Oxygen diffusion evaluation method of oxide film stacked body

• US 8,450,123 B2
• Filed: 08/19/2011
• Issued: 05/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Okazaki, Yutaka, Imai, Keitaro, Isobe, Atsuo, Yamazaki, Shunpei
• Primary Examiner(s): Rizkallah, Kimberly
• Assistant Examiner(s): Payen, Marvin
• Application Number:
  US13/213,458
• Publication Number:
  US 20120214259A1
• Time in Patent Office: 648 Days
• Field of Search: 438/14, 257/E21.53
• US Class Current: 438/14
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2223/611 patterned objects; electronic devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 23/2258 Measuring secondary ion emission, e.g. secondary ion mass spectrometry [SIMS] mass-to-charge ratio analysis aspects of SIMS for material analysis G01N27/62

Abstract

Experience shows that, in a material containing oxygen as a main component, an excess or deficiency of trace amounts of oxygen with respect to a stoichiometric composition, or the like affects properties of the material. An oxygen diffusion evaluation method of an oxide film stacked body includes the steps of: measuring a quantitative value of one of oxygen isotopes of a substrate including a first oxide film and a second oxide film which has an existence proportion of an oxygen isotope different from an existence proportion of an oxygen isotope in the first oxide film in a depth direction, by secondary ion mass spectrometry; and evaluating the one of the oxygen isotopes diffused from the first oxide film to the second oxide film.

Claims

1. An oxygen diffusion evaluation method of an oxide film stacked body, comprising the steps of:

forming a first oxide film over a substrate;

forming a second oxide film over the first oxide film;

heating the first oxide film and the second oxide film;

measuring a concentration of an oxygen isotope in the second oxide film in a depth direction by secondary ion mass spectrometry after the step of the heating; and

evaluating diffusion of the oxygen isotope from the first oxide film to the second oxide film,

wherein an oxygen isotope ratio in the first oxide film is different from an oxygen isotope ratio in the second oxide film.

2. The oxygen diffusion evaluation method of an oxide film stacked body, according to claim 1, wherein the oxygen isotope is an oxygen atom with a mass number of 18.

3. The oxygen diffusion evaluation method of an oxide film stacked body, according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first oxide film and the second oxide film is an oxide semiconductor film.

4. The oxygen diffusion evaluation method of an oxide film stacked body, according to claim 3, wherein the oxide semiconductor film comprises at least one of indium, gallium, and zinc.

5. The oxygen diffusion evaluation method of an oxide film stacked body, according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first oxide film and the second oxide film is an oxide insulating film.

6. The oxygen diffusion evaluation method of an oxide film stacked body, according to claim 1, wherein the first oxide film is formed using a gas containing greater than or equal to 1 atomic % of an oxygen atom with a mass number of 18.

7. The oxygen diffusion evaluation method of an oxide film stacked body, according to claim 6, wherein the first oxide film is formed by a sputtering method.

8. The oxygen diffusion evaluation method of an oxide film stacked body, according to claim 1, further comprising the step of forming a protective film over the second oxide film.

9. The oxygen diffusion evaluation method of an oxide film stacked body, according to claim 8, wherein the protective film comprises a silicon nitride film, a silicon nitride oxide film, an aluminum oxide film, or an aluminum nitride film.

10. An oxygen diffusion evaluation method of an oxide film stacked body, comprising the steps of:

forming a first oxide film over a substrate;

forming a second oxide film in contact with the first oxide film;

heating the first oxide film and the second oxide film;

measuring a concentration of an oxygen isotope in the second oxide film in a depth direction by secondary ion mass spectrometry after the step of the heating; and

evaluating diffusion of the oxygen isotope from the first oxide film to the second oxide film,

wherein an oxygen isotope ratio in the first oxide film is different from an oxygen isotope ratio in the second oxide film.

11. The oxygen diffusion evaluation method of an oxide film stacked body, according to claim 10, wherein the oxygen isotope is an oxygen atom with a mass number of 18.

12. The oxygen diffusion evaluation method of an oxide film stacked body, according to claim 10, wherein at least one of the first oxide film and the second oxide film is an oxide semiconductor film.

13. The oxygen diffusion evaluation method of an oxide film stacked body, according to claim 12, wherein the oxide semiconductor film comprises at least one of indium, gallium, and zinc.

14. The oxygen diffusion evaluation method of an oxide film stacked body, according to claim 10, wherein at least one of the first oxide film and the second oxide film is an oxide insulating film.

15. The oxygen diffusion evaluation method of an oxide film stacked body, according to claim 10, wherein the first oxide film is formed using a gas containing greater than or equal to 1 atomic % of an oxygen atom with a mass number of 18.

16. The oxygen diffusion evaluation method of an oxide film stacked body, according to claim 15, wherein the first oxide film is formed by a sputtering method.

17. The oxygen diffusion evaluation method of an oxide film stacked body, according to claim 10, further comprising the step of forming a protective film over the second oxide film.

18. The oxygen diffusion evaluation method of an oxide film stacked body, according to claim 17, wherein the protective film comprises a silicon nitride film, a silicon nitride oxide film, an aluminum oxide film, or an aluminum nitride film.