Semiconductor device manufacturing method, heat treatment apparatus, and heat treatment method

• US 6,599,818 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2001
• Issued: 07/29/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Dairiki, Koji
• Primary Examiner(s): Lebentritt, Michael S.
• Application Number:
  US09/970,908
• Publication Number:
  US 20020061661A1
• Time in Patent Office: 662 Days
• Field of Search: 438/151, 438/162, 438/166, 438/795, 438/486, 438/149, 438/153, 438/154, 438/471, 438/473, 257/59, 257/410, 257/411, 257/347, 257/72, 257/344, 257/345
• US Class Current: 438/486
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02422 Non-crystalline insulating materials, e.g. glass, polymers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02488 Insulating materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02532 Silicon, silicon germanium, germanium
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0262 Reduction or decomposition of gaseous compounds, e.g. CVD
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02672 using crystallisation enhancing elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02678 Beam shaping, e.g. using a mask
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02686 Pulsed laser beam
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02691 Scanning of a beam
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/324 Thermal treatment for modifying the properties of semiconductor bodies, e.g. annealing, sintering H01L21/20 - H01L21/288 and H01L21/302 - H01L21/322 take precedence
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/78621 with LDD structure or an extension or an offset region or characterised by the doping profile
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/78624 the source and the drain regions being asymmetrical

Abstract

For manufacture of a semiconductor device using a low heat resistant substrate such as a glass substrate, a method of heat treatment for activating an impurity element that is used to dope a semiconductor film and for performing gettering on the semiconductor film in a short period of time without deforming the substrate, is provided. Also provided is a heat treatment apparatus for carrying out the above heat treatment. The heat treatment method of the present invention involves irradiating an object with light emitted from a lamp light source, and is characterized in that the lamp light source emits light for 0.1 to 20 seconds at a time and that light from the lamp light source irradiates the object several times. The method is also characterized in that the irradiated region is subjected to pulsating light from the lamp light source such that the irradiated region holds the temperature to its highest for 0.5 to 5 seconds. The method is also characterized in that the amount of coolant to be supplied is increased or reduced in accordance with blinking of the lamp light source to enhance the effect of the heat treatment on the semiconductor film and to prevent a heat-induced damage to the substrate.

Claims

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

forming a semiconductor film over a substrate;

forming an insulating film over said semiconductor film;

forming a conductive film over said insulating film;

doping said semiconductor film with an impurity of one conductivity type to form a semiconductor region of one conductivity type; and

activating said semiconductor region of said one conductivity type by irradiating said semiconductor region several times from said substrate side through intermittent radiation from a lamp light source,

wherein the intermittent radiation from said lamp light source lasts 0.1 to 20 seconds at a time.

5. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein said semiconductor device is selected from the group consisting of a cellular phone, a video camera, a mobile computer a portable information terminal, a TV, a portable notebook a personal computer, a player, a digital camera, a front-type projector and a rear-type projector.

7. A method according to any one of claims 1-4, wherein said lamp light source is selected from the group consisting of a halogen lamp, a metal halide lamp, a xenon lamp, a high pressure mercury lamp, a high pressure sodium lamp and an excimer lamp.

2. A semiconductor device manufacturing method comprising the steps of:

forming a semiconductor film over a substrate;

forming an insulating film over said semiconductor film;

forming a light absorptive first conductive film on said insulating film;

forming a light reflective second conductive film on said first conductive film;

doping said semiconductor film with an impurity of one conductivity type to form a semiconductor region of one conductivity type; and

activating said semiconductor region of said one conductivity type by irradiating said semiconductor region several times from said substrate side through intermittent radiation from a lamp light source.

3. A semiconductor device manufacturing method comprising the steps of:

forming an amorphous semiconductor film over one major surface of a substrate;

introducing said amorphous semiconductor film with a metal element;

crystallizing said amorphous semiconductor film to form a crystalline semiconductor film;

forming a conductive film over said crystalline semiconductor film so as to partially overlap said crystalline semiconductor film;

forming a semiconductor region of one conductivity type in said crystalline semiconductor film; and

irradiating the one major surface of said substrate and the opposite surface thereof several times through intermittent radiation from a lamp light source,

wherein the intermittent radiation from said lamp light source lasts 0.1 to 20 seconds at a time.

6. A method according to any one of claims 3 and 4, wherein said metal element is selected from the group consisting of Fe, Co, Ni, Ru, Rh, Pd, Os, Ir, Pt, Cu, and Au, or a combination thereof.

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

forming an amorphous semiconductor film over one major surface of a substrate;

introducing said amorphous semiconductor film with a metal element;

crystallizing said amorphous semiconductor film to form a crystalline semiconductor film;

forming a conductive film over said crystalline semiconductor film so as to partially overlap said crystalline semiconductor film;

forming a semiconductor region doped with phosphorus in said crystalline semiconductor film; and

irradiating the one major surface of said substrate and the opposite surface thereof several times through intermittent radiation from a lamp light source,

wherein the intermittent radiation from said lamp light source lasts 0.1 to 20 seconds at a time.

8. A semiconductor device manufacturing method comprising the steps of:

forming a semiconductor film over a substrate;

forming an insulating film over said semiconductor film;

forming a conductive film over the insulating film;

doping said semiconductor film with an impurity of one conductivity type to form a semiconductor region of one conductivity type;

holding said substrate in a processing chamber filled with a coolant;

activating the semiconductor region of said one conductivity type by irradiating the region several times from said substrate side through intermittent radiation from a lamp light source,

wherein the intermittent radiation from said lamp light source lasts 0.1 to 20 seconds at a time.

10. A method according to any one of claims 8 and 9, wherein said lamp light source is selected from the group consisting of a halogen lamp, a metal halide lamp, a xenon lamp, a high pressure mercury lamp, a high pressure sodium lamp and an excimer lamp.

11. A method according to any one of claims 8 and 9, wherein said semiconductor device is selected from the group consisting of a cellular phone, a video camera, a mobile computer, a portable information terminal, a TV, a portable notebook, a personal computer, a player, a digital camera, a front-type projector and a rear-type projector.

9. A semiconductor device manufacturing method comprising the steps of:

forming a semiconductor film over a substrate;

forming an insulating film over said semiconductor film;

forming a conductive film over the insulating film;

doping said semiconductor film with an impurity of one conductivity type to form a semiconductor region of one conductivity type;

holding said substrate in a processing chamber filled with a coolant; and

activating the semiconductor region of said one conductivity type by irradiating the region several times from said substrate side through intermittent radiation from a lamp light source,

wherein said lamp light source is turned on and the intermittent radiation from said lamp light source is held for 0.1 to 20 seconds at a time, while an amount of supply of the coolant is reduced,

wherein said lamp light source is turned off while a treatment of increasing the amount of supply of the coolant as one cycle is repeated several times.