Thin film transistor and fabricating method thereof

• US 8,647,934 B2
• Filed: 04/29/2011
• Issued: 02/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Optronic Sciences LLC (Lumina Innovations LLC)
• Original Assignee: AU Optronics Corporation
• Inventors: Lee, Liu-Chung, Ting, Hung-Che, Chen, Chia-Yu
• Primary Examiner(s): Laurenzi, Mark A
• Application Number:
  US13/097,082
• Publication Number:
  US 20120168743A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,019 Days
• Field of Search: 257/43, 257/49, 257 56- 59, 257/291, 257/E29.29, 438158-160, 438/166, 438/E21.414
• US Class Current: 438/158
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/7869 having a semiconductor body comprising an oxide semiconductor material, e.g. zinc oxide, copper aluminium oxide, cadmium stannate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/78693 the semiconducting oxide being amorphous

Abstract

A thin film transistor (TFT) including a gate, a gate insulator, an oxide semiconductor channel layer, a source, and a drain is provided. The gate insulator covers the gate, while the oxide semiconductor channel layer is configured on the gate insulator and located above the gate. The oxide semiconductor channel layer includes a first sub-layer and a second sub-layer located on the first sub-layer. An oxygen content of the first sub-layer is lower than an oxygen content of the second sub-layer. The source and the drain are configured on a portion of the second sub-layer. In addition, a fabricating method of the above-mentioned TFT is also provided.

Claims

1. A thin film transistor comprising:

a gate;

a gate insulator covering the gate;

an oxide semiconductor channel layer configured on the gate insulator and located above the gate, the oxide semiconductor channel layer comprising a first sub-layer and a second sub-layer located on the first sub-layer, an oxygen content of the first sub-layer being lower than an oxygen content of the second sub-layer, wherein the first sub-layer has a first tapered sidewall, the second sub-layer has a second tapered sidewall, and the second tapered sidewall is steeper than the first tapered sidewall; and

a source and a drain configured on a portion of the second sub-layer.

2. The thin film transistor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the oxide semiconductor channel layer comprises an amorphous oxide semiconductor channel layer.

3. The thin film transistor as claimed in claim 1, wherein a material of the oxide semiconductor channel layer comprises indium gallium zinc oxide, indium zinc oxide, indium gallium oxide, zinc oxide, 2CdO•

GeO₂, or NiCo₂O₄.

4. The thin film transistor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second sub-layer is an ultraviolet shielding layer.

5. The thin film transistor as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a third sub-layer configured between the first sub-layer and the second sub-layer, an oxygen content of the third sub-layer ranging from the oxygen content of the first sub-layer and the oxygen content of the second sub-layer.

6. The thin film transistor as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of third sub-layers configured between the first sub-layer and the second sub-layer, an oxygen content of each of the third sub-layers ranging from the oxygen content of the first sub-layer and the oxygen content of the second sub-layer, the oxygen contents of the third sub-layers close to the first sub-layer being lower than the oxygen contents of the third sub-layers close to the second sub-layer.

7. The thin film transistor as claimed in claim 1, wherein a reactive oxygen/argon flow ratio of a sputtering process of the first sub-layer ranges from about 0 to about 10, and a reactive oxygen/argon flow ratio of a sputtering process of the second sub-layer ranges from about 5 to about 80.

15. The thin film transistor as claimed in claim 1, wherein an inclined angle of the first tapered sidewall ranges from 10°

to 40°

, and an inclined angle of the second tapered sidewall ranges from 30°

to 90°

.

8. A thin film transistor comprising:

a gate;

a gate insulator covering the gate;

an oxide semiconductor channel layer configured on the gate insulator and located above the gate, the oxide semiconductor channel layer being a single film layer and having a first portion and a second portion, the first portion being located between the second portion and the gate insulator, a crystallite size of the first portion being greater than a crystallite size of the second portion; and

a source and a drain configured on the oxide semiconductor channel layer.

9. A fabricating method of a thin film transistor, comprising:

forming a gate on a substrate;

forming a gate insulator on the substrate to cover the gate;

sequentially forming a first sub-layer and a second sub-layer on the gate insulator located above the gate, wherein an oxygen content of the first sub-layer is lower than that of the second sub-layer, wherein the first sub-layer has a first tapered sidewall, the second sub-layer has a second tapered sidewall, and the second tapered sidewall is steeper than the first tapered sidewall; and

forming a source and a drain on a portion of the second sub-layer.

10. The fabricating method of the thin film transistor as claimed in claim 9, wherein the step of forming the first sub-layer and the second sub-layer comprises:

forming a first material layer on the gate insulator when a reactive oxygen/argon flow ratio of a sputtering process of the first material layer is given;

forming a second material layer on the first material layer when a reactive oxygen/argon flow ratio of a sputtering process of the second material layer is given; and

patterning the first material layer and the second material layer to form the first sub-layer and the second sub-layer.

11. The fabricating method of the thin film transistor as claimed in claim 10, wherein the step of forming the first material layer and the second material layer comprises:

forming a patterned photoresist layer on the second material layer; and

removing a portion of the first material layer and a portion of the second material layer with use of the patterned photoresist layer as a mask, the portion of the first material layer and the portion of the second material layer being not covered by the patterned photoresist layer.

12. The fabricating method of the thin film transistor as claimed in claim 11, wherein the first material layer and the second material layer are patterned by performing an etch process with an etchant.

13. The fabricating method of the thin film transistor as claimed in claim 12, wherein the etchant comprises oxalic acid.

14. The thin film transistor as claimed in claim 10, wherein the reactive oxygen/argon flow ratio of the sputtering process of the first material layer ranges from about 0 to about 10, and the reactive oxygen/argon flow ratio of the sputtering process of the second material layer ranges from about 5 to about 80.