# US 12,596,093 B2 · Organic semiconductor device with protective spinel oxide layer > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,596,093 B2 - Document ID: US12596093B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/411,805 - Filed: 2021-08-25 - Published: 2022-02-03 - Granted: 2026-04-07 - Earliest claimed: 2019-02-25 - Assignees: Nikon Corporation - Applicants: Nikon Corporation - Inventors: Makoto Nakazumi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12596093B2 ## CPC - G01N 27/4145: {specially adapted for biomolecules, e.g. gate electrode with immobilised receptors} - G01N 27/414: Ion-sensitive or chemical field-effect transistors, i.e. ISFETS or CHEMFETS - G01N 27/4167: {pH (electrodes therefor G01N27/302, G01N27/36)} - H10D 30/67: Thin-film transistors [TFT] {(Stacked nanowire, nanosheet or nanoribbon FETs H10D30/501)} - H10D 62/80: characterised by the materials - H10D 62/875: {being semiconductor metal oxide, e.g. InGaZnO (Group II-VI materials H10D62/86; Group I-VI materials H10D62/871; Pb compounds or alloys H10D62/874)} - H10P 14/22: using physical deposition, e.g. vacuum deposition or sputtering - H10P 14/3434: {being oxide semiconductor materials (Group IIB-VIA semiconductor materials H10P14/3424)} - H10P 14/6329: {using physical ablation of a target, e.g. physical vapour deposition or pulsed laser deposition} - H10P 14/69397: {the material containing two or more metal elements} - H10P 14/3426: {Oxides} - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) - H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract Provided is a semiconductor device A including: a first electrode 10; a second electrode 20; a semiconductor layer 30 in contact with the first electrode 10 and the second electrode 20; and a protective layer 40 configured to cover at least a part of a surface of the semiconductor layer 30, wherein the protective layer 40 includes a spinel oxide. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A semiconductor device comprising: a gate electrode; an insulating layer over the gate electrode; a semiconductor layer over the insulating layer; a source electrode over and in contact with the semiconductor layer; a drain electrode over and in contact with the semiconductor layer; and a protective layer configured to cover at least a part of a surface of the semiconductor layer, the source electrode, and the drain electrode, wherein the semiconductor layer includes a first region overlapping with the source electrode, a second region overlapping with the drain electrode, and a third region not overlapping with any of the source electrode and the drain electrode and overlapping with the gate electrode, the protective layer includes a spinel oxide, each of the first region, the second region and the third region comprises hydrogen, a hydrogen concentration of the first region, a hydrogen concentration of the second region, and a hydrogen concentration of the third region are substantially the same, and the protective layer does not substantially contain hydrogen. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the spinel oxide includes zinc (Zn) and gallium (Ga). ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the spinel oxide is ZnGa2O4. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the semiconductor layer includes an oxide including In, Ga, and Zn. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the semiconductor layer includes InGaZnO4. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the protective layer has a passivation function. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein a film thickness of the protective layer is equal to or more than 40 nm. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The semiconductor device according to claim 1, further comprising a substrate. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The semiconductor device according to claim 8, wherein the substrate is one kind selected from the group consisting of glass, resin, silicon, and combinations of glass, resin, and silicon. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The semiconductor device according to claim 8, wherein the substrate has flexibility. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein: the insulating layer is in contact with the semiconductor layer; and the gate electrode is provided to face the semiconductor layer via the insulating layer, and the semiconductor device is a transistor including the source electrode, the drain electrode, and the gate electrode. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) A pH sensor comprising the semiconductor device according to claim 1. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) A biosensor comprising the semiconductor device according to claim 1. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, the semiconductor device being according to claim 1, the method comprising forming the protective layer by sputtering. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 14, wherein the forming of the protective layer is performed at equal to or lower than 200 degree Celsius. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 14, wherein after forming the semiconductor layer, the forming of the protective layer is performed in the same chamber as a chamber in which the semiconductor layer is formed.