Method for manufacturing semiconductor device

• US 5,403,772 A
• Filed: 12/03/1993
• Issued: 04/04/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Fukunaga, Takeshi, Takayama, Toru, Takemura, Yasuhiko, Uochi, Hideki, Zhang, Hongyong
• Primary Examiner(s): Breneman, R. Bruce
• Assistant Examiner(s): Paladugu, Ramamohan Rao
• Application Number:
  US08/160,908
• Time in Patent Office: 487 Days
• Field of Search: 437/101, 437/51, 437/200, 437/201, 437/174, 437/173, 437/233, 257/66
• US Class Current: 438/166
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0408 Integration of the drivers onto the display substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02532 Silicon, silicon germanium, germanium
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02672 using crystallisation enhancing elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1277 using a crystallisation promoting species, e.g. local introduction of Ni catalyst
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/66757 Lateral single gate single channel transistors with non-inverted structure, i.e. the channel layer is formed before the gate

Abstract

A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device such as a thin film transistor using a crystal silicon film is provided. The crystal silicon film is obtained by selectively forming films, particles or clusters containing nickel, iron, cobalt, ruthenium, rhodium, paradium, osmium, iridium, platinum, scandium, titanium, vanadium, chrome, manganese, copper, zinc, gold, silver or silicide thereof in a form of island, line, stripe, dot or film on or under an amorphous silicon film and using them as a starting point, by advancing its crystallization by annealing at a temperature lower than a normal crystallization temperature of an amorphous silicon. A transistor whose leak current is low and a transistor in which a mobility is high are obtained in the same time in structuring a dynamic circuit having a thin film transistor by selectively forming a cover film on a semiconductor layer which is to become an active layer of the transistor and by thermally crystallizing it thereafter.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising:

selectively forming on a substrate a substance containing a material having a catalytic action;

forming on said substrate a silicon film substantially in an amorphous state in contact with said substance; and

annealing said substrate in an atmosphere comprising at least one of oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen,

wherein crystallization of said silicon film is caused in said annealing with said catalytic action.

2. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 1 wherein said catalytic action functions to crystallize said silicon film substantially in the amorphous state readily at a low temperature.

3. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 1 wherein said semiconductor device is an electro-optical device, a thin film transistor or an integrated circuit.

4. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 2 wherein the crystallized silicon film comprises a part of an active region of a thin film transistor.

5. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising:

a first step of selectively forming on a substrate a substance containing a material selected from the group consisting of nickel, iron, cobalt, ruthenium, rhodium, paradium, osmium, iridium, platinum, scandium, titanium, vanadium, chrome, manganese, copper, zinc, gold and silver and a combination thereof;

a second step of forming a silicon film substantially in an amorphous state after the first step;

a third step of annealing the substrate in an atmosphere comprising at least one of oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen; and

a fourth step of patterning said silicon film into a shape of island.

6. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 5 wherein crystal is grown selectively in the lateral direction from a region where the substance is located in a width of 20 to 200 micron by said annealing.

7. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 5 wherein said atmosphere is changed with time from one of oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen to another one of oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen during said third step.

8. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 5 wherein said semiconductor device is an electro-optical device, a thin film transistor or an integrated circuit.

9. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising:

a first step of forming a silicon film substantially in an amorphous state on a substrate;

a second step of selectively forming a substance containing a material selected from the group consisting of nickel, iron, cobalt, ruthenium, rhodium, paradium, osmium, iridium, platinum, scandium, titanium, vanadium, chrome, manganese, copper, zinc, gold and silver and a combination thereof after the first step;

a third step of annealing the substrate in an atmosphere comprising at least one of oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen; and

a fourth step of patterning said silicon film into a shape of island.

10. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 9 further comprising a step of treating the substrate by an acid containing hydrofluoric acid or hydrochloric acid after the third step.

11. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 9 wherein crystal is grown selectively in the lateral direction from a region where the substance is located in a width of 20 to 200 micron by said annealing.

12. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 9 wherein said atmosphere is changed with time from one of oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen to another one of oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen during said third step.

13. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 9 wherein said semiconductor device is an electro-optical device, a thin film transistor or an integrated circuit.

14. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising:

a first step of forming a silicon film substantially in an amorphous state on a substrate;

a second step of forming a mask coating film into a thickness which exhibits a masking action;

a third step of patterning said mask coating film to expose a surface of said silicon film;

a fourth step of forming a coating film containing a material selected from the group consisting of nickel, iron, cobalt, ruthenium, rhodium, paradium, osmium, iridium, platinum, scandium, titanium, vanadium, chrome, manganese, copper, zinc, gold and silver and a combination thereof;

a fifth step of thermally annealing the substrate after the fourth step to react the coating film formed in the fourth step with the silicon film to produce a silicide layer;

a sixth step of removing the coating film formed in the fourth step; and

a seventh step of annealing the substrate in an atmosphere comprising at least one of oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen to crystallize the silicon film adjacent to said silicide layer in the lateral direction.

15. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 14 wherein said atmosphere is changed with time from one of oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen to another one of oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen during said seventh step.

16. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 14 wherein said semiconductor device is an electro-optical device, a thin film transistor or an integrated circuit.

17. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 14 wherein the crystallized silicon film comprises a part of an active region of a thin film transistor.

18. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising:

a first step of selectively forming on a substrate a substance containing a material selected from the group consisting of nickel, iron, cobalt, ruthenium, rhodium, paradium, osmium, iridium, platinum, scandium, titanium, vanadium, chrome, manganese, copper, zinc, gold and silver and a combination thereof;

a second step of forming a silicon film substantially in an amorphous state after the first step;

a third step of annealing the substrate in an atmosphere comprising at least one of oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen; and

a fourth step of etching and removing a part of said silicon film on a region where the substance has been selectively formed in the first step.

19. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 18 wherein said atmosphere is changed with time from one of oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen to another one of oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen during said third step.

26. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 18 wherein said semiconductor device is an electro-optical device, a thin film transistor or an integrated circuit.

20. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising:

forming a semiconductor coating film on a substrate;

selectively forming a cover film on said semiconductor coating film;

crystallizing said semiconductor coating film by heating in an atmosphere comprising at least one of hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen;

forming a gate insulating film on said semiconductor coating film;

forming a gate electrode on said gate insulating film; and

diffusing impurity element within said semiconductor coating film employing said gate electrode as a mask.

21. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 20 wherein said crystallization is carried out by heating in a mixed atmosphere of hydrogen and nitrogen;

by heating for T₁ hours in a nitrogen atmosphere and then heating for T₂ hours in an oxygen or hydrogen atmosphere;

or by heating for T₃ hours in an atmosphere containing hydrogen and then heating for T₄ hours in an atmosphere containing nitrogen.

27. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 20 wherein said semiconductor device is an electro-optical device, a thin film transistor or an integrated circuit.

22. A method for manufacturing a matrix type device comprising:

forming a semiconductor coating film on a substrate;

selectively forming a cover film only on a region of a driving circuit of said matrix device among said semiconductor coating film; and

crystallizing said semiconductor coating film by heating in an atmosphere comprising at least one of hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen.

23. The method for manufacturing a matrix type device according to claim 22 wherein said crystallization is carried out by heating in a mixed atmosphere of hydrogen and nitrogen;

by heating for T₁ hours in a nitrogen atmosphere and then heating for T₂ hours in an oxygen or hydrogen atmosphere;

or by heating for T₃ hours in an atmosphere containing hydrogen and then heating for T₄ hours in an atmosphere containing nitrogen.

24. A method for manufacturing a CMOS type device comprising:

forming a semiconductor coating film on a substrate;

selectively forming a cover film only on a region of a driving circuit of a PMOS device among said semiconductor coating film; and

crystallizing said semiconductor coating film by heating in an atmosphere comprising at least one of hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen.

25. The method for manufacturing a CMOS type device according to claim 24 wherein said crystallization is carried out by heating in a mixed atmosphere of hydrogen and nitrogen;

by heating for T₁ hours in a nitrogen atmosphere and then heating for T₂ hours in an oxygen or hydrogen atmosphere;

or by heating for T₃ hours in an atmosphere containing hydrogen and then heating for T₄ hours in an atmosphere containing nitrogen.