Semiconductor device having oxide semiconductor layer

• US 8,324,621 B2
• Filed: 10/07/2010
• Issued: 12/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Yamazaki, Shunpei, Sakata, Junichiro, Akimoto, Kengo, Noda, Kosei
• Primary Examiner(s): ARMAND, MARC ANTHONY
• Application Number:
  US12/899,962
• Publication Number:
  US 20110084271A1
• Time in Patent Office: 789 Days
• Field of Search: 257/766, 257/763, 257/59, 257/43, 257/E29.068, 257/E33.053
• US Class Current: 257/43
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• 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 27/1225 with semiconductor materials not belonging to the group IV of the periodic table, e.g. InGaZnO
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/124 with a particular composition, shape or layout of the wiring layers specially adapted to the circuit arrangement, e.g. scanning lines in LCD pixel circuits wiring structures per se H01L23/52
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1255 integrated with passive devices, e.g. auxiliary capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/45 Ohmic electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/4908 for thin film semiconductor, e.g. gate of TFT

Abstract

Disclosed is a highly reliable semiconductor device and a manufacturing method thereof, which is achieved by using a transistor with favorable electrical characteristics and high reliability as a switching element. The semiconductor device includes a driver circuit portion and a pixel portion over one substrate, and the pixel portion comprises a light-transmitting bottom-gate transistor. The light-transmitting bottom-gate transistor comprises: a transparent gate electrode layer; an oxide semiconductor layer over the gate electrode layer, a superficial layer of the oxide semiconductor layer including comprising a microcrystal group of nanocrystals; and source and drain electrode layers formed over the oxide semiconductor layer, the source and drain electrode layers comprising a light-transmitting oxide conductive layer.

Claims

1. A semiconductor device comprising:

a pixel portion including a first transistor and a driver circuit portion including a second transistor, the pixel portion and the driver circuit portion being provided over a substrate,

the first transistor and the second transistor each comprising;

a gate electrode layer;

a gate insulating layer over the gate electrode layer;

an oxide semiconductor layer over the gate insulating layer;

a source electrode layer and a drain electrode layer over the oxide semiconductor layer; and

an oxide insulating layer over the oxide semiconductor layer, the source electrode layer, and the drain electrode layer, the oxide insulating layer being in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer,

a first gate wiring formed from a same layer as the gate electrode layer of the first transistor;

a second gate wiring formed from a same layer as the gate electrode layer of the second transistor; and

a connection wiring formed from a same layer as the source electrode layer and the drain electrode layer of the second transistor, and in electrical contact with the first gate wiring through the second gate wiring,

wherein the gate electrode layer, the source electrode layer, and the drain electrode layer of the first transistor comprise an oxide conductive layer, and

wherein the gate electrode layer, the source electrode layer, and the drain electrode layer of the second transistor comprise a metal layer.

2. The semiconductor device according to claim 1,

wherein the oxide conductive layer has a light-transmitting property.

3. The semiconductor device according to claim 1,

wherein the metal layer comprises an element selected from Ti, Mo, W, Al, Cr, Cu, and Ta.

4. The semiconductor device according to claim 1,

wherein the second transistor further comprises a second oxide conductive layer between the oxide semiconductor layer and the source electrode layer and between the oxide semiconductor layer and the drain electrode layer.

5. The semiconductor device according to claim 1,

wherein the oxide insulating layer comprises silicon oxide, silicon nitride oxide, aluminum oxide, or aluminum oxynitride.

6. The semiconductor device according to claim 1,

wherein the second transistor further comprises a conductive layer over the oxide insulating layer, and

wherein the conductive layer overlaps with the gate electrode layer.

7. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, further comprising a storage capacitor in the pixel portion,

wherein the storage capacitor is formed by a capacitor wiring layer, a dielectric over the capacitor wiring layer, and a capacitor electrode layer over the dielectric,

wherein the capacitor wiring layer comprises a layer formed from a same layer as the gate electrode layer of the first transistor,

wherein the dielectric comprises a layer formed from a same layer as the gate insulating layer of the first transistor,

wherein the capacitor electrode layer comprises a layer formed from a same layer as the source electrode layer and the drain electrode layer of the first transistor, and

wherein a layer formed from a same layer as the semiconductor layer of the first transistor is interposed between the dielectric and the capacitor electrode layer.

8. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a pixel electrode layer in the pixel portion, the pixel electrode layer being electrically connected to one of the source electrode layer and the drain electrode layer of the first transistor;

an planarization insulating layer interposed between the pixel electrode and the first transistor; and

a storage capacitor in the pixel portion,

wherein the storage capacitor is formed by a capacitor wiring layer, a dielectric over the capacitor wiring layer, and the pixel electrode layer,

wherein the capacitor wiring layer comprises a layer formed from a same layer as the source electrode layer and the drain electrode layer of the first transistor, and

wherein the dielectric comprises a layer formed from a same layer as the planarization insulating layer.

9. The semiconductor device according to claim 1,

wherein the first gate wiring and the connection wiring are both in direct contact with a top surface of the second gate wiring.

10. The semiconductor device according to claim 1,

wherein the oxide semiconductor layer comprises crystal regions including microcrystal groups of nanocrystals, the density in such crystal regions in a superficial layer of the oxide semiconductor being higher than in other layers of the oxide semiconductor layer.

11. A semiconductor device comprising:

a pixel portion including a first transistor and a storage capacitor over a substrate; and

a driver circuit portion including a second transistor over the substrate,

wherein the first transistor and the second transistor each comprise;

a gate electrode layer;

a gate insulating layer over the gate electrode layer;

an oxide semiconductor layer over the gate insulating layer;

a source electrode layer and a drain electrode layer over the oxide semiconductor layer; and

an oxide insulating layer over the oxide semiconductor layer, the source electrode layer, and the drain electrode layer, the oxide insulating layer being in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer,

a first gate wiring formed from a same layer as the gate electrode layer of the first transistor;

a second gate wiring formed from a same layer as the gate electrode layer of the second transistor; and

a connection wiring formed from a same layer as the source electrode layer and the drain electrode layer of the second transistor, and in electrical contact with the first gate wiring through the second gate wiring,

wherein the storage capacitor is formed by a capacitor wiring layer, a dielectric over the capacitor wiring layer, and a capacitor electrode layer over the dielectric,

wherein the gate electrode layer, the source electrode layer, and the drain electrode layer of the first transistor comprise an oxide conductive layer,

wherein the gate electrode layer, the source electrode layer, and the drain electrode layer of the second transistor comprise a metal layer,

wherein the capacitor wiring layer comprises a layer formed from a same layer as the gate electrode layer of the first transistor,

wherein the dielectric comprises a layer formed from a same layer as the gate insulating layer of the first transistor, and

wherein the capacitor electrode layer comprises a layer formed from a same layer as the source electrode layer and the drain electrode layer of the first transistor.

12. The semiconductor device according to claim 11,

wherein the oxide conductive layer has a light-transmitting property.

13. The semiconductor device according to claim 11,

wherein the metal layer comprises an element selected from Ti, Mo, W, Al, Cr, Cu, and Ta.

14. The semiconductor device according to claim 11,

wherein the second transistor further comprises a second oxide conductive layer between the oxide semiconductor layer and the source electrode layer and between the oxide semiconductor layer and the drain electrode layer.

15. The semiconductor device according to claim 11,

wherein the oxide insulating layer comprises silicon oxide, silicon nitride oxide, aluminum oxide, or aluminum oxynitride.

16. The semiconductor device according to claim 11,

wherein the second transistor further comprises a conductive layer over the oxide insulating layer, and

wherein the conductive layer overlaps with the gate electrode layer.

17. The semiconductor device according to claim 11,

wherein the first gate wiring and the connection wiring are both in direct contact with a top surface of the second gate wiring.

18. The semiconductor device according to claim 11,

wherein the oxide semiconductor layer comprises crystal regions including microcrystal groups of nanocrystals, the density in such crystal regions in a superficial layer of the oxide semiconductor being higher than in other layers of the oxide semiconductor layer.

19. A semiconductor device comprising:

a pixel portion including a first transistor and a driver circuit portion including a second transistor, the pixel portion and the driver circuit portion being provided over a substrate, the first transistor and the second transistor each comprising;

a gate electrode layer;

a gate insulating layer over the gate electrode layer;

an oxide semiconductor layer over the gate insulating layer;

a source electrode layer and a drain electrode layer over the oxide semiconductor layer; and

an oxide insulating layer over the oxide semiconductor layer, the source electrode layer, and the drain electrode layer, the oxide insulating layer being in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer,

a first gate wiring formed from a same layer as the gate electrode layer of the first transistor;

a second gate wiring formed from a same layer as the gate electrode layer of the second transistor;

a connection wiring formed from a same layer as the source electrode layer and the drain electrode layer of the second transistor, and in electrical contact with the first gate wiring through the second gate wiring,

a third gate wiring formed from a same layer as the gate electrode layer of the second transistor,

a source wiring formed from a same layer as the source electrode layer and the drain electrode layer of the first transistor, the source wiring overlapping the third gate wiring, and

an additional oxide insulating layer over the gate insulating layer and the oxide semiconductor layers,

wherein the gate insulating layer and the additional oxide insulating layer are interposed between the third gate wiring and the source wiring,

wherein the gate electrode layer, the source electrode layer, and the drain electrode layer of the first transistor comprise an oxide conductive layer, and

wherein the gate electrode layer, the source electrode layer, and the drain electrode layer of the second transistor comprise a metal layer.

20. The semiconductor device according to claim 19,

wherein the oxide conductive layer has a light-transmitting property.

21. The semiconductor device according to claim 19,

wherein the second transistor further comprises a second oxide conductive layer between the oxide semiconductor layer and the source electrode layer and between the oxide semiconductor layer and the drain electrode layer.

22. The semiconductor device according to claim 19,

wherein the oxide insulating layer comprises silicon oxide, silicon nitride oxide, aluminum oxide, or aluminum oxynitride.

23. The semiconductor device according to claim 19,

wherein the second transistor further comprises a conductive layer over the oxide insulating layer, and

wherein the conductive layer overlaps with the gate electrode layer.

24. The semiconductor device according to claim 19,

wherein the first gate wiring and the connection wiring are both in direct contact with a top surface of the second gate wiring.

25. The semiconductor device according to claim 19,

wherein the oxide semiconductor layer comprises crystal regions including microcrystal groups of nanocrystals, the density in such crystal regions in a superficial layer of the oxide semiconductor being higher than in other layers of the oxide semiconductor layer.