Sputtering target, method for manufacturing the same, manufacturing semiconductor device

• US 8,894,825 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2011
• Issued: 11/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Yamazaki, Shunpei
• Primary Examiner(s): BERMAN, JASON
• Application Number:
  US13/323,930
• Publication Number:
  US 20120152728A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,078 Days
• Field of Search: 204/192.12, 204/298.12
• US Class Current: 204/192.12
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/3284 Zinc oxides, zincates, cadmium oxides, cadmiates, mercury oxides, mercurates or oxide forming salts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/3286 Gallium oxides, gallates, indium oxides, indates, thallium oxides, thallates or oxide forming salts thereof, e.g. zinc gallate
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/3852 Nitrides, e.g. oxynitrides, carbonitrides, oxycarbonitrides, lithium nitride, magnesium nitride
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/666 Applying a current during sintering, e.g. plasma sintering [SPS], electrical resistance heating or pulse electric current sintering [PECS]
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/77 Density
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/453 based on zinc, tin, or bismuth oxides or solid solutions thereof with other oxides, e.g. zincates, stannates or bismuthates
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/58 based on borides, nitrides, i.e. nitrides, oxynitrides, carbonitrides or oxycarbonitrides or silicides containing free binder metal C22C29/00
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/6455 Hot isostatic pressing
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/0676 Oxynitrides
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/3414 Metallurgical or chemical aspects of target preparation, e.g. casting, powder metallurgy
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02565 Oxide semiconducting materials not being Group 12/16 materials, e.g. ternary compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/443 from a gas or vapour, e.g. condensation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/4908 for thin film semiconductor, e.g. gate of TFT
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/4966 the conductor material next to the insulator being a composite material, e.g. organic material, TiN, MoSi2 H01L29/4908, H01L29/4983 take precedence

Abstract

A deposition technique for forming an oxynitride film is provided. A highly reliable semiconductor element is manufactured with the use of the oxynitride film. The oxynitride film is formed with the use of a sputtering target including an oxynitride containing indium, gallium, and zinc, which is obtained by sintering a mixture of at least one of indium nitride, gallium nitride, and zinc nitride as a raw material and at least one of indium oxide, gallium oxide, and zinc oxide in a nitrogen atmosphere. In this manner, the oxynitride film can contain nitrogen at a necessary concentration. The oxynitride film can be used for a gate, a source electrode, a drain electrode, or the like of a transistor.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a sputtering target including an oxynitride comprising indium, gallium, and zinc, the method comprising the steps of:

mixing at least one of indium nitride, gallium nitride, and zinc nitride and at least one of indium oxide, gallium oxide, and zinc oxide as a mixture; and

sintering the mixture in a gas atmosphere comprising nitrogen.

2. The method for manufacturing a sputtering target according to claim 1, wherein a concentration of nitrogen in a sintered body of the oxynitride is 4 atomic % or more.

3. The method for manufacturing a sputtering target according to claim 1, wherein a concentration of nitrogen in a sintered body of the oxynitride is 20 atomic % or more.

4. The method for manufacturing a sputtering target according to claim 1, wherein a concentration of an alkali metal in a sintered body of the oxynitride is 5×

10¹⁶ atoms/cm³ or lower.

5. The method for manufacturing a sputtering target according to claim 1, wherein a concentration of hydrogen in a sintered body of the oxynitride is 1×

10¹⁶ atoms/cm³ or lower.

6. The method for manufacturing a sputtering target according to claim 1, wherein the oxynitride is an In—

Ga—

Zn—

O-N-based compound.

7. The method for manufacturing a sputtering target according to claim 1, wherein the gas atmosphere comprising the nitrogen is a nitrogen gas.

8. The method for manufacturing a sputtering target according to claim 1, wherein the mixture is sintered while being pressed.

9. A method for manufacturing a sputtering target, comprising the steps of:

preparing a first material and a second material each comprising at least one of indium, gallium, and zinc;

oxidizing the first material in an oxygen atmosphere to form an oxide material;

nitriding the second material in a nitrogen atmosphere to form a nitride material;

mixing the oxide material and the nitride material to form a mixture; and

sintering the mixture to form a sintered body of an oxynitride,

wherein each of the first material and the second material is in a powder form,

wherein the oxide material comprises at least one of indium oxide, gallium oxide, and zinc oxide, and

wherein the nitride material comprises at least one of indium nitride, gallium nitride, and zinc nitride.

10. The method for manufacturing a sputtering target according to claim 9, wherein a concentration of nitrogen in the sintered body of the oxynitride is 4 atomic % or more.

11. The method for manufacturing a sputtering target according to claim 9, wherein a concentration of nitrogen in the sintered body of the oxynitride is 20 atomic % or more.

12. The method for manufacturing a sputtering target according to claim 9, wherein a concentration of an alkali metal in the sintered body of the oxynitride is 5×

10¹⁶ atoms/cm³ or lower.

13. The method for manufacturing a sputtering target according to claim 9, wherein a concentration of hydrogen in the sintered body of the oxynitride is 1×

10¹⁶ atoms/cm³ or lower.

14. The method for manufacturing a sputtering target according to claim 9, wherein the oxynitride is an In—

Ga—

Zn—

O-N-based compound.

15. The method for manufacturing a sputtering target according to claim 9, wherein the step of sintering the mixture is performed in a nitrogen atmosphere.

16. The method for manufacturing a sputtering target according to claim 9, wherein the mixture is sintered while being pressed.