Semiconductor device and manufacturing method thereof

• US 7,189,631 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2003
• Issued: 03/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Ohno, Yumiko, Takayama, Toru, Maruyama, Junya, Yamazaki, Shunpei
• Primary Examiner(s): DANG, TRUNG Q
• Application Number:
  US10/694,803
• Publication Number:
  US 20040232413A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,231 Days
• Field of Search: 438/458, 438/759, 438/928
• US Class Current: 438/458
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2221/68368 used in a transfer process involving at least two transfer steps, i.e. including an intermediate handle substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/291 Oxides or nitrides or carbides, e.g. ceramics, glass
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1214 comprising a plurality of TFTs formed on a non-semiconducting substrate, e.g. driving circuits for AMLCDs
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1218 with a particular composition or structure of the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1266 the substrate on which the devices are formed not being the final device substrate, e.g. using a temporary substrate
• 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 29/78603 characterised by the insulating substrate or support H01L29/78657 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/12 Active-matrix OLED [AMOLED] displays
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/10 Deposition of organic active material
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/50 Forming devices by joining two substrates together, e.g. lamination techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/60 Forming conductive regions or layers, e.g. electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/80 using temporary substrates
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 438/928 Front and rear surface processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 438/982 Varying orientation of devices in array

Abstract

It is an object of the present invention to provide a peeling method that causes no damage to a layer to be peeled and to allow not only a layer to be peeled with a small surface area but also a layer to be peeled with a large surface area to be peeled entirely. Further, it is also an object of the present invention to bond a layer to be peeled to various base materials to provide a lighter semiconductor device and a manufacturing method thereof. Particularly, it is an object to bond various elements typified by a TFT, (a thin film diode, a photoelectric conversion element comprising a PIN junction of silicon, or a silicon resistance element) to a flexible film to provide a lighter semiconductor device and a manufacturing method thereof.

When a metal layer 11 is provided over a substrate, an oxide layer 12 is provided in contact with the metal layer 11, a layer to be peeled 13 is formed, and the metal layer 11 is irradiated with a laser beam to perform oxidization and form a metal oxide layer 16, a clear separation is possible with a physical means within the metal oxide layer 12 or at an interface between the metal oxide layer 16 and the oxide layer 12.

Claims

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

forming a metal layer in contact with a substrate;

removing a portion of the metal layer which is in contact with a peripheral portion of the substrate;

forming an oxide layer in contact with the metal layer, and a layer to be peeled including a semiconductor element over the oxide layer;

bonding a support to the layer to be peeled;

oxidizing the metal layer to form a metal oxide layer between the metal layer and the oxide layer after bonding the support to the layer to be peeled; and

peeling the layer to be peeled that is bonded to the support from the substrate within the metal oxide layer, at an interface between the metal oxide layer and the oxide layer, or at an interface between the metal oxide layer and the metal layer after bonding the support to the layer to be peeled,

wherein oxidizing the metal layer is conducted with irradiation of a laser beam.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein oxidizing the metal film is conducted with heat treatment or compound treatment of irradiation of the laser beam and heat treatment.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the laser beam is light emitted from a continuous wave oscillation or pulse oscillation solid laser.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the metal layer is a single layer comprising an element selected from Ti, Ta, W, Mo, Cr, Nd, Fe, Ni, Go, Zr, and Zn, or one of an alloy material and a compound material including the element as its main component, or a lamination layer thereof.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the oxide layer in contact with the metal layer is a silicon oxide film formed by sputtering.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the substrate is a glass substrate or a quartz substrate, and the support is a plastic substrate or a plastic base material.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the layer to be peeled includes a thin film transistor, a photoelectric conversion element comprising a PIN junction of silicon, an organic light-emitting element, an element comprising a liquid crystal, a memory element, a thin film diode, or a silicon resistor element.

30. The method according to claim 1, wherein the metal layer is formed between the oxide layer and the substrate.

2. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising:

forming an insulator layer on a substrate, a metal layer in contact with the insulator layer;

removing a portion of the metal layer formed over a peripheral portion of the substrate;

forming an oxide layer in contact with the metal layer, and a layer to be peeled including a semiconductor element above the oxide layer;

bonding a support to the layer to be peeled;

oxidizing the metal layer to form a metal oxide layer between the metal layer and the insulating layer, between the metal layer and the oxide layer, or both between the metal layer and the insulating layer and between the metal layer and the oxide layer after bonding the support to the layer to be peeled; and

peeling the layer to be peeled that is bonded to the support from the substrate within the metal oxide layer in contact with the insulating layer, at an interface between the metal oxide layer in contact with the insulating layer and the insulating layer, at an interface between the metal oxide layer in contact with the insulating layer and the metal layer, within the metal oxide layer in contact with the oxide layer, at an interface between the metal oxide layer in contact with the oxide layer and the oxide layer, or at an interface between the metal oxide layer in contact with the oxide layer and the metal layer after bonding the support to the layer to be peeled,

wherein oxidizing the metal layer is conducted with irradiation of a laser beam.

10. The method according to claim 2, wherein oxidizing the metal film is conducted with heat treatment or compound treatment of irradiation of the laser beam and heat treatment.

11. The method according to claim 2, wherein the laser beam is light emitted from a continuous wave oscillation or pulse oscillation solid laser.

12. The method according to claim 2, wherein the metal layer is a single layer comprising an element selected from Ti, Ta, W, Mo, Cr, Nd, Fe, Ni, Co, Zr, and Zn, or one of an alloy material and a compound material including the element as its main component, or a lamination layer thereof.

13. The method according to claim 2, wherein the oxide layer in contact with the metal layer is a silicon oxide film formed by sputtering.

14. The method according to claim 2, wherein the substrate is a glass substrate or a quartz substrate, and the support is a plastic substrate or a plastic base material.

15. The method according to claim 2, wherein the layer to be peeled includes a thin film transistor, a photoelectric conversion element comprising a PIN junction of silicon, an organic light-emitting element, an element comprising a liquid crystal, a memory element, a thin film diode, or a silicon resistor element.

31. The method according to claim 2, wherein the metal layer is formed between the oxide layer and the substrate.

3. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising:

forming a metal layer in contact with a substrate;

removing a portion of the metal layer which is in contact with a peripheral portion of the substrate;

forming an oxide layer in contact with the metal layer, and a layer to be peeled including a semiconductor element over the oxide layer;

bonding a support to the layer to be peeled;

oxidizing the metal layer to form a metal oxide layer between the metal layer and the oxide layer after bonding the support to the layer to be peeled; and

peeling the layer to be peeled that is bonded to the support from the substrate at a portion between the metal layer and the oxide layer,

wherein oxidizing the metal layer is conducted with irradiation of a laser beam.

16. The method according to claim 3, wherein oxidizing the metal film is conducted with heat treatment or compound treatment of irradiation of the laser beam and heat treatment.

17. The method according to claim 3, wherein the laser beam is light emitted from a continuous wave oscillation or pulse oscillation solid laser.

18. The method according to claim 3, wherein the metal layer is a single layer comprising an element selected from Ti, Ta, W, Mo, Cr, Nd, Fe, Ni, Co, Zr, and Zn, or one of an alloy material and a compound material including the element as its main component, or a lamination layer thereof.

19. The method according to claim 3, wherein the oxide layer in contact with the metal layer is a silicon oxide film formed by sputtering.

20. The method according to claim 3, wherein the substrate is a glass substrate or a quartz substrate, and the support is a plastic substrate or a plastic base material.

21. The method according to claim 3, wherein the layer to be peeled includes a thin film transistor, a photoelectric conversion element comprising a PIN junction of silicon, an organic light-emitting element, an element comprising a liquid crystal, a memory element, a thin film diode, or a silicon resistor element.

32. The method according to claim 3, wherein the metal layer is formed between the oxide layer and the substrate.

22. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising:

forming a metal layer over a substrate;

removing a portion of the metal layer formed over a peripheral portion of the substrate;

forming an oxide layer on the metal layer, wherein a metal oxide layer is formed between the metal layer and the oxide layer;

forming a layer to be peeled including a semiconductor element over the oxide layer;

bonding a support to the layer to be peeled;

irradiating the metal layer with a laser after bonding the support to the layer to be

peeled; and

peeling the layer to be peeled that is bonded to the support from the substrate at a portion between the metal layer and the oxide layer.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein the metal layer is a single layer comprising an element selected from Ti, Ta, W, Mo, Cr, Nd, Fe, Ni, Co, Zr, and Zn, or one of an alloy material and a compound material including the element as its main component, or a lamination layer thereof.

24. The method according to claim 22, wherein the oxide layer in contact with the metal layer is a silicon oxide film formed by sputtering.

25. The method according to claim 22, wherein the substrate is a glass substrate or a quartz substrate, and the support is a plastic substrate or a plastic base material.

26. The method according to claim 22, wherein the layer to be peeled includes a thin film transistor, a photoelectric conversion element comprising a PIN junction of silicon, an organic light-emitting element, an element comprising a liquid crystal, a memory element, a thin film diode, or a silicon resistor element.

27. The method according to claim 22, wherein the metal oxide layer is formed after forming the oxide layer.

28. The method according to claim 22, wherein oxidizing the metal film is conducted with heat treatment or compound treatment of irradiation of the laser beam and heat treatment.

29. The method according to claim 22, wherein the laser beam is light emitted from a continuous wave oscillation or pulse oscillation solid laser.

33. The method according to claim 27, wherein the metal layer is formed between the oxide layer and the substrate.