Semiconductor device comprising an oxide semiconductor

• US 9,263,259 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2013
• Issued: 02/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Yamazaki, Shunpei, Suzawa, Hideomi, Sasagawa, Shinya, Tanaka, Tetsuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Ingham, John C
• Application Number:
  US14/054,130
• Publication Number:
  US 20140103340A1
• Time in Patent Office: 854 Days
• Field of Search: 257/43
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02554 Oxides
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02565 Oxide semiconducting materials not being Group 12/16 materials, e.g. ternary compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02609 Crystal orientation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02617 Deposition types
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02631 Physical deposition at reduced pressure, e.g. MBE, sputtering, evaporation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1225 with semiconductor materials not belonging to the group IV of the periodic table, e.g. InGaZnO
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/045 by their particular orientation of crystalline planes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/26 including, apart from doping materials or other impurities, elements provided for in two or more of the groups H01L29/16, H01L29/18, H01L29/20, H01L29/22, H01L29/24 , e.g. alloys
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/78 with field effect produced by an insulated gate H01L29/7725, H01L29/775, H01L29/778 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

Abstract

A semiconductor device in which an increase in oxygen vacancies in an oxide semiconductor layer can be suppressed is provided. A semiconductor device with favorable electrical characteristics is provided. A highly reliable semiconductor device is provided. A semiconductor device includes an oxide semiconductor layer in a channel formation region, and by the use of an oxide insulating film below and in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer and a gate insulating film over and in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer, oxygen of the oxide insulating film or the gate insulating film is supplied to the oxide semiconductor layer. Further, a conductive nitride is used for metal films of a source electrode layer, a drain electrode layer, and a gate electrode layer, whereby diffusion of oxygen to the metal films is suppressed.

Claims

1. A semiconductor device comprising:

an oxide insulating film;

an oxide semiconductor layer over the oxide insulating film;

a first source electrode layer in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer;

a first drain electrode layer in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer;

a second source electrode layer in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer, the second source electrode layer covering the first source electrode layer;

a second drain electrode layer in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer, the second drain electrode layer covering the first drain electrode layer;

a gate insulating film over the oxide semiconductor layer, the second source electrode layer, and the second drain electrode layer;

a first gate electrode layer over the gate insulating film;

a second gate electrode layer over the first gate electrode layer; and

a protective insulating film over the second gate electrode layer,

wherein the gate insulating film is in contact with the oxide insulating film,

wherein each of the second source electrode layer, the second drain electrode layer, and the first gate electrode layer comprises nitrogen,

wherein the oxide insulating film has a concave portion on a side more outer than an edge of the first source electrode layer, and

wherein the oxide insulating film is in contact with the second source electrode layer at the concave portion.

2. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the first gate electrode layer comprises tantalum nitride or titanium nitride.

3. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the first source electrode layer and the first drain electrode layer each comprises a plurality of flat surfaces to form steps.

4. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the second source electrode layer and the second drain electrode layer comprise tantalum nitride or titanium nitride.

5. The semiconductor device according to claim 1,

wherein the second source electrode layer and the second drain electrode layer each comprise:

a bottom end portion in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer; and

an upper end portion on a side more outer than the bottom end portion, and

wherein one or both of the bottom end portion and the upper end portion have a curvature.

6. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the protective insulating film is a silicon nitride film.

7. The semiconductor device according to claim 1,

wherein the oxide semiconductor layer comprises a crystalline phase, and

wherein a c-axis of the crystalline phase is parallel to a normal vector of a surface of the oxide semiconductor layer.

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

9. A semiconductor device comprising:

an oxide insulating film;

an oxide semiconductor layer over the oxide insulating film;

a first source electrode layer in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer;

a first drain electrode layer in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer;

a second source electrode layer in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer, the second source electrode layer covering the first source electrode layer;

a second drain electrode layer in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer, the second drain electrode layer covering the first drain electrode layer;

a gate insulating film over the oxide semiconductor layer, the second source electrode layer, and the second drain electrode layer;

a first gate electrode layer over the gate insulating film;

a second gate electrode layer over the first gate electrode layer; and

a protective insulating film over the second gate electrode layer,

wherein the gate insulating film is in contact with the oxide insulating film on a side more outer than an edge of the first source electrode layer,

wherein the gate insulating film is in contact with the oxide insulating film on a side more outer than an edge of the first drain electrode layer, and

wherein each of the second source electrode layer, the second drain electrode layer, and the first gate electrode layer comprises nitrogen.

10. The semiconductor device according to claim 9, wherein the first gate electrode layer comprises tantalum nitride or titanium nitride.

11. The semiconductor device according to claim 9, wherein the first source electrode layer and the first drain electrode layer each comprises a plurality of flat surfaces to form steps.

12. The semiconductor device according to claim 9, wherein the second source electrode layer and the second drain electrode layer comprise tantalum nitride or titanium nitride.

13. The semiconductor device according to claim 9, wherein the second source electrode layer and the second drain electrode layer each comprise:

a bottom end portion in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer; and

an upper end portion on a side more outer than the bottom end portion, and

wherein one or both of the bottom end portion and the upper end portion have a curvature.

14. The semiconductor device according to claim 9, wherein the protective insulating film is a silicon nitride film.

15. The semiconductor device according to claim 9,

wherein the oxide semiconductor layer comprises a crystalline phase, and

wherein a c-axis of the crystalline phase is parallel to a normal vector of a surface of the oxide semiconductor layer.

16. The semiconductor device according to claim 9, wherein the oxide semiconductor layer comprises indium, gallium, and zinc.

17. The semiconductor device according to claim 9,

wherein the oxide insulating film has a concave portion on a side more outer than the edge of the first source electrode layer, and

wherein the oxide insulating film is in contact with the second source electrode layer at the concave portion.

18. A semiconductor device comprising:

an oxide insulating film;

an oxide semiconductor layer over the oxide insulating film;

a first source electrode layer in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer;

a first drain electrode layer in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer;

a second source electrode layer in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer, the second source electrode layer covering the first source electrode layer;

a second drain electrode layer in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer, the second drain electrode layer covering the first drain electrode layer;

a gate insulating film over the oxide semiconductor layer, the second source electrode layer, and the second drain electrode layer;

a first gate electrode layer over the gate insulating film, the first gate electrode layer overlapping with the oxide semiconductor layer;

a second gate electrode layer over the first gate electrode layer; and

a protective insulating film over the second gate electrode layer,

wherein the gate insulating film is in contact with the oxide insulating film on a side more outer than an edge of the second source electrode layer, and

wherein the gate insulating film is in contact with the oxide insulating film on a side more outer than an edge of the second drain electrode layer.

19. The semiconductor device according to claim 18, wherein the first gate electrode layer comprises tantalum nitride or titanium nitride.

20. The semiconductor device according to claim 18, wherein the first source electrode layer and the first drain electrode layer each comprises a plurality of flat surfaces to form steps.

21. The semiconductor device according to claim 18, wherein the second source electrode layer and the second drain electrode layer comprise tantalum nitride or titanium nitride.

22. The semiconductor device according to claim 18,

wherein the second source electrode layer and the second drain electrode layer each comprise:

a bottom end portion in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer; and

an upper end portion on a side more outer than the bottom end portion, and

wherein one or both of the bottom end portion and the upper end portion have a curvature.

23. The semiconductor device according to claim 18, wherein the protective insulating film is a silicon nitride film.

24. The semiconductor device according to claim 18,

wherein the oxide semiconductor layer comprises a crystalline phase, and

wherein a c-axis of the crystalline phase is parallel to a normal vector of a surface of the oxide semiconductor layer.

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