Method of forming a solution processed transistor having a multilayer dielectric

• US 20060088962A1
• Filed: 10/22/2004
• Published: 04/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Hoffman, Randy, Mardilovich, Peter, Kramer, Laura, Ulmer, Kurt, Herman, Gregory S.
• Application Number:
  US10/972,229
• Publication Number:
  US 20060088962A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 438/151
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02123 the material containing silicon
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02172 the material containing at least one metal element, e.g. metal oxides, metal nitrides, metal oxynitrides or metal carbides materials containing silicon H01L21/02123; metal silicates H01L21/02142
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/022 the layer being a laminate, i.e. composed of sublayers, e.g. stacks of alternating high-k metal oxides adhesion layers or buffer layers H01L21/02304, H01L21/02362
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02282 liquid deposition, e.g. spin-coating, sol-gel techniques, spray coating
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/316 composed of oxides or glassy oxides or oxide based glass
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 28/56 the dielectric comprising two or more layers, e.g. comprising buffer layers, seed layers, gradient layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/4908 for thin film semiconductor, e.g. gate of TFT

Abstract

Embodiments of methods, apparatuses, devices, and/or systems for forming a solution processed transistor having a multilayer dielectric are described.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

depositing a first inorganic dielectric material over at least a portion of a substrate by use of one or more solution processes;

depositing a second inorganic dielectric material over and/or in contact with at least a portion of said first inorganic dielectric material by use of one or more solution processes, wherein said second inorganic dielectric material is substantially amorphous and/or glass-like, to form at least a portion of a dielectric layer of a thin film transistor.

2. The method of claim 1, and further comprising forming a channel layer over at least a portion of the substrate, wherein said channel layer is formed such that at least a portion of the first inorganic dielectric material is in contact with at least a portion of said channel layer.

3. The method of claim 1, and further comprising:

processing at least a portion of said first and second inorganic dielectric materials subsequent to the respective depositing of each material.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said processing substantially comprises one or more of the following:

curing, evaporation, solidification, ablation, crystallization, removal, polymerization, densification, and patterning.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said one or more solution processes comprises one or more of the following:

ejection, including ink jetting, contact printing, spin coating, dip coating, spray coating, screen printing, chemical bath deposition and successive ionic layer absorption and reaction.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said depositing said first inorganic dielectric material and said depositing said second inorganic dielectric material are substantially performed by differing solution processes.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said first inorganic dielectric material comprises one or more of:

SiO_x, AlO_x, ZrO_x, HfO_x, SiN_x, SiO_xN_y, GeO_x, GaO_x, SbO_x, SnOx, TiOx, YOx, LaOx, Ba_aSr_bTiOx, Ba_aZr_bTiOx, TaO_x, and combinations thereof,

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said second inorganic dielectric material comprises one or more of:

metal-oxy-hydroxy-salts, one or more types of glass, including solution processed silicate glasses, alkaline doped silicate glasses, sodium silicates, phosphosilicates, borosilicates, aluminosilicates, oxycarbide glasses and polysiloxanes, one or more glass resins including silsesquioxanes, hafnium-oxy-hydroxy-sulfate HfO_x(OH)_y(SO₄)_z) and combinations thereof.

9. The method of claim 2, and further comprising:

forming a source and drain electrode over at least a portion of the substrate; and

forming a gate electrode over at least a portion of the substrate, wherein said source and drain electrodes are formed over at least a portion of said substrate and/or said channel layer, said first inorganic dielectric material is formed over at least a portion of said channel layer and/or said source and drain electrodes, said second inorganic dielectric material is formed over at least a portion of said first inorganic dielectric material, and said gate electrode is formed over at least a portion of said second inorganic dielectric such as to form at least a portion of a top gate thin film transistor.

10. The method of claim 2, and further comprising:

forming a source and drain electrode over at least a portion of the substrate; and

forming a gate electrode over at least a portion of the substrate, wherein said gate electrode is formed on said substrate, said second inorganic dielectric material is formed on at least a portion of said gate electrode and/or said substrate, said first inorganic dielectric material is formed on at least a portion of said second inorganic dielectric material, and said source and drain electrodes are formed on at least a portion of said first inorganic dielectric material, and said channel layer is formed on at least a portion of said first inorganic dielectric material and/or said source and drain electrodes, such as to form at least a portion of a bottom gate thin film transistor.

11. A method, comprising:

a step for depositing a first inorganic dielectric material over at least a portion of a substrate by use of one or more steps for solution processing;

a step for processing at least a portion of said first inorganic dielectric material;

a step for depositing a second inorganic dielectric material over and/or in contact with said at least a portion of said first inorganic dielectric material by use of one or more steps for solution processing, wherein said second inorganic dielectric material is substantially amorphous and/or glass-like; and

a step for processing at least a portion of said second inorganic dielectric material, to form at least a portion of a dielectric layer of a thin film transistor.

12. The method of claim 11, and further comprising forming a channel layer over at least a portion of the substrate, wherein said channel layer is formed such that at least a portion of the first inorganic dielectric material is in contact with at least a portion of the channel layer.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said step for processing substantially comprises one or more of the following:

curing, evaporation, solidification, ablation, crystallization, removal, polymerization, densification and patterning.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein one or more of said steps for solution processing comprises one or more of the following:

ejection, including ink jetting, contact printing, spin coating, dip coating, spray coating, screen printing, chemical bath deposition and successive ionic layer absorption and reaction.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said steps for depositing said first inorganic dielectric material and said depositing said second inorganic dielectric material comprise differing steps for solution processing.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein said first inorganic dielectric material comprises one or more of:

SiO_x, AlO_x, ZrO_x, HfO_x, SiN_x, SiO_xN_y, GeO_x, GaO_x, SbO_x, SnOx, TiOx, YOx, LaOx, Ba_aSr_bTiOx, Ba_aZr_bTiOx, TaO_x, and combinations thereof.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein said second inorganic dielectric material comprises one or more of:

metal-oxy-hydroxy-salts, one or more types of glass, including solution processed silicate glasses, alkaline doped silicate glasses, sodium silicates, phosphosilicates, borosilicates, aluminosilicates, oxycarbide glasses and polysiloxanes, one or more glass resins including silsesquioxanes, hafnium-oxy-hydroxy-sulfate HfO_x(OH)_y(SO₄)_z) and combinations thereof.

18. The method of claim 12, and further comprising:

a step for forming a source and drain electrode over at least a portion of the substrate; and

a step for forming a gate electrode over at least a portion of the substrate, wherein said source and drain electrodes are formed on at least a portion of said substrate and/or said channel layer, said first inorganic dielectric material is formed on at least a portion of said channel layer and/or said source and drain electrodes, said second inorganic dielectric material is formed on at least a portion of said first inorganic dielectric material, and said gate electrode is formed on at least a portion of said second inorganic dielectric layer whereby at least a portion of a top gate thin film transistor is formed.

19. The method of claim 12, and further comprising:

a step for forming a source and drain electrode over at least a portion of the substrate; and

a step for forming a gate electrode over at least a portion of the substrate, wherein said gate electrode is formed on said substrate, said second inorganic dielectric material is formed on at least a portion of said gate electrode and/or said substrate, said first inorganic dielectric material is formed on at least a portion of said second inorganic dielectric material, and said source and drain electrodes are formed on at least a portion of said first inorganic dielectric material, and said channel layer is formed on at least a portion of said first inorganic dielectric material and/or said source and drain electrodes, such as to form at least a portion of a bottom gate thin film transistor.

20. An apparatus, comprising:

a thin film transistor (TFT) having a substrate, at least one channel layer, a plurality of electrodes and a dielectric layer, wherein said dielectric layer substantially comprises a first dielectric material and a second dielectric material, wherein said first dielectric material substantially comprises one or more metal oxides, wherein said second dielectric material substantially comprises amorphous inorganic material, and wherein said first dielectric material is in contact with at least a portion of the channel layer, and said second dielectric material is in contact with at least a portion of said first dielectric material.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein at least a portion of said first and second dielectric materials are deposited by utilizing one or more solution processes, including ejection, including ink jetting, contact printing, spin coating, dip coating, spray coating, screen printing, chemical bath deposition and successive ionic layer absorption and reaction.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said first and said second dielectric materials are deposited by use of differing solution processes.

23. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said first dielectric material comprises one or more of:

SiO_x, AlO_x, ZrO_x, HfO_x, SiO_xN_y, GeO_x, GaO_x, SbO_x, SnOx, TiOx, YOx, LaOx, Ba_aSr_bTiOx, Ba_aZr_bTiOx, TaO_x, and combinations thereof.

24. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said second dielectric material comprises one or more of:

metal-oxy-hydroxy-salts, one or more types of glass, including solution processed silicate glasses, alkaline doped silicate glasses, sodium silicates, phosphosilicates, borosilicates, aluminosilicates, oxycarbide glasses and polysiloxanes, one or more glass resins including silsesquioxanes, hafnium-oxy-hydroxy-sulfate HfO_x(OH)_y(SO₄)_z) and combinations thereof.

25. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said TFT substantially comprises a bottom gate transistor.

26. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said TFT substantially comprises a top gate transistor.

27. An apparatus, comprising:

means for forming a thin film transistor (TFT) having a substrate, at least one channel layer, a plurality of electrodes and a dielectric layer, wherein said dielectric layer substantially comprises a first dielectric material and a second dielectric material, wherein said first dielectric material substantially comprises one or more metal oxides, wherein said second dielectric material substantially comprises amorphous inorganic material, and wherein said first dielectric material is in contact with at least a portion of the channel layer, and said second dielectric material is in contact with at least a portion of said first dielectric material.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein at least a portion of said first and second dielectric materials are deposited by one or more means for solution processing, including ejection, including ink jetting, contact printing, spin coating, dip coating, spray coating, screen printing, chemical bath deposition and successive ionic layer absorption and reaction.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein said first and said second dielectric materials are deposited by us of differing means for solution processing.

30. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein said first dielectric material comprises one or more of:

SiO_x, AlO_x, ZrO_x, HfO_x, SiO_xN_y, GeO_x, GaO_x, SbO_x, SnOx, TiOx, YOx, LaOx, Ba_aSr_bTiOx, Ba_aZr_bTiOx, TaO_x, and combinations thereof.

31. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein said second dielectric material comprises one or more of:

metal-oxy-hydroxy-salts, one or more types of glass, including solution processed silicate glasses, alkaline doped silicate glasses, sodium silicates, phosphosilicates, borosilicates, aluminosilicates, oxycarbide glasses and polysiloxanes, one or more glass resins including silsesquioxanes, hafnium-oxy-hydroxy-sulfate HfO_x(OH)_y(SO₄)_z) and combinations thereof.

32. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein said TFT substantially comprises a bottom gate transistor.

33. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein said TFT substantially comprises a top gate transistor.

34. A thin film transistor (TFT), formed substantially by a process comprising:

a step for depositing a first material over at least a portion of a substrate utilizing one or more steps for solution processing to form a first portion of a dielectric layer, said first material substantially comprising a first inorganic dielectric material;

a step for depositing a second material over and/or in contact with said at least a portion of said first portion of a dielectric layer by use of one or more steps for solution processing to form a second portion of a dielectric layer, said second material substantially comprising a substantially amorphous second inorganic dielectric material, to form at least a portion of a dielectric layer of a thin film transistor.

35. The TFT of claim 34, and further comprising a step for forming a channel layer over at least a portion of the substrate, wherein said channel layer is formed such that at least a portion of the first portion of a dielectric layer is in contact with at least a portion of the channel layer.

36. The TFT of claim 34, and further comprising:

a step for processing at least a portion of said first and second portions of a dielectric layer subsequent to the respective depositing of each material.

37. The TFT of claim 36, wherein said step for processing substantially comprises one or more of the following:

curing, evaporation, solidification, ablation, crystallization, removal, polymerization, densification, and/or patterning.

38. The TFT of claim 34, wherein said one or more steps for solution processing comprises one or more of the following:

ejection, including ink jetting, contact printing, spin coating, dip coating, spray coating, screen printing, chemical bath deposition and successive ionic layer absorption and reaction.

39. The TFT of claim 38, wherein said steps for depositing said first material and said second material substantially comprises differing steps for solution processing.

40. The TFT of claim 34, wherein said first material comprises one or more of:

SiO_x, AlO_x, ZrO_x, HfO_x, SiN_x, SiO_xN_y, GeO_x, GaO_x, SbO_x, SnOx, TiOx, YOx, LaOx, Ba_aSr_bTiOx, Ba_aZr_bTiOx, TaO_x, and combinations thereof.

41. The TFT of claim 34, wherein said second material comprises one or more of:

metal-oxy-hydroxy-salts, one or more types of glass, including solution processed silicate glasses, alkaline doped silicate glasses, sodium silicates, phosphosilicates, borosilicates, aluminosilicates, oxycarbide glasses and polysiloxanes, one or more glass resins including silsesquioxanes, hafnium-oxy-hydroxy-sulfate HfO_x(OH)_y(SO₄)_z) and combinations thereof.

42. The TFT of claim 35, and further comprising:

a step for forming a source and drain electrode over at least a portion of the substrate; and

a step for forming a gate electrode over at least a portion of the substrate, wherein said source and drain electrodes are formed on at least a portion of said substrate and/or said channel layer, said first portion of a dielectric layer is formed on at least a portion of said channel layer and/or said source and drain electrodes, said second portion of a dielectric layer is formed on at least a portion of said first portion of a dielectric layer, and said gate electrode is formed on at least a portion of said second portion of a dielectric layer such as to form at least a portion of a top gate thin film transistor.

43. The TFT of claim 35, and further comprising:

a step for forming a source and drain electrode over at least a portion of the substrate; and

a step for forming a gate electrode over at least a portion of the substrate, wherein said gate electrode is formed on said substrate, said second portion of a dielectric layer is formed on at least a portion of said gate electrode and/or said substrate, said first portion of a dielectric layer is formed on at least a portion of said portion of a dielectric layer, and said source and drain electrodes are formed on at least a portion of said first portion of a dielectric layer, and said channel layer is formed on at least a portion of said first portion of a dielectric layer and/or said source and drain electrodes, such as to form at least a portion of a bottom gate thin film transistor.