# US 8,785,920 B2 · Semiconductor thin film, semiconductor thin film manufacturing method and semiconductor element

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- Number: US 8,785,920 B2
- Document ID: US8785920B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 12/598,980
- Filed: 2008-04-23
- Published: 2010-05-27
- Granted: 2014-07-22
- Earliest claimed: 2007-05-07
- Assignees: Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Kazuyoshi Inoue; Futoshi Utsuno; Katsunori Honda
- Inventors: Kazuyoshi Inoue; Futoshi Utsuno; Katsunori Honda
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8785920B2

## Abstract

An amorphous oxide thin film containing amorphous oxide is exposed to an oxygen plasma generated by exciting an oxygen-containing gas in high frequency. The oxygen plasma is preferably generated under the condition that applied frequency is 1 kHz or more and 300 MHz or less and pressure is 5 Pa or more. The amorphous oxide thin film is preferably exposed by a sputtering method, ion-plating method, vacuum deposition method, sol-gel method or fine particle application method.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An amorphous semiconductor thin film, comprising an amorphous oxide thin film containing amorphous oxide, the amorphous semiconductor thin film being amorphous and being obtained by exposing the amorphous oxide thin film to an oxygen plasma generated by exciting an oxygen-containing gas in high frequency, the oxygen plasma being generated under conditions that applied frequency is 1 kHz or more and 300 MHz or less, and pressure is 5 Pa or more and 0.1 MPa or less,
wherein the amorphous oxide thin film is a thin film containing indium oxide as a main component, and the amorphous oxide thin film additionally contains positive trivalent metal oxide other than indium oxide, and
wherein the positive trivalent metal oxide is at least one or more of metal oxides selected from boron oxide, aluminum oxide, scandium oxide, yttrium oxide, lanthanum oxide, neodymium oxide, samarium oxide, europium oxide, gadolinium oxide, dysprosium oxide, holmium oxide, erbium oxide, thulium oxide, ytterbium oxide and lutetium oxide.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The amorphous semiconductor thin film according to claim 1, wherein the amorphous oxide thin film is formed by one of a sputtering method, ion-plating method, vacuum deposition method, sol-gel method and fine particle application method.

### Claim 3

An amorphous semiconductor thin film, comprising an amorphous oxide thin film containing amorphous oxide, the amorphous semiconductor thin film being amorphous and being obtained by exposing the amorphous oxide thin film to an oxygen plasma generated by exciting an oxygen-containing gas in high frequency, the oxygen plasma being generated under conditions that applied frequency is 1 kHz or more and 300 MHz or less, and pressure is 5 Pa or more and 0.1 MPa or less,
wherein the amorphous oxide thin film contains indium oxide and magnesium oxide as main components.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The amorphous semiconductor thin film according to claim 3, wherein the amorphous oxide thin film additionally contains at least one or more of metal oxides selected from boron oxide, aluminum oxide, gallium oxide, scandium oxide, yttrium oxide, lanthanum oxide, neodymium oxide, samarium oxide, europium oxide, gadolinium oxide, dysprosium oxide, holmium oxide, erbium oxide, thulium oxide, ytterbium oxide and lutetium oxide.

### Claim 5

An amorphous semiconductor thin film, comprising an amorphous oxide thin film containing amorphous oxide, the amorphous semiconductor thin film being amorphous and being obtained by exposing the amorphous oxide thin film to an oxygen plasma generated by exciting an oxygen-containing gas in high frequency, the oxygen plasma being generated under conditions that applied frequency is 1 kHz or more and 300 MHz or less, and pressure is 5 Pa or more and 0.1 MPa or less,
wherein the amorphous oxide thin film contains indium oxide and tin oxide as main components, and
wherein the amorphous oxide thin film additionally contains positive trivalent metal oxides selected from the group consisting of boron oxide, aluminium oxide, scandium oxide, yttrium oxide, lanthanum oxide, neodymium oxide, samarium oxide, europium oxide, gadolinium oxide, dysprosium oxide, holmium oxide, erbium oxide, thulium oxide, ytterbiuim oxide and lutetium oxide.

### Claim 6

An amorphous semiconductor thin film, comprising an amorphous oxide thin film containing amorphous oxide, the amorphous semiconductor thin film being amorphous and being obtained by exposing the amorphous oxide thin film to an oxygen plasma generated by exciting an oxygen-containing gas in high frequency, the oxygen plasma being generated under conditions that applied frequency is 1 kHz or more and 30 MHz or less, and pressure is 5 Pa or more and 0.1 MPa or less,
wherein the amorphous oxide thin film contains indium oxide and tin oxide as main components, and
wherein the amorphous oxide thin film contains magnesium oxide as a divalent metal oxide.
