Molecular monolayers for doping silicon : from doping dose control to device application

Abstract

The evolution of the semiconductor industry calls for new techniques to address the challenges arising from the downscaling trend known as Moore’s law, which has brought electronic devices into the nano-regime. Monolayer doping (MLD) is an interesting alternative for the currently mostly employed ion implantation to introduce a dopant into silicon. The MLD technique is capable of forming ultra-shallow doping without causing crystal damage to the substrate. It is also capable of doping non-planar surfaces. In this thesis, we have addressed a variety of conceptual novelties to MLD. We demonstrated the tuning down of the doping level using the mixed-monolayer doping concept and the tuning up using carborane clusters. Being able to control the doping level extends the versatility of MLD. Furthermore, the fabrication of junctionless transistors, as well as the modified monolayer contact doping (MLCD) and the doping of silicon nanowires using this technique, have demonstrated the versatility of the MLD and MLCD in device fabrication.