Semiconductor thin film transistor with crystal orientation

• US 6,335,541 B1
• Filed: 04/15/1996
• Issued: 01/01/2002
• 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): MINTEL, WILLIAM A
• Application Number:
  US08/633,307
• Time in Patent Office: 2,087 Days
• Field of Search: 257/59, 257/69, 257/70, 257/57, 257/66, 257/72, 257/628
• US Class Current: 257/59
• 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 semiconductor device having at least one thin film transistor, said thin film transistor comprising:

a glass substrate;

a channel region comprising a crystalline semiconductor layer comprising silicon formed over said glass substrate;

source and drain regions with said channel region interposed therebetween;

a gate insulating film adjacent to said channel region; and

a gate electrode adjacent to said gate insulating film,

wherein said crystalline semiconductor layer has a axis in parallel with a surface of said glass substrate.

2. A semiconductor device according to claim 1 wherein said crystalline semiconductor layer is hydrogenated.

6. A semiconductor device according to claim 1 wherein said crystalline semiconductor layer contains a catalyst element for promoting crystallization at a concentration not higher 1×

10¹⁹ atoms/cm³.

7. A semiconductor device according to claim 6 wherein said catalyst element is selected from the group consisting of nickel, palladium, platinum, copper, silver, gold, indium, tin, phosphorus, arsenic and antimony.

3. A semiconductor device having at least one thin film transistor, said thin film transistor comprising:

a glass substrate;

a channel region comprising a crystalline semiconductor layer comprising silicon formed over said glass substrate;

source and drain regions with said channel region interposed therebetween;

a gate insulating film adjacent to said channel region; and

a gate electrode adjacent to said gate insulating film,

wherein a surface of said crystalline semiconductor layer has at least one of {110}, {123}, {134}, {235}, {145}, {156}, {257}, and {167} planes but not a {111} plane.

4. A semiconductor device according to claim 3 wherein said crystalline semiconductor layer is hydrogenated.

8. A semiconductor device according to claim 3 wherein said crystalline semiconductor layer contains a catalyst element for promoting crystallization at a concentration not higher than 1×

10¹⁹ atoms/cm³.

9. A semiconductor device according to claim 8 wherein said catalyst element is selected from the group consisting of nickel, palladium, platinum, copper, silver, gold, indium, tin, phosphorus, arsenic and antimony.

5. A semiconductor device having at least one thin film transistor, said thin film transistor comprising:

glass substrate;

channel region comprising a crystalline semiconductor layer comprising silicon formed over said glass substrate;

source and drain regions with said channel region interposed therebetween;

a gate insulating film adjacent to said channel region;

and a gate electrode adjacent to said gate insulating film,

wherein a surface of said crystalline semiconductor layer has a {110} plane but not a {111} plane.

10. A semiconductor device according to claim 5 wherein said crystalline semiconductor layer contains a catalyst element for promoting crystallization at a concentration not higher than 1×

10¹⁹ atoms/cm³.

11. A semiconductor device according to claim 10 wherein said catalyst element is selected from the group consisting of nickel, palladium, platinum, copper, silver, gold, indium, tin, phosphorus, arsenic and antimony.

12. A semiconductor device having at least one thin film transistor, said thin film transistor comprising:

a channel region comprising a plurality of silicon crystals formed on an insulating surface;

source and drain region with said channel region interposed therebetween;

a gate insulating film adjacent to said channel region; and

a gate electrode adjacent to said gate insulating film,

wherein each of said silicon crystals has a axis in parallel with said insulating surface.

13. A semiconductor device according to claim 12 wherein said channel region is hydrogenated.

14. A semiconductor device according to claim 12 wherein said channel region contains a catalyst element for promoting crystallization at a concentration not higher than 1×

10¹⁹ atoms/cm³.

15. A semiconductor device according to claim 14 wherein said catalyst element is selected from the group consisting of nickel, palladium, platinum, copper, silver, gold, indium, tin, phosphorus, arsenic and antimony.

16. A semiconductor device according to claim 12 wherein said channel region is formed over a glass substrate.

17. A semiconductor device having at least one thin film transistor, said thin film transistor comprising:

a channel region comprising a plurality of silicon crystals formed on an insulating surface;

source and drain regions with said channel region interposed therebetween;

a gate insulating film adjacent to said channel region; and

a gate electrode adjacent to said gate insulating film,

wherein each of said silicon crystals has at least one of {110}, {123}, {134}, {235}, {145}, {156}, {257} and {167} planes but not a {111} plane.

18. A semiconductor device according to claim 17 wherein said crystalline semiconductor layer is hydrogenated.

19. A semiconductor device according to claim 17 wherein said channel region contains a catalyst element for promoting crystallization at a concentration not higher that 1×

10¹⁹ atoms/cm³.

20. A semiconductor device according to claim 19 wherein said catalyst element is selected from the group consisting of nickel, palladium, platinum, copper, silver, gold, indium, tin, phosphorus, arsenic and antimony.

21. A semiconductor device according to claim 17 wherein channel region is formed over a glass substrate.

22. A semiconductor device having at least one thin film transistor, said thin film transistor comprising:

a channel region comprising a plurality of silicon crystals formed on an insulating surface;

source and drain regions with said channel region interposed therebetween;

a gate insulating film adjacent to said channel region; and

a gate electrode adjacent to said gate insulating film,

wherein each of said silicon crystals has a {110} plane but not a {111} plane.

23. A semiconductor device according to claim 22 wherein said channel region contains a catalyst element for promoting crystallization at a concentration not higher than 1×

10¹⁹ atoms/cm³.

24. A semiconductor device according to claim 23 wherein said catalyst element is selected from the group consisting of nickel, palladium, platinum, copper, silver, gold, indium, tin, phosphorus, arsenic and antimony.

25. A semiconductor device according to claim 22 wherein said channel region contains hydrogen.

26. A semiconductor device according to claim 22 wherein said channel region is formed over a glass substrate.