Semiconductor device comprising a pixel portion and a driver circuit

• US 8,643,018 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2012
• Issued: 02/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Yamazaki, Shunpei, Sakata, Junichiro, Miyake, Hiroyuki, Kuwabara, Hideaki, Uochi, Hideki
• Primary Examiner(s): Ngo, Ngan
• Application Number:
  US13/616,019
• Publication Number:
  US 20130015439A1
• Time in Patent Office: 508 Days
• Field of Search: 257/59, 257/72, 257/350
• US Class Current: 257/59
• 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 29/45 Ohmic electrodes

Abstract

An object is to improve the aperture ratio of a semiconductor device. The semiconductor device includes a driver circuit portion and a display portion (also referred to as a pixel portion) over the same substrate. The driver circuit includes a channel-etched thin film transistor for driver circuit and a driver circuit wiring formed using metal. Source and drain electrodes of the thin film transistor for the driver circuit are formed using a metal. A channel layer of the thin film transistor for the driver circuit is formed using an oxide semiconductor. The display portion includes a bottom-contact thin film transistor for a pixel and a display portion wiring formed using an oxide conductor. Source and drain electrode layers of the thin film transistor for the pixel are formed using an oxide conductor. A semiconductor layer of the thin film transistor for the pixel is formed using an oxide semiconductor.

Claims

1. A semiconductor device comprising:

a pixel portion comprising a first transistor, and a driver circuit comprising a second transistor over a substrate,

wherein each of the first transistor and the second transistor comprises;

a gate electrode layer;

a gate insulating layer adjacent to the gate electrode layer;

an oxide semiconductor layer adjacent to the gate electrode layer with the gate insulating layer therebetween, the oxide semiconductor layer comprising a first region and a second region;

an oxide insulating layer in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer; and

a conductive layer over the oxide insulating layer, the conductive layer at least overlapping with the gate electrode layer,

wherein the oxide semiconductor layer is located between the gate insulating layer and the oxide insulating layer,

wherein the second region includes an edge portion of the oxide semiconductor layer, and

wherein a thickness of the second region is smaller than a thickness of the first region.

2. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the oxide semiconductor layer comprises crystals.

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

a first source electrode layer and a first drain electrode layer in the first transistor, and

a second source electrode layer and a second drain electrode layer in the second transistor,

wherein the first source electrode layer and the first drain electrode layer are formed over the gate insulating layer, and the oxide semiconductor layer of the first transistor is formed over the gate insulating layer, the first source electrode layer, and the first drain electrode layer, and

wherein the oxide semiconductor layer of the second transistor is formed over the gate insulating layer, and the second source electrode layer and the second drain electrode layer are formed over the oxide semiconductor layer of the second transistor.

4. The semiconductor device according to claim 3, wherein the edge portion of the oxide semiconductor layer in the second transistor protrudes from outside edges of the second source electrode layer and the second drain electrode layer.

5. The semiconductor device according to claim 3, wherein a thickness of a channel region in the second transistor is smaller than a thickness of a region overlapping with one of the second source electrode layer and the second drain electrode layer.

6. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the oxide semiconductor layer comprises indium, zinc, and one or more metal elements selected from gallium, iron, nickel, aluminum, manganese, cobalt, and tin.

7. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein each of the first transistor and the second transistor has a light-transmitting property.

8. A semiconductor device comprising:

a transistor comprising;

a first electrode over a substrate;

a gate insulating layer adjacent to the first electrode;

a first oxide semiconductor layer adjacent to the first electrode with the gate insulating layer therebetween, the first oxide semiconductor layer comprising a first region and a second region;

an oxide insulating layer in contact with the first oxide semiconductor layer; and

a light-transmitting conductive layer over the oxide insulating layer, the light-transmitting conductive layer at least overlapping with the first electrode,

wherein the first oxide semiconductor layer is located between the gate insulating layer and the oxide insulating layer,

wherein the second region includes an edge portion of the first oxide semiconductor layer, and

wherein a thickness of the second region is smaller than a thickness of the first region, and

a capacitor comprising;

a second oxide semiconductor layer over the substrate,

wherein the light-transmitting conductive layer overlaps with the second oxide semiconductor layer, and

wherein the capacitor has a light-transmitting property.

9. The semiconductor device according to claim 8, wherein each of the first oxide semiconductor layer and the second oxide semiconductor layer comprises crystals.

10. The semiconductor device according to claim 8, further comprising a source electrode layer and a drain electrode layer electrically connected to the first oxide semiconductor layer.

11. The semiconductor device according to claim 10, wherein the edge portion of the first oxide semiconductor layer protrudes from outside edges of the source electrode layer and the drain electrode layer.

12. The semiconductor device according to claim 8, wherein each of the first oxide semiconductor layer and the second oxide semiconductor layer comprises indium, zinc, and one or more metal elements selected from gallium, iron, nickel, aluminum, manganese, cobalt, and tin.

13. The semiconductor device according to claim 8, wherein the transistor is included in a driver circuit.

14. The semiconductor device according to claim 8, wherein the semiconductor device is a display device.