is considered to substitute Ni-and NiPt-based silicides in 3D integration in order to extend the bottom transistor thermal stability. Thanks to the combined analysis of sheet resistance data, X-ray reflectivity spectra modelling, X-ray diffraction and wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence analyses on Ni$_{0.9}$Co$_{0.1}$ /Si samples annealed at various temperatures, we were able to describe the phase sequence of the NiCo silicide formation.

In 3D sequential integration, the top transistor thermal budget must be reduced to preserve bottom MOSFET performance. In order to relax this thermal budget limitation, the thermal stability of the bottom level must be increased, especially for the silicide. In that purpose, Ni0.9Co0.1 alloy is proposed to replace the current Ni0.85Pt0.15 silicide. For the first time, this Ni0.9Co0.1 salicide has been integrated on pMOS FDSOI transistors with state of the art process leading to performance improvements compared to the standard Ni0.85Pt0.15 salicide. In this study, the cobalt incorporation into the salicide has been investigated to enhance its thermal stability.

International audience; Silicon photonics is of great interest as it opens the way to large bandwidth and high data rates. A pioneer Silicon photonics scheme consists in integrating III-V lasers on the SOI substrates containing the passive components. However, key developments are necessary to co-integrate III-V devices with CMOS very large scale integration (VLSI). In this paper we propose a CMOS-compatible integration scheme of contacts (i.e. semiconductor metallization and plug) on III-V surfaces taking into account the limitations fixed by the operating laser device. Based on metallurgical, morphological, optical and electrical studies, processes are submitted and reviewed for the purpose of forming stable and reproducible contacts with low resistivity in a 200 millimeters fab line.

International audience; In this work, we studied the pretreatment of InGaAs layers by employing Ar-and He-based direct plasmas and NH$_3$ , H$_2$ , NF$_3$ /NH$_3$ remote plasmas. All the remote plasmas involved in this study were inadequate to remove the InGaAs native oxides. Moreover, for NF$_3$ /NH$_3$ exposed samples, we noticed the addition of undesirable In–F and Ga–F bonds. Concerning Ar and He direct plasmas, investigations exhibited that both seem to be efficient for removing arsenic oxides whereas the elimination of indium oxides is more effective with Ar plasma. We also studied the addition of hydrogen into He direct plasma and we demonstrated that increasing the H2 content leads to decreasing the removal of arsenic oxides. The impact on indium oxides is also notable as we observed a reducing effect of hydrogen on indium and the emergence of In–In type bonds. Finally, whatever the plasma pretreatment, no degradation of surface morphology and roughness was observed by AFM. The RMS values obtained after surface treatments are similar with the ones acquired for reference samples.

Ni-GeSn based materials are promising in order to obtain contacts in complementary metal oxide semiconductor and Si photonic devices. In this work, a systematic and comprehensive study of the solid-state reaction between NiPt thin films and Ge0.9Sn0.1 layers is carried out. A particular focus is given on the impact of the addition of 10 at. % of Pt in Ni thin films. In situ X-ray diffraction and in-plane reciprocal space map measurements reveal a sequential growth in which the first phase appearing corresponds to a Ni-rich phase: (Ni0.9Pt0.1)5(Ge0.9Sn0.1)3. Then, at 245 °C, the Ni-rich phase vanishes to the benefit of the mono-stanogermanide phase (Ni0.9Pt0.1)(Ge0.9Sn0.1), which is unstable. At 360 °C, a more stable (Ni1– yPty)(Ge1– xSnx) phase is obtained concomitantly to the formation of PtSnx compounds. Finally, Sn segregation occurs at even higher temperatures. Even if Pt addition in Ni thin films complicates the phase formation sequence, it positively impacts the surface morphology and roughness, delays film agglomeration and Sn segregation, and stabilizes the electrical properties of the stanogermanide in a wide range of temperatures.

We have investigated the impact of various plasma treatments on InGaAs layers. Argon- and helium-based direct plasmas are more efficient than remote plasmas for the removal of InGaAs native oxides. We have demonstrated that the nature of direct plasma influences the InGaAs oxides removal efficiency. Indeed, both types of plasma seem to be efficient for removing arsenic oxides whereas the elimination of In oxides is more effective with Ar plasma. Hydrogen addition in He plasma impacts the removal of InGaAs oxides and appears to have a reducing effect on indium atoms. Whatever the nature of the pretreatment, the surface morphology and roughness of InGaAs layers were not significantly impacted.

We studied the solid-state reaction of Ni thin films with InGaAs layers grown on InP or Si substrates. The inter-metallics obtained carried an hexagonal structure, but yielded a difference in orientation regarding either the substrates or the annealing temperature.

The present invention further includes a method for substantially lattice matching single-crystal III–V semiconductor layers by including boron in the chemical structure of active cells layers in multi-junction solar. Solar photovoltaic devices, i.e., solar cells, are devices capable of converting solar radiation into usable electrical energy. The energy conversion occurs as the photovoltaic-effect which occurs in a cell composed of a p-type semiconductor layer adjacent to an n-type semiconductor layer, here after referred to as p-n junction cell. Solar radiation impinging on a solar cell and absorbed by active region of semiconductor material generates electricity. Therefore, a quaternary material III–V semiconductor BInGaAs has been tested for the application in solar cells [1]. Single layer has been grown lattice matched on GaAs using Metal Organic Chemical Vapor deposition (MOCVD). Optical study has been achieved of B 0.0108 In 0.36 Ga 0.062 As quantum well. At room temperature (300 K) PL study has shown an asymmetric PL band is around 1.19 eV of the emission energies. Based in these experimental results, we have suggested that the band gap energies of BInGaAs QW could be adequate for active cells layers in multijunction solar.

The Imaging Magnetograph eXperiment (IMaX) is a spectropolarimeter built by four institutions in Spain that flew on board the Sunrise balloon-borne telesocope in June 2009 for almost six days over the Arctic Circle. As a polarimeter IMaX uses fast polarization modulation (based on the use of two liquid crystal retarders), real-time image accumulation, and dual beam polarimetry to reach polarization sensitivities of 0.1%. As a spectrograph, the instrument uses a LiNbO3 etalon in double pass and a narrow band pre-filter to achieve a spectral resolution of 85 mAA. IMaX uses the high Zeeman sensitive line of Fe I at 5250.2 AA and observes all four Stokes parameters at various points inside the spectral line. This allows vector magnetograms, Dopplergrams, and intensity frames to be produced that, after reconstruction, reach spatial resolutions in the 0.15-0.18 arcsec range over a 50x50 arcsec FOV. Time cadences vary between ten and 33 seconds, although the shortest one only includes longitudinal polarimetry. The spectral line is sampled in various ways depending on the applied observing mode, from just two points inside the line to 11 of them. All observing modes include one extra wavelength point in the nearby continuum. Gauss equivalent sensitivities are four Gauss for longitudinal fields and 80 Gauss for transverse fields per wavelength sample. The LOS velocities are estimated with statistical errors of the order of 5-40 m/s. The design, calibration and integration phases of the instrument, together with the implemented data reduction scheme are described in some detail., Comment: 17 figures

The impact of dual Ge/C pre-amorphization implantation (PAI) processes on the Ni0.9Pt0.1(7 nm)/Si system phase sequence has been investigated by advanced X-ray diffraction techniques and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Using a high carbon implantation dose, it is found that the expected development of Ni-rich phases is not observed: a thick amorphous Ni1−xPtxSi layer developed until Ni0.9Pt0.1 full consumption, followed by the development of a thin crystalline Ni1−xPtxSi layer along the TiN interface. By increasing the temperature further, this last one abruptly thicken, creating the final silicide layer. An alternative model to grain boundary diffusion is discussed, accounting for the final distribution of the foreign species within the silicide layer. The use of Ge in dual Ge/C PAI processes is proposed to impact the growing mechanisms by alloying to fine-tune the carbon distribution in the substrate sub-surface.