Sputtering target, oxide semiconductor, oxynitride semiconductor, and transistor

• US 10,461,197 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2017
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Yamazaki, Shunpei
• Primary Examiner(s): Gebremariam, Samuel A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Beardsley, Jonas T
• Application Number:
  US15/602,299
• Publication Number:
  US 20170352763A1
• Time in Patent Office: 889 Days
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/0676 Oxynitrides
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/08 Oxides C23C14/10 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/086 of zinc, germanium, cadmium, indium, tin, thallium or bismuth
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/3414 Metallurgical or chemical aspects of target preparation, e.g. casting, powder metallurgy
• 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 21/02631 Physical deposition at reduced pressure, e.g. MBE, sputtering, evaporation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/24 including, apart from doping materials or other impurities, only semiconductor materials not provided for in groups H01L29/16, H01L29/18, H01L29/20, H01L29/22 including organic materials H10K99/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/4908 for thin film semiconductor, e.g. gate of TFT
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/518 the insulating material containing nitrogen, e.g. nitride, oxynitride, nitrogen-doped material
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/549 Organic PV cells

Abstract

A novel oxide semiconductor, a novel oxynitride semiconductor, a transistor including them, or a novel sputtering target is provided. A composite target includes a first region and a second region. The first region includes an insulating material and the second region includes a conductive material. The first region and the second region each include a microcrystal whose diameter is greater than or equal to 0.5 nm and less than or equal to 3 nm or a value in the neighborhood thereof. A semiconductor film is formed using the composite target.

Claims

1. A semiconductor device comprising:

an oxynitride semiconductor layer comprising;

a plurality of first regions; and

a second region,

wherein each region of the plurality of first regions comprises an element M,

wherein the element M is one or more of Al, Si, Y, B, Ti, Fe, Ni, Ge, Zr, Mo, La, Ce, Nd, Hf, Ta, W, Mg, V, Be, and Cu,

wherein each region of the plurality of first regions comprises an insulating material as a first main component,

wherein the second region comprises a conductive material as a second main component,

wherein the second region comprises indium,

wherein each region of the plurality of first regions is surrounded by the second region in plan view, and

wherein the plurality of first regions and the second region are arranged in a mosaic pattern.

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

a third region,

wherein the element M is aluminum,

wherein the first main component is aluminum oxynitride or aluminum zinc oxynitride,

wherein the second main component is indium oxynitride or indium zinc oxynitride, and

wherein the third region comprises zinc oxynitride as a third main component.

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

a third region,

wherein the element M is silicon,

wherein the first main component is silicon oxynitride or silicon zinc oxynitride,

wherein the second main component is indium oxynitride or indium zinc oxynitride, and

wherein the third region comprises zinc oxynitride as a third main component.

4. The semiconductor device according to claim 2,

wherein a surrounding portion of the plurality of first regions, the second region, or the third region is blurred, and

wherein the plurality of first regions, the second region, and the third region form a cloud-like composition.

5. The semiconductor device according to claim 1,

wherein a diameter of one first region of the plurality of first regions is greater than or equal to 1 nm and less than or equal to 2 nm.

6. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, further comprising zinc,

wherein an atomic ratio of indium to the element M and zinc in the oxynitride semiconductor layer is 4:

2;

3, 5;

1;

6, 1;

1;

1, a neighborhood of 4;

2;

3, a neighborhood of 5;

1;

6, or a neighborhood of 1;

1;

1.

7. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, further comprising a transistor comprising the oxynitride semiconductor layer.

8. The semiconductor device according to claim 7,

wherein the transistor comprises a gate insulating film in contact with the oxynitride semiconductor layer, and

wherein the gate insulating film comprises silicon nitride.

9. The semiconductor device according to claim 1,

wherein a diameter of one first region of the plurality of first regions is greater than or equal to 1 nm and less than or equal to 2 nm.

10. An oxide semiconductor device comprising:

an oxide semiconductor layer comprising;

a plurality of first regions; and

a second region,

wherein each region of the plurality of first regions comprises an element M,

wherein the element M is one or more of Al, Si, Y, B, Ti, Fe, Ni, Ge, Zr, Mo, La, Ce, Nd, Hf, Ta, W, Mg, V, Be, and Cu,

wherein each region of the plurality of first regions comprises an insulating material as a first main component,

wherein the second region comprises a conductive material as a second main component,

wherein the second region comprises indium,

wherein each region of the plurality of first regions is surrounded by the second region in plan view, and

wherein the plurality of first regions and the second region are arranged in a mosaic pattern.

11. A semiconductor device comprising:

an oxide semiconductor layer comprising;

a plurality of first regions; and

a second region,

wherein each region of the plurality of first regions comprises gallium,

wherein each region of the plurality of first regions comprises an insulating material as a first main component,

wherein the second region comprises a conductive material as a second main component,

wherein the second region comprises indium,

wherein each region of the plurality of first regions is surrounded by the second region in plan view, and

wherein the plurality of first regions and the second region are arranged in a mosaic pattern.