Process for producing oriented inorganic crystalline film, and semiconductor device using the oriented inorganic crystalline film

• US 8,202,365 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2008
• Issued: 06/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Hirai, Hiroyuki, Tanaka, Atsushi, Kohda, Katsuhiro, Sunagawa, Hiroshi, Umeda, Kenichi, Higashi, Kohei
• Primary Examiner(s): Kopec, Mark
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HAIDUNG D
• Application Number:
  US12/337,072
• Publication Number:
  US 20090152506A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,280 Days
• Field of Search: 252/500, 252/521.2, 428/700, 439/189, 427/58, 427/372.2, 117/7, 117/9
• US Class Current: 117/9
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 1/02 by thermal treatment, e.g. strain annealing C30B1/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 29/22 Complex oxides
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02422 Non-crystalline insulating materials, e.g. glass, polymers
• 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 21/02628 using solutions
• 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

In a process for producing an oriented inorganic crystalline film, a non-monocrystalline film containing inorganic crystalline particles is formed on a substrate by a liquid phase technique using a raw-material solution which contains a raw material and an organic solvent, where the inorganic crystalline particles have a layered crystal structure and are contained in the raw material. Then, the non-monocrystalline film is crystallized by heating the non-monocrystalline film to a temperature equal to or higher than the crystallization temperature of the non-monocrystalline film so that part of the inorganic crystalline particles act as crystal nuclei.

Claims

1. A process for producing an oriented inorganic crystalline film, comprising the steps of:

(A) forming on a substrate a non-monocrystalline film containing inorganic crystalline particles by a liquid phase technique using a raw-material solution which contains a raw material and an organic solvent, wherein the raw material contains the inorganic crystalline particles and the inorganic crystalline particles have a layered crystal; and

(B) crystallizing said non-monocrystalline film by heating the non-monocrystalline film to a temperature equal to or higher than a crystallization temperature of the non-monocrystalline film so that part of the inorganic crystalline particles act as crystal nuclei.

2. A process according to claim 1, wherein said part of the inorganic crystalline particles are dispersed in said non-monocrystalline film in said step (A).

3. A process according to claim 1, wherein said oriented inorganic crystalline film is composed of an oxide and inevitable impurities.

4. A process according to claim 3, wherein said oxide is a composite oxide expressed by a compositional formula,

N_xM_yRz_{O (x+3y/2+3z/2−}

d),

where R is In, M is at least one of In, Fe, Ga, and Al, N is at least one of Zn and Mg, each of x, y, and z is a real number greater than zero, d indicates an amount of oxygen deficiency, and x, y, z, and d satisfy the relationship,

0≦

d≦

(x+3y/2+3z/2)/10.

5. A process according to claim 1, wherein said oriented inorganic crystalline film is (00n) orientated, and n is a positive integer.

6. A process according to claim 1, wherein said inorganic crystalline particles in said part have an average diameter equal to or greater than 2 nm and smaller than a thickness of said non-monocrystalline film.

7. A process according to claim 1, wherein said inorganic crystalline particles are produced by a sol-gel process using a solution which contains an organic precursor material and an organic solvent, and the organic precursor material contains all constituent elements of said oriented inorganic crystalline film.

8. A process according to claim 1, wherein said substrate is an amorphous substrate.

9. A process according to claim 8, wherein said substrate is a resin substrate.

10. A process according to claim 8, wherein said substrate is a glass substrate.

11. A process according to claim 1, wherein said non-monocrystalline film is crystallized in said step (B) by heating the non-monocrystalline film with thermic rays.

12. A process according to claim 11, wherein said thermic rays are pulsed laser rays.