Semiconductor device

• US 8,841,664 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2012
• Issued: 09/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Sato, Hitomi, Saito, Takayuki, Noda, Kosei, Takayama, Toru
• Primary Examiner(s): Such, Matthew W
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAIR, SAMUEL L
• Application Number:
  US13/404,516
• Publication Number:
  US 20120223305A1
• Time in Patent Office: 942 Days
• Field of Search: 257/43, 438/158
• US Class Current: 257/43
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/4908 for thin film semiconductor, e.g. gate of TFT
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H10B 12/05 Making the transistor
• CPC Class Codes: H10B 41/70 the floating gate being an electrode shared by two or more components

Abstract

Provided is a highly reliable semiconductor device by giving stable electric characteristics to a transistor in which a semiconductor film whose threshold voltage is difficult to control is used as an active layer. By using a silicon oxide film having a negative fixed charge as a film in contact with the active layer of the transistor or a film in the vicinity of the active layer, a negative electric field is always applied to the active layer due to the negative fixed charge and the threshold voltage of the transistor can be shifted in the positive direction. Thus, the highly reliable semiconductor device can be manufactured by giving stable electric characteristics to the transistor.

Claims

1. A semiconductor device comprising:

a gate electrode;

a gate insulating film over the gate electrode;

a pair of electrodes over the gate insulating film;

an oxide semiconductor film which at least partially overlaps with the gate electrode and is at least partially in contact with the pair of electrodes; and

an insulating film over the oxide semiconductor film,

wherein at least one of the gate insulating film and the insulating film includes a silicon oxide film having a negative fixed charge and an oxygen-excess silicon oxide film,

wherein a first edge of the gate electrode, a second edge of the pair of electrodes, and a third edge of the oxide semiconductor film are parallel to a channel length direction when seen from above, and

wherein the first edge is between the second edge and the third edge in a channel width direction when seen from above.

2. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the oxide semiconductor film includes two or more elements selected from In, Ga, Zn, and Sn.

3. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the silicon oxide film having the negative fixed charge includes an impurity, the impurity being selected from the group consisting of B, Ga, In, and a combination thereof.

4. The semiconductor device according to claim 3, wherein a concentration of the impurity is greater than or equal to 0.01 at. % and less than or equal to 10 at. %.

5. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the silicon oxide film having the negative fixed charge has a surface charge density on the oxide semiconductor film side of greater than or equal to 1×

10¹⁰ cm<sup>−

2</sup> and less than or equal to 5×

10¹¹ cm<sup>−

2</sup>.

6. The semiconductor device according to claim 1,

wherein the oxide semiconductor film includes a channel region, a source region, and a drain region, and

wherein the pair of electrodes is in contact with the source region and the drain region of the oxide semiconductor film through openings provided in the insulating film.

7. A semiconductor device comprising:

a base insulating film;

an oxide semiconductor film over the base insulating film;

a pair of electrodes at least partially in contact with the oxide semiconductor film;

a gate insulating film over the oxide semiconductor film; and

a gate electrode which at least partially overlaps with the oxide semiconductor film with the gate insulating film interposed therebetween,

wherein at least one of the base insulating film and the gate insulating film includes a silicon oxide film having a negative fixed charge and an oxygen-excess silicon oxide film,

wherein a first edge of the gate electrode, a second edge of the pair of electrodes, and a third edge of the oxide semiconductor film are parallel to a channel length direction when seen from above, and

wherein the first edge is between the second edge and the third edge in a channel width direction when seen from above.

8. The semiconductor device according to claim 7, wherein the oxide semiconductor film includes two or more elements selected from In, Ga, Zn, and Sn.

9. The semiconductor device according to claim 7, wherein the silicon oxide film having the negative fixed charge includes an impurity, the impurity being selected from the group consisting of B, Ga, In, and a combination thereof.

10. The semiconductor device according to claim 9, wherein a concentration of the impurity is greater than or equal to 0.01 at. % and less than or equal to 10 at. %.

11. The semiconductor device according to claim 7,

wherein the silicon oxide film having the negative fixed charge has a surface charge density on the oxide semiconductor film side of greater than or equal to 1×

10¹⁰ cm<sup>−

2</sup> and less than or equal to 5×

10¹¹ cm<sup>−

2</sup>.

12. The semiconductor device according to claim 7,

wherein the oxide semiconductor film includes a channel region, a source region, and a drain region,

wherein an insulating film is provided between the pair of electrodes and the oxide semiconductor film;

and

wherein the pair of electrodes is in contact with the source region and the drain region of the oxide semiconductor film through openings provided in the insulating film.

13. A semiconductor device comprising:

a gate electrode;

a gate insulating film over the gate electrode;

a pair of electrodes over the gate insulating film;

an oxide semiconductor film which at least partially overlaps with the gate electrode and is at least partially in contact with the pair of electrodes; and

an insulating film over the oxide semiconductor film,

wherein at least one of the gate insulating film and the insulating film comprises a silicon oxide film including an impurity selected from the group consisting of B, Ga, In, and a combination thereof and an oxygen-excess silicon oxide film,

wherein a first edge of the gate electrode, a second edge of the pair of electrodes, and a third edge of the oxide semiconductor film are parallel to a channel length direction when seen from above, and

wherein the first edge is between the second edge and the third edge in a channel width direction when seen from above.

14. The semiconductor device according to claim 13, wherein the oxide semiconductor film includes two or more elements selected from In, Ga, Zn, and Sn.

15. The semiconductor device according to claim 13, wherein a concentration of the impurity is greater than or equal to 0.01 at. % and less than or equal to 10 at. %.

16. A semiconductor device comprising:

a base insulating film;

an oxide semiconductor film over the base insulating film;

a pair of electrodes at least partially in contact with the oxide semiconductor film;

a gate insulating film over the oxide semiconductor film; and

a gate electrode which at least partially overlaps with the oxide semiconductor film with the gate insulating film interposed therebetween,

wherein at least one of the base insulating film and the gate insulating film comprises a silicon oxide film including an impurity selected from the group consisting of B, Ga, In, and a combination thereof and an oxygen-excess silicon oxide film,

wherein a first edge of the gate electrode, a second edge of the pair of electrodes, and a third edge of the oxide semiconductor film are parallel to a channel length direction when seen from above, and

wherein the first edge is between the second edge and the third edge in a channel width direction when seen from above.

17. The semiconductor device according to claim 16, wherein the oxide semiconductor film includes two or more elements selected from In, Ga, Zn, and Sn.

18. The semiconductor device according to claim 16, wherein a concentration of the impurity is greater than or equal to 0.01 at. % and less than or equal to 10 at. %.

19. A semiconductor device comprising:

a gate electrode;

a gate insulating film over the gate electrode;

a pair of electrodes over the gate insulating film;

an oxide semiconductor film which at least partially overlaps with the gate electrode and is at least partially in contact with the pair of electrodes; and

an insulating film over the oxide semiconductor film,

wherein at least one of the gate insulating film and the insulating film comprises an oxygen-excess silicon oxide film having a negative fixed charge,

wherein a first edge of the gate electrode, a second edge of the pair of electrodes, and a third edge of the oxide semiconductor film are parallel to a channel length direction when seen from above, and

wherein the first edge is between the second edge and the third edge in a channel width direction when seen from above.

20. The semiconductor device according to claim 19, wherein the oxide semiconductor film includes two or more elements selected from In, Ga, Zn, and Sn.

21. The semiconductor device according to claim 19, wherein the oxygen-excess silicon oxide film having the negative fixed charge includes an impurity, the impurity being selected from the group consisting of B, Ga, In, and a combination thereof.

22. The semiconductor device according to claim 21, wherein a concentration of the impurity is greater than or equal to 0.01 at. % and less than or equal to 10 at. %.

23. A semiconductor device comprising:

a gate electrode;

a gate insulating film over the gate electrode;

a pair of electrodes over the gate insulating film;

a semiconductor film which at least partially overlaps with the gate electrode and is at least partially in contact with the pair of electrodes; and

an insulating film over the semiconductor film,

wherein at least one of the gate insulating film and the insulating film comprises a silicon oxide film including an impurity selected from the group consisting of B, Ga, In, and a combination thereof,

wherein a first edge of the gate electrode, a second edge of the pair of electrodes, and a third edge of the semiconductor film are parallel to a channel length direction when seen from above, and

wherein the first edge is between the second edge and the third edge in a channel width direction when seen from above.

24. The semiconductor device according to claim 23, wherein a concentration of the impurity is greater than or equal to 0.01 at. % and less than or equal to 10 at. %.