University of Padua

Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare

Davide De Salvador, Gianluigi Maggioni, Daniel Ricardo Napoli, Enrico Napolitani

The patented procedure is capable of producing highly doped junctions in semiconductors through an innovative process, as an alternative to ion implantation. It is a cost-effective process, suitable for micro-/nanoelectronics and high-precision sensing applications.

Current semiconductor doping techniques present various issues that have limited their use, for example in nanoelectronics applications. Ion implantation and subsequent heat treatment (annealing) are not always suited to production processes, in addition to having a significant impact on costs. This innovative procedure, on the other hand, is capable of creating a highly doped surface thanks to the application of laser melting to the deposition sequence (protective film and source). During the cooling that follows the laser pulse, the molten germanium undergoes crystalline regrowth and the deposited protective film transitions to a coherent crystalline phase. This transformation makes it possible to control the thickness of the layer and the concentration of the doping element in the contact, while at the same time protecting it from the atmosphere and limiting its diffusion outwards, through a more economical process. 

• Reduced costs compared with ion implantation;
• High electrical activation;
• Preserves the purity of the underlying material;
• Applicable to a large number of dopants, including those sensitive to the atmosphere;
• Elimination of dopant out-diffusion;
• Possibility of varying the dopant concentration and the contact thickness;
• Possibility of creating ultra-shallow junctions.

High-purity germanium (HPGe) radiation detectors;
Particle and/or radiation detectors based on semiconductors;
Microelectronics;
Nanoelectronics;
Optoelectronic applications.

Information sheet published on 01/12/2022.
Deadline for expressions of interest: 02/01/2022. 
For information: trasferimento.tecnologia@unipd.it