Semimetal-semiconductor heterostructures and multilayers

• Main Authors: GOLDING; TERRY D, MILLER, JR.; JOHN H
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 12.09.1995
• Edition: 6
• Subjects: AFTER-TREATMENT OF SINGLE CRYSTALS OR A HOMOGENEOUSPOLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE; APPARATUS THEREFOR; BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; CHEMISTRY; CRYSTAL GROWTH; ELECTRIC SOLID STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ELECTRICITY; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; METALLURGY; PRODUCTION OF A HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITHDEFINED STRUCTURE; REFINING BY ZONE-MELTING OF MATERIAL; SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; SINGLE CRYSTALS OR HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITHDEFINED STRUCTURE; SINGLE-CRYSTAL-GROWTH; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ARTCOLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; UNIDIRECTIONAL SOLIDIFICATION OF EUTECTIC MATERIAL ORUNIDIRECTIONAL DEMIXING OF EUTECTOID MATERIAL

The present invention provides for the fabrication of single layer semimetal/semiconductor heterostructures and multilayer semimetal/semiconductor structures. Each semimetal/semiconductor layer fabricated in accordance with the present invention has compatible crystal symmetry across the heterojunction between a semimetal and a semiconductor. A single layer semimetal/semiconductor structure is fabricated by growing a rhombohedral semimetal in a [111] direction on a substrate material having a (111) orientation, and then growing a zincblende semiconductor in a [111] direction on the semimetal. A multilayer semimetal/semiconductor structure may be grown from the single layer semimetal/semiconductor structure by growing an additional rhombohedral semimetal layer in a [111] direction on the preceding semiconductor grown, then growing an additional zincblende semiconductor layer in a [111] direction on the additional semimetal layer, and then repeating this process as many times as desired. Each semimetal to be sandwiched between semiconductors in the multilayer semimetal/semiconductor structure may be grown thin enough that the semimetal is converted into a semiconductor.