Thin film field effect transistor and display

• US 8,178,926 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2008
• Issued: 05/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Nakayama, Masaya
• Primary Examiner(s): GREEN, TELLY D
• Application Number:
  US12/055,137
• Publication Number:
  US 20080237598A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,512 Days
• Field of Search: 257/43, 257/359, 438/104
• US Class Current: 257/359
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/78609 for preventing leakage current H01L29/78618 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/78618 characterised by the drain or the source properties, e.g. the doping structure, the composition, the sectional shape or the contact structure silicide contacts, electrodes in general H01L29/458
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/7869 having a semiconductor body comprising an oxide semiconductor material, e.g. zinc oxide, copper aluminium oxide, cadmium stannate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/78696 characterised by the structure of the channel, e.g. multichannel, transverse or longitudinal shape, length or width, doping structure, or the overlap or alignment between the channel and the gate, the source or the drain, or the contacting structure of the channel H01L29/78612 takes precedence; transistors having a drain offset region or a lightly doped drain [LDD] H01L29/78621

Abstract

A thin film field effect transistor including, on a substrate, at least a gate electrode, a gate insulating layer, an active layer, a source electrode and a drain electrode, wherein an electric resistance layer is provided in electric connection between the active layer and at least one of the source electrode or the drain electrode.

Claims

1. A thin film field effect transistor comprising at least a gate electrode, a gate insulating layer, an active layer, a source electrode and a drain electrode on a substrate, wherein an electric resistance layer is provided between the active layer and at least one of the source electrode or the drain electrode,

the electric resistance layer has an electric conductivity lower than that of the active layer,

the active layer includes an oxide semiconductor,

the electric resistance layer is thicker than the active layer,

the electric resistance layer includes an oxide semiconductor, and

a ratio of a thickness of the electric resistance layer to that of the active layer is more than 1 and less than or equal to 10.

2. The thin film field effect transistor according to claim 1, wherein the active layer is in contact with the gate insulating layer, and the electric resistance layer is in contact with at least one of the source electrode or the drain electrode.

3. The thin film field effect transistor according to claim 1, wherein the electric conductivity continuously changes between the electric resistance layer and the active layer in the active layer.

4. The thin film field effect transistor according to claim 1, wherein the oxide semiconductor included in the active layer comprises an amorphous oxide semiconductor.

5. The thin film field effect transistor according to claim 1, wherein the oxide semiconductor included in the electric resistance layer comprises an amorphous oxide semiconductor.

6. The thin film field effect transistor according to claim 1, wherein the oxide semiconductor comprises an amorphous semiconductor.

7. The thin film field effect transistor according to claim 6, wherein the active layer has an oxygen concentration lower than that of the electric resistance layer.

8. The thin film field effect transistor according to claim 6, wherein the oxide semiconductor includes at least one material selected from the group consisting of indium, gallium and zinc, or a composite oxide of a combination of materials selected from the group consisting of indium, gallium and zinc.

9. The thin film field effect transistor according to claim 8, wherein the oxide semiconductor includes indium and zinc, and a composition ratio of zinc (Zn) to indium (In), i.e., Zn/In, in the electric resistance layer is larger than that in the active layer.

10. The thin film field effect transistor according to claim 1, wherein the electric conductivity of the active layer is 10⁻

1 Scm<sup>−

1</sup> or more and less than 10² Scm<sup>−

1</sup>.

11. The thin film field effect transistor according to claim 1, wherein a ratio of the electric conductivity of the active layer to the electric conductivity of the electric resistance layer (i.e., the electric conductivity of the active layer/ the electric conductivity of the electric resistance layer) is from 10² to 10⁸.

12. The thin film field effect transistor according to claim 1, wherein the substrate is a flexible resin substrate.

13. A display comprising the thin film field effect transistor according to claim 1.