Metal oxynitride semiconductor containing zinc

• US 8,274,078 B2
• Filed: 04/23/2008
• Issued: 09/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Itagaki, Naho, Iwasaki, Tatsuya, Watanabe, Masatoshi, Den, Toru
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Jay C
• Application Number:
  US12/532,185
• Publication Number:
  US 20100109002A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,616 Days
• Field of Search: 257/43, 257/E21.006, 257/E29.296, 257/76, 257/78, 257/613, 257/614
• US Class Current: 257/43
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/247 Amorphous materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/7869 having a semiconductor body comprising an oxide semiconductor material, e.g. zinc oxide, copper aluminium oxide, cadmium stannate

Abstract

Provided is an oxynitride semiconductor comprising a metal oxynitride. The metal oxynitride contains Zn and In and at least one element selected from the group consisting of Ga, Sn, Mg, Si, Ge, Y, Ti, Mo, W, and Al. The metal oxynitride has an atomic composition ratio of N, N/(N+O), of 7 atomic percent or more to 80 atomic percent or less.

Claims

1. An oxynitride semiconductor comprising a metal oxynitride, wherein the metal of the metal oxynitride consists essentially of Zn and In, and wherein the metal oxynitride has an atomic composition ratio of N, N/(N+O), of 7 atomic percent or more to 80 atomic percent or less, and wherein the metal oxynitride is a crystal having an atomic arrangement of a wurtzite structure.

2. An oxynitride semiconductor according to claim 1, wherein the metal oxynitride has a band gap of 1 eV or more to 2 eV or less.

3. An oxynitride semiconductor according to claim 1, wherein the metal oxynitride has an atomic composition ratio of Zn atoms to the total number of metal atoms of 50 atomic percent or more.

4. A thin-film transistor comprising an oxynitride semiconductor according to claim 1, wherein the oxynitride semiconductor is incorporated in the thin-film transistor as an active layer thereof.

5. A light-receiving device comprising an oxynitride semiconductor according to claim 1, wherein the oxynitride semiconductor is incorporated in the light-receiving device as a light receiving layer thereof.