Patent US6482686B1 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US6482686B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method for manufacturing a semiconductor device
Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co Ltd
•
Filing: 2000-07-12
•
Granted: 2002-11-19
•
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 12:34
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.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4187126A
Cited
US4466179A
Cited
USRE33321E
Cited
JPS6184074A
Cited
EP0178447A2
Cited
JPS6450569A
Cited
US4904611A
Cited
US4933298A
Cited
US5341012B1
Cited
US5341012A
Cited
JPH02140915A
Cited
US5177578A
Cited
US5147826A
Cited
US5318661A
Cited
US5323042A
Cited
US5604360A
Cited
US5403772A
Cited
US5563426A
Cited
US5696386A
Cited
US5639698A
Cited
US5608232A
Cited
US5275851A
Cited
US5426064A
Cited
US5624851A
Cited
US5614733A
Cited
US5646424A
Cited
US5595944A
Cited
US5677549A
Cited
US5569936A
Cited
US5569610A
Cited
US5580792A
Cited
US5595923A
Cited
US5589694A
Cited
US5501989A
Cited
US5830784A
Cited
US5824573A
Cited
US5818076A
Cited
US5481121A
Cited
US5808321A
Cited
TW274634B
Cited
US5488000A
Cited
US5529937A
Cited
US5663077A
Cited
US5492843A
Cited
US5696388A
Cited
US5614426A
Cited
US5508533A
Cited
US5637515A
Cited
US5616506A
Cited
US5534716A
Cited
US5643826A
Cited
US5612250A
Cited
US5543352A
Cited
US5654203A
Cited
US5585291A
Cited
US5705829A
Cited
US5605846A
Cited
US5529837A
Cited
US5656825A
Cited
US5744824A
Cited
US5620910A
Cited
US5693541A
Cited
US5712191A
Cited
US5621224A
Cited
US5606179A
Cited
US5700333A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2005-11-18 | 2006-05-20 | 2006-11-19 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2009-11-18 | 2010-05-20 | 2010-11-19 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2013-11-18 | 2014-05-20 | 2014-11-19 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |