Method for manufacturing semiconductor device

• US 8,759,132 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2012
• Issued: 06/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Kimura, Hajime, Ohara, Hiroki, Kayama, Masayo
• Primary Examiner(s): YUSHIN, NIKOLAY K
• Application Number:
  US13/692,723
• Publication Number:
  US 20130095588A1
• Time in Patent Office: 568 Days
• Field of Search: 438/34, 438/671, 438/695, 438/942
• US Class Current: 438/34
• 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 27/124 with a particular composition, shape or layout of the wiring layers specially adapted to the circuit arrangement, e.g. scanning lines in LCD pixel circuits wiring structures per se H01L23/52
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1259 Multistep manufacturing methods
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/45 Ohmic electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/4908 for thin film semiconductor, e.g. gate of TFT
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/66742 Thin film unipolar transistors
• 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

A semiconductor device includes a pixel portion having a first thin film transistor and a driver circuit having a second thin film transistor. Each of the first thin film transistor and the second thin film transistor includes a gate electrode layer, a gate insulating layer, a semiconductor layer, a source electrode layer, and a drain electrode layer. Each of the layers of the first thin film transistor has a light-transmitting property. Materials of the gate electrode layer, the source electrode layer and the drain electrode layer of the first thin film transistor are different from those of the second transistor, and each of the resistances of the second thin film transistor is lower than that of the first thin film transistor.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising a pixel portion including a first thin film transistor and a driver circuit portion including a second thin film transistor, comprising the steps of:

forming a first conductive film over a substrate;

forming a second conductive film over the first conductive film, wherein resistance of the second conductive film is lower than that of the first conductive film;

forming a first resist mask including a first region and a second region over the second conductive film, wherein the first resist mask is thinner in the first region than in the second region;

etching with the use of the first resist mask so that the second conductive film and part of the first conductive film in the pixel portion, and part of the second conductive film and part of the first conductive film in the driver circuit portion are removed, thereby forming a first gate electrode layer of the first thin film transistor and a second gate electrode layer of the second thin film transistor;

forming a first gate insulating film over the first gate electrode layer and a second gate insulating film over the second gate electrode layer;

forming a first semiconductor layer over the first gate insulating film and a second semiconductor layer over the second gate insulating film;

forming a third conductive film over the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer;

forming a fourth conductive film over the third conductive film, wherein resistance of the fourth conductive film is lower than that of the third conductive film;

forming a second resist mask including a third region and a fourth region over the fourth conductive film, wherein the second resist mask is thinner in the third region than in the fourth region; and

etching with the use of the second resist mask so that part of the third conductive film and the fourth conductive film in the pixel portion, and part of the fourth conductive film and part of the third conductive film in the driver circuit portion are removed, thereby forming a first source electrode layer and a first drain electrode layer over the first gate insulating film, and a second source electrode layer and a second drain electrode layer over the second gate insulating film,

wherein the first conductive film and the third conductive film are capable of transmitting light.

2. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the first resist mask and the second resist mask are formed using a multi-tone mask.

3. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

forming an insulating layer over the first source electrode layer, the first drain electrode layer, the second source electrode layer and the second drain electrode layer;

forming a fifth conductive film over the insulating layer;

forming a sixth conductive film over the fifth conductive film, wherein resistance of the sixth conductive film is lower than that of the fifth conductive film;

forming a third resist mask including a fifth region and a sixth region over the sixth conductive film, wherein the third resist mask is thinner in the fifth region than in the sixth region; and

etching with the use of the third resist mask so that the sixth conductive film and part of the fifth conductive film in the pixel portion, and part of the fifth conductive film and part of the sixth conductive film in the driver circuit portion are removed thereby forming a first conductive layer overlapping with a first channel formation region of the first thin film transistor and a second conductive layer overlapping with a second channel formation region of the second thin film transistor,

wherein the fifth conductive film is capable of transmitting light.

4. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, according to claim 3, wherein the third resist mask is formed using a multi-tone mask.

5. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein each of the second source electrode layer and the second drain electrode layer contains a metal material.

6. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein resistance of a first portion in the second semiconductor layer overlapping with the second source electrode layer and the second drain electrode layer is lower than that of a second portion of the second semiconductor layer which is other than the first portion.

7. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising a pixel portion including a first thin film transistor and a driver circuit portion including a second thin film transistor, comprising the steps of:

forming a conductive film over a substrate;

forming a resist mask including a first region and a second region over the conductive film, wherein the resist mask is thinner in the first region than in the second region;

forming a first gate electrode layer of the first thin film transistor and a second gate electrode layer of the second thin film transistor by etching the conductive film with the use of the resist mask, wherein the first gate electrode layer is thinner than the second gate electrode layer;

forming a first gate insulating film over the first gate electrode layer and a second gate insulating film over the second gate electrode layer;

forming a first semiconductor layer over the first gate insulating film and a second semiconductor layer over the second gate insulating film;

forming a first source electrode layer and a first drain electrode layer over the first semiconductor layer and a second source electrode layer and a second drain electrode layer over the second semiconductor layer;

wherein the first gate electrode layer and the first source electrode layer and the first drain electrode layer are capable of transmitting light.

8. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 7,

wherein the first gate electrode layer comprises a first layer and a second layer,

wherein a material of the first layer is different from a material of the second layer.

9. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 7, wherein the resist mask is formed using a multi-tone mask.

10. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 7, wherein the second source electrode layer and the second drain electrode layer contain a metal material.

11. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 7, wherein resistance of a first portion in the second semiconductor layer overlapping with the second source electrode layer and the second drain electrode layer is lower than that of a second portion of the second semiconductor layer which is other than the first portion.

12. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising a pixel portion including a first thin film transistor and a driver circuit portion including a second thin film transistor, comprising the steps of:

forming a first gate electrode layer of the first thin film transistor and a second gate electrode layer of the second thin film transistor;

forming a first gate insulating film over the first gate electrode layer and a second gate insulating film over the second gate electrode layer;

forming a first semiconductor layer over the first gate insulating film and a second semiconductor layer over the second gate insulating film;

forming a conductive film over the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer;

forming a resist mask including a first region and a second region over the conductive film, wherein the resist mask is thinner in the first region than in the second region; and

forming a first source electrode layer and a first drain electrode layer over the first gate insulating film, and a second source electrode layer and a second drain electrode layer over the second gate insulating film by etching the conductive film with the use of the resist mask, wherein the first source electrode layer and the first drain electrode layer are thinner than the second source electrode layer and the second drain electrode layer,

wherein the first gate electrode layer and the first source electrode layer and the first drain electrode layer are capable of transmitting light.

13. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 12,

wherein each of the first source electrode layer and the first drain electrode layer comprises a first layer and a second layer,

wherein a material of the first layer is different from a material of the second layer.

14. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 12, wherein the resist mask is formed using a multi-tone mask.

15. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 12, wherein the second source electrode layer and the second drain electrode layer contain a metal material.

16. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 12, wherein resistance of a first portion in the second semiconductor layer overlapping with the second source electrode layer and the second drain electrode layer is lower than that of a second portion of the second semiconductor layer which is other than the first portion.