Semiconductor device

• US 8,785,933 B2
• Filed: 02/23/2012
• Issued: 07/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Endo, Yuta
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Zandra
• Assistant Examiner(s): TYNES JR., LAWRENCE C
• Application Number:
  US13/402,938
• Publication Number:
  US 20120223311A1
• Time in Patent Office: 880 Days
• Field of Search: 257/57
• US Class Current: 257/57
• 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 27/1288 employing particular masking sequences or specially adapted masks, e.g. half-tone mask
• 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 of the present invention includes a gate electrode which includes a pair of first protrusions and a second protrusion provided between the pair of first protrusions; a gate insulating film covering the gate electrode; a semiconductor film which is in contact with the gate insulating film and overlaps with the pair of first protrusions and the second protrusion; and a pair of electrodes which is in contact with the semiconductor film and overlaps with the pair of first protrusions. The side edges of the semiconductor film are on the outer sides than the top surfaces of the pair of first protrusions in the direction of the channel width of the semiconductor film. The side edges of the pair of electrodes are on the outer sides than the top surfaces of the pair of first protrusions in the direction of the channel width of the semiconductor film.

Claims

1. A semiconductor device comprising:

a gate electrode including a pair of first protrusions and a second protrusion provided between the pair of first protrusions;

a gate insulating film over the gate electrode;

a semiconductor film which is in contact with the gate insulating film and overlaps with the pair of first protrusions and the second protrusion; and

a pair of electrodes which is in contact with the semiconductor film and overlaps with the pair of first protrusions,

wherein the second protrusion is wider than each of the pair of first protrusions,

wherein side edges of the semiconductor film are on outer sides of top surfaces of the pair of first protrusions in a direction of a channel width of the semiconductor film, and

wherein side edges of the pair of electrodes are on outer sides of top surfaces of the pair of first protrusions in the direction of the channel width of the semiconductor film.

2. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of pairs of first protrusions is provided in the direction of the channel width of the semiconductor film.

3. A semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of second protrusions is provided in a direction of a channel length of the semiconductor film.

4. A semiconductor device according to claim 1,

wherein the gate electrode comprises a first region including the pair of first protrusions and the second protrusion, and a second region which is in contact with the first region,

wherein the first region and the second region are formed using different conductive materials, and

wherein a difference in work function between the conductive material forming the first region and the conductive material forming the second region is less than or equal to 0.6 eV.

5. A semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the gate electrode is formed using a multi-tone mask.

6. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein an effective channel length and an effective channel width formed in the semiconductor film are three times or more an apparent channel length and an apparent channel width, respectively, which are a distance between the pair of electrodes when seen from a top.

7. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the semiconductor film is an oxide semiconductor film.

8. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the semiconductor device is one of a portable information terminal, a display, and a digital still camera.

9. A semiconductor device comprising:

a gate electrode including a plurality of pairs of first protrusions and a second protrusion provided between the plurality of pairs of first protrusions;

a gate insulating film over the gate electrode;

a semiconductor film which is in contact with the gate insulating film and overlaps with the plurality of pairs of first protrusions and the second protrusion; and

a pair of electrodes which is in contact with the semiconductor film and overlaps with the plurality of pairs of first protrusions,

wherein the second protrusion is wider than each of the plurality of pairs of first protrusions,

wherein one of side edges of the semiconductor film in a direction of a channel width are provided over top surfaces of the plurality of pairs of first protrusions, and the other of the side edges of the semiconductor film in the direction of the channel width is provided over top surfaces of a pair of first protrusions which is different from the one of the plurality of pairs of first protrusions, and

wherein one of side edges of the pair of electrodes in the direction of the channel width are provided over top surfaces of the plurality of pairs of first protrusions, and the other of the side edges of the pair of electrodes in the direction of the channel width is provided over top surfaces of a pair of first protrusions which is different from the one of the plurality of pairs of first protrusions.

10. A semiconductor device according to claim 9, wherein a plurality of second protrusions is provided in a direction of a channel length of the semiconductor film.

11. A semiconductor device according to claim 9,

wherein the gate electrode comprises a first region including the pair of first protrusions and the second protrusion, and a second region which is in contact with the first region,

wherein the first region and the second region are formed using different conductive materials, and

wherein a difference in work function between the conductive material forming the first region and the conductive material forming the second region is less than or equal to 0.6 eV.

12. A semiconductor device according to claim 9, wherein the gate electrode is formed using a multi-tone mask.

13. The semiconductor device according to claim 9, wherein an effective channel length and an effective channel width formed in the semiconductor film are three times or more an apparent channel length and an apparent channel width, respectively, which are a distance between the pair of electrodes when seen from a top.

14. The semiconductor device according to claim 9, wherein the semiconductor film is an oxide semiconductor film.

15. The semiconductor device according to claim 9, wherein the semiconductor device is one of a portable information terminal, a display, and a digital still camera.