Semiconductor device

• US 8,546,811 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2011
• Issued: 10/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Godo, Hiromichi, Arai, Yasuyuki, Okamoto, Satohiro, Terashima, Mari, Nishida, Eriko, Sugao, Junpei
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Tan N
• Application Number:
  US13/018,879
• Publication Number:
  US 20110193081A1
• Time in Patent Office: 973 Days
• Field of Search: 257/40, 257/59, 257/72, 257/258, 257/43
• US Class Current: 257/72
• 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 semiconductor device including an oxide semiconductor in which miniaturization is achieved while favorable characteristics are maintained. The semiconductor includes an oxide semiconductor layer, a source electrode and a drain electrode in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer, a gate electrode overlapping with the oxide semiconductor layer, a gate insulating layer provided between the oxide semiconductor layer and the gate electrode, and an insulating layer provided in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer. A side surface of the oxide semiconductor layer is in contact with the source electrode or the drain electrode. An upper surface of the oxide semiconductor layer overlaps with the source electrode or the drain electrode with the insulating layer interposed between the oxide semiconductor layer and the source electrode or the drain electrode.

Claims

1. A semiconductor device comprising:

an oxide semiconductor layer;

an insulating layer in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer;

an electrode in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer and the insulating layer;

a gate electrode overlapping with the oxide semiconductor layer; and

a gate insulating layer between the oxide semiconductor layer and the gate electrode,

wherein the oxide semiconductor layer is in direct contact with the electrode only at a side surface of the oxide semiconductor layer, and

wherein the insulating layer is provided between the oxide semiconductor layer and the electrode.

2. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the gate electrode is provided over the oxide semiconductor layer.

3. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the oxide semiconductor layer is provided over the gate electrode.

4. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein an upper end of the side surface of the oxide semiconductor layer aligns with a lower end of a side surface of the insulating layer.

5. The semiconductor device according to claim 1,

wherein the electrode comprises a first conductive layer and a second conductive layer having higher resistance than the first conductive layer, and

wherein the second conductive layer is in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer.

6. The semiconductor device according to claim 5, wherein a thickness of the second conductive layer is greater than or equal to 5 nm and less than or equal to 15 nm.

7. The semiconductor device according to claim 5, wherein the second conductive layer comprises a nitride of a metal.

8. A semiconductor device comprising:

a gate electrode over a substrate;

a gate insulating layer over the gate electrode;

an oxide semiconductor layer over the gate insulating layer;

an insulating layer in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer; and

an over the insulating layer and the gate insulating layer,

wherein the oxide semiconductor layer is in direct contact with the electrode only at a side surface of the oxide semiconductor layer.

9. The semiconductor device according to claim 8, wherein an upper end of the side surface of the oxide semiconductor layer aligns with a lower end of a side surface of the insulating layer.

10. The semiconductor device according to claim 8,

wherein the electrode comprises a first conductive layer and a second conductive layer having higher resistance than the first conductive layer, and

wherein the second conductive layer is in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer.

11. The semiconductor device according to claim 10, wherein a thickness of the second conductive layer is greater than or equal to 5 nm and less than or equal to 15 nm.

12. The semiconductor device according to claim 10, wherein the second conductive layer comprises a nitride of a metal.

13. A semiconductor device comprising:

an oxide semiconductor layer over a substrate;

an insulating layer in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer;

an electrode over the substrate and the insulating layer;

a gate insulating layer over the insulating layer and the electrode; and

a gate electrode over the gate insulating layer,

wherein the oxide semiconductor layer is in direct contact with the electrode only at a side surface of the oxide semiconductor layer.

14. The semiconductor device according to claim 13, wherein an upper end of the side surface of the oxide semiconductor layer aligns with a lower end of a side surface of the insulating layer.

15. The semiconductor device according to claim 13,

wherein the source electrode comprises a first conductive layer and a second conductive layer having higher resistance than the first conductive layer, and

wherein the second conductive layer is in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer.

16. The semiconductor device according to claim 15, wherein a thickness of the second conductive layer is greater than or equal to 5 nm and less than or equal to 15 nm.

17. The semiconductor device according to claim 15, wherein the second conductive layer comprises a nitride of a metal.

18. A semiconductor device comprising:

a gate electrode over a substrate;

a gate insulating layer over the gate electrode;

an electrode over the gate insulating layer, the electrode comprising a first conductive layer and a second conductive layer having higher resistance than the first conductive layer;

an oxide semiconductor layer which overlaps with the gate electrode; and

an insulating layer between the first conductive layer and the oxide semiconductor layer, and

wherein the oxide semiconductor layer is in direct contact with the second conductive layer only at a side surface of the oxide semiconductor layer.

19. The semiconductor device according to claim 18, wherein the second conductive layer comprises a region extending beyond a side surface of the first conductive layer in a channel length direction.

20. The semiconductor device according to claim 18, wherein the second conductive layer comprises a region extending outside an edge surface of the first conductive layer in a channel length direction.

21. The semiconductor device according to claim 18, wherein a thickness of the second conductive layer is greater than or equal to 5 nm and less than or equal to 15 nm.

22. The semiconductor device according to claim 18, wherein the second conductive layer comprises a nitride of a metal.