Semiconductor device and method for forming the same

• US 9,070,777 B2
• Filed: 07/06/2012
• Issued: 06/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kim, Gun Hee, Park, Jae Woo, Ahn, Byung Du, Lee, Je Hun, Park, Sei-Yong, Lee, Kyoung Won, Lim, Ji Hun, Park, Jin Hyun, Kim, Yeon Hong, Kim, Jung Hwa, Park, Jun Hyun
• Primary Examiner(s): Jahan, Bilkis
• Assistant Examiner(s): QUINTO, KEVIN V
• Application Number:
  US13/543,235
• Publication Number:
  US 20130181212A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,089 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02554 Oxides
• 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 includes: a substrate, a semiconductor layer including an oxide semiconductor disposed on the substrate, a barrier layer disposed on the semiconductor layer and an insulating layer disposed on the barrier layer. The semiconductor layer includes an oxide semiconductor, and the barrier layer includes a material having a lower standard electrode potential than a semiconductor material of the oxide semiconductor, a lower electron affinity than the semiconductor material of the oxide semiconductor, or a larger band gap than the semiconductor material of the oxide semiconductor. The insulating layer includes at least one of a silicon-based oxide or a silicon-based nitride, and the insulating layer includes a portion which contacts with an upper surface of the barrier layer.

Claims

1. A semiconductor device comprising:

a substrate;

a semiconductor layer disposed on the substrate;

a barrier layer disposed on the semiconductor layer; and

an insulating layer disposed on the barrier layer,

wherein the semiconductor layer includes an oxide semiconductor including at least one of indium, tin, and zinc,

wherein the barrier layer includes a first oxide including at least one of indium, tin and zinc and a second oxide including another material including at least one of a lower standard electrode potential than a semiconductor material of the oxide semiconductor, a lower electron affinity than the semiconductor material of the oxide semiconductor, or a larger band gap than the semiconductor material of the oxide semiconductor,

wherein the insulating layer includes at least one of a silicon-based oxide or a silicon-based nitride,

wherein the insulating layer includes a portion which contacts with an upper surface of the barrier layer,

wherein the barrier layer is formed of one layer with the second oxide added in the first oxide,

wherein the barrier layer contacts the semiconductor layer,

wherein the second oxide of the barrier layer includes at least one selected from a group including, gallium, yttrium, niobium, magnesium, hafnium, titanium, lanthanum, lithium, scandium, barium, strontium, or zirconium, and

wherein the second oxide has a higher combination force with oxygen than the oxide semiconductor of the semiconductor layer.

2. The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the oxide semiconductor includes indium-zinc-tin oxide (IZTO).

3. The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the semiconductor layer includes an indium oxide, a zinc oxide, and a tin oxide, and wherein the barrier layer includes a gallium oxide, an indium oxide, and a zinc oxide.

4. The semiconductor device of claim 1, further comprising:

a gate electrode disposed on the substrate;

a gate insulating layer disposed on the gate electrode; and

a source electrode and a drain electrode disposed between the barrier layer and the insulating layer,

wherein the insulating layer is a passivation layer disposed on the source electrode and the drain electrode, and

wherein the barrier layer and the passivation layer contact each other in a space between the source electrode and the drain electrode.

5. The semiconductor device of claim 1, further comprising:

a gate electrode disposed on the substrate;

a gate insulating layer disposed on the gate electrode;

a source electrode and a drain electrode disposed on the barrier layer and the insulating layer; and

a passivation layer disposed on the source electrode and the drain electrode,

wherein the insulating layer is an etch stopper disposed corresponding to the semiconductor layer, and

wherein the etch stopper contacts with the passivation layer in a space between the source electrode and the drain electrode.

6. The semiconductor device of claim 1, further comprising:

a gate insulating layer disposed on the barrier layer;

a gate electrode disposed on the gate insulating layer;

an interlayer insulating layer disposed on the gate electrode and including a contact hole; and

a source electrode and a drain electrode disposed on the interlayer insulating layer and connected to the barrier layer through the contact hole.

7. The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the insulating layer includes at least one of silicon oxide (SiOx), silicon nitride (SiNx), or silicon oxynitride (SiONx).

8. A method of forming a semiconductor device, comprising:

forming a semiconductor layer on a substrate;

forming a barrier layer on the semiconductor layer; and

forming an insulating layer on the barrier layer by using a deposition method using plasma,

wherein the semiconductor layer includes an oxide semiconductor including at least one of indium, tin, and zinc,

wherein the barrier layer includes a first oxide including at least one of indium, tin and zinc and a second oxide including another material including at least one of a lower standard electrode potential than a semiconductor material of the oxide semiconductor, a lower electron affinity than the semiconductor material of the oxide semiconductor, or a larger band gap than the semiconductor material of the oxide semiconductor,

wherein the insulating layer includes at least one of a silicon-based oxide or a silicon-based nitride,

wherein the insulating layer includes a portion which contacts with an upper surface of the barrier layer,

wherein the barrier layer is formed of one layer with the second oxide added in the first oxide,

wherein the barrier layer contacts the semiconductor layer,

wherein the second oxide of the barrier layer includes at least one selected from a group including, gallium, yttrium, niobium, magnesium, hafnium, titanium, lanthanum, lithium, scandium, barium, strontium, or zirconium, and

wherein the second oxide has a higher combination force with oxygen than the oxide semiconductor of the semiconductor layer.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the oxide semiconductor includes indium-zinc-tin oxide (IZTO).

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the semiconductor layer includes an indium oxide, a zinc oxide, and a tin oxide, and wherein the barrier layer includes a gallium oxide, an indium oxide, and a zinc oxide.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

forming a gate electrode on the substrate;

forming a gate insulating layer on the gate electrode; and

forming a source electrode and a drain electrode between the barrier layer and the insulating layer,

wherein the insulating layer is a passivation layer disposed on the source electrode and the drain electrode, and

wherein the barrier layer and the passivation layer contact each other in a space between the source electrode and the drain electrode.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

forming a gate electrode on the substrate;

forming a gate insulating layer on the gate electrode;

forming a source electrode and a drain electrode on the barrier layer and the insulating layer;

forming a passivation layer disposed on the source electrode and the drain electrode; and

forming an etch stopper in contact with the passivation layer in a space between the source electrode and the drain electrode.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

forming a gate insulating layer on the barrier layer;

forming a gate electrode disposed on the gate insulating layer;

forming an interlayer insulating layer including a contact hole on the gate electrode; and

forming a source electrode and a drain electrode connected to the barrier layer through the contact hole on the interlayer insulating layer.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the insulating layer includes at least one of silicon oxide (SiOx), silicon nitride (SiNx), or silicon oxynitride (SiONx).

15. A method of forming a semiconductor device, comprising:

forming a gate electrode on a substrate;

forming a gate insulating layer on the gate electrode;

forming a semiconductor layer on the gate insulating layer, wherein the semiconductor layer includes an oxide semiconductor;

forming a barrier layer on the semiconductor layer, wherein the barrier layer includes a material including at least one of a lower standard electrode potential than a semiconductor material of the oxide semiconductor, a lower electron affinity than the semiconductor material of the oxide semiconductor, or a larger band gap than the semiconductor material of the oxide semiconductor;

forming an insulating layer on the barrier layer by using a deposition method using plasma, wherein the insulating layer includes at least one of a silicon-based oxide or a silicon-based nitride;

forming an etch stopper on the barrier layer;

forming a source electrode and a drain electrode spaced apart from the source electrode on the barrier layer; and

forming a passivation layer on the source electrode and the drain electrode and wherein the passivation layer contacts with the etch stopper in a space between the source electrode and the drain electrode.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the semiconductor layer includes indium-zinc-tin oxide and wherein the barrier layer includes indium-gallium-zinc oxide.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the oxide semiconductor includes at least one of indium (In), gallium (Ga), zinc (Zn), or tin (Sn).

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the barrier layer includes an oxide including at least one selected from a group including aluminum, gallium, yttrium, niobium, silicon, magnesium, hafnium, titanium, lanthanum, lithium, scandium, barium, strontium, or zirconium.