Manufacturing method of semiconductor device

• US 8,518,740 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2010
• Issued: 08/27/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Yamazaki, Shunpei, Sasaki, Toshinari, Sakata, Junichiro, Ohara, Hiroki
• Primary Examiner(s): STARK, JARRETT J
• Application Number:
  US12/828,468
• Publication Number:
  US 20110003430A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,153 Days
• Field of Search: 438/85, 438/104, 257/43, 257/E29.295, 257/E21.461
• US Class Current: 438/104
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67109 mainly by convection
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67115 mainly by radiation
• 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 29/7869 having a semiconductor body comprising an oxide semiconductor material, e.g. zinc oxide, copper aluminium oxide, cadmium stannate

Abstract

An object is to provide a highly reliable semiconductor device including a thin film transistor with stable electric characteristics. In a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device including a thin film transistor in which an oxide semiconductor film is used for a semiconductor layer including a channel formation region, impurities such as moisture existing in the gate insulating layer are reduced before formation of the oxide semiconductor film, and then heat treatment (heat treatment for dehydration or dehydrogenation) is performed so as to improve the purity of the oxide semiconductor film and reduce impurities such as moisture. After that, slow cooling is performed in an oxygen atmosphere. Besides impurities such as moisture existing in the gate insulating layer and the oxide semiconductor film, impurities such as moisture existing at interfaces between the oxide semiconductor film and upper and lower films provided in contact therewith are reduced.

Claims

1. A manufacturing method of a semiconductor device comprising the steps of:

forming an insulating layer over a substrate having an insulating surface;

performing dehydration or dehydrogenation on the insulating layer;

forming an oxide semiconductor layer on the insulating layer after having performed the dehydration or dehydrogenation on the insulating layer;

performing dehydration or dehydrogenation on the oxide semiconductor layer;

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

forming an oxide insulating film which is over the insulating layer, the oxide semiconductor layer, the source electrode layer, and the drain electrode layer and is in contact with a part of the oxide semiconductor layer; and

heating the oxide insulating film.

2. The manufacturing method of a semiconductor device according to claim 1, further comprising a step of forming a gate electrode layer over the substrate before the insulating layer is formed, and

wherein the insulating layer is a gate insulating layer.

3. The manufacturing method of a semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the dehydration or dehydrogenation of the insulating layer is performed in a nitrogen atmosphere or a rare gas atmosphere or under a reduced pressure.

4. The manufacturing method of a semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the dehydration or dehydrogenation of the oxide semiconductor layer is performed in a nitrogen atmosphere or a rare gas atmosphere or under a reduced pressure.

5. The manufacturing method of a semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the dehydration or dehydrogenation of the oxide semiconductor layer is performed at a temperature higher than or equal to 400°

C.

6. The manufacturing method of a semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein cooling is performed to the oxide semiconductor layer after the dehydration or dehydrogenation of the oxide semiconductor layer is performed.

7. The manufacturing method of a semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein slow cooling is performed to the oxide semiconductor layer at a temperature which is higher than or equal to room temperature and lower than 100°

C. after the dehydration or dehydrogenation of the oxide semiconductor layer is performed.

8. The manufacturing method of a semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein a carrier concentration of the oxide semiconductor layer is increased by performing the dehydration or dehydrogenation of the oxide semiconductor layer, and a carrier concentration of the oxide semiconductor layer is reduced by forming the oxide insulating film.

9. The manufacturing method of a semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the oxide insulating film is heated at a temperature higher than or equal to 150°

C. and lower than 350°

C.

10. A manufacturing method of a semiconductor device comprising the steps of:

forming an insulating layer over a substrate having an insulating surface;

heating the insulating layer;

forming an oxide semiconductor layer on the insulating layer after having heated the insulating layer;

heating the oxide semiconductor layer;

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

forming an oxide insulating film which is over the insulating layer, the oxide semiconductor layer, the source electrode layer, and the drain electrode layer and is in contact with a part of the oxide semiconductor layer; and

heating the oxide insulating film.

11. The manufacturing method of a semiconductor device according to claim 10, further comprising a step of forming a gate electrode layer over the substrate before the insulating layer is formed, and

wherein the insulating layer is a gate insulating layer.

12. The manufacturing method of a semiconductor device according to claim 10, wherein the insulating layer is heated in a nitrogen atmosphere or a rare gas atmosphere or under a reduced pressure.

13. The manufacturing method of a semiconductor device according to claim 10, wherein the oxide semiconductor layer is heated in a nitrogen atmosphere or a rare gas atmosphere or under a reduced pressure.

14. The manufacturing method of a semiconductor device according to claim 10, wherein the oxide semiconductor layer is heated at a temperature higher than or equal to 400°

C.

15. The manufacturing method of a semiconductor device according to claim 10, wherein cooling is performed to the oxide semiconductor layer after the oxide semiconductor layer is heated.

16. The manufacturing method of a semiconductor device according to claim 10, wherein slow cooling is performed to the oxide semiconductor layer at a temperature which is higher than or equal to room temperature and lower than 100°

C. after the oxide semiconductor layer is heated.

17. The manufacturing method of a semiconductor device according to claim 10, wherein a carrier concentration of the oxide semiconductor layer is increased by heating the oxide semiconductor layer, and a carrier concentration of the oxide semiconductor layer is reduced by forming the oxide insulating film.

18. The manufacturing method of a semiconductor device according to claim 10, wherein the oxide insulating film is heated at a temperature higher than or equal to 150°

C. and lower than 350°

C.

19. A manufacturing method of a semiconductor device comprising the steps of:

forming an insulating layer over a substrate having an insulating surface;

heating the insulating layer to reduce a hydrogen concentration in the insulating layer;

forming an oxide semiconductor layer over the insulating layer after having heated the insulating layer;

heating the oxide semiconductor layer to reduce a hydrogen concentration in the oxide semiconductor layer;

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

forming an oxide insulating film which is over the insulating layer, the oxide semiconductor layer, the source electrode layer, and the drain electrode layer and is in contact with a part of the oxide semiconductor layer; and

heating the oxide insulating film to reduce a hydrogen concentration in the oxide insulating film.

20. The manufacturing method of a semiconductor device according to claim 19, further comprising a step of forming a gate electrode layer over the substrate before the insulating layer is formed, and

wherein the insulating layer is a gate insulating layer.

21. The manufacturing method of a semiconductor device according to claim 19, wherein the insulating layer is heated in a nitrogen atmosphere or a rare gas atmosphere or under a reduced pressure.

22. The manufacturing method of a semiconductor device according to claim 19, wherein the oxide semiconductor layer is heated in a nitrogen atmosphere or a rare gas atmosphere or under a reduced pressure.

23. The manufacturing method of a semiconductor device according to claim 19, wherein the oxide semiconductor layer is heated at a temperature higher than or equal to 400°

C.

24. The manufacturing method of a semiconductor device according to claim 19, wherein cooling is performed to the oxide semiconductor layer after the oxide semiconductor layer is heated.

25. The manufacturing method of a semiconductor device according to claim 19, wherein slow cooling is performed to the oxide semiconductor layer at a temperature which is higher than or equal to room temperature and lower than 100°

C. after the oxide semiconductor layer is heated.

26. The manufacturing method of a semiconductor device according to claim 19, wherein a carrier concentration of the oxide semiconductor layer is increased by heating the oxide semiconductor layer, and a carrier concentration of the oxide semiconductor layer is reduced by forming the oxide insulating film.

27. The manufacturing method of a semiconductor device according to claim 19, wherein the oxide insulating film is heated at a temperature higher than or equal to 150°

C. and lower than 350°

C.