Semiconductor device and method for manufacturing the same

• US 8,815,640 B2
• Filed: 10/16/2012
• Issued: 08/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Tochibayashi, Katsuaki, Yamazaki, Shunpei, Higano, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Such, Matthew W
• Assistant Examiner(s): STOWE, SCOTT C
• Application Number:
  US13/652,668
• Publication Number:
  US 20130099231A1
• Time in Patent Office: 679 Days
• Field of Search: 257/43, 257/E29.296, 438/104
• US Class Current: 438/104
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/22 including, apart from doping materials or other impurities, only AIIBVI compounds
• 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 29/7869 having a semiconductor body comprising an oxide semiconductor material, e.g. zinc oxide, copper aluminium oxide, cadmium stannate

Abstract

A highly reliable semiconductor device and a method for manufacturing the semiconductor device are provided. In a semiconductor device including a bottom-gate transistor in which an insulating layer functioning as a channel protective film is provided over an oxide semiconductor film, elements contained in an etching gas can be prevented from remaining as impurities on a surface of the oxide semiconductor film by performing impurity-removing process after formation of an insulating layer provided over and in contact with the oxide semiconductor film and/or formation of source and drain electrode layers. The impurity concentration in the surface of the oxide semiconductor film is lower than or equal to 5×10¹⁸ atoms/cm³, preferably lower than or equal to 1×10¹⁸ atoms/cm³.

Claims

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

forming a gate electrode layer over an insulating surface;

forming a gate insulating film over the gate electrode layer;

forming an oxide semiconductor film over the gate insulating film;

forming an insulating layer over the oxide semiconductor film, the insulating layer overlapping with the gate electrode layer;

forming a conductive film over the oxide semiconductor film and the insulating layer;

etching the conductive film with an etching gas containing a halogen element to form a source electrode layer and a drain electrode layer; and

removing the halogen element from the oxide semiconductor film by oxygen plasma treatment or dinitrogen monoxide plasma treatment.

2. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, according to claim 1, wherein a chlorine concentration in the oxide semiconductor film subjected to the removing step is lower than or equal to 5×

10¹⁸ atoms/cm³.

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

forming a gate electrode layer over an insulating surface;

forming a gate insulating film over the gate electrode layer;

forming an oxide semiconductor film over the gate insulating film;

forming an insulating layer over the oxide semiconductor film;

etching the insulating layer with an etching gas containing a halogen element to form a channel protective film in a position overlapping with the gate electrode layer;

removing the halogen element from the oxide semiconductor film by oxygen plasma treatment or dinitrogen monoxide plasma treatment;

forming a conductive film over the oxide semiconductor film and the channel protective film; and

etching the conductive film to form a source electrode layer and a drain electrode layer.

4. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, according to claim 3, wherein a chlorine concentration in the oxide semiconductor film subjected to the removing step is lower than or equal to 5×

10¹⁸ atoms/cm³.

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

forming a gate electrode layer over an insulating surface;

forming a gate insulating film over the gate electrode layer;

forming an oxide semiconductor film over the gate insulating film;

forming an insulating layer over the oxide semiconductor film;

etching the insulating layer with a first etching gas containing a halogen element to form a channel protective film in a position overlapping with the gate electrode layer;

removing the halogen element contained in the first etching gas from the oxide semiconductor film;

forming a conductive film over the oxide semiconductor film and the channel protective film;

etching the conductive film with a second etching gas containing a halogen element to form a source electrode layer and a drain electrode layer; and

removing the halogen element contained in the second etching gas from the oxide semiconductor film.

6. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, according to claim 5, wherein a chlorine concentration in the oxide semiconductor film subjected to the removing step with the second etching gas is lower than or equal to 5×

10¹⁸ atoms/cm³.

7. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, according to claim 5, wherein oxygen plasma treatment or dinitrogen monoxide plasma treatment is performed as at least one of the removing step with the first etching gas and the removing step with the second etching gas.

8. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, according to claim 5, wherein cleaning treatment with a diluted hydrofluoric acid solution is performed as at least one of the removing step with the first etching gas and the removing step with the second etching gas.