Method for manufacturing a semiconductor device

• US 5,643,826 A
• Filed: 10/25/1994
• Issued: 07/01/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Fukunaga, Takeshi, Ohtani, Hisashi, Zhang, Hongyong, Miyanaga, Akiharu
• Primary Examiner(s): Bowers, Jr., Charles L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Radomsky, Leon
• Application Number:
  US08/329,644
• Time in Patent Office: 980 Days
• Field of Search: 117/64, 117/67, 117/68, 437/230, 437/36, 437/21, 437/40, 437/41, 437/88, 437/233, 437/959, 437/967, 437/141, 437/142, 437/159, 427/98, 148/DIG. 143, 148/DIG. 16, 257/57, 257/61, 257/64, 257/66, 257/75
• US Class Current: 438/162
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02422 Non-crystalline insulating materials, e.g. glass, polymers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02532 Silicon, silicon germanium, germanium
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02672 using crystallisation enhancing elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02686 Pulsed laser beam
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1277 using a crystallisation promoting species, e.g. local introduction of Ni catalyst
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1296 adapted to increase the uniformity of device parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/045 by their particular orientation of crystalline planes
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/66772 Monocristalline silicon transistors on insulating substrates, e.g. quartz substrates H01L29/66666 takes precedence; thin film FinFETs H01L29/66795
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/78654 Monocrystalline silicon transistors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/78675 with normal-type structure, e.g. with top gate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/78678 with inverted-type structure, e.g. with bottom gate
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 148/016 Catalyst

Abstract

A process for fabricating a highly stable and reliable semiconductor, comprising: coating the surface of an amorphous silicon film with a solution containing a catalyst element capable of accelerating the crystallization of the amorphous silicon film, and heat treating the amorphous silicon film thereafter to crystallize the film.

Claims

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

disposing a crystallization promoting solution in contact with at least a portion of an amorphous silicon film on a substrate, said solution containing an element selected from the group consisting nickel (Ni), palladium (Pd), platinum (Pt), copper (Cu), silver (Ag), gold (Au), indium (In), tin (Sn), phosphorous (P), arsenic (As), and antinomy (Sb); and

crystallizing said silicon film by heating;

wherein a concentration of said element in said silicon film after said crystallizing is within a range from 1×

10¹⁶ to 1×

10¹⁹ atoms/cm³ and said solution contains said element at a concentration less than 200 ppm.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said solution is maintained in contact with said silicon film for a period before said crystallizing.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein concentration of said material which is introduced into the silicon film is controlled by changing said period.

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

disposing a solution in contact with a silicon film on a substrate, said solution containing nickel;

drying said solution so that a continuous crystallization promoting layer containing nickel is formed; and

crystallizing said silicon film by heating,

said method further comprising the step of interposing an oxide film between said solution and said silicon film so that said nickel is diffused into said silicon film through said oxide film itself.

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

disposing a solution in contact with an amorphous silicon film on a substrate, said solution containing nickel at less than 200 ppm;

drying said solution so that a continuous crystallization promoting layer containing nickel is formed; and

crystallizing said silicon film by heating,

wherein said nickel is contained in said silicon film after said heating, at a concentration in the range from 1×

10¹⁶ atoms/cm³ to 1×

10¹⁹ atoms/cm³.

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

adding a crystallization promoting material into a first region of a silicon film formed on a surface by disposing a solution containing said crystallization promoting material in contact with a selected portion of the silicon film;

heating said silicon film in order that crystals grow from said first region toward a second region of the silicon film to which said crystallization promoting material is not directly added, and

forming said semiconductor device by using said second region of the silicon film as an active region of said semiconductor device,

wherein a concentration of said crystallization promoting material in said second region after said heating is within a range of 1×

10¹⁶ to 5×

10¹⁹ atoms/cm³.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said silicon film is amorphous.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein said crystallization promoting material is contained in the first region of the silicon film at a higher concentration than in the second region after said heating.

9. The method of claim 6 further comprising the step of patterning said silicon film after said heating in order to form an active region of the semiconductor device in said second region.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein said crystallization promoting material is selected from the group consisting of nickel (Ni), palladium (Pd), platinum (Pt), copper (Cu), silver (Ag), gold (Au), indium (In), tin (Sn), phosphorus (P), arsenic (As), and antimony (Sb).

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

preparing a solution containing a compound dissolved or dispersed in a polar solvent, said compound including a crystallization promoting material;

disposing said solution in contact with a silicon film;

drying said solution to form a continuous layer containing said crystallization promoting material; and

then

crystallizing said silicon film by heating,

wherein said solution includes an interfacial active agent.

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

preparing a solution containing a compound dissolved or dispersed in a polar solvent, said compound including a crystallization promoting material;

disposing said solution in contact with a silicon film;

drying said solution to form a continuous layer containing said crystallization promoting material; and

then

crystallizing said silicon film by heating,

said method, further comprising the step of interposing an oxide film between said solution and said silicon film so that said crystallization material is diffused into said silicon film through said oxide film itself.