US6482686B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Method for manufacturing a semiconductor device
Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co Ltd
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Filing: 2000-07-12
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Granted: 2002-11-19
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Expires: 2020-07-12
Abstract
Abstract A silicon film is crystallized in a predetermined direction by selectively adding a metal element having a catalytic action for crystallizing an amorphous silicon and annealing. In manufacturing TPT using the crystallized silicon film, TFT provided such that the crystallization direction is roughly parallel to a current-flow between a source and a drain, and TFT provided such that the crystallization direction is roughly vertical to a current-flow between a source and a drain are manufactured. Therefore, TFT capable of conducting a high speed operation and TFT having a low leak current are formed on the same substrate.
Inventors
- 👤 Yasuhiko Takemura
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 10:05
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10P; H10P14/00; H10P14/20; H10P14/38; H10P14/3802; H10P14/3806; H10D; H10D30/00; H10D30/60; H10D30/01; H10D30/021; H10D30/031; H10D30/0312; H10D30/0314; H10D30/0321; H10D30/67; H10D30/6729; H10D30/673; H10D30/6731; H10D30/674; H10D30/6741; H10D30/6743; H10D30/6745; H10D62/00; H10D62/40; H10D86/00; H10D86/01; H10D86/021; H10D86/0221; H10D86/0223; H10D86/0225; H10D86/0229; H10P14/29; H10P14/2901; H10P14/2922; H10P14/32; H10P14/3202; H10P14/3238; H10P14/34; H10P14/3402; H10P14/3404; H10P14/3411; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S438/00; Y10S438/982
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 30
Claim 1
Independent Claim
164 words
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device including at least two thin film transistors, comprising the steps of: forming a semiconductor film on an insulating surface; disposing a catalyst in contact with a selected region of said semiconductor film, said catalyst being capable of promoting crystallization of said semiconductor film; forming a crystalline semiconductor film by heating where crystals grow from said selected region in parallel with said insulating surface; patterning said crystalline semiconductor film to form at least two islands; performing a rapid thermal annealing in order to increase crystallinity of said islands; and forming source and drain regions in each of said islands with a channel region defined therebetween, wherein the step of patterning said crystalline semiconductor film is conducted in such a manner that crystals of said crystalline semiconductor film extend along a direction in which carriers of the respective thin film transistors flow, and said islands have no grain boundaries against said carriers flowing between said source and drain regions.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
164 words
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device including at least two thin film transistors, comprising the steps of: forming a semiconductor film on an insulating surface; disposing a catalyst in contact with a selected region of said semiconductor film, said catalyst being capable of promoting crystallization of said semiconductor film; forming a crystalline semiconductor film by heating where crystals grow from said selected region in parallel with said insulating surface; patterning said crystalline semiconductor film to form at least two islands; performing a rapid thermal annealing in order to increase crystallinity of said islands; and forming source and drain regions in each of said islands with a channel region defined therebetween, wherein the step of patterning said crystalline semiconductor film is conducted in such a manner that crystals of said crystalline semiconductor film extend along a direction in which carriers of the respective thin film transistors flow, and said islands have no grain boundaries against said carriers flowing between said source and drain regions.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
35 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein an oxide film having a thickness of 50 Å or more is formed on a surface of said islands after the step of patterning said crystalline semiconductor film.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
25 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein the width of said respective crystals is generally 0.5 to 3 times the thickness of said semiconductor film.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
147 words
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device including at least two thin film transistors, comprising the steps of: forming a semiconductor film on an insulating surface; disposing a catalyst in contact with a selected region of said semiconductor film, said catalyst being capable of promoting crystallization of said semiconductor film; forming a crystalline semiconductor film by heating where crystals grow from said selected region in parallel with said insulating surface; pattering said crystalline semiconductor film to form at least two islands; performing a rapid thermal annealing in order to increase crystallinity of said islands; and forming source and drain regions in said islands with a channel region defined therebetween, wherein the step of patterning the semiconductor film is conducted in such a manner that crystals of said semiconductor film extend in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which carriers of the respective thin film transistors flow.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
147 words
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device including at least two thin film transistors, comprising the steps of: forming a semiconductor film on an insulating surface; disposing a catalyst in contact with a selected region of said semiconductor film, said catalyst being capable of promoting crystallization of said semiconductor film; forming a crystalline semiconductor film by heating where crystals grow from said selected region in parallel with said insulating surface; pattering said crystalline semiconductor film to form at least two islands; performing a rapid thermal annealing in order to increase crystallinity of said islands; and forming source and drain regions in said islands with a channel region defined therebetween, wherein the step of patterning the semiconductor film is conducted in such a manner that crystals of said semiconductor film extend in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which carriers of the respective thin film transistors flow.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
35 words
A method according to claim 4 wherein an oxide film having a thickness of 50 Å or more is formed at a surface of said islands after the step of patterning said crystalline semiconductor film.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
25 words
A method according to claim 4 wherein the width of said respective crystals is generally 0.5 to 3 times the thickness of said semiconductor film.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
31 words
A method according to claim 4 wherein the width of said respective first crystals and said respective second crystals are generally 0.5 to 3 times the thickness of said semiconductor film.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
204 words
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising the steps of: preparing a substrate on which an active matrix circuit portion and a driver circuit portion are to be formed thereon; forming a semiconductor film over the substrate; disposing a catalyst selectively in contact with a first selected region of the semiconductor film in the driver circuit portion and in contact with a second selected region in the active matrix circuit portion, said catalyst being capable of promoting crystallization of said semiconductor film; forming a crystalline semiconductor film by heating where first crystals grow from said first selected region in parallel with a major surface of the substrate in the driver circuit portion and second crystals grow from said second selected region in parallel with a major surface of the substrate in the active matrix portion; pattering said crystalline semiconductor film to form at least two islands in said active matrix portion and said driver circuit portion, respectively; performing a rapid thermal annealing in order to increase crystallinity of said islands; and forming source and drain regions in each of said islands with a channel region defined therebetween, wherein said islands have no grain boundaries against carriers flowing between said source and drain regions.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
204 words
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising the steps of: preparing a substrate on which an active matrix circuit portion and a driver circuit portion are to be formed thereon; forming a semiconductor film over the substrate; disposing a catalyst selectively in contact with a first selected region of the semiconductor film in the driver circuit portion and in contact with a second selected region in the active matrix circuit portion, said catalyst being capable of promoting crystallization of said semiconductor film; forming a crystalline semiconductor film by heating where first crystals grow from said first selected region in parallel with a major surface of the substrate in the driver circuit portion and second crystals grow from said second selected region in parallel with a major surface of the substrate in the active matrix portion; pattering said crystalline semiconductor film to form at least two islands in said active matrix portion and said driver circuit portion, respectively; performing a rapid thermal annealing in order to increase crystallinity of said islands; and forming source and drain regions in each of said islands with a channel region defined therebetween, wherein said islands have no grain boundaries against carriers flowing between said source and drain regions.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
35 words
A method according to claim 8 wherein an oxide film having a thickness of 50 Å or more is formed at a surface of said islands after the step of patterning said crystalline semiconductor film.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
64 words
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising the steps of: forming a semiconductor film over an insulating substrate; heating said semiconductor film in order to crystallize said semiconductor film; patterning said semiconductor film into at least one semiconductor island; and performing a rapid thermal annealing in an oxidizing atmosphere in order to form an oxide film on a surface of said semiconductor island.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
64 words
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising the steps of: forming a semiconductor film over an insulating substrate; heating said semiconductor film in order to crystallize said semiconductor film; patterning said semiconductor film into at least one semiconductor island; and performing a rapid thermal annealing in an oxidizing atmosphere in order to form an oxide film on a surface of said semiconductor island.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
19 words
A method according to claim 10 wherein said semiconductor film as formed over said insulating substrate comprises amorphous silicon.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
17 words
A method according to claim 10 wherein said semiconductor film is formed by a plasma CVD method.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method according to claim 10 wherein thickness of said semiconductor film is 300 Å to 800 Å.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method according to claim 10 wherein said heating step is performed at 500° C. to 620° C.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method according to claim 10 further comprising a step of forming a film comprising nickel on the semiconductor film before said heating step.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method according to claim 10 wherein thickness of said oxide film is 50 Å to 150 Å.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method according to claim 10 wherein 0.1 to 10% of HCl is added to said oxidizing atmosphere.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
55 words
A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising the steps of: forming a semiconductor film over an insulating substrate; heating said semiconductor film in order to crystallize said semiconductor film; patterning said semiconductor film into at least one semiconductor island; performing a rapid thermal annealing in order to increase a crystallinity of said semiconductor island.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
55 words
A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising the steps of: forming a semiconductor film over an insulating substrate; heating said semiconductor film in order to crystallize said semiconductor film; patterning said semiconductor film into at least one semiconductor island; performing a rapid thermal annealing in order to increase a crystallinity of said semiconductor island.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
19 words
A method according to claim 18 wherein said semiconductor film as formed over said insulating substrate comprises amorphous silicon.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
17 words
A method according to claim 18 wherein said semiconductor film is formed by a plasma CVD method.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method according to claim 18 wherein thickness of said semiconductor film is 300 Å to 800 Å.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method according to claim 18 wherein said heating step is performed at 500° C. to 620° C.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method according to claim 18 further comprising a step of forming a film comprising nickel on the semiconductor film before said heating step.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
25 words
A method according to claim 18 wherein said rapid thermal annealing is performed in an atmosphere which 0.1 to 10% of HCl is added to.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
40 words
A method according to claim 18 wherein an oxide film having a thickness of 20 Å to 200 Å is formed on a surface of said islands in an oxidizing atmosphere after the step of patterning said crystalline semiconductor film.
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| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
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| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2005-11-18 | 2006-05-20 | 2006-11-19 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
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