System and method for sputtering silicon films using hydrogen gas mixtures
AssigneeSharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
InventorApostolos Voutsas
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Abstract
A method has been provided for forming a polycrystalline silicon (p-Si) film with a small amount of hydrogen. Such a film has been found to have excellent sheet resistance, and it is useful in the fabrication of liquid crystal display (LCD) panels made from thin film transistors (TFTs). The low hydrogen content polycrystalline silicon films are made from introducing a small amount of hydrogen gas, with Ar, during the sputter deposition of an amorphous silicon film. The hydrogen content in the film is regulated by controlling the deposition temperatures and the volume of hydrogen in the gas feed during the sputter deposition. The polycrystalline silicon film results from annealing the low hydrogen content amorphous silicon film thus formed.
Claims20
In an integrated circuit (IC) fabrication process, a method for forming a polycrystalline silicon (p-Si) film, the method comprising:
- sputtering amorphous silicon (a-Si) material on a substrate;
- supplying a gas mixture including a hydrogen content of no more than 4% volume in the gas feed;
- forming an amorphous silicon film incorporating hydrogen;
- annealing the amorphous silicon film;
- and
- forming a polycrystalline silicon film.
In an integrated circuit (IC) fabrication process, a method for forming a polycrystalline silicon (p-Si) film, the method comprising:
- sputtering amorphous silicon (a-Si) material on a substrate;
- supplying a gas mixture having a low hydrogen volume at the gas feed;
- forming an amorphous silicon film incorporating no more than 4% hydrogen, by atomic weight;
- annealing the amorphous silicon film;
- and
- forming a polycrystalline silicon film having a hydrogen content in the range from 1 percent by atomic weight (at %) to 3 at %.
In an integrated circuit (IC) fabrication process, a method for forming a polycrystalline silicon (p-Si) film, the method comprising:
- sputtering amorphous silicon (a-Si) material on a substrate;
- supplying a gas mixture including no more than 4% hydrogen volume in the gas feed;
- forming an amorphous silicon film incorporating no more than 4% hydrogen, by atomic weight.
In an integrated circuit (IC) fabrication process, a method for forming a polycrystalline silicon (p-Si) film, the method comprising:
- sputtering amorphous silicon (a-Si) material on a substrate;
- supplying a gas mixture including a hydrogen content of no more than 4% volume in the gas feed;
- forming an amorphous silicon film incorporating hydrogen;
- annealing the amorphous silicon film;
- and
- forming a polycrystalline silicon film having a crystalline content in the range from 95% to 100% and a hydrogen content in the range from 1 percent by atomic weight (at %) to 3 at %.
In an integrated circuit (IC) fabrication process, a method for forming a polycrystalline silicon (p-Si) film, the method comprising:
- sputtering amorphous silicon (a-Si) material on a substrate;
- supplying a gas mixture having a low hydrogen volume at the gas feed;
- forming an amorphous silicon film incorporating no more than 4% hydrogen, by atomic weight;
- annealing the amorphous silicon film;
- and
- forming a polycrystalline silicon film having a crystalline content in the range from 95% to 100% and a hydrogen content in the range from 1 percent by atomic weight (at %) to 3 at %.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.