The Incorporation of Phosphorus in Silicon Epitaxial Layer Growth

Abstract

A study has been made of the mechanism governing the incorporation of phosphorus during epitaxial growth of silicon. Several possibilities are mentioned and it is shown that the position of the Fermi level in the solid and the equilibria in the gas phase determine the outcome of the experiment. When in is used as a dopant at the temperatures of interest, P, P2, P4, , and are present also. It is shown that there is a close correlation between the partial pressure of monoatomic P in the gas and the phosphorus concentration in the solid as long as intrinsic conditions apply. Only at high dopant concentration and low temperature does the influence of the position of the Fermi level become important.