Semiconductor Device and Manufacturing Method Thereof

• US 20110049588A1
• Filed: 08/17/2010
• Published: 03/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Isobe, Atsuo, Harima, Noriko, Matsumoto, Noriko, Shimomura, Akihisa, Yamawaki, Kazuko, Hamada, Takashi, Noda, Kosei, Kurokawa, Yoshiyuki, Ikeda, Takayuki
• Granted Patent: US 8,426,231 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 257/290
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14643 Photodiode arrays; MOS imagers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/103 the potential barrier being of the PN homojunction type
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/105 the potential barrier being of the PIN type
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/1804 comprising only elements of Group IV of the Periodic Table
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/1864 Annealing
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/1892 methods involving the use of temporary, removable substrates
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/547 Monocrystalline silicon PV cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

An object of an embodiment of the disclosed invention is to provide a semiconductor device including a photoelectric conversion element with excellent characteristics. An object of an embodiment of the disclosed invention is to provide a semiconductor device including a photoelectric conversion device with excellent characteristic through a simple process. A semiconductor device is provided, which includes a light-transmitting substrate; an insulating layer over the light-transmitting substrate; and a photoelectric conversion element over the insulating layer. The photoelectric conversion element includes a single crystal semiconductor layer including a semiconductor region having an effect of photoelectric conversion, a semiconductor region having a first conductivity type, and a semiconductor region having a second conductivity type; a first electrode electrically connected to the semiconductor region having the first conductivity type; and a second electrode electrically connected to the semiconductor region having the second conductivity type.

Claims

1. A semiconductor device comprising:

a light-transmitting substrate;

an insulating layer over the light-transmitting substrate; and

a photoelectric conversion element over the insulating layer,

wherein the photoelectric conversion element includes;

a single crystal semiconductor layer including a semiconductor region having an effect of photoelectric conversion, a semiconductor region having a first conductivity type, and a semiconductor region having a second conductivity type;

a first electrode electrically connected to the semiconductor region having the first conductivity type; and

a second electrode electrically connected to the semiconductor region having the second conductivity type.

2. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the insulating layer is a silicon oxide film including organosilane.

3. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein a transistor is provided over the insulating layer.

4. A semiconductor device comprising:

a light-transmitting substrate;

a first insulating layer over the light-transmitting substrate;

a light-blocking layer selectively formed over the first insulating layer;

a second insulating layer over the light-blocking layer; and

a photoelectric conversion element over the second insulating layer,

wherein the photoelectric conversion element includes;

a single crystal semiconductor layer including a semiconductor region having an effect of photoelectric conversion, a semiconductor region having a first conductivity type, and a semiconductor region having a second conductivity type;

a first electrode electrically connected to the semiconductor region having the first conductivity type; and

a second electrode electrically connected to the semiconductor region having the second conductivity type.

5. The semiconductor device according to claim 4, wherein the second insulating layer is a silicon oxide film including organosilane.

6. The semiconductor device according to claim 4, wherein a transistor is provided over the second insulating layer.

7. A semiconductor device comprising:

a light-transmitting substrate;

an insulating layer over the light-transmitting substrate; and

a photoelectric conversion element and a transistor over the insulating layer,

wherein the photoelectric conversion element includes;

a first single crystal semiconductor layer including a semiconductor region having an effect of photoelectric conversion, a semiconductor region having a first conductivity type, and a semiconductor region having a second conductivity type;

a first electrode electrically connected to the semiconductor region having the first conductivity type; and

a second electrode electrically connected to the semiconductor region having the second conductivity type,

wherein the transistor includes;

a second single crystal semiconductor layer including a channel formation region, a source region, and a drain region;

a gate insulating film over the second single crystal semiconductor layer;

a gate electrode over the gate insulating film;

a source electrode electrically connected to the source region; and

a drain electrode electrically connected to the drain region,

wherein the first single crystal semiconductor layer and the second single crystal semiconductor layer are formed over the insulating layer, and

wherein a thickness of the first single crystal semiconductor layer is larger than a thickness of the second single crystal semiconductor layer.

8. The semiconductor device according to claim 7, wherein the insulating layer is a silicon oxide film including organosilane.

9. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device including a photoelectric conversion element, comprising the steps of:

irradiating a single crystal semiconductor substrate with an ion to form an embrittled region in the single crystal semiconductor substrate;

bonding together the single crystal semiconductor substrate and a light-transmitting substrate with an insulating layer therebetween;

separating the single crystal semiconductor substrate at the embrittled region to form a single crystal semiconductor layer over the light-transmitting substrate;

processing the single crystal semiconductor layer to form an island-shaped single crystal semiconductor layer;

selectively adding a first impurity element and a second impurity element to the island-shaped single crystal semiconductor layer to form a semiconductor region having an effect of photoelectric conversion, a semiconductor region having a first conductivity type, and a semiconductor region having a second conductivity type;

forming a first electrode electrically connected to the semiconductor region having the first conductivity type; and

forming a second electrode electrically connected to the semiconductor region having the second conductivity type.

10. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 9, wherein the insulating layer is a silicon oxide film including organosilane.

11. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device including a photoelectric conversion element, comprising the steps of:

irradiating a single crystal semiconductor substrate with an ion to form an embrittled region in the single crystal semiconductor substrate;

forming a first insulating layer over a light-transmitting substrate and forming a light-blocking layer over the first insulating layer;

bonding together the single crystal semiconductor substrate and the light-transmitting substrate in which the light-blocking layer is formed with a second insulating layer therebetween;

separating the single crystal semiconductor substrate at the embrittled region to form a single crystal semiconductor layer over the light-transmitting substrate;

processing the single crystal semiconductor layer to form an island-shaped single crystal semiconductor layer;

selectively adding a first impurity element and a second impurity element to the island-shaped single crystal semiconductor layer to form a semiconductor region having an effect of photoelectric conversion, a semiconductor region having a first conductivity type, and a semiconductor region having a second conductivity type;

forming a first electrode electrically connected to the semiconductor region having the first conductivity type; and

forming a second electrode electrically connected to the semiconductor region having the second conductivity type.

12. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 11, wherein the second insulating layer is a silicon oxide film including organosilane.

13. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device including a photoelectric conversion element and a transistor, comprising the steps of:

irradiating a single crystal semiconductor substrate with an ion to form an embrittled region in the single crystal semiconductor substrate;

forming a first insulating layer over a light-transmitting substrate and forming a light-blocking layer over the first insulating layer;

bonding together the single crystal semiconductor substrate and the light-transmitting substrate in which the light-blocking layer is formed with a second insulating layer therebetween;

separating the single crystal semiconductor substrate at the embrittled region to form a single crystal semiconductor layer over the light-transmitting substrate;

processing the single crystal semiconductor layer to form a first island-shaped single crystal semiconductor layer and a second island-shaped single crystal semiconductor layer;

selectively adding a first impurity element and a second impurity element to the first island-shaped single crystal semiconductor layer to form a semiconductor region having an effect of photoelectric conversion, a semiconductor region having a first conductivity type, and a semiconductor region having a second conductivity type;

forming a first electrode electrically connected to the semiconductor region having the first conductivity type; and

forming a second electrode electrically connected to the semiconductor region having the second conductivity type, thereby forming the photoelectric conversion element;

selectively adding the first impurity element or the second impurity element to the second island-shaped single crystal semiconductor layer to form a channel formation region, a source region, and a drain region;

forming a gate insulating film over the second island-shaped single crystal semiconductor layer;

forming a gate electrode over the gate insulating film; and

forming a source electrode electrically connected to the source region and forming a drain electrode electrically connected to the drain region, thereby forming the transistor.

14. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 13, wherein the second insulating layer is a silicon oxide film including organosilane.

15. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device including a photoelectric conversion element and a transistor, comprising the steps of:

irradiating a single crystal semiconductor substrate with an ion to form an embrittled region in the single crystal semiconductor substrate;

forming a first insulating layer over a light-transmitting substrate and forming a light-blocking layer over the first insulating layer;

processing the light-blocking layer to form a plurality of island-shaped light-blocking layers including a first island-shaped light-blocking layer and a second island-shaped light-blocking layer;

forming a second insulating layer having flatness to cover the plurality of island-shaped light-blocking layers;

bonding together the single crystal semiconductor substrate and the light-transmitting substrate in which the second insulating layer is formed with a third insulating layer therebetween;

separating the single crystal semiconductor substrate at the embrittled region to form an island-shaped single crystal semiconductor layer which overlap with the plurality of island-shaped light-blocking layers over the light-transmitting substrate;

selectively adding a first impurity element and a second impurity element to the island-shaped single crystal semiconductor layer overlapping with the first island-shaped light-blocking layer to form a semiconductor region having an effect of photoelectric conversion, a semiconductor region having a first conductivity type, and a semiconductor region having a second conductivity type;

forming a first electrode electrically connected to the semiconductor region having the first conductivity type; and

forming a second electrode electrically connected to the semiconductor region having the second conductivity type, thereby forming the photoelectric conversion element;

selectively adding the first impurity element or the second impurity element to the island-shaped single crystal semiconductor layer overlapping with the second island-shaped light-blocking layer to form a channel formation region, a source region, and a drain region;

forming a gate insulating film over the island-shaped single crystal semiconductor layer overlapping with the second island-shaped light-blocking layer;

forming a gate electrode over the gate insulating film; and

forming a source electrode electrically connected to the source region and forming a drain electrode electrically connected to the drain region, thereby forming the transistor.

16. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 15, wherein the second insulating layer is a silicon oxide film including organosilane.