Gas sensor and method for manufacturing the gas sensor

• US 8,610,180 B2
• Filed: 06/07/2011
• Issued: 12/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Kamata, Koichiro
• Primary Examiner(s): LUKE, DANIEL M
• Application Number:
  US13/154,692
• Publication Number:
  US 20110303953A1
• Time in Patent Office: 924 Days
• Field of Search: 257/253, 257/E29.296
• US Class Current: 257/253
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/4141 specially adapted for gases
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/12 the substrate being other than a semiconductor body, e.g. an insulating body
• 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 29/66969 of devices having semiconductor bodies not comprising group 14 or group 13/15 materials comprising selenium or tellurium in uncombined form other than as impurities in semiconductor bodies of other materials, comprising cuprous oxide or cuprous iodide H01L21/02365

Abstract

It is an object to provide a gas sensor which is formed by a simple manufacturing process. Another object is to provide a gas sensor whose manufacturing cost is reduced. A transistor which includes an oxide semiconductor layer in contact with a gas and which serves as a detector element of a gas sensor, and a transistor which includes an oxide semiconductor layer in contact with a film having a gas barrier property and which forms a detection circuit are formed over one substrate by the same process, whereby a gas sensor using these transistors may be formed.

Claims

1. A gas sensor comprising:

a detection portion including a first transistor and a circuit portion including a second transistor over one insulating surface,

wherein the first transistor comprises;

a first gate electrode layer over the insulating surface;

a gate insulating layer over the first gate electrode layer;

a first oxide semiconductor layer, one surface of which is in contact with the gate insulating layer and the other surface of which is in contact with an atmosphere; and

a first source electrode layer and a first drain electrode layer that are in contact with the first oxide semiconductor layer, and

wherein the second transistor comprises;

a second gate electrode layer over the insulating surface;

the gate insulating layer over the second gate electrode layer;

a second oxide semiconductor layer, one surface of which is in contact with the gate insulating layer and the other surface of which is in contact with a protective insulating layer; and

a second source electrode layer and a second drain electrode layer that are in contact with the second oxide semiconductor layer.

2. The gas sensor according to claim 1, wherein an insulating layer including a gas permeable property is in contact with the atmosphere and provided between the first oxide semiconductor layer and the atmosphere.

3. The gas sensor according to claim 1, wherein the first oxide semiconductor layer and the second oxide semiconductor layer are formed of the same material.

4. The gas sensor according to claim 1, wherein the first oxide semiconductor layer and the second oxide semiconductor layer are formed from the same layer.

5. A gas sensor comprising:

a detection portion including a first transistor and a circuit portion including a second transistor over one insulating surface,

wherein the first transistor comprises;

a first gate electrode layer over the insulating surface;

a gate insulating layer over the first gate electrode layer;

a first oxide semiconductor layer, one surface of which is in contact with the gate insulating layer and the other surface of which is in contact with an atmosphere, the first oxide semiconductor layer overlapping with the first gate electrode layer; and

a first source electrode layer and a first drain electrode layer that are in contact with the first oxide semiconductor layer, the first source electrode layer and the first drain electrode layer overlapping with the first gate electrode layer, and

wherein the second transistor comprises;

a second gate electrode layer over the insulating surface;

the gate insulating layer over the second gate electrode layer;

a second oxide semiconductor layer, one surface of which is in contact with the gate insulating layer and the other surface of which is in contact with a protective insulating layer, the second oxide semiconductor layer overlapping with the second gate electrode layer; and

a second source electrode layer and a second drain electrode layer that are in contact with the second oxide semiconductor layer, the second source electrode layer and the second drain electrode layer overlapping with the second gate electrode layer.

6. The gas sensor according to claim 5, wherein an insulating layer including a gas permeable property is in contact with the atmosphere and provided between the first oxide semiconductor layer and the atmosphere.

7. The gas sensor according to claim 5, wherein the first oxide semiconductor layer and the second oxide semiconductor layer are formed of the same material.

8. The gas sensor according to claim 5, wherein the first oxide semiconductor layer and the second oxide semiconductor layer are formed from the same layer.