# US 8,772,770 B2 · P-type semiconductor material and semiconductor device

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- Number: US 8,772,770 B2
- Document ID: US8772770B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/768,233
- Filed: 2013-02-15
- Published: 2013-08-22
- Granted: 2014-07-08
- Earliest claimed: 2012-02-17
- Assignees: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Yoshinobu Asami; Riho Kataishi; Erumu Kikuchi
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8772770B2

## CPC

- H10D 62/82: Heterojunctions
- H10D 8/00: Diodes (variable-capacitance diodes H10D1/64; gated diodes H10D12/00)
- H10D 30/6755: {Oxide semiconductors, e.g. zinc oxide, copper aluminium oxide or cadmium stannate}
- H10D 62/85: being Group III-V materials, e.g. GaAs
- H10F 10/164: comprising heterojunctions with Group IV materials, e.g. ITO/Si or GaAs/SiGe photovoltaic cells
- H10F 77/12: Active materials
- Y02E 10/50: Photovoltaic [PV] energy
- H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
- H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

An oxide semiconductor material having p-type conductivity and a semiconductor device using the oxide semiconductor material are provided. The oxide semiconductor material having p-type conductivity can be provided using a molybdenum oxide material containing molybdenum oxide (MoOy (2<y<3)) having an intermediate composition between molybdenum dioxide and molybdenum trioxide. For example, a semiconductor device is formed using a molybdenum oxide material containing molybdenum trioxide (MoO3) as its main component and MoOy (2<y<3) at 4% or more.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A semiconductor material comprising:
molybdenum trioxide; and
molybdenum oxide (MoOy (2<y<3)) having an intermediate composition between molybdenum dioxide and molybdenum trioxide,
wherein the semiconductor material has p-type conductivity.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor material according to claim 1, wherein the proportion of the molybdenum oxide having an intermediate composition between molybdenum dioxide and molybdenum trioxide is 4% or more.

### Claim 3

A semiconductor device comprising:
a silicon substrate;
an oxide semiconductor layer over one surface of the silicon substrate;
a first electrode over the oxide semiconductor layer;
an impurity region on the other surface of the silicon substrate; and
a second electrode on the impurity region,
wherein the oxide semiconductor layer comprises molybdenum oxide (MoOy (2<y<3)) having an intermediate composition between molybdenum dioxide and molybdenum trioxide, and
wherein the silicon substrate has n-type conductivity and the oxide semiconductor layer has p-type conductivity.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The semiconductor device according to claim 3, wherein the proportion of the molybdenum oxide having an intermediate composition between molybdenum dioxide and molybdenum trioxide is 4% or more.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The semiconductor device according to claim 3, further comprising a light-transmitting conductive film over the oxide semiconductor layer.

### Claim 6 (depends on 3)

The semiconductor device according to claim 3, wherein the impurity region has n-type conductivity with a higher carrier concentration than that in the silicon substrate.

### Claim 7 (depends on 3)

The semiconductor device according to claim 3, further comprising an insulating layer between the silicon substrate and the second electrode,
wherein the insulating layer has an opening overlapping with the impurity region, and
wherein the impurity region is in contact with the second electrode through the opening.

### Claim 8 (depends on 3)

The semiconductor device according to claim 3, wherein the silicon substrate has a texture structure provided with unevenness.

### Claim 9 (depends on 3)

The semiconductor device according to claim 3, wherein the second electrode comprises a material having a lower work function than that in the silicon substrate.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The semiconductor device according to claim 9, wherein the second electrode comprises the material having a work function of 4.2 eV or lower.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The semiconductor device according to claim 9, wherein the second electrode comprises at least one of materials selected from Mg, MgO, MgAg, MgIn, AlLi, BaO, SrO, CaO, GdB, YB6, LaB6, Y, Hf, Nd, La, Ce, Sm, Ca and Gd.

### Claim 12

A semiconductor device comprising:
a silicon substrate;
a first silicon semiconductor layer over one surface of the silicon substrate;
an oxide semiconductor layer over the first silicon semiconductor layer;
a first electrode over the oxide semiconductor layer;
a second silicon semiconductor layer on the other surface of the silicon substrate;
a third silicon semiconductor layer on the other surface of the silicon substrate, with the second silicon semiconductor layer therebetween; and
a second electrode on the third silicon semiconductor layer,
wherein the oxide semiconductor layer comprises molybdenum oxide (MoOy (2<y<3)) having an intermediate composition between molybdenum dioxide and molybdenum trioxide, and
wherein the silicon substrate has n-type conductivity and the oxide semiconductor layer has p-type conductivity.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The semiconductor device according to claim 12, wherein the proportion of the molybdenum oxide having an intermediate composition between molybdenum dioxide and molybdenum trioxide is 4% or more.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The semiconductor device according to claim 12, further comprising a light-transmitting conductive film over the oxide semiconductor layer.

### Claim 15 (depends on 12)

The semiconductor device according to claim 12, wherein the silicon substrate has a texture structure provided with unevenness.

### Claim 16 (depends on 12)

The semiconductor device according to claim 12, wherein the second electrode comprises a material having a lower work function than that in the silicon substrate.