Metal oxide protection structure of a semiconductor device

• US 10,461,192 B2
• Filed: 09/01/2015
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Lee, Je-Hun, Kim, Eun-Hyun, Shin, Sang-Won, Lee, Eun-Young
• Primary Examiner(s): Monbleau, Davienne N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cruz, Leslie Pilar
• Application Number:
  US14/842,540
• Publication Number:
  US 20160118503A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,519 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02244 of a metallic layer
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02255 formation by thermal treatment H01L21/02252 takes precedence; after treatment of an insulating film H01L21/3105 and subgroups
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/443 from a gas or vapour, e.g. condensation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1248 with a particular composition or shape of the interlayer dielectric specially adapted to the circuit arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/42384 for thin film field effect transistors, e.g. characterised by the thickness or the shape of the insulator or the dimensions, the shape or the lay-out of the conductor
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/66969 of devices having semiconductor bodies not comprising group 14 or group 13/15 materials comprising selenium or tellurium in uncombined form other than as impurities in semiconductor bodies of other materials, comprising cuprous oxide or cuprous iodide H01L21/02365
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/78606 with supplementary region or layer in the thin film or in the insulated bulk substrate supporting it for controlling or increasing the safety of the device H01L29/78642, H01L29/78645 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/7869 having a semiconductor body comprising an oxide semiconductor material, e.g. zinc oxide, copper aluminium oxide, cadmium stannate

Abstract

A semiconductor device may include a substrate, a gate electrode disposed on the substrate, a gate insulation layer disposed on the substrate to cover the gate electrode, an active layer including an oxide semiconductor disposed on the gate insulation layer, an insulating interlayer disposed on the gate insulation layer to cover the active layer, a protection structure including a plurality of metal oxide layers disposed on the insulating interlayer, and a source electrode and a drain electrode disposed on the protection structure.

Claims

1. A semiconductor device comprising:

a gate electrode disposed on a substrate;

a gate insulation layer disposed on the substrate to cover the gate electrode;

an active layer disposed on the gate insulation layer, the active layer comprising an oxide semiconductor;

an insulating interlayer disposed on the gate insulation layer and configured to cover the active layer;

a protection structure disposed on the insulating interlayer; and

a source electrode and a drain electrode disposed on the protection structure, the source electrode and the drain electrode contacting a source region and a drain region of the active layer, respectively,

wherein;

the protection structure comprises a first metal oxide layer disposed on the insulating interlayer, and a second metal oxide layer disposed on the first metal oxide layer;

the first metal oxide layer has a first oxygen content greater than a second oxygen content of the second metal oxide layer;

the second oxygen content abruptly varies from the first oxygen content at an interface between the first metal oxide layer and the second metal oxide layer;

the first metal oxide layer has a first composition of MO_x1 (where M represents aluminum, titanium, tantalum or zirconium, O denotes oxygen, and x means a positive real number) having a first oxygen content, and the second metal oxide layer has a second composition of MO_x2 having a second oxygen content; and

a thickness ratio between the first metal oxide layer and the second metal oxide layer is in a range of about 1.0;

0.03 to 1.0;

0.6.

2. The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein each of the first metal oxide layer and the second metal oxide layer comprises at least one of an aluminum oxide, a titanium oxide, a tantalum oxide, or a zirconium oxide.

3. The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein a difference between the first oxygen content and the second oxygen content is greater than about 3 atomic percentage.

4. The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the first oxygen content is greater than the second oxygen content.

5. The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the first oxygen content is less than the second oxygen content.

6. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising:

forming a gate electrode on a substrate;

forming a gate insulation layer on the substrate to cover the gate electrode;

forming an active layer comprising an oxide semiconductor on the gate insulation layer;

forming an insulating interlayer on the active layer to cover the gate insulation layer;

forming a protection structure on the insulating interlayer; and

forming a source electrode and a drain electrode on the protection structure, the source electrode and the drain electrode contacting a source region and a drain region of the active layer, respectively,

wherein;

forming the protection structure comprises;

forming a first metal oxide layer on the insulating interlayer; and

forming a second metal oxide layer on the first metal oxide layer;

the first metal oxide layer has a first oxygen content greater than a second oxygen content of the second metal oxide layer;

the second oxygen content abruptly varies from the first oxygen content at an interface between the first metal oxide layer and the second metal oxide layer;

the first metal oxide layer has a first composition of MO_x1 (where M represents aluminum, titanium, tantalum or zirconium, O denotes oxygen, and x means a positive real number) having a first oxygen content, and the second metal oxide layer has a second composition of MO_x2 having a second oxygen content; and

a thickness ratio between the first metal oxide layer and the second metal oxide layer is in a range of about 1.0;

0.03 to 1.0;

0.6.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein forming the second metal oxide layer comprises:

forming a metal layer on the first metal oxide layer; and

performing an oxidation treatment on the metal layer.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein forming the metal layer comprises a sputtering process.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the oxidation treatment comprises a thermal oxidation process.