Semiconductor device and display device having a protection layer

• US 10,522,567 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2018
• Issued: 12/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Japan Display Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Japan Display Incorporated
• Inventors: Hanyu, Yuichiro, Watanabe, Hirokazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Soward, Ida M
• Application Number:
  US16/041,259
• Publication Number:
  US 20180331128A1
• Time in Patent Office: 529 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1225 with semiconductor materials not belonging to the group IV of the periodic table, e.g. InGaZnO
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1229 with different crystal properties within a device or between different devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1233 with different thicknesses of the active layer in different devices
• 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 27/1251 comprising TFTs having a different architecture, e.g. top- and bottom gate TFTs
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/78633 with a light shield
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/7869 having a semiconductor body comprising an oxide semiconductor material, e.g. zinc oxide, copper aluminium oxide, cadmium stannate
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 10/474 the gate dielectric comprising a multilayered structure

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a first insulating film, a first semiconductor layer formed of polycrystalline silicon, a second semiconductor layer formed of an oxide semiconductor, a second insulating film, a first gate electrode, a second gate electrode, a third insulating film formed of silicon nitride, and a protection layer. The protection layer is located between the second insulating film and the third insulating film, is opposed to the second semiconductor layer, and is formed of either an aluminum oxide or fluorinated silicon nitride.

Claims

1. A semiconductor device comprising:

a first insulating film;

a first semiconductor layer formed of polycrystalline silicon;

a second semiconductor layer located on the first insulating film and formed of an oxide semiconductor;

a second insulating film arranged on the first insulating film and the second semiconductor layer;

a first gate electrode opposed to a top surface of the first semiconductor layer;

a second gate electrode located above the second insulating film and opposed to the second semiconductor layer;

a third insulating film located above the second insulating film, the first gate electrode, and the second gate electrode and formed of silicon nitride; and

a protection layer located between the second insulating film and the third insulating film, opposed to the second semiconductor layer, and formed of either an aluminum oxide or fluorinated silicon nitride.

2. The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the second gate electrode is located on the protection layer.

3. The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the protection layer is located on the second gate electrode.

4. The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein in planar view, the protection layer has an area greater than or equal to an area of the second semiconductor layer and completely covers the second semiconductor layer.

5. The semiconductor device of claim 1, further comprising:

a first electrode, a second electrode, a third electrode, and a fourth electrode which are located above the third insulating film and are formed in the same layer as each other,

wherein

the first semiconductor layer includes a first region, a second region, and a first channel region located between the first region and the second region,

the second semiconductor layer includes a third region, a fourth region, and a second channel region located between the third region and the fourth region,

the first electrode is connected to the first region through a first contact hole formed in the second insulating film and the third insulating film,

the second electrode is connected to the second region through a second contact hole formed in the second insulating film and the third insulating film,

the third electrode is connected to the third region through a third contact hole formed in the second insulating film and the third insulating film, and

the fourth electrode is connected to the fourth region through a fourth contact hole formed in the second insulating film and the third insulating film.

6. The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the first insulating film and the second insulating film are formed of oxides.

7. A display device comprising:

a plurality of scanning lines;

a plurality of signal lines;

a plurality of pixels, each of the pixels being defined by two adjacent scanning lines and two adjacent signal lines; and

a thin-film transistor included in at least one of the pixels, wherein the thin-film transistor includes

a first insulating film,

a first semiconductor layer formed of polycrystalline silicon,

a second semiconductor layer located on the first insulating film and formed of an oxide semiconductor,

a second insulating film arranged on the first insulating film and the second semiconductor layer,

a first gate electrode opposed to a top surface of the first semiconductor layer;

a second gate electrode located above the second insulating film and opposed to the second semiconductor layer;

a third insulating film located above the second insulating film, the first gate electrode, and the second gate electrode and formed of silicon nitride, and

a protection layer located between the second insulating film and the third insulating film, opposed to the second semiconductor layer, and formed of either an aluminum oxide or fluorinated silicon nitride.

8. The display device of claim 7, wherein the second gate electrode is located on the protection layer.

9. The display device of claim 7, wherein the protection layer is located on the second gate electrode.

10. The display device of claim 7, wherein in planar view, the protection layer has an area greater than or equal to an area of the second semiconductor layer and completely covers the second semiconductor layer.

11. The display device of claim 7, wherein the thin-film transistor further includes a first electrode, a second electrode, a third electrode, and a fourth electrode which are located above the third insulating film and are formed in the same layer as each other,

the first semiconductor layer includes a first region, a second region, and a first channel region located between the first region and the second region,

the second semiconductor layer includes a third region, a fourth region, and a second channel region located between the third region and the fourth region,

the first electrode is connected to the first region through a first contact hole formed in the second insulating film and the third insulating film,

the second electrode is connected to the second region through a second contact hole formed in the second insulating film and the third insulating film,

the third electrode is connected to the third region through a third contact hole formed in the second insulating film and the third insulating film, and

the fourth electrode is connected to the fourth region through a fourth contact hole formed in the second insulating film and the third insulating film.

12. The display device of claim 7, wherein the first insulating film and the second insulating film are formed of oxides.

13. A semiconductor device comprising:

a first insulating film;

a semiconductor layer located on the first insulating film and formed of an oxide semiconductor;

a second insulating film arranged on the first insulating film and the semiconductor layer;

a gate electrode located above the second insulating film and opposed to the semiconductor layer;

a third insulating film located above the second insulating film and the gate electrode and formed of silicon nitride; and

a protection layer located between the second insulating film and the third insulating film, opposed to the semiconductor layer, and formed of either an aluminum oxide or fluorinated silicon nitride.