Method of manufacturing a semiconductor device by irradiating with a laser beam

• US 7,087,504 B2
• Filed: 04/29/2002
• Issued: 08/08/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.), Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.), Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Matsuo, Takuya, Shiga, Aiko, Nakajima, Setsuo, Makita, Naoki
• Primary Examiner(s): SMITH, BRADLEY
• Application Number:
  US10/133,588
• Publication Number:
  US 20020173085A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,562 Days
• Field of Search: 438/149, 438/485, 438/486, 438/482, 438/160, 438/151, 438/480
• US Class Current: 438/486
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02381 Silicon, silicon germanium, germanium
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0242 Crystalline insulating materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02422 Non-crystalline insulating materials, e.g. glass, polymers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02425 Conductive materials, e.g. metallic silicides
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02428 Structure
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02488 Insulating materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02496 Layer structure
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02532 Silicon, silicon germanium, germanium
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02595 polycrystalline
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02609 Crystal orientation
• 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 21/02683 Continuous wave laser beam
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02686 Pulsed laser beam
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02691 Scanning of a beam
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6708 using mainly spraying means, e.g. nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67167 surrounding a central transfer chamber
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67213 comprising at least one ion or electron beam chamber coating by ion implantation C23C; ion or electron beam tubes H01J37/00
• 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 29/78675 with normal-type structure, e.g. with top gate

Abstract

A technique for manufacturing TFTs having little dispersion in their electrical characteristics is provided. Contamination of a semiconductor film is reduced by performing oxidation processing having an organic matter removing effect, forming a clean oxide film, after removing a natural oxide film formed on a semiconductor film surface. TFTs having little dispersion in their electrical characteristics can be obtained by using the semiconductor film thus obtained in active layers of the TFTs, and the electrical properties can be improved. In addition, deterioration in productivity and throughput can be reduced to a minimum by using a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus of the present invention.

Claims

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

forming an amorphous semiconductor film over a substrate;

introducing a metallic element into the amorphous semiconductor film;

forming a first crystalline semiconductor film by heating the amorphous semiconductor film;

removing an oxide film formed on a surface of the first crystalline semiconductor film;

forming a clean oxide film on the first crystalline semiconductor film by spraying ozone water;

forming a second crystalline semiconductor film by irradiating the first crystalline semiconductor film with a laser beam in an inert gas atmosphere.

2. A method according to claim 1,

wherein the inert gas atmosphere includes oxygen at a concentration in a range of equal to or less than 20 ppm.

3. A method according to claim 1,

wherein the oxide film on the surface of the first crystalline semiconductor film is removed by using hydrofluoric acid.

4. A method according to claim 1,

wherein the inert gas atmosphere is one selected from the group consisting of a nitrogen atmosphere, a hydrogen atmosphere, and a rare gas atmosphere.

5. A method according to claim 1,

wherein the matallic element comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of Ni, Pd, Pt, Cu, Ag, Au, Al, In, Sn and Pd.

6. A method according to claim 1,

wherein the metallic element is one selected from the group consisting of elements belonging to group 8, group 11, group 14, and group 15 of the periodic table.

7. A method according to claim 1,

wherein the amorphous semiconductor film is an amorphous silicon film.

8. A method according to claim 1,

wherein the first crystalline semiconductor film is a crystalline silicon film.

9. A method according to claim 1,

wherein the second crystalline semiconductor film is a crystalline silicon film.