Fabrication method for a thin film semiconductor device, the thin film semiconductor device itself, liquid crystal display, and electronic device
First Claim
1. A fabrication process for fabricating a thin film semiconductor device, comprising:
- forming an underlevel protection layer comprising an insulating material formed on at least a portion of a substrate;
forming a semiconductor film on the underlevel protection layer the semiconductor film being an active layer of a transistor; and
melt crystallizing the semiconductor film, wherein a surface roughness of the underlevel protection layer has a center line mean roughness value of about 1.5 nm or less.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In order to fabricate a high performance thin film semiconductor device using a low temperature process in which it is possible to use low price glass substrates, a thin film semiconductor device has been fabricated by forming a silicon film at less than 450° C., and, after crystallization, keeping the maximum processing temperature at or below 350° C.
In applying the present invention to the fabrication of an active matrix liquid crystal display, it is possible to both easily and reliably fabricate a large, high-quality liquid crystal display. Additionally, in applying the present invention to the fabrication of other electronic circuits as well, it is possible to both easily and reliably fabricate high-quality electronic circuits.
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Citations
42 Claims
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1. A fabrication process for fabricating a thin film semiconductor device, comprising:
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forming an underlevel protection layer comprising an insulating material formed on at least a portion of a substrate; forming a semiconductor film on the underlevel protection layer the semiconductor film being an active layer of a transistor; and melt crystallizing the semiconductor film, wherein a surface roughness of the underlevel protection layer has a center line mean roughness value of about 1.5 nm or less.
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2. A fabrication process for fabricating a thin film semiconductor device using a single plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition reactor, comprising:
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removing films adhered in a deposition chamber of said plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition reactor; forming a passivation layer in said deposition chamber; placing at least one substrate in said deposition chamber; forming an underlevel protection layer on said in step 4, the at least one substrate; forming a semiconductor layer on said underlevel protection layer; and removing said at least one substrate from said deposition chamber.
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3. A fabrication process for fabricating a thin film semiconductor device, comprising
forming an underlevel protection layer comprising an insulating material formed on at least a portion of each of a plurality of substrates; -
placing the plurality of substrates in a deposition chamber of a low pressure chemical vapor deposition reactor, each of the plurality of substrates having a surface area S of about 90000 mm2 or larger; placing the plurality of substrates in the deposition chamber of the low pressure chemical vapor deposition reactor at a substrate spacing of d, where d≧
0.02×
S1/2 ; andforming a semiconductor film on the underlevel protection layer, the semiconductor film being an active layer of a transistor.
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4. A fabrication process for fabricating a thin film semiconductor devices comprising:
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forming an underlevel protection layer comprising an insulating material formed on at least a portion of a substrate; and forming a silicon-containing semiconductor film on said underlevel protection layer, the silicon-containing semiconductor film being an active layer of a transistor, wherein the silicon-containing semiconductor film is formed with a low pressure chemical vapor deposition method using a higher silane as at least one type of source gas, the higher silane being Sin H2n+2, where n is an integer greater than or equal to 2 and wherein a deposition temperature of less than about 450°
C. is used to form the silicon-containing semiconductor film, the silicon-containing semiconductor film being deposited at a deposition rate of about 0.20 nm/min or more. - View Dependent Claims (5)
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6. A fabrication process for fabricating a thin film semiconductor device having an underlevel protection layer formed on a portion of a substrate and a semiconductor film formed on said underlevel protection layer, the underlevel protection layer comprising an insulating material and the semiconductor film being an active layer of a transistor, the process comprising:
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forming the semiconductor film on top of said underlevel protection layer in a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition reactor; and
thenexposing said semiconductor film to a hydrogen plasma without breaking a vacuum of the plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition reactor.
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7. A fabrication process for fabricating a thin film semiconductor device having an underlevel protection layer formed on at least a portion of a substrate and a semiconductor film formed on said underlevel protection layer, the underlevel protection layer comprising an insulating material and the semiconductor film being an active layer of a transistor, the process comprising;
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forming the semiconductor film on top of said underlevel protection layer in a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition reactor, and then exposing said semiconductor film to an oxygen plasma without breaking a vacuum of the plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition reactor.
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8. A fabrication process for fabricating a thin film semiconductor device having an underlevel protection layer formed on at least a portion of a substrate and a semiconductor film formed on said underlevel protection layer, the underlevel protection layer comprising an insulating material and the semiconductor film being an active layer of a transistor, the process comprising:
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forming the semiconductor film on top of said underlevel protection layer in a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition reactor;
thenexposing said semiconductor film to a hydrogen plasma without breaking a vacuum of the plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition reactor, and then exposing said semiconductor film to an oxygen plasma without breaking the vacuum of the plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition reactor.
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9. A fabrication process for fabricating a thin film semiconductor device having an underlevel protection layer formed on at least a portion of a substrate and a semiconductor film formed on said underlevel protection layer, the underlevel protection layer comprising an insulating material and the semiconductor film being an active layer of a transistor, the processing comprising:
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forming the semiconductor film on top of the underlevel protection layer;
thenremoving an oxide layer from the surface of said semiconductor film and then melt crystallizing the semiconductor film immediately after the removal of the oxide layer.
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10. A fabrication process for fabricating a thin film semiconductor device having a semiconductor film formed on an insulating material and the insulating material formed on at least a portion of a surface of a substrate, said semiconductor film being an active layer of a transistor the process comprising:
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depositing the semiconductor film using a low pressure chemical vapor deposition at a deposition temperature less than about 450°
C.;irradiating said semiconductor film by one of optical and electromagnetic energy; and depositing a gate insulator layer after formation of said semiconductor film;
whereina deposition temperature of the gate insulator layer and a processing temperature following fabrication of the gate insulator layer are at or below 350°
C. - View Dependent Claims (11)
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12. A fabrication process for fabricating a thin film semiconductor device having a semiconductor film formed on an insulating material and the insulating material formed on at least a portion of a surface of a substrate, said semiconductor film being an active layer of a transistor, the process comprising:
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forming the semiconductor film at a deposition temperature of about 350°
C. or less;
irradiating said semiconductor film by one of optical and electromagnetic energy; anddepositing a gate insulator layer after formation of said semiconductor film;
whereina deposition temperature of the gate insulator layer and a processing temperature following fabrication of the gate insulator layer are at or below 350°
C. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14)
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15. A fabrication process for fabricating a thin film semiconductor device having a semiconductor film formed on an insulating material and the insulating material formed on at least a portion of a surface of a substrates, said semiconductor film being an active layer of a transistor, the process comprising:
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fabricating the semiconductor film by very high frequency plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition; and performing remaining processes at a maximum processing temperature of about 350°
C. or less. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A fabrication process for fabricating a thin film semiconductor device having a crystalline semiconductor film formed on an insulating material and the insulating material formed on at least a portion of a surface of a substrate, said crystalline semiconductor film being an active layer of a transistor, the process comprising:
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fabricating the crystalline semiconductor film by microwave plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition; and performing remaining processes at a maximum processing temperature of about 350°
C. or less. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A fabrication process for fabricating a thin film semiconductor device having a semiconductor film formed on an insulating material and the insulating material formed on at least a portion of a surface of a substrate, said semiconductor film being an active layer of a transistor, the process comprising:
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fabricating the semiconductor film by very high frequency plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition; crystallizing said semiconductor film; and performing remaining processes at a maximum processing temperature of about 350°
C. or less. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A fabrication process for fabricating a thin film semiconductor device having a crystalline semiconductor film formed on an insulating material and the insulating material formed on at least a portion of a surface of a substrate, said crystalline semiconductor film being an active layer of a transistor the process comprising:
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fabricating the crystalline semiconductor film by microwave plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition;
thencrystallizing said semiconductor film; and performing remaining processes at a maximum processing temperature of about 350°
C. or less. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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Specification