Semiconductor device

• US 8,779,433 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2011
• Issued: 07/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Isobe, Atsuo, Ieda, Yoshinori, Kato, Kiyoshi, Yakubo, Yuto, Hata, Yuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Movva, Amar
• Application Number:
  US13/115,239
• Publication Number:
  US 20110298027A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,147 Days
• Field of Search: 257/67, 257/E25.013, 257/E25.021
• US Class Current: 257/67
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 16/0433 comprising cells containing a single floating gate transistor and one or more separate select transistors
• 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: H10B 12/033 the capacitor extending over the transistor
• CPC Class Codes: H10B 41/30 characterised by the memory core region
• CPC Class Codes: H10B 41/70 the floating gate being an electrode shared by two or more components

Abstract

It is an object to provide a semiconductor device with a novel structure in which stored data can be held even when power is not supplied and there is no limitation on the number of writings. A semiconductor device includes a second transistor and a capacitor provided over a first transistor. A source electrode of the second transistor which is in contact with a gate electrode of the first transistor is formed using a material having etching selectivity with respect to the gate electrode. By forming the source electrode of the second transistor using a material having etching selectivity with respect to the gate electrode of the first transistor, a margin in layout can be reduced, so that the degree of integration of the semiconductor device can be increased.

Claims

1. A semiconductor device comprising:

a first transistor;

a second transistor having a portion which overlaps with the first transistor; and

an insulating film over a part of the first transistor,

wherein the first transistor comprises;

a first channel formation region;

a first gate insulating layer provided over the first channel formation region;

a first gate electrode provided over the first gate insulating layer so as to overlap with the first channel formation region; and

a first source electrode and a first drain electrode electrically connected to the first channel formation region,

wherein the second transistor comprises;

a second channel formation region over the insulating film;

a second source electrode and a second drain electrode electrically connected to the second channel formation region;

a second gate electrode provided so as to overlap with the second channel formation region; and

a second gate insulating layer provided between the second channel formation region and the second gate electrode,

wherein the first gate electrode is surrounded by the insulating film and the insulating film does not cover a top surface of the first gate electrode, and

wherein the second source electrode is formed of a material having etching selectivity with respect to the first gate electrode and the second source electrode is provided on and in contact with the top surface of the first gate electrode.

2. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the first channel formation region comprises silicon.

3. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the second channel formation region comprises an oxide semiconductor.

4. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the etching selectivity of the second source electrode with respect to the first gate electrode is greater than or equal to 2.

5. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the first gate electrode comprises a material selected from the group consisting of aluminum, copper, titanium, tantalum, and tungsten.

6. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the second source electrode comprises a material selected from the group consisting of aluminum, chromium, copper, tantalum, titanium, molybdenum, tungsten, and an alloy containing any of these elements.

7. A semiconductor device comprising:

a plurality of memory cells, each memory cell comprising;

a first transistor;

a second transistor having a portion which overlaps with the first transistor;

an insulating film over a part of the first transistor; and

a capacitor,

wherein the first transistor comprises;

a first channel formation region;

a first gate insulating layer provided over the first channel formation region;

a first gate electrode provided over the first gate insulating layer so as to overlap with the first channel formation region; and

a first source electrode and a first drain electrode electrically connected to the first channel formation region,

wherein the second transistor comprises;

a second channel formation region over the insulating film;

a second source electrode and a second drain electrode electrically connected to the second channel formation region;

a second gate electrode provided so as to overlap with the second channel formation region; and

a second gate insulating layer provided between the second channel formation region and the second gate electrode,

wherein the first gate electrode is surrounded by the insulating film and the insulating film does not cover a top surface of the first gate electrode,

wherein the second source electrode is formed of a material having etching selectivity with respect to the first gate electrode, and the second source electrode is provided on and in contact with the top surface of the first gate electrode, and

wherein the first gate electrode, the second source electrode, and one electrode of the capacitor are electrically connected to each other.

8. The semiconductor device according to claim 7, wherein the first channel formation region comprises silicon.

9. The semiconductor device according to claim 7, wherein the second channel formation region comprises an oxide semiconductor.

10. The semiconductor device according to claim 7, wherein the etching selectivity of the second source electrode with respect to the first gate electrode is greater than or equal to 2.

11. The semiconductor device according to claim 7, wherein the first gate electrode comprises a material selected from the group consisting of aluminum, copper, titanium, tantalum, and tungsten.

12. The semiconductor device according to claim 7, wherein the second source electrode comprises a material selected from the group consisting of aluminum, chromium, copper, tantalum, titanium, molybdenum, tungsten, and an alloy containing any of these elements.

13. A semiconductor device comprising:

a first transistor;

a second transistor having a portion which overlaps with the first transistor;

an insulating film over a part of the first transistor; and

a capacitor,

wherein the first transistor comprises;

a first channel formation region;

a first gate insulating layer provided over the first channel formation region;

a first gate electrode provided over the first gate insulating layer so as to overlap with the first channel formation region; and

a first source electrode and a first drain electrode electrically connected to the first channel formation region,

wherein the second transistor comprises;

a second channel formation region over the insulating film;

a second source electrode and a second drain electrode electrically connected to the second channel formation region;

a second gate electrode provided so as to overlap with the second channel formation region; and

a second gate insulating layer provided between the second channel formation region and the second gate electrode,

wherein the first gate electrode is surrounded by the insulating film and the insulating film does not cover a top surface of the first gate electrode,

wherein the second source electrode is formed of a material having etching selectivity with respect to the first gate electrode, and the second source electrode is provided on and in contact with the top surface of the first gate electrode, and

wherein the second gate insulating layer is sandwiched between a first electrode of the capacitor and a second electrode of the capacitor, wherein the second electrode of the capacitor is the second source electrode.

14. The semiconductor device according to claim 13, wherein the first channel formation region comprises silicon.

15. The semiconductor device according to claim 13, wherein the second channel formation region comprises an oxide semiconductor.

16. The semiconductor device according to claim 13, wherein the etching selectivity of the second source electrode with respect to the first gate electrode is greater than or equal to 2.

17. The semiconductor device according to claim 13, wherein the first gate electrode comprises a material selected from the group consisting of aluminum, copper, titanium, tantalum, and tungsten.

18. The semiconductor device according to claim 13, wherein the second source electrode comprises a material selected from the group consisting of aluminum, chromium, copper, tantalum, titanium, molybdenum, tungsten, and an alloy containing any of these elements.

19. A semiconductor device comprising:

a plurality of memory cells, each of the plurality of memory cells comprising;

a first transistor;

a second transistor having a portion which overlaps with the first transistor;

an insulating film over a part of the first transistor; and

a capacitor,

wherein the first transistor comprises;

a first channel formation region;

a first gate insulating layer provided over the first channel formation region;

a first gate electrode provided over the first gate insulating layer so as to overlap with the first channel formation region; and

a first source electrode and a first drain electrode electrically connected to the first channel formation region,

wherein the second transistor comprises;

a semiconductor layer comprising a second channel formation region over the insulating film;

a second source electrode and a second drain electrode electrically connected to the second channel formation region;

a second gate electrode provided so as to overlap with the second channel formation region; and

a second gate insulating layer provided between the second channel formation region and the second gate electrode,

wherein the first gate electrode is surrounded by the insulating film and the insulating film does not cover a top surface of the first gate electrode,

wherein the second source electrode is formed of a material having etching selectivity with respect to the first gate electrode, and the second source electrode is provided on and in contact with the top surface of the first gate electrode, and

wherein the semiconductor layer and the second gate insulating layer are sandwiched between a first electrode of the capacitor and a second electrode of the capacitor, wherein the second electrode of the capacitor is the second source electrode.

20. The semiconductor device according to claim 19, wherein the first channel formation region comprises silicon.

21. The semiconductor device according to claim 19, wherein the second channel formation region comprises an oxide semiconductor.

22. The semiconductor device according to claim 19, wherein the etching selectivity of the second source electrode with respect to the first gate electrode is greater than or equal to 2.

23. The semiconductor device according to claim 19, wherein the first gate electrode comprises a material selected from the group consisting of aluminum, copper, titanium, tantalum, and tungsten.

24. The semiconductor device according to claim 19, wherein the second source electrode comprises a material selected from the group consisting of aluminum, chromium, copper, tantalum, titanium, molybdenum, tungsten, and an alloy containing any of these elements.

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

forming a first channel formation region in a semiconductor substrate;

forming a first source region and a first drain region in the semiconductor substrate so that the first channel formation region is sandwiched between the first source region and the first drain region;

forming a first gate insulating layer over the first channel formation region;

forming a first gate electrode over the first gate insulating layer;

forming an insulating film over the first source region and the first drain region;

wherein the first gate electrode is surrounded by the insulating film and the insulating film does not cover a top surface of the first gate electrode;

forming a second channel formation region over the insulating film; and

forming a second source electrode on and in contact with the top surface of the first gate electrode and electrically connected to the second channel formation region,

wherein the second source electrode comprises a material having etching selectivity with respect to the first gate electrode.

26. The method of manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 25, wherein the first channel formation region comprises silicon.

27. The method of manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 25, wherein the second channel formation region comprises an oxide semiconductor.

28. The method of manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 25, wherein the etching selectivity of the second source electrode with respect to the first gate electrode is greater than or equal to 2.

29. The method of manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 25, wherein the first gate electrode comprises a material selected from the group consisting of aluminum, copper, titanium, tantalum, and tungsten.

30. The method of manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 25, wherein the second source electrode comprises a material selected from the group consisting of aluminum, chromium, copper, tantalum, titanium, molybdenum, tungsten, and an alloy containing any of these elements.