Semiconductor device and manufacturing method thereof

• US 8,461,630 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2011
• Issued: 06/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Endo, Yuta, Noda, Kosei
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Tan N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wilson, Scott R
• Application Number:
  US13/299,644
• Publication Number:
  US 20120138921A1
• Time in Patent Office: 571 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 257/217
• 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 27/1288 employing particular masking sequences or specially adapted masks, e.g. half-tone mask

Abstract

A conductive film to be a gate electrode, a first insulating film to be a gate insulating film, a semiconductor film in which a channel region is formed, and a second insulating film to be a channel protective film are successively formed. With the use of a resist mask formed by performing light exposure with the use of a photomask which is a multi-tone mask and development, i) in a region without the resist mask, the second insulating film, the semiconductor film, the first insulating film, and the conductive film are successively etched, ii) the resist mask is made to recede by ashing or the like and only the region of the resist mask with small thickness is removed, so that part of the second insulating film is exposed, and iii) the exposed part of the second insulating film is etched, so that a pair of opening portions is formed.

Claims

1. A semiconductor device comprising:

a gate electrode over an insulating surface;

a gate insulating film over the gate electrode;

a semiconductor film over the gate insulating film;

a first insulating film over the semiconductor film, the first insulating film having an opening;

a first conductive film over the first insulating film, the first conductive film being in contact with the semiconductor film through the opening of the first insulating film;

a second insulating film over the first conductive film, the second insulating film being in contact with side surfaces of the gate electrode, the gate insulating film, the semiconductor film, the first insulating film and the first conductive film, the second insulating film having an opening; and

a second conductive film over the second insulating film, the second conductive film being in contact with the first conductive film through the opening of the second insulating film,

wherein outer circumferences of the gate electrode, the gate insulating film, and the semiconductor film are substantially aligned.

2. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, further comprising a capacitor,

wherein the capacitor comprises:

a first capacitor electrode comprising a same material as the gate electrode;

a dielectric film comprising a same material as the gate insulating film; and

a second capacitor electrode comprising a same material as the first conductive film or the second conductive film.

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

a common wiring comprising a same material as the gate electrode; and

a source wiring comprising a same material as the first conductive film,

wherein the common wiring and the source wiring cross each other with two or more of a first film comprising a same material as the gate insulating film, a second film comprising a same material as the semiconductor film, and a third film comprising a same material as the first insulating film interposed between the common wiring and the source wiring.

4. The semiconductor device according to claim 3, further comprising:

a gate wiring comprising a same material as the gate electrode,

wherein the gate wiring and the source wiring cross each other with two or more of a fourth film comprising a same material as the gate insulating film, a fifth film comprising a same material as the semiconductor film, and a sixth film comprising a same material as the first insulating film interposed between the gate wiring and the source wiring.

5. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the gate electrode and the first conductive film comprises copper.

6. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the gate electrode and the first conductive film comprises a stack of two or more layers.

7. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the gate insulating film and the first insulating film is a film from which oxygen is released by heating.

8. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the semiconductor film is an oxide semiconductor film, a silicon film, a germanium film, a silicon germanium film, a silicon carbide film, or a gallium nitride film.

9. The semiconductor device according to claim 8, wherein the oxide semiconductor film comprises one or more of indium, gallium, tin, and zinc.

10. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the insulating surface is a surface of a metal oxide.

11. The semiconductor device according to claim 10, wherein the metal oxide is gallium oxide, zinc gallium oxide, tin oxide, tin zinc oxide, aluminum oxide, yttrium oxide, zirconium oxide, hafnium oxide, or tantalum oxide.

12. The semiconductor device according to claim 4, wherein side surfaces of the common wiring and the gate wiring are covered with an insulator.

13. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising the steps of:

forming a first conductive film, a first insulating film, a semiconductor film, and a second insulating film over an insulating surface in this order;

applying a first resist over the second insulating film;

exposing the first resist to light with the use of a first photomask which is a multi-tone mask and developing the first resist to form a first resist mask comprising a region with a first thickness and a region with a second thickness;

etching the second insulating film, the semiconductor film, the first insulating film, and the first conductive film with the use of the first resist mask;

reducing a size of the first resist mask by plasma treatment to remove the region with the first thickness, so that a second resist mask is formed;

etching the second insulating film with the use of the second resist mask to expose part of the semiconductor film;

removing the second resist mask;

forming a second conductive film for covering the insulating surface, the first conductive film, the first insulating film, the semiconductor film, and the second insulating film;

applying a second resist over the second conductive film;

exposing the second resist to light with the use of a second photomask and developing the second resist to form a third resist mask;

etching the second conductive film with the use of the third resist mask to form a first electrode which is in contact with the exposed part of the semiconductor film;

removing the third resist mask;

forming a third insulating film for covering the insulating surface, the first conductive film, the first insulating film, the semiconductor film, the second insulating film, and the first electrode;

applying a third resist over the third insulating film;

exposing the third resist to light with the use of a third photomask and developing the third resist to form a fourth resist mask;

etching the third insulating film with the use of the fourth resist mask to expose part of the first electrode;

removing the fourth resist mask;

forming a third conductive film for covering the first electrode and the third insulating film;

applying a fourth resist over the third conductive film;

exposing the fourth resist to light with the use of a fourth photomask and developing the fourth resist to form a fifth resist mask;

etching the third conductive film with the use of the fifth resist mask to form a second electrode which is in contact with the exposed part of the first electrode; and

removing the fifth resist mask.

14. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, according to claim 13, wherein the first conductive film serves as a gate electrode, a gate wiring, a first capacitor electrode, and a common wiring.

15. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, according to claim 13, wherein the second conductive film serves as a source electrode, a drain electrode, and a source wiring.

16. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, according to claim 13, wherein the first insulating film serves as a gate insulating film, a dielectric film, and an insulating film for keeping insulation of a region where a gate wiring and a source wiring overlap with each other.

17. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, according to claim 13, wherein the semiconductor film is an oxide semiconductor film, a silicon film, a germanium film, a silicon germanium film, a silicon carbide film, or a gallium nitride film.

18. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, according to claim 17, wherein the oxide semiconductor film comprises one or more of indium, gallium, tin, and zinc.

19. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, according to claim 13, wherein the second insulating film serves as an insulating film for keeping insulation of a region where a gate wiring and a source wiring overlap with each other and a protective film of the semiconductor film.

20. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, according to claim 13, wherein the third conductive film serves as a pixel electrode, a second capacitor electrode for forming a capacitor portion together with a first capacitor electrode and a dielectric film, and a conductive film which connects a source wiring and a source electrode or a drain electrode.

21. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, according to claim 13, wherein at least one of the first conductive film and the second conductive film comprises copper.

22. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, according to claim 13, wherein at least one of the first conductive film and the second conductive film comprises a stack of two or more layers.

23. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, according to claim 13, wherein the plasma treatment is performed using an oxidizing gas.

24. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, according to claim 23, wherein the plasma treatment is ashing.