Diffusion

Amaninder Singh
Roll no 100906009
Ece-1


Sub titles

1. Definition
2. Mechanisms
3. Mathematics ( Fick s Laws )
4. Diffusivity (influence of temperature)
5. Diffusion Profiles
6.Parameters and properties of diffusion
7. Anomalous effects

Diffusion definition
Mass flow process by which species change their position relative to
their neigbours .
Driven by thermal energy and a gradient
Thermal energy thermal vibrations Atomic jumps
concentration
electric
Magnetic
stress
gradient

why study Diffusion????
Materials often heat treated to improve properties
Atomic diffusion occurs during heat treatment depending
on situation higher or lower diffusion rates desired.
Heat treating temperatures and times, and heating or
cooling rates can be determined using the
mathematics/physics of diffusion.
The controlled diffusion of dopants into silicon is the
foundation of forming a p-n junction
and fabrication of devices during wafer
fabrication.


Mechanisms
Diffusion at the atomic level is a step-wise
migration of atoms from lattice site to lattice site .
Conditions for diffusion:
there must be an adjacent empty site
atom must have sufficient energy to break bonds
with its neighbors and migrate to adjacent site
(activation energy)
Higher the temperature, higher is the probability
that an atom will have sufficient energy.

Substitutional diffusion
Types of atomic diffusion mechanisms:
Substitutional (through vacancies)
Interstitial


ACTIVATION ENERGY FOR
DIFFUSION
Also called energy barrier for diffusion
Initial state Final state Intermediate state
Energy Activation energy

INTERSTITIAL diffusion
It is the jump of the atoms from one interstitial site
to the other the activation energy is less as
compared to vacancy diffusion.
Impurity atom does not replace the silicon atom,
instead moves into interstitial sites or voids in 3-D
lattice structure.
Main impurities diffused by this mechanism are -: Gold,
Copper and Nickel.
Diffusion rate very low at room temp, but acceptable at
1000C.



Diffusion rate increases at the grain
boundaries or in the dislocations
Experimentally determined activation energies
for diffusion.
Q
surface
< Q
grain boundary
< Q
lattice


Comparison of Diffusivity for self-diffusion of Ag
single crystal vs polycrystal
1/T
L
o
g

(
D
)

Schematic
Polycrystal
Single
crystal
Increasing Temperature
Q
grain boundary
= 110 kJ /mole
Q
Lattice
= 192 kJ /mole

Flux: amount of material or atoms moving past a unit area in unit time
Flux, J = AM/(A At)
Directional Quantity
Flux can be measured for:
--vacancies --host (A) atoms - -impurity (B) atoms

MODELING DIFFUSION:
FLUX


Concentration Profile, C(x): [kg/m
3
]
Fick's First Law:
The steeper the concentration profile,
the greater the flux!
Adapted from
Fig. 5.2(c),
Callister 6e.
CONCENTRATION PROFILES & FLUX

Steady State: Steady rate of diffusion from one end to the other.
Implies that the concentration profile doesn't change with time.
Apply Fick's First Law:
Result: the slope, dC/dx, must be constant
(i.e., slope doesn't vary with position)!

J
x
= D
dC
dx

dC
dx
|
\

|
.
|
left
=
dC
dx
|
\

|
.
|
right
If J
x
)
left
= J
x
)
right
, then
STEADY STATE DIFFUSION


Steel plate at
700C with
geometry
shown:
Q: How much
carbon transfers
from the rich to
the deficient side?
Adapted from
Fig. 5.4,
Callister 6e.
EX: STEADY STATE DIFFUSION
Note: Steady state does not set in instantaneously.



Concentration profile,
C(x), changes
w/ time.
To conserve matter: Fick's First Law:
Governing Eqn.:
NON STEADY STATE
DIFFUSION
Ficks second law


Copper diffuses into a bar of aluminum.
General solution:
"error function"
Values calibrated in Table 5.1, Callister 6e.
C
o
C
s
position, x
C(x,t)
t
o
t
1
t
2
t
3
Adapted from
Fig. 5.5,
Callister 6e.
EX: NON STEADY STATE
DIFFUSION


Suppose we desire to achieve a specific concentration C1
at a certain point in the sample at a certain time
PROCESS DESIGN EXAMPLE
|
.
|

\
|
=

Dt
x
erf
C C
C t x C
s
2
1
) , (
0
0
|
.
|

\
|
= =

Dt
x
erf
C C
C C
s
2
1 constant
0
0 1
becomes
constant
2
=
Dt
x


Diffusivity increases with T.
DIFFUSION AND
TEMPERATURE
Remember vacancy concentration: N
V
= N exp(-QV/kT)
QV is vacancy formation energy (larger this energy,
smaller the number of vacancies)
Qd is the activation energy (larger this energy, smaller
the diffusivity and lower the probability of atomic diffusion)

Difussion profiles
There are two type of diffusion profiles mainly.
1. Constant source (erfc) diffusion
2. Limited source diffusion ( Gaussian diffusion)
Constant source diffusion
The impurity concentration at the semiconductor surface is
maintained at a constant level throughout the diffusion cycle.
C(0,t)=constant
In fabrication of ICs , constant source diffusion is commonly
used for isolation and the emitter diffusion .
It maintains a high surface concen. by a continuous
introduction of dopant.


Constant diffusion profile
To solve for impurity profiles in silicon
with time fick,s second law equation
must be solved for boundary condition
or innitial conditions given by :-
Boundary conditions given by:
C=C0 , x=0 , t>0
Initial conditions
C=0 ,x>0 ,t=0
The solution of Ficks second law can
be obtained by applying laplace trance
forms.


F(p) =













0
f(t)dt

0

d
2
C/dx
2
*dt

=d
2
/dx
2

dt
0

Evaluating R.H.S with integration by parts
C
dC/d x
2
*dt = d
2
/dx
2
C
0



0
=d
2
Cx/dx
2

D dCx/dx
2
=pCx
Treating the boundary conditions
Cx=
dt
C
=Cs/p
Cx=Cs/p*e
-bx



b
2
=p/D
Applying laplace transforn to previous eqn
We get an complementary error function
C(x,t)=Cs *erfc(x/2Dt)
Total no of impurities atom entering silicon per cm
sqr is defined by
Q(t)= C(x,t)dt
Q(t)=2Dt *Cs/
For two proces diffusion
C(x,t)=(Q/pi*Dt )(e
-X2/4Dt
)


0


Limited source diffusion
A predetermined amount of impurity is introduced into the
crystal unlike constant source diffusion. It takes place in 2
steps-
1.Pre deposition step
2.Drive in step
Predeposition step in which fixed no of impurities are
deposited on the silicon wafer during a short time.
Drive in step Here impurities source are turned off and
amount if impurities already deposited are allowed to
settle down.



Limited source diffusion

Parameters affecting diffusion
profile
1. Solid solubility-To decide impurity to be used, it is essential
to know if the number of of atoms per unit volume required by
specific profile is less than diffusants solid solubility.
2. Diffusion temperature - Higher temp give more thermal
energy to diffused impurities.
3. Diffusion time - increase in t, net conc. Of limited diffusion
decrease but of constant diffusion increases steady with t.
4. Surface cleanliness - Surface must be prevented against
contaminants, crystal defects may produce localized impurity
conc. ,resulting in degradation of junction.


Emmiter push effects During emitter diffusion of npn
Base(boron diffused deeper than predicted
Build up of interstitials in base from phosphorus emitter
Solved by switching to arsenic
Lateral diffusion
Oxidation enhanced diffusion
Diffuse under grown oxide
Enhanced for higher oxidation rate due to injected interstitials
Transient implant diffusion
1.Implant damage 2. Dislocations at low temp
AnomAlous Effects

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