Semiconductor device and method for manufacturing semiconductor device

• US 9,018,629 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2012
• Issued: 04/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Tezuka, Sachiaki, Isobe, Atsuo, Hatano, Takehisa, Hanaoka, Kazuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Such, Matthew W
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAIR, SAMUEL L
• Application Number:
  US13/646,084
• Publication Number:
  US 20130092940A1
• Time in Patent Office: 935 Days
• Field of Search: 257/43, 257/E29.296, 438/596, 438/585, 438/104
• US Class Current: 257/52
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/463 Mechanical treatment, e.g. grinding, ultrasonic treatment
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/465 Chemical or electrical treatment, e.g. electrolytic etching to form insulating layers H01L21/469
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/41733 for thin film transistors with insulated gate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/41783 Raised source or drain electrodes self aligned with the gate
• 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

To provide a miniaturized transistor having high electric characteristics. A conductive film to be a source electrode layer and a drain electrode layer is formed to cover an oxide semiconductor layer and a channel protection layer, and then a region of the conductive film, which overlaps with the oxide semiconductor layer and the channel protection layer, is removed by chemical mechanical polishing treatment. Precise processing can be performed accurately because an etching step using a resist mask is not performed in the step of removing part of the conductive film to be the source electrode layer and the drain electrode layer. With the channel protection layer, damage to the oxide semiconductor layer or a reduction in film thickness due to the chemical mechanical polishing treatment on the conductive film can be suppressed.

Claims

1. A semiconductor device comprising:

a source electrode layer;

a drain electrode layer;

an oxide semiconductor layer;

a channel protection layer in contact with a top surface of the oxide semiconductor layer;

a gate insulating layer in contact with top surfaces of the channel protection layer, the source electrode layer, and the drain electrode layer;

a gate electrode layer overlapping with the oxide semiconductor layer with the channel protection layer and the gate insulating layer provided therebetween; and

a first sidewall layer and a second sidewall layer,

wherein one side surface of the oxide semiconductor layer is in contact with a side surface of the source electrode layer and the other side surface of the oxide semiconductor layer is in contact with a side surface of the drain electrode layer,

wherein the source electrode layer, the drain electrode layer and the oxide semiconductor layer are provided over a surface of a substrate,

wherein the top surfaces of the channel protection layer, the source electrode layer and the drain electrode layer are planarized so that maximum height thereof from the surface of the substrate are the same as one another,

wherein the first sidewall layer is in contact with one side surface of the gate electrode layer and the second sidewall layer is in contact with the other side surface of the gate electrode layer, and

wherein the first sidewall layer and the second sidewall layer have conductivity.

2. The semiconductor device according to claim 1,

wherein the oxide semiconductor layer comprises a first impurity region in contact with at least a part of the source electrode layer and a second impurity region in contact with at least a part of the drain electrode layer.

3. The semiconductor device according to claim 1,

wherein the top surface of the oxide semiconductor layer is depressed from the top surfaces of the source electrode layer and the drain electrode layer.

4. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an insulating layer over the first sidewall layer, the second sidewall layer, and the gate electrode layer;

wherein the insulating layer comprises an aluminum oxide layer.

5. The semiconductor device according to claim 1,

wherein an area covered by the gate insulating layer is larger than an area covered by the channel protection layer.

6. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the oxide semiconductor layer comprises a crystalline portion.

7. The semiconductor device according to claim 6, wherein the crystalline portion includes crystals whose c-axes are aligned.

8. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the oxide semiconductor layer contains indium, gallium and zinc.

9. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein each of the side surfaces of the oxide semiconductor layer is tapered.

10. The semiconductor device according to claim 1,

wherein at least a part of the first sidewall layer is provided over the source electrode layer with the gate insulating layer provided therebetween, and

wherein at least a part of the second sidewall layer is provided over the drain electrode layer with the gate insulating layer provided therebetween.

11. A semiconductor device comprising:

a source electrode layer;

a drain electrode layer;

an oxide semiconductor layer;

a channel protection layer in contact with a top surface of the oxide semiconductor layer;

a gate insulating layer in contact with top surfaces of the channel protection layer, the source electrode layer, and the drain electrode layer;

a gate electrode layer overlapping with the oxide semiconductor layer with the channel protection layer and the gate insulating layer provided therebetween; and

a first sidewall layer and a second sidewall layer,

wherein the channel protection layer comprises an oxygen-excess region,

wherein one side surface of the oxide semiconductor layer is in contact with a side surface of the source electrode layer and the other side surface of the oxide semiconductor layer is in contact with a side surface of the drain electrode layer,

wherein the source electrode layer, the drain electrode layer and the oxide semiconductor layer are provided over a surface of a substrate,

wherein the top surfaces of the channel protection layer, the source electrode layer and the drain electrode layer are planarized so that maximum height thereof from the surface of the substrate are the same as one another,

wherein the first sidewall layer is in contact with one side surface of the gate electrode layer and the second sidewall layer is in contact with the other side surface of the gate electrode layer, and

wherein the first sidewall layer and the second sidewall layer have conductivity.

12. The semiconductor device according to claim 11,

wherein the oxide semiconductor layer comprises a first impurity region in contact with at least a part of the source electrode layer and a second impurity region in contact with at least a part of the drain electrode layer.

13. The semiconductor device according to claim 11,

wherein the top surface of the oxide semiconductor layer is depressed from the top surfaces of the source electrode layer and the drain electrode layer.

14. The semiconductor device according to claim 11, further comprising:

an insulating layer over the first sidewall layer, the second sidewall layer, and the gate electrode layer;

wherein the insulating layer comprises an aluminum oxide layer.

15. The semiconductor device according to claim 11,

wherein an area covered by the gate insulating layer is larger than an area covered by the channel protection layer.

16. The semiconductor device according to claim 11, wherein the oxide semiconductor layer comprises a crystalline portion.

17. The semiconductor device according to claim 16, wherein the crystalline portion includes crystals whose c-axes are aligned.

18. The semiconductor device according to claim 16, wherein the oxide semiconductor layer contains indium, gallium and zinc.

19. The semiconductor device according to claim 16, wherein each of the side surfaces of the oxide semiconductor layer is tapered.

20. The semiconductor device according to claim 16,

wherein at least a part of the first sidewall layer is provided over the source electrode layer with the gate insulating layer provided therebetween, and

wherein at least a part of the second sidewall layer is provided over the drain electrode layer with the gate insulating layer provided therebetween.