Semiconductor device

• US 8,669,556 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2011
• Issued: 03/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Yamazaki, Shunpei, Tsubuku, Masashi, Akimoto, Kengo, Ohara, Hiroki, Honda, Tatsuya, Omata, Takatsugu, Nonaka, Yusuke, Takahashi, Masahiro, Miyanaga, Akiharu
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, DUNG ANH
• Application Number:
  US13/307,398
• Publication Number:
  US 20120138922A1
• Time in Patent Office: 832 Days
• Field of Search: 257/43, 257/57, 257/59, 257/72, 257/77, 257/347, 438/151, 438/458, 438/585, 438/770, 438/787, 438/795
• US Class Current: 257/57
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/045 by their particular orientation of crystalline planes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/1033 with insulated gate, e.g. characterised by the length, the width, the geometric contour or the doping structure with channel and gate aligned in the lengthwise direction H01L29/42376; with buried channel H01L29/7838
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/247 Amorphous materials
• 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: H01L 29/78693 the semiconducting oxide being amorphous
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/78696 characterised by the structure of the channel, e.g. multichannel, transverse or longitudinal shape, length or width, doping structure, or the overlap or alignment between the channel and the gate, the source or the drain, or the contacting structure of the channel H01L29/78612 takes precedence; transistors having a drain offset region or a lightly doped drain [LDD] H01L29/78621

Abstract

An oxide semiconductor film which has more stable electric conductivity is provided. Further, a semiconductor device which has stable electric characteristics and high reliability is provided by using the oxide semiconductor film. An oxide semiconductor film includes a crystalline region, and the crystalline region includes a crystal in which an a-b plane is substantially parallel with a surface of the film and a c-axis is substantially perpendicular to the surface of the film; the oxide semiconductor film has stable electric conductivity and is more electrically stable with respect to irradiation with visible light, ultraviolet light, and the like. By using such an oxide semiconductor film for a transistor, a highly reliable semiconductor device having stable electric characteristics can be provided.

Claims

1. A semiconductor device comprising:

a gate electrode;

an oxide semiconductor film comprising a crystalline region; and

a gate insulating film between the gate electrode and the oxide semiconductor film,

wherein the crystalline region has a crystal structure in which a c-axis is substantially perpendicular to a surface of the oxide semiconductor film,

wherein the oxide semiconductor film is in a non-single-crystal state, and

wherein the oxide semiconductor film does not comprise a crystal boundary at an interface of the crystalline region.

2. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, further comprising a source electrode and a drain electrode over the oxide semiconductor film,

wherein the gate electrode overlaps with the source electrode and the drain electrode.

3. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, further comprising a first metal oxide film and a second metal oxide film,

wherein the oxide semiconductor film is provided over the first metal oxide film,

wherein the second metal oxide film is provided over the oxide semiconductor film,

wherein an energy gap of the first metal oxide film is larger than an energy gap of the oxide semiconductor film, and

wherein an energy gap of the second metal oxide film is larger than the energy gap of the oxide semiconductor film.

4. The oxide semiconductor film according to claim 1, wherein a spin density of a signal in a region where a g value is in the vicinity of 1.93 in ESR measurement of the oxide semiconductor film is lower than 1.3×

10¹⁸ spins/cm³.

5. The oxide semiconductor film according to claim 1, wherein a concentration of hydrogen in the oxide semiconductor film is 5×

10¹⁹ atoms/cm³ or lower.

6. The oxide semiconductor film according to claim 1, wherein a concentration of lithium in the oxide semiconductor film is 5×

10¹⁵ atoms/cm³ or lower.

7. The oxide semiconductor film according to claim 1, wherein a concentration of sodium in the oxide semiconductor film is 5×

10¹⁶ atoms/cm³ or lower.

8. The oxide semiconductor film according to claim 1, wherein a concentration of potassium in the oxide semiconductor film is 5×

10¹⁵ atoms/cm³ or lower.

9. The oxide semiconductor film according to claim 1, wherein a size of the crystalline region is greater than or equal to 1 nm and less than or equal to 1000 nm.

10. The oxide semiconductor film according to claim 1, wherein an angle between the c-axis and a normal of the surface of the oxide semiconductor film is greater than or equal to 0°

and less than or equal to 20°

.

11. A semiconductor device comprising:

a gate electrode;

an oxide semiconductor film comprising a crystalline region; and

a gate insulating film between the gate electrode and the oxide semiconductor film,

wherein the crystalline region has a crystal structure in which a c-axis is substantially perpendicular to a surface of the oxide semiconductor film,

wherein the oxide semiconductor film is in a non-single-crystal state, and

wherein the oxide semiconductor film does not comprise a crystal boundary at an interface where the crystalline region and an adjacent crystalline region are in contact with each other.

12. The semiconductor device according to claim 11, further comprising a source electrode and a drain electrode over the oxide semiconductor film,

wherein the gate electrode overlaps with the source electrode and the drain electrode.

13. The semiconductor device according to claim 11, further comprising a first metal oxide film and a second metal oxide film,

wherein the oxide semiconductor film is provided over the first metal oxide film,

wherein the second metal oxide film is provided over the oxide semiconductor film,

wherein an energy gap of the first metal oxide film is larger than an energy gap of the oxide semiconductor film, and

wherein an energy gap of the second metal oxide film is larger than the energy gap of the oxide semiconductor film.

14. The oxide semiconductor film according to claim 11, wherein a spin density of a signal in a region where a g value is in the vicinity of 1.93 in ESR measurement of the oxide semiconductor film is lower than 1.3×

10¹⁸ spins/cm³.

15. The oxide semiconductor film according to claim 11, wherein a concentration of hydrogen in the oxide semiconductor film is 5×

10¹⁹ atoms/cm³ or lower.

16. The oxide semiconductor film according to claim 11, wherein a concentration of lithium in the oxide semiconductor film is 5×

10¹⁵ atoms/cm³ or lower.

17. The oxide semiconductor film according to claim 11, wherein a concentration of sodium in the oxide semiconductor film is 5×

10¹⁶ atoms/cm³ or lower.

18. The oxide semiconductor film according to claim 11, wherein a concentration of potassium in the oxide semiconductor film is 5×

10¹⁵ atoms/cm³ or lower.

19. The oxide semiconductor film according to claim 11, wherein a size of the crystalline region is greater than or equal to 1 nm and less than or equal to 1000 nm.

20. The oxide semiconductor film according to claim 11, wherein an angle between the c-axis and a normal of the surface of the oxide semiconductor film is greater than or equal to 0°

and less than or equal to 20°

.