SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME

• US 20130087790A1
• Filed: 10/05/2012
• Published: 04/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: YAMAZAKI, Shunpei
• Granted Patent: US 9,105,608 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 257/57
• 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 29/4908 for thin film semiconductor, e.g. gate of TFT
• 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 miniaturized transistor having favorable electric characteristics is provided. The transistor includes an oxide semiconductor layer which is in contact with a source electrode layer on one of side surfaces in a channel length direction and in contact with a drain electrode layer on the other of the side surfaces in the channel length direction. With this structure, an electric field between the source electrode layer and the drain electrode layer is relaxed and a short-channel effect is suppressed. Further, a sidewall layer having conductivity is provided on a side surface of a gate electrode layer in the channel length direction, so that the sidewall layer having conductivity overlaps with the source electrode layer or the drain electrode layer with a gate insulating layer provided therebetween, which enables the transistor to substantially have an L_ov region.

Claims

1. A semiconductor device comprising:

a source electrode layer;

a drain electrode layer;

an oxide semiconductor layer in contact with the source electrode layer on one of side surfaces in a channel length direction and in contact with the drain electrode layer on the other of the side surfaces in the channel length direction;

a gate insulating layer in contact with an entire upper surface of the oxide semiconductor layer, at least a part of an upper surface of the source electrode layer, and at least a part of an upper surface of the drain electrode layer;

a gate electrode layer over the oxide semiconductor layer with the gate insulating layer therebetween;

a first sidewall layer having conductivity in contact with one of side surfaces of the gate electrode layer in the channel length direction; and

a second sidewall layer having conductivity in contact with the other of the side surfaces of the gate electrode layer in the channel length direction,

wherein at least part of the first sidewall layer is provided over the source electrode layer with the gate insulating layer therebetween, and

wherein at least part of the second sidewall layer is provided over the drain electrode layer with the gate insulating layer therebetween.

2. The semiconductor device according to claim 1,

wherein the side surface of the oxide semiconductor layer in contact with the source electrode layer or the drain electrode layer has a tapered shape.

3. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an insulating layer provided over the first sidewall layer, the second sidewall layer, and the gate electrode layer;

a first wiring layer electrically connected to the source electrode layer through a first opening provided in the insulating layer and the gate insulating layer; and

a second wiring layer electrically connected to the drain electrode layer through a second opening provided in the insulating layer and the gate insulating layer.

4. A semiconductor device comprising:

a source electrode layer;

a drain electrode layer;

an oxide semiconductor layer including a first impurity region, a second impurity region, and a channel formation region sandwiched between the first impurity region and the second impurity region and being in contact with the source electrode layer on a side surface of the first impurity region in a channel length direction and in contact with the drain electrode layer on a side surface of the second impurity region in the channel length direction;

a gate insulating layer in contact with an entire upper surface of the oxide semiconductor layer, at least a part of an upper surface of the source electrode layer, and at least a part of an upper surface of the drain electrode layer;

a gate electrode layer over the channel formation region with the gate insulating layer therebetween;

a first sidewall layer having conductivity in contact with one of side surfaces of the gate electrode layer in the channel length direction; and

a second sidewall layer having conductivity in contact with the other of the side surfaces of the gate electrode layer in the channel length direction,

wherein at least part of the first sidewall layer is provided over the source electrode layer with the gate insulating layer therebetween, and

wherein at least part of the second sidewall layer is provided over the drain electrode layer with the gate insulating layer therebetween.

5. The semiconductor device according to claim 4,

wherein the side surface of the oxide semiconductor layer in contact with the source electrode layer or the drain electrode layer has a tapered shape.

6. The semiconductor device according to claim 4, further comprising:

an insulating layer provided over the first sidewall layer, the second sidewall layer, and the gate electrode layer;

a first wiring layer electrically connected to the source electrode layer through a first opening provided in the insulating layer and the gate insulating layer; and

a second wiring layer electrically connected to the drain electrode layer through a second opening provided in the insulating layer and the gate insulating layer.

7. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising the steps of:

forming an island-shaped oxide semiconductor layer;

forming a conductive film covering the island-shaped oxide semiconductor layer;

removing a region of the conductive film which overlaps with the island-shaped oxide semiconductor layer with a chemical mechanical polishing method to provide a conductive film having an opening;

processing the conductive film having the opening to form a source electrode layer and a drain electrode layer;

forming a gate insulating layer over the island-shaped oxide semiconductor layer, the source electrode layer, and the drain electrode layer;

forming a gate electrode layer overlapping with the island-shaped oxide semiconductor layer with the gate insulating layer therebetween; and

forming a first sidewall layer or a second sidewall layer having conductivity in a region in contact with a side surface of the gate electrode layer and overlapping with the source electrode layer or the drain electrode layer.