Low temperature selective silicon epitaxy by ultra high vacuum rapid thermal chemical vapor deposition using Si2H6, H2 and Cl2

We present the use of the Si2H6/H2/CL2 chemistry for selective silicon epitaxy by rapid thermal chemical vapor deposition (RTCVD). The experiments were carried out in an ultrahigh vacuum rapid thermal chemical vapor deposition reactor. Epitaxial layers were grown selectively with growth rates above 150 nm/min at 800 °C and 24 mTorr using 10% Si2H6 and H2 and Cl2 with a minimum Si:Cl ratio of 1. Excellent selectivity with respect to SiO2 and Si3N4 was obtained indicating that very low Cl2 partial pressures are sufficient to preserve selectivity. In situ doping results with B2H6 show that sharp doping transitions and a wide range of B concentrations can be obtained with a slight B incorporation rate reduction with Cl2 addition. Our results indicate that UHV-RTCVD with the Si2H6/H2/Cl2 chemistry yields highly selective Si epitaxy with growth rates well within the practical throughput limits of single wafer manufacturing and with a potential to reduce the Cl content below the levels used in conventional SiH2Cl2 based selective epitaxy processes.