Semiconductor device and method of manufacturing the same

• US 8,748,889 B2
• Filed: 07/22/2011
• Issued: 06/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Sasaki, Toshinari, Noda, Kosei, Endo, Yuta, Imai, Keitaro, Isobe, Atsuo, Okazaki, Yutaka, Sato, Hitomi, Ikarashi, Mizuho
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Zandra
• Assistant Examiner(s): TYNES JR., LAWRENCE C
• Application Number:
  US13/188,992
• Publication Number:
  US 20120049189A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,054 Days
• Field of Search: 257/52
• US Class Current: 257/52
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/78603 characterised by the insulating substrate or support H01L29/78657 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/78606 with supplementary region or layer in the thin film or in the insulated bulk substrate supporting it for controlling or increasing the safety of the device H01L29/78642, H01L29/78645 take precedence
• 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

It is an object to manufacture a semiconductor device in which a transistor including an oxide semiconductor has normally-off characteristics, small fluctuation in electric characteristics, and high reliability. First, first heat treatment is performed on a substrate, a base insulating layer is formed over the substrate, an oxide semiconductor layer is formed over the base insulating layer, and the step of performing the first heat treatment to the step of forming the oxide semiconductor layer are performed without exposure to the air. Next, after the oxide semiconductor layer is formed, second heat treatment is performed. An insulating layer from which oxygen is released by heating is used as the base insulating layer.

Claims

1. A semiconductor device comprising:

a first insulating layer over and in contact with a substrate;

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

a gate electrode overlapping with the oxide semiconductor layer; and

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

wherein a hydrogen concentration at an interface between the substrate and the first insulating layer is less than or equal to 1.1×

10²⁰ atoms/cm³.

2. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein, in the first insulating layer, a released amount of oxygen which is converted to an oxygen atom is greater than or equal to 1.0×

10¹⁸ atoms/cm³ in thermal desorption spectroscopy.

3. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the first insulating layer is silicon oxide in which the number of oxygen atoms per unit volume is more than twice the number of silicon atoms per unit volume.

4. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the first insulating layer comprises at least one of silicon oxide, silicon oxynitride, silicon nitride oxide, and aluminum oxide.

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

reducing hydrogen adsorbed on a surface of a substrate by performing first heat treatment on the surface of the substrate;

forming an insulating layer over the substrate after the step of performing the first heat treatment; and

forming an oxide semiconductor layer over the insulating layer,

wherein a series of steps from performing the first heat treatment to forming the oxide semiconductor layer is performed without exposure to air, and

wherein a hydrogen concentration at an interface between the substrate and the insulating layer is less than or equal to 1.1×

10²⁰ atoms/cm³ after the series of steps.

6. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 5, wherein a temperature of the first heat treatment is higher than or equal to 100°

C. and lower than a strain point of the substrate.

7. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 5, wherein the series of steps from performing the first heat treatment to forming the oxide semiconductor layer is performed in vacuum.

8. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 5, wherein, in the insulating layer, a released amount of oxygen, which is converted to an oxygen atom, is greater than or equal to 1.0×

10¹⁸ atoms/cm³ in thermal desorption spectroscopy.

9. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 5, wherein the insulating layer is silicon oxide in which the number of oxygen atoms per unit volume is more than twice the number of silicon atoms per unit volume.

10. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 5, further comprising the steps of:

processing the oxide semiconductor layer into an island shape;

forming a gate insulating layer covering the oxide semiconductor layer; and

performing second heat treatment more than once on the substrate until a transistor is formed after the gate insulating layer is formed.

11. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 10, wherein a temperature of the second heat treatment is higher than or equal to 150°

C. and lower than a strain point of the substrate.

12. A semiconductor device comprising:

a first insulating layer over and in contact with a substrate;

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

a second insulating layer over the oxide semiconductor layer; and

a gate electrode over the second insulating layer,

wherein a hydrogen concentration at an interface between the substrate and the first insulating layer is less than or equal to 1.1×

10²⁰ atoms/cm³.

13. The semiconductor device according to claim 12, wherein, in the first insulating layer, a released amount of oxygen which is converted to an oxygen atom is greater than or equal to 1.0×

10¹⁸ atoms/cm³ in thermal desorption spectroscopy.

14. The semiconductor device according to claim 12, wherein the first insulating layer is silicon oxide in which the number of oxygen atoms per unit volume is more than twice the number of silicon atoms per unit volume.

15. The semiconductor device according to claim 12, wherein the first insulating layer comprises at least one of silicon oxide, silicon oxynitride, silicon nitride oxide, and aluminum oxide.