Method for fabricating a semiconductor structure having a crystalline alkaline earth metal oxide interface with silicon

Abstract

A method for fabricating a semiconductor structure comprises the steps of providing a silicon substrate ( 10 ) having a surface ( 12 ); forming on the surface of the silicon substrate an interface ( 14 ) comprising a single atomic layer of silicon, oxygen, and a metal; and forming one or more layers of a single crystal oxide ( 26 ) on the interface. The interface comprises an atomic layer of silicon, oxygen, and a metal in the form XSiO 2 , where X is a metal.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method of fabricating a semiconductor structure comprising the steps of: 
 providing a silicon substrate having a surface;    forming on the surface of the silicon substrate an interface comprising a single atomic layer of silicon, oxygen, and a metal; and    forming one or more layers of a single crystal oxide on the interface.    
     
     
         2 . The method of fabricating a semiconductor structure of    claim 1    wherein the forming the interface step includes forming a 2×1 reconstruction.  
     
     
         3 . The method of fabricating a semiconductor structure of    claim 1    wherein the forming an interface step includes forming the interface in an ultra-high-vacuum system.  
     
     
         4 . The method of fabricating a semiconductor structure of    claim 1    wherein the forming an interface step includes forming the interface in a chemical vapor deposition system.  
     
     
         5 . The method of fabricating a semiconductor structure of    claim 1    wherein the forming an interface step includes forming the interface in a physical vapor deposition system.  
     
     
         6 . The method of fabricating a semiconductor structure of    claim 1    wherein the forming an interface step comprises forming a single atomic layer of silicon, oxygen, and an alkaline-earth-metal.  
     
     
         7 . The method of fabricating a semiconductor structure of    claim 6    wherein the alkaline-earth-metal is selected from the group of barium and strontium.  
     
     
         8 . The method of fabricating a semiconductor structure of    claim 1    wherein forming an interface step comprises the steps of: 
 forming a half of a monolayer of an alkaline-earth-metal;  
 forming a half of a monolayer of silicon; and  
 forming a monolayer of oxygen.  
 
     
     
         9 . A method of fabricating a semiconductor structure comprising the steps of: 
 providing a silicon substrate having a surface;    forming amorphous silicon dioxide on the surface of the silicon substrate;    providing an alkaline-earth-metal on the amorphous silicon dioxide; and    heating the semiconductor structure to form an interface comprising a single atomic layer adjacent the surface of the silicon substrate.    
     
     
         10 . The method of fabricating a semiconductor structure of    claim 9    wherein the heating step includes forming the interface with a 2×1 reconstruction.  
     
     
         11 . The method of fabricating a semiconductor structure of    claim 9    wherein the steps of providing an alkaline-earth-metal and heating the semiconductor structure are accomplished in an ultra-high-vacuum system.  
     
     
         12 . The method of fabricating a semiconductor structure of    claim 9    wherein the steps of providing an alkaline-earth-metal and heating the semiconductor structure are accomplished in a chemical vapor deposition system.  
     
     
         13 . The method of fabricating a semiconductor structure of    claim 9    wherein the steps of providing an alkaline-earth-metal and heating the semiconductor structure are accomplished in a physical vapor deposition system.  
     
     
         14 . The method of fabricating a semiconductor structure of    claim 9    wherein the heating step includes forming an interface having a single atomic layer of silicon, oxygen, and an alkaline-earth-metal.  
     
     
         15 . The method of fabricating a semiconductor structure of    claim 14    wherein the alkaline-earth-metal is selected from the group of barium and strontium.  
     
     
         16 . The method of fabricating a semiconductor structure of    claim 9    wherein heating step includes forming an interface step comprises the steps of: 
 forming a half of a monolayer of an alkaline-earth-metal;  
 forming a half of a monolayer of silicon; and  
 forming a monolayer of oxygen.  
 
     
     
         17 . A method of fabricating a semiconductor structure comprising the steps of: 
 providing a silicon substrate having a surface;    providing an alkaline-earth-metal on the surface of the silicon substrate; and    providing silicon and oxygen to form an interface comprising a single atomic interface with the surface of the silicon substrate.    
     
     
         18 . The method of fabricating a semiconductor structure of    claim 17    wherein the providing silicon and oxygen step comprises forming an interface having a 2×1 reconstruction.  
     
     
         19 . The method of fabricating a semiconductor structure of    claim 17    wherein the steps of providing an alkaline-earth-metal and providing silicon and oxygen are accomplished in an ultra-high-vacuum system.  
     
     
         20 . The method of fabricating a semiconductor structure of    claim 17    wherein the steps of providing an alkaline-earth-metal and providing silicon and oxygen are accomplished in a chemical vapor deposition system.  
     
     
         21 . The method of fabricating a semiconductor structure of    claim 17    wherein the steps of providing an alkaline-earth-metal and providing silicon and oxygen are accomplished in a physical vapor deposition system.  
     
     
         22 . The method of fabricating a semiconductor structure of    claim 17    wherein the providing silicon and oxygen step comprises forming a single atomic layer of silicon, oxygen, and an alkaline-earth-metal.  
     
     
         23 . The method of fabricating a semiconductor structure of    claim 22    wherein the alkaline-earth-metal is selected from the group of barium and strontium.  
     
     
         24 . The method of fabricating a semiconductor structure of    claim 17    wherein the providing silicon and oxygen step comprises the steps of: 
 forming a half of a monolayer of an alkaline-earth-metal;  
 forming a half of a monolayer of silicon; and  
 forming a monolayer of oxygen.