A 1ST APPROACH TO CVD SI1-XGEX LAYER GROWTH BY MEANS OF CHEMICAL-REACTION KINETICS

A reaction mechanism will be suggested for interpreting Si1-xGex CVD layer deposition from a silicon source and germane reaction gas mixtures in order to explain the observed silicon layer growth increase in consequence of the presence of germane. A successive substitution of the hydrogen atoms available in germane molecules by silyl groups forming a silicon containing intermediate of germane will be assumed. It will further be supposed that both the original silicon source and the germane intermediates will independently be decomposed by chemical reactions leading to Si1-xGex layer formation and that the reaction of the germane intermediates will be of 1st order. The reaction mechansim suggested will be discussed on the background of experimental data on Si1-xGex CVD layer deposition from dichlorosilane-germane-hydrogen reaction gas mixtures at temperatures in the range of 600 less-than-or-equal-to T(degrees-C) less-than-or-equal-to 900 as recently published by KAMINS and MEYER.