Techneglas Sources: BoronPlus and PhosPlus

Positives

  1. Simple, no complex equipment needed
  2. Startup is low cost
  3. No reactivation cycles like Boron Nitride
  4. Exhibit a minimum of water absorption
  5. Can be removed from diffusion boats. This results in long quartz ware life
  6. Extended time between tube deglaze operations, thus reducing furnace down time
  7. Controlled dopant release reduces silicon damage
  8. Any carrier gas can be used: nitrogen, argon, helium
  9. Oxygen insensitive. Deposition process can be optimized for best electrical results
  10. Uniform and clean deposition, regardless of wafer size
  11. Technical support by FAB experienced Techneglas employees
  12. Comparable costs to other solid sources, like boron nitride
  13. Long use life
  14. During use, dimensional size remains the same due to its structural ceramic matrix
  15. Safe and easy to use. No health issue with handling of the sources
  16. High wafer load capacity, whole tube can be used

Negative

  1. Gases are less expensive, but this is offset by the cost savings of the other positives of Techneglas’s sources

Dopant Gases

Diborane (B2H6), BBr3 (boron tribromide), Pockle or Phosphorous
Oxytrichloride (POCl3), Boron Trimethyl (B(CH3)3),
Boron Trichloride (BCL3)3), and Phosphine (PH3)

Positive

  1. Pure depositions
  2. Material costs are low

Negatives

  1. Glazing of furnace tube increases equipment down time
  2. Non-uniform deposition, which increasing problems with larger wafer size
  3. Gases required are toxic and problematic for health issues
  4. Gases required are corrosive
  5. Support and maintenance costs are higher due to the health and equipment requirements needed for the toxic and corrosive gases required
  6. Typically wafer load size is small, for good dopant uniform

Spin On Dopants

Positive

  1. Simple application, use of coating equipment

Negatives

  1. Can have high surface damage
  2. Very sensitive to trace impurities
  3. Startup cost involves specialized coat equipment

Ion Implant

Phosphine (PH3), Diborane (B2H6), Boron Trifluoride (BF3)

Positive

  1. Uniform doping
  2. Safe during implantation use

Negatives

    1. Dangerous gases must be used for implantation, health and safety requirements
    2. Startup cost is very capital intensive
    3. High maintenance cost, part costs, and down time
    4. Implantation has silicon channeling which can negatively impact electrical performance and final yields
    5. Silicon damage results from the implantation and additional processing is needed for annealing this damage

Planar Boron Nitride (BN) Solid Sources

Positives

  1. Uniform doping
  2. Safe
  3. Simple to use

Negatives

  1. Impurities are deposited
  2. Sources are very hygroscopic (absorbs moisture quickly). This causes resistivity consistency issues.
  3. High silicon damage occurs due to high deposition rate.
  4. Users observe source warpage during use.
  5. Sources thin during use. This causes deposition uniformity problems as they lean in the boat during use.