Diffusion example 1

A constant-source boron diffusion is performed into an n-type silicon

wafer. The diffusion temperature is 1050°C and the diffusion time is 1
hour. Assume that the surface concentration is limited by the solid-
solubility limit. If the n-type background doping of the silicon is
5x1016 cm–3, find the junction depth.

Start by finding Dt for this diffusion:

= exp

.
= . exp = .
. ( )

So Dt will be

= . ( )= .

EE 432/532 diffusion examples – 1

 Next, look up the surface concentration, which is the solid-solubility
limit at 1050°C. Interpolating from the table,

Ns ≈ 2.4x1020 cm–3.

Finally, apply the equation that was derived for junction depth for a
constant source diffusion:

with 1– NB/No = 0.999792. Consultation with a table of error

function values (next page) shows that

erf( 2.63 ) ≈ 0.9998

So that

= . ( . )= . = . µ
EE 432/532 diffusion examples – 2
EE 432/532 diffusion examples – 3
 Example 2
An arsenic, constant-dose diffusion is performed. The initial dose is
1014 cm–2. The diffusion temperature is 1100°C and the diffusion time
is 2 hr. The starting wafer had a p-type background doping of
1017 cm–3. Find the concentration of the As at the surface and find the
junction depth.

Again, we need to find Dt. From the table

= exp

.
= . exp = .
. ( )

So Dt will be

= . ( )= .

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 Find the surface concentration

( )=

= = .
.

Using the previously derived junction depth formula for Gaussian

diffusions:

( )
= ln

.
= . ln = . = . µ

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 Example 3
In a two-step process, phosphorus was diffused into a p-type silicon
wafer (NB = 1016 cm–3). In the deposition step, the temperature was
900°C and the diffusion time was 45 minutes. In the drive step, the
temperature was 1100°C and the time was 60 minutes. Find the
surface concentration and junction depth.

Find (Dt)1 for the first step

= exp

.
= . exp = .
. ( )

( ) = . ( )= .

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 The dose introduced during the first step is

= ( )

Ns is the solid-solubility of phosphorus in silicon at 900°C. From the

table, Ns = 7x1020 cm–3, giving

= . = .

Next, calculate (Dt)2,

.
= . exp = .
. ( )

( ) = . ( )= .

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 Now, we can find the surface concentration

( )=

.
= = .
.

and the junction depth

( )
= ln

.
= . ln = . = . µ

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 Example 4
Design a constant-dose diffusion of antimony into p-type silicon that
gives a surface concentration of 5x1018 cm–3 and a junction depth of 1
µm. The background p-type doping in the silicon is 5x1016 cm–3. In
this case, the “design entails finding suitable values for Dt and Q for
the diffusion.

Start with the constant-dose equation

( , )= exp

= ( ) exp

We can use the two requirement (junction depth and surface

concentration) in the above equation to find Dt

= = = .
( )
ln ln
EE 432/532 diffusion examples – 9
 We finish by finding the required Q,

= ( )

= . = .

Note that we didn’t use the information about the type of dopant. That
wouldn’t show up until we try to use pick specific temperature and
time to give the specific Dt we calculated. At that point, we would
have to use the diffusion parameters for antimony.

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 Example 5
Design a two-step diffusion of boron into n-type silicon that will result
in a surface concentration of 5x1017 cm–3 and a junction depth of 2
µm. The background n-type doping in the silicon is 1x1015 cm–3. (In
this case, design means to find suitable values for (Dt)1 and (Dt)2 for
the diffusion.)

This will be similar to example 4. Start by using the junction depth to

find (Dt)2.

( , )= ( ) exp
( )

( ) =
( )
ln

= = .
ln
EE 432/532 diffusion examples – 11
 Then we can use the surface concentration requirement to find (Dt)1.

( )
( )=
( )

We need a value for Ns. Assume that the deposition will be done at
900°C. From the solid-solubility data, we see that for boron at 850°C,
Ns = 9.5x1019 cm–3. Then

( )
( ) = ( )

= . = .
.

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 Since we assumed a temperature of 900°C for the first step, we can
calculate the corresponding time.

.
= . exp = .
. ( )

( ) .
= = =
.

To find (Dt)2, we would first need to choose either a time or a

temperature for the second step and then calculate the other quantity.

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