Method for manufacturing semiconductor device

• US 7,837,792 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2004
• Issued: 11/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Ohtani, Hisashi, Teramoto, Satoshi, Yamazaki, Shunpei, Miyanaga, Akiharu
• Primary Examiner(s): Kunemund; Robert M
• Application Number:
  US10/946,072
• Publication Number:
  US 20050037554A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,253 Days
• Field of Search: 117/95, 117/97, 117/903, 117/923, 117/929
• US Class Current: 117/95
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 1/02 by thermal treatment, e.g. strain annealing C30B1/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 29/06 Silicon
• 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 21/02488 Insulating materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02532 Silicon, silicon germanium, germanium
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02672 using crystallisation enhancing elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02675 using laser beams
• 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

Abstract

In a method for manufacturing a crystalline silicon film by utilizing a metal element that accelerates the crystallization of silicon, an adverse influence of this metal element can be suppressed. A semiconductor device manufacturing method is comprised of the steps of: forming an amorphous silicon film on a substrate having an insulating surface; patterning the amorphous silicon film to form a predetermined pattern; holding a metal element that accelerates the crystallization of silicon in such a manner that the metal element is brought into contact with the amorphous silicon film; performing a heating process to crystalize the amorphous silicon film, thereby being converted into a crystalline silicon film; and etching a peripheral portion of the pattern of the crystalline silicon film.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising:

forming a non-single crystalline semiconductor film over a substrate having an insulating surface;

patterning the semiconductor film into a patterned semiconductor film by first etching;

disposing a crystallization promoting material in contact with the patterned semiconductor film either before or after the patterning, the crystallization promoting material containing a metal;

crystallizing the patterned semiconductor film provided with the crystallization promoting material by heating, wherein the metal segregates in an edge portion of the patterned semiconductor film during the crystallization; and

removing the edge portion of the patterned semiconductor film by second etching after the crystallizing step to form an active region of the semiconductor device.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the non-single crystalline semiconductor film is amorphous.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the heating is carried out at 450-700°

C.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the heating is carried out at 800-1100°

C. and the substrate is a quartz substrate.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the semiconductor film comprises silicon.

6. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising:

forming a non-single crystalline semiconductor film over a substrate having an insulating surface;

patterning the semiconductor film to provide defects and stress in an edge portion of the semiconductor film by first etching;

applying a solution comprising a crystallization promoting material in contact with the semiconductor film, the crystallization promoting material containing a metal;

crystallizing the patterned semiconductor film applied with the crystallization promoting material by heating wherein the metal segregates in the edge portion during the crystallization; and

patterning the edge portion by second etching after the crystallizing step to form an active region of the semiconductor device.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the non-single crystalline semiconductor film is amorphous.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the heating is carried out at 450-700°

C.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein the heating is carried out at 800-1100°

C. and the substrate is a quartz substrate.

10. The method according to claim 6, wherein the defects and/or stress are provided by directing ions of phosphorous or oxygen into the selected region.

11. The method according to claim 6, wherein the semiconductor film comprises silicon.

12. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising:

forming a non-single crystalline semiconductor film over a substrate having an insulating surface;

patterning the semiconductor film to provide defects and stress in an edge portion of the semiconductor film by first etching;

disposing a crystallization promoting material in contact with the semiconductor film, the crystallization promoting material containing a metal;

crystallizing the patterned semiconductor film provided with the crystallization promoting material by heating wherein the metal segregates in the edge portion during the crystallization; and

removing at least the edge portion to form an active region of the semiconductor device by second etching after the crystallization.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the non-single crystalline semiconductor film is amorphous.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the heating is carried out at 450-700°

C.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein the heating is carried out at 800-1100°

C. and the substrate is a quartz substrate.

16. The method according to claim 12, wherein the defects and/or stress are provided by directing ions of phosphorous or oxygen into the selected region.

17. The method according to claim 12, wherein a distance d between the selected region and a center of the active region is expressed by D/30 to D, where D is a dispersion distance of the metal.

18. The method according to claim 12, wherein the distance d is from 0.2 μ

m to 2 μ

m.

19. The method according to claim 12, wherein the D is expressed by D₀ texp(−

Δ

E/kt).

20. The method according to claim 12, wherein the semiconductor film comprises silicon.

21. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising:

forming a non-single crystalline semiconductor film on an insulating surface;

patterning the semiconductor film by first etching;

adding ions of an element which is inert to the semiconductor film into an edge portion thereof;

disposing a crystallization promoting material in contact with the semiconductor film, the crystallization promoting material containing a metal;

crystallizing the patterned semiconductor film by heating wherein the metal segregates in the edge portion during the crystallization; and

removing at least the edge portion to form an active region of the semiconductor device by second etching.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the non-single crystalline semiconductor film is amorphous.

23. The method according to claim 21, wherein the heating is carried out at 450-700°

C.

24. The method according to claim 21, wherein the heating is carried out at 800-1100°

C. and the substrate is a quartz substrate.

25. The method according to claim 21, wherein the defects and/or stress are provided by directing ions of phosphorous or oxygen into the selected region.

26. The method according to claim 21, wherein the semiconductor film comprises silicon.