Semiconductor device

• US 9,449,996 B2
• Filed: 08/02/2013
• Issued: 09/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Yamazaki, Shunpei, Miyake, Hiroyuki, Shishido, Hideaki, Koyama, Jun, Matsubayashi, Daisuke, Murayama, Keisuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Cuong Q
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yasmeen, Nishath
• Application Number:
  US13/957,819
• Publication Number:
  US 20140034954A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,145 Days
• Field of Search: 257/59
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1339 Gaskets; Spacers; Sealing of cells
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/134363 for applying an electric field parallel to the substrate, i.e. in-plane switching [IPS]
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/134372 for fringe field switching [FFS] where the common electrode is not patterned
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13454 Drivers integrated on the active matrix substrate G02F1/136277 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13458 Terminal pads
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/136204 Arrangements to prevent high voltage or static electricity failures
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/136209 Light shielding layers, e.g. black matrix, incorporated in the active matrix substrate, e.g. structurally associated with the switching element
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/136213 Storage capacitors associated with the pixel electrode
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/136286 Wiring, e.g. gate line, drain line
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1368 in which the switching element is a three-electrode device G02F1/136277 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2201/121 common or background
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2201/123 pixel
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2201/40 Arrangements for improving the aperture ratio
• 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 27/124 with a particular composition, shape or layout of the wiring layers specially adapted to the circuit arrangement, e.g. scanning lines in LCD pixel circuits wiring structures per se H01L23/52
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1255 integrated with passive devices, e.g. auxiliary capacitors
• 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: H10K 59/1216 the pixel elements being capacitors

Abstract

To provide a semiconductor device including a capacitor whose charge capacity is increased without reducing the aperture ratio. The semiconductor device includes a transistor including a light-transmitting semiconductor film, a capacitor where a dielectric film is provided between a pair of electrodes, an insulating film provided over the light-transmitting semiconductor film, and a light-transmitting conductive film provided over the insulating film. In the capacitor, a metal oxide film containing at least indium (In) or zinc (Zn) and formed on the same surface as the light-transmitting semiconductor film in the transistor serves as one electrode, the light-transmitting conductive film serves as the other electrode, and the insulating film provided over the light-transmitting semiconductor film serves as the dielectric film.

Claims

1. A semiconductor device comprising:

a substrate;

a gate electrode and a line over the substrate, in non-overlapping regions;

a first insulating film over the substrate, the gate electrode, and the line;

a second insulating film over the first insulating film;

a third insulating film over the second insulating film;

a light-transmitting pixel electrode over the third insulating film;

a transistor comprising;

the gate electrode;

the first insulating film over the gate electrode; and

a semiconductor film over the first insulating film and overlapping the gate electrode, the semiconductor film being electrically connected to the pixel electrode; and

a capacitor comprising;

a light-transmitting film able to conduct electricity as a first capacitor electrode over the first insulating film;

the third insulating film as a capacitor dielectric film over the first capacitor electrode; and

the pixel electrode as a second capacitor electrode over the capacitor dielectric film,

wherein the first, the second, and the third insulating films overlap with the semiconductor film,

wherein a stack comprising the first insulating film, the second insulating film, and the third insulating film is interposed between the line and the pixel electrode, and

wherein the second insulating film is not provided in a region entirely overlapping with the first and the second capacitor electrodes, and the third insulating film is on and in direct contact with the first capacitor electrode.

2. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the semiconductor film and the first capacitor electrode are on and in direct contact with the first insulating film.

3. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the first capacitor electrode and the semiconductor film are formed from a same film.

4. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the first capacitor electrode and the semiconductor film are formed from a same oxide semiconductor film.

5. The semiconductor device according to claim 1,

wherein the first capacitor electrode and the semiconductor film are formed from an oxide semiconductor film, and

wherein the first capacitor electrode further contains a dopant at a concentration greater than 1×

10¹⁹ atoms/cm³ and less than or equal to 1×

10²² atoms/cm³.

6. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, further comprising an organic insulating film interposed between the third insulating film and the pixel electrode,

wherein the pixel electrode is in direct contact with the third insulating film through an opening in the organic insulating film.

7. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, further comprising a capacitor line formed from a same film as the gate electrode,

wherein the first capacitor electrode is connected to the capacitor line through a film formed from a same film as a source electrode or a drain electrode of the transistor.

8. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, further comprising a capacitor line,

wherein the light-transmitting film able to conduct electricity contains a semiconductor material, and

wherein the semiconductor device is configured so that, when used, a potential applied to the capacitor line is constantly lower than a potential to be supplied to the pixel electrode by a threshold voltage of the capacitor or more.

9. A display device comprising the semiconductor device according to claim 1.

10. An electronic device comprising the semiconductor device according to claim 1.

22. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the pixel electrode is in direct contact with the third insulating film in the region overlapping with the first and the second capacitor electrodes.

11. A semiconductor device comprising:

a substrate;

a gate electrode and a line over the substrate, in non-overlapping regions;

a first insulating film over the substrate, the gate electrode, and the line;

a second insulating film over the first insulating film;

a third insulating film over the second insulating film;

a light-transmitting pixel electrode over the third insulating film;

a transistor comprising;

the gate electrode;

the first insulating film over the gate electrode; and

a metal oxide semiconductor film over the first insulating film and overlapping the gate electrode, the metal oxide semiconductor film being electrically connected to the pixel electrode; and

a capacitor comprising;

a light-transmitting film able to conduct electricity as a first capacitor electrode over the first insulating film;

the third insulating film as a capacitor dielectric film over the first capacitor electrode; and

the pixel electrode as a second capacitor electrode over the capacitor dielectric film,

wherein the first capacitor electrode and the metal oxide semiconductor film are formed from a same film,

wherein a stack comprising the first insulating film, the second insulating film, and the third insulating film is interposed between the line and the pixel electrode,

wherein the first insulating film and the second insulating film sandwich the metal oxide semiconductor film, are respectively a first oxide insulating film and a second oxide insulating film, and are each in direct contact with the metal oxide semiconductor film,

wherein the third insulating film is a nitride insulating film and overlaps with the metal oxide semiconductor film,

wherein the second oxide insulating film is not provided in a region entirely overlapping with the first and the second capacitor electrodes,

wherein the nitride insulating film is on and in direct contact with the first capacitor electrode, and

wherein the second capacitor electrode is on and in direct contact with the nitride insulating film.

12. The semiconductor device according to claim 11, wherein the first capacitor electrode contains a dopant at a concentration greater than 1×

10¹⁹ atoms/cm³ and less than or equal to 1×

10²² atoms/cm³.

13. The semiconductor device according to claim 11, further comprising an organic insulating film interposed between the second insulating film and the pixel electrode,

wherein the pixel electrode is in direct contact with the second insulating film through an opening in the organic insulating film.

14. The semiconductor device according to claim 11, further comprising a capacitor line formed from a same film as the gate electrode,

wherein the first capacitor electrode is connected to the capacitor line through a film formed from a same film as a source electrode or a drain electrode of the transistor.

15. The semiconductor device according to claim 11, further comprising a capacitor line,

wherein the semiconductor device is configured so that, when used, a potential applied to the capacitor line is constantly lower than a potential to be supplied to the pixel electrode by a threshold voltage of the capacitor or more.

16. A display device comprising the semiconductor device according to claim 11.

17. An electronic device comprising the semiconductor device according to claim 11.

18. A semiconductor device comprising:

a substrate;

a gate electrode and a line over the substrate, in non-overlapping regions;

a first insulating film over the substrate, the gate electrode, and the line;

a second insulating film over the first insulating film;

a third insulating film over the second insulating film;

a light-transmitting pixel electrode over the third insulating film;

a transistor comprising;

the gate electrode;

the first and the second insulating films over the gate electrode; and

a semiconductor film over the first and the second insulating films and overlapping the gate electrode, the semiconductor film being electrically connected to the pixel electrode; and

a capacitor comprising;

a light-transmitting film able to conduct electricity as a first capacitor electrode over the first insulating film;

the third insulating film as a capacitor dielectric film over the first capacitor electrode; and

the pixel electrode as a second capacitor electrode over the capacitor dielectric film,

wherein the first, the second, and the third insulating films overlap with the semiconductor film,

wherein a stack comprising the first insulating film, the second insulating film, and the third insulating film is interposed between the line and the pixel electrode, and

wherein the second insulating film is not provided in a region entirely overlapping with the first and the second capacitor electrodes, and the first capacitor electrode is on and in direct contact with the first insulating film.

19. The semiconductor device according to claim 18, wherein the first capacitor electrode and the semiconductor film are formed from a same film.

20. The semiconductor device according to claim 18, wherein the first capacitor electrode and the semiconductor film are formed from a same oxide semiconductor film.

21. A semiconductor device comprising:

a substrate;

a gate electrode and a line over the substrate, in non-overlapping regions;

a first insulating film over the substrate, the gate electrode, and the line;

a second insulating film over the first insulating film;

a third insulating film over the second insulating film;

a light-transmitting pixel electrode over the third insulating film;

a transistor comprising;

the gate electrode;

the first and the second insulating films over the gate electrode; and

a metal oxide semiconductor film over the first and the second insulating films and overlapping the gate electrode, the metal oxide semiconductor film being electrically connected to the pixel electrode; and

a capacitor comprising;

a light-transmitting film able to conduct electricity as a first capacitor electrode over the first insulating film;

the third insulating film as a capacitor dielectric film over the first capacitor electrode; and

the pixel electrode as a second capacitor electrode over the capacitor dielectric film,

wherein the first capacitor electrode and the metal oxide semiconductor film are formed from a same film,

wherein a stack comprising the first insulating film, the second insulating film, and the third insulating film is interposed between the line and the pixel electrode,

wherein the second insulating film and the third insulating film sandwich the metal oxide semiconductor film, are respectively a first oxide insulating film and a second oxide insulating film, and are each in direct contact with the metal oxide semiconductor film,

wherein the first insulating film is a nitride insulating film and overlaps with the metal oxide semiconductor film, and

wherein the first oxide insulating film is not provided in a region entirely overlapping with the first and the second capacitor electrodes, and the first capacitor electrode is on and in direct contact with the nitride insulating film.