# US 12,183,832 B2 · Semiconductor device and manufacturing method thereof

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- Number: US 12,183,832 B2
- Document ID: US12183832B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/521,021
- Filed: 2021-11-08
- Published: 2022-03-03
- Granted: 2024-12-31
- Earliest claimed: 2005-09-29
- Assignees: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Kengo Akimoto; Tatsuya Honda; Norihito Sone
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12183832B2

## CPC

- H10D 30/6757: {characterised by the structure of the channel, e.g. transverse or longitudinal shape or doping profile (TFTs having channel structures for preventing kink or snapback effects H10D30/6708; TFTs having lightly-doped source or drain extensions H10D30/6715)}
- H10D 30/031: {of thin-film transistors [TFT]}
- H10D 30/6755: {Oxide semiconductors, e.g. zinc oxide, copper aluminium oxide or cadmium stannate}
- H10D 30/6756: {Amorphous oxide semiconductors}
- H10D 62/40: Crystalline structures
- H10D 62/405: {Orientations of crystalline planes}
- H10D 86/0229: {characterised by control of the annealing or irradiation parameters}
- H10D 86/423: {comprising semiconductor materials not belonging to the Group IV, e.g. InGaZnO}
- H10D 86/60: wherein the TFTs are in active matrices
- H10D 99/00: Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
- H10P 14/22: using physical deposition, e.g. vacuum deposition or sputtering
- H10P 14/6329: {using physical ablation of a target, e.g. physical vapour deposition or pulsed laser deposition}
- H10P 14/69215: {the material being a silicon oxide, e.g. SiO2}
- H10P 14/69391: {the material containing aluminium, e.g. Al2O3}
- H10P 14/69433: {the material being a silicon nitride not containing oxygen, e.g. SixNy or SixByNz}
- H10P 34/42: with electromagnetic radiation, e.g. laser annealing (laser cutting H10P54/20)
- H10P 50/20: Dry etching; Plasma etching; Reactive-ion etching
- H10P 52/00: Grinding, lapping or polishing of wafers, substrates or parts of devices
- H10P 95/70: Chemical treatments
- H10P 95/90: Thermal treatments, e.g. annealing or sintering
- H10P 14/3426: {Oxides}
- H10P 14/3434: {being oxide semiconductor materials (Group IIB-VIA semiconductor materials H10P14/3424)}
- H10P 14/3802: {Crystallisation or recrystallisation of non-monocrystalline semiconductor materials, e.g. regrowth}
- H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

An object is to provide a semiconductor device of which a manufacturing process is not complicated and by which cost can be suppressed, by forming a thin film transistor using an oxide semiconductor film typified by zinc oxide, and a manufacturing method thereof. For the semiconductor device, a gate electrode is formed over a substrate; a gate insulating film is formed covering the gate electrode; an oxide semiconductor film is formed over the gate insulating film; and a first conductive film and a second conductive film are formed over the oxide semiconductor film. The oxide semiconductor film has at least a crystallized region in a channel region.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A semiconductor device comprising:
a gate electrode over a substrate;
a first gate insulating film over the gate electrode, the first gate insulating film comprising silicon nitride;
a second gate insulating film over the first gate insulating film, the second gate insulating film comprising silicon oxide; and
an oxide semiconductor film including a microcrystal over the second gate insulating film,
wherein the oxide semiconductor film comprises indium and zinc,
wherein the oxide semiconductor film includes a first region and a second region,
wherein the first region has higher crystallinity than the second region, and
wherein the second region is located over the first region.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the oxide semiconductor film further comprises gallium.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the first gate insulating film and the second gate insulating film each have a thickness of 50 nm to 100 nm.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the oxide semiconductor film has a thickness of 200 nm or less.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein an amorphous state and a crystalline state exist in the oxide semiconductor film.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the oxide semiconductor film does not include any one of copper, silver or antimony.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the gate electrode and the first region overlap with each other.

### Claim 8

A semiconductor device comprising:
a gate electrode over a substrate;
a first gate insulating film over the gate electrode, the first gate insulating film comprising silicon nitride;
a second gate insulating film over the first gate insulating film, the second gate insulating film comprising silicon and oxygen;
an oxide semiconductor film including a microcrystal over the second gate insulating film; and
a passivation film over the oxide semiconductor film,
wherein the passivation film comprises silicon and oxygen, and
wherein the oxide semiconductor film comprises indium and zinc,
wherein the oxide semiconductor film includes a first region and a second region,
wherein the first region has higher crystallinity than the second region, and
wherein the second region is located over the first region.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The semiconductor device according to claim 8, wherein the oxide semiconductor film further comprises gallium.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The semiconductor device according to claim 8, wherein the first gate insulating film and the second gate insulating film each have a thickness of 50 nm to 100 nm.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The semiconductor device according to claim 8, wherein the oxide semiconductor film has a thickness of 200 nm or less.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The semiconductor device according to claim 8, wherein an amorphous state and a crystalline state exist in the oxide semiconductor film.

### Claim 13 (depends on 8)

The semiconductor device according to claim 8, wherein the passivation film is in direct contact with the oxide semiconductor film.

### Claim 14 (depends on 8)

The semiconductor device according to claim 8, wherein the passivation film is in direct contact with the second gate insulating film.

### Claim 15 (depends on 8)

The semiconductor device according to claim 8, wherein the oxide semiconductor film does not include any one of copper, silver or antimony.

### Claim 16 (depends on 8)

The semiconductor device according to claim 8, wherein the gate electrode and the first region overlap with each other.