Growth rate enhancement of heavy n- and p-type doped silicon deposited by atmospheric-pressure chemical vapor deposition at low temperatures

N and p-Type doping of epitaxially grown Si over the temperature range from 850 C to as low as 550 C was investigated in an atmospheric pressure reactor. P, As, and B could be incorporated into single-crystal silicon at levels exceeding the solid solubility at growth temperatures to levels greater than 1 [times] 10[sup 20]/cm[sup 3]. Remarkably, each of the hydride dopant sources, PH[sub 3], AsH[sub 3], and B[sub 2]H[sub 6], dramatically enhanced the growth rate of Si from dichlorosilane (DCS) at lower temperatures. Such results are unprecedented for the growth of Si from dichlorosilane (DCS) at lower temperature. Such results are unprecedented for the growth of Si from dichlorosilane ((DCS) which has been restricted to higher growth temperatures until recently) and for growth from SiH[sub 4] (which has been practiced over a wide range of temperatures). Growth was carried out primarily from DCS in H[sub 2] carrier gas, although some experiments utilizing SiH[sub 4] were performed, in order to explore the mechanisms responsible for growth rate enhancement of doped films. Instrumental in achieving these results has been the ultraclean, load-locked atmospheric pressure reactor, which permits high-quality epitaxial growth at temperatures no previously obtainable with DCS. Thus utilizing conventional Simore » and dopant sources in an unconventional regime, doping behavior suitable for advanced device structures was obtained.« less