# US 8,772,160 B2 · Method for manufacturing semiconductor element and deposition apparatus

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- Number: US 8,772,160 B2
- Document ID: US8772160B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/029,169
- Filed: 2011-02-17
- Published: 2011-09-01
- Granted: 2014-07-08
- Earliest claimed: 2010-02-26
- Assignees: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Shunpei Yamazaki; Natsuko Takase
- Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki; Natsuko Takase
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8772160B2

## CPC

- C23C 16/4408: {by purging residual gases from the reaction chamber or gas lines}
- C23C 14/08: Oxides (C23C14/10 takes precedence)
- C23C 14/3457: {using other particles than noble gas ions (C23C14/0036, C23C14/46 take precedence)}
- C23C 14/566: {using a load-lock chamber}
- C23C 16/4412: {Details relating to the exhausts, e.g. pumps, filters, scrubbers, particle traps}
- H01J 37/34: operating with cathodic sputtering (H01J37/36 takes precedence {; methods of cathodic sputtering C23C14/34})
- H10D 30/6704: {having supplementary regions or layers in the thin films or in the insulated bulk substrates for controlling properties of the device}
- H10D 30/6739: {Conductor-insulator-semiconductor electrodes}
- H10D 30/6755: {Oxide semiconductors, e.g. zinc oxide, copper aluminium oxide or cadmium stannate}
- H10D 99/00: Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
- H10P 72/0454: {surrounding a central transfer chamber}
- H10P 72/0468: {comprising a chamber adapted to a particular process}
- H10P 14/22: using physical deposition, e.g. vacuum deposition or sputtering
- H10P 14/3426: {Oxides}
- H10P 14/3434: {being oxide semiconductor materials (Group IIB-VIA semiconductor materials H10P14/3424)}
- C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04)
- H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H)
- H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for successive deposition used for manufacturing a semiconductor element including an oxide semiconductor in which impurities are not included. By using the deposition apparatus capable of successive deposition of the present invention that keeps its inside in high vacuum state, and thus allows films to be deposited without being exposed to the air, the entry of impurities such as hydrogen into the oxide semiconductor layer and the layer being in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer can be prevented; as a result, a semiconductor element including a high-purity oxide semiconductor layer in which hydrogen concentration is sufficiently reduced can be manufactured. In such a semiconductor element, off-state current is low, and a semiconductor device with low power consumption can be realized.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for manufacturing a semiconductor element comprising the steps of:
transferring a substrate into a load lock chamber;
evacuating the load lock chamber to have a pressure of 10−6 Pa or less;
transferring the substrate into a heating chamber evacuated to have a pressure of 10−8 Pa or less;
performing a heat treatment on the substrate after evacuating the heating chamber to have the pressure of 10−8 Pa or less;
transferring the substrate into a first deposition chamber evacuated to have a pressure of 10−8 Pa or less;
introducing a first gas into the first deposition chamber;
forming a gate insulating film over the substrate;
evacuating the first deposition chamber to have a pressure of 10−8 Pa or less;
transferring the substrate into a second deposition chamber evacuated to have a pressure of 10−8 Pa or less;
introducing a second gas into the second deposition chamber;
forming an oxide semiconductor film over the gate insulating film; and
evacuating the second deposition chamber to have a pressure of 10−8 Pa or less after forming the oxide semiconductor film.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method for manufacturing a semiconductor element according to claim 1, wherein the first and second gases are high-purity sputtering gases.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method for manufacturing a semiconductor element according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:
transferring the substrate into a treatment chamber evacuated to have a pressure of 10−8 Pa or less after the oxide semiconductor film is formed; and
performing an oxygen radical treatment on the oxide semiconductor film.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method for manufacturing a semiconductor element according to claim 1, wherein the oxide semiconductor film with a thickness of greater than or equal to 2 nm and less than or equal to 200 nm is formed in 10 minutes.

### Claim 5

A method for manufacturing a semiconductor element comprising the steps of:
transferring a substrate into a load lock chamber;
evacuating the load lock chamber to have a pressure of 10−6 Pa or less;
transferring the substrate into a heating chamber evacuated to have a pressure of 10−8 Pa or less;
performing a heat treatment on the substrate after evacuating the heating chamber to have the pressure of 10−8 Pa or less;
transferring the substrate into a first deposition chamber evacuated to have a pressure of 10−8 Pa or less;
introducing a first gas into the first deposition chamber;
forming an oxide semiconductor film over the substrate;
evacuating the first deposition chamber to have a pressure of 10−8 Pa or less after forming the oxide semiconductor film;
transferring the substrate into a second deposition chamber evacuated to have a pressure of 10−8 Pa or less;
introducing a second gas into the second deposition chamber; and
forming a conductive film over the oxide semiconductor film.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method for manufacturing a semiconductor element according to claim 5, wherein the first and second gases are high-purity sputtering gases.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The method for manufacturing a semiconductor element according to claim 5, further comprising the steps of:
transferring the substrate into a treatment chamber evacuated to have a pressure of 10−8 Pa or less after the oxide semiconductor film is formed; and
performing an oxygen radical treatment on the oxide semiconductor film.

### Claim 8 (depends on 5)

The method for manufacturing a semiconductor element according to claim 5, wherein the oxide semiconductor film with a thickness of greater than or equal to 2 nm and less than or equal to 200 nm is formed in 10 minutes.

### Claim 9

A method for manufacturing a semiconductor element comprising the steps of:
transferring a substrate into a load lock chamber;
evacuating the load lock chamber to have a pressure of 10−6 Pa or less;
transferring the substrate into a heating chamber evacuated to have a pressure of 10−8 Pa or less;
performing a heat treatment on the substrate after evacuating the heating chamber to have the pressure of 10−8 Pa or less;
transferring the substrate into a first deposition chamber evacuated to have a pressure of 10−8 Pa or less;
introducing a first gas into the first deposition chamber;
forming a gate insulating film over the substrate;
evacuating the first deposition chamber to have a pressure of 10−8 Pa or less;
transferring the substrate into a second deposition chamber evacuated to have a pressure of 10−8 Pa or less;
introducing a second gas into the second deposition chamber;
forming an oxide semiconductor film over the gate insulating film;
evacuating the second deposition chamber to have a pressure of 10−8 Pa or less after forming the oxide semiconductor film;
transferring the substrate into a third deposition chamber evacuated to have a pressure of 10−8 Pa or less;
introducing a third gas into the third deposition chamber; and
forming a conductive film over the oxide semiconductor film.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method for manufacturing a semiconductor element according to claim 9, wherein the first, second and third gases are high-purity sputtering gases.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The method for manufacturing a semiconductor element according to claim 9, further comprising the steps of:
transferring the substrate into a treatment chamber evacuated to have a pressure of 10−8 Pa or less after the oxide semiconductor film is formed; and
performing an oxygen radical treatment on the oxide semiconductor film.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The method for manufacturing a semiconductor element according to claim 9, wherein the oxide semiconductor film with a thickness of greater than or equal to 2 nm and less than or equal to 200 nm is formed in 10 minutes.