Patent Application
20220209022
This application claims foreign priority to European Patent Application No. EP 20217391.0, filed Dec. 28, 2020, the content of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
The disclosed technology generally relates to a method of processing a field effect transistor (FET) device such as a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) or a thin-film-transistor (TFT). The disclosed technology also generally relates to a structure for a FET device.
Field effect transistors (FETs) are key electronic components in various electronic devices. Generally, a FET can comprise a channel that is arranged between a source and a drain contact, as well as a gate contact that is arranged in close proximity to the channel. An electric field can be applied to the gate contact to control a current flow through the channel. Thin-film-transistors (TFTs) are special types of FETs that can be made by depositing thin films, usually semiconductor layers, dielectric layers and metallic contacts, on non-conducting substrates.
Many modern applications, such as high-density memories, display-on-glass devices, or smart nano-interconnects, comprise such FETs. These devices often operate on a limited power budget and, thus, a better managing of electric power at the circuit and the FET level is desirable.
Oxide semiconductor materials may be used for the channel layer of a FET. Indium gallium zinc oxide (InGaZnO or “IGZO”) is an oxide semiconductor material that can provide several advantages, especially compared to doped amorphous silicon, when used as a channel layer. These advantages include, among others, an ultra-low off-state leakage current and a high electron mobility. Further, IGZO can allow processing with a low thermal budget, e.g., at low temperatures, enabling a sequential integration with silicon-based transistors.
Without being bound to any theory, doping mechanisms for amorphous IGZO (a-IGZO) include off stoichiometry of oxygen ions and diffusion of hydrogen. For the first defect family, oxygen vacancies can act as n-type dopants and form shallow donor levels in the IGZO bandgap. Regarding the role of hydrogen, the lead model can be linked to the break of weakly-bonded oxygen atoms like in Zn—O by H and forming —OH ions.
However, it can be difficult to control the electrical properties of a channel layer of a FET and to avoid damage to the layer during the FET fabrication. In particular, it can be difficult to control the concentration of oxygen vacancies in an IGZO channel, especially because hydrogen-based chemistries are commonly used in deposition and patterning steps of a FET fabrication process subsequent to the formation the IGZO channel.
Moreover, because the channel of a FET, in particular of a TFT, can be generally covered by other structures, such as a metal gate or a top gate insulator, it can be difficult to repair a damaged channel layer, e.g., to recover generated defects in the layer, following the deposition of these other layers.
Furthermore, there can be different requirements for the electrical resistivity of the channel layer and of the contact areas between the channel and the source/drain areas of the FET. Typically, the channel should have a high resistivity, while the contact areas should have a high conductivity. Attempts to repair a damaged channel layer can cause a degradation of the contact and access resistances of the contact areas. At the same time, attempts to modify the contact areas can negatively affect the channel layer. This can be due to the critical dimension of the channel and its proximity to the contact areas.
It is an objective to provide an improved method of processing a FET device, and to provide an improved structure for a FET device. In particular, the above-mentioned disadvantages can be reduced and/or avoided.
The objective can be achieved by the embodiments provided in the enclosed independent claims. Advantageous implementations of the embodiments of the disclosed technology are further defined in the dependent claims.
According to one aspect, the disclosed technology relates to a method of processing a FET device such as a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) or a thin-film-transistor (TFT). The method can comprise: providing a substrate; forming a first oxide semiconductor layer and a second oxide semiconductor layer above the substrate; forming a source structure and a drain structure on the second oxide semiconductor layer; forming a gate structure on the first oxide semiconductor layer; wherein the first oxide semiconductor layer forms a channel between the source structure and the drain structure; and wherein the second oxide semiconductor layer forms a contact layer to the source structure and the drain structure. In various implementations, forming a structure “on” a layer can refer to forming the structure over or above the layer, and may or may not refer to forming the structure directly on the layer.
In some implementations, the contact layer can be controlled independently from the channel layer, e.g., in terms of thickness or resistivity, in various implementations. Thus, the contact resistivity between the channel and the source/drain structures can be improved or optimized without negatively affecting the channel itself, and vice versa.
The FET device can be a planar transistor, for example, a TFT, or another type of transistor, such as a fin field-effect transistor (FinFET).
The substrate can be a glass or a silicon substrate. In some implementations, the substrate is a wafer.
Each of the first and the second oxide semiconductor layers can be a metal-oxide semiconductor or a doped metal-semiconductor layer.
The source structure, the drain structure and/or the gate structure are, in some implementations, at least partially metallic structures, e.g., these structures can be at least partially formed from a metallic material.
In an embodiment, the first and/or the second oxide semiconductor layer comprises any one of the following materials: indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO), indium tin oxide (ITO) or indium zinc oxide (IZO).
In an embodiment, the method further comprises the step of: performing an oxygen annealing or annealing in the presence of oxygen to modify a doping or the dopants of the first oxide semiconductor layer.
In some embodiments, the electrical properties of the FET, for example, its channel layer can be efficiently controlled. In particular, damages or defects in the channel layer that are, for instance, introduced during fabrication of the device and that change the doping of the layer in an unwanted way can be reduced or removed, and a desired concentration of oxygen dopants in the layer can be recovered. In various instances, modifying the doping may refer to changing or restoring the doping, for example, a concentration of dopants, to a desired value.
Due to the channel layer and the contact layer existing as two separate oxide semiconductor layers, the oxygen annealing, in some implementations, only affects the channel layer and has little or no negative impact on the contact layer.
Modifying the doping of the first oxide semiconductor layer may refer to a reduction or restoring of damages and/or a filling up of oxygen (O2) vacancies that occurred during the fabrication of the FET.
In some instances, this annealing step can be carried out after depositing other layers or structures, such as the gate structure or a top gate isolator.
In an embodiment, the source structure and the drain structure are formed by: forming a metallic layer on the second oxide semiconductor layer, and patterning the metallic layer thereby forming the source structure and the drain structure.
Advantageously, the source and the drain structures can be efficiently formed from a single metallic layer in some embodiments. The material of the metallic layer can be selected based to improve or optimize the contact resistivity to the contact layer.
The step of patterning the metallic layer may comprise forming a trench in the metallic layer by recessing the metallic layer, e.g., in a center region, wherein the trench separates the metallic layer into the source and the drain structures.
In an embodiment, the step of patterning the metallic layer comprises separating the second oxide semiconductor layer into a first contact layer to the source structure and a second contact layer to the drain structure.
Advantageously, source and drain contact layers can be efficiently formed from the second oxide semiconductor layer in some embodiments.
For example, the trench formed during the patterning can pass through the second oxide semiconductor layer, and separate the second oxide semiconductor layer into the first and second contact layers.
In an embodiment, the first oxide semiconductor layer is formed on the substrate, wherein the second oxide semiconductor layer is formed on the first oxide semiconductor layer, and wherein the patterning leaves the first oxide semiconductor layer at least partially intact. In various implementations, forming a second layer “on” a first layer can refer to forming the second layer over or above the first layer, and may or may not refer to forming the second layer directly on the first layer.
As an example, the substrate may comprise a buffer layer, e.g., in the form of a continuous oxygen passing layer, on top. The substrate may further comprise bottom gate layers, e.g., a gate metal and/or a gate dielectric layer which can be arranged below the buffer layer. The first oxide semiconductor layer can be formed on the buffer layer. The second oxide semiconductor layer can be formed directly on the first oxide semiconductor layer, e.g., in a subsequent deposition step.
In an embodiment, the step of patterning the metallic layer comprises forming a trench, wherein the second oxide semiconductor layer is formed on the substrate, and wherein the first oxide semiconductor layer is formed within the trench, such as on the bottom of the trench.
Thereby, in some instances, the second oxide semiconductor layer is formed prior to the first oxide semiconductor layer. For example, the metallic layer can be formed on the second oxide semiconductor layer followed by the formation of the trench. The first oxide semiconductor layer can then be directly deposited in the trench.
In an embodiment, after patterning the metallic layer, the gate structure is formed on the first oxide semiconductor layer by depositing a high-k dielectric material and/or a work function metal.
In particular, the high-k dielectric material and/or a work function metal can be deposited into the trench formed during patterning. The work function metal can be deposited in the form of a metal layer with a specific work function. In some instances, the metal layer can be designed to control the threshold voltage Vt of the FET device.
In an embodiment, the method further comprises: encapsulating the metallic layer and at least the second oxide semiconductor layer by a silicon nitride (SiN) layer and/or a silicon dioxide (SiO2) layer, prior to patterning the metallic layer.
The encapsulation can also comprise an aluminum oxide (Al2O3) layer, a silicon nitride (SiN) layer, an aluminum titanium nitride (AlTiN) layer, an aluminum silicon nitride (AlSiN) layer and/or an aluminum nitride (AlN) layer. During patterning, the encapsulation layers can be further patterned, e.g., to form a spacer-like formation on active sidewalls of the structure.
In various implementations, a FET device processed with a method described herein can show “fingerprints” of that method, for example, the presence of the second oxide semiconductor layer forming the contact layer to the source and the drain structures in addition to the first oxide semiconductor layer forming the channel.
According to another aspect, the disclosed technology relates to a structure for a FET device, such as a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) or a thin-film-transistor (TFT). The structure can comprise: a substrate; a first oxide semiconductor layer and a second oxide semiconductor layer arranged above the substrate; a source structure and a drain structure arranged on the second oxide semiconductor layer; a gate structure arranged on the first oxide semiconductor layer; wherein the first oxide semiconductor layer forms a channel between the source structure and the drain structure; and wherein the second oxide semiconductor layer forms a contact layer to the source structure and the drain structure.
Advantageously, the contact layer can be controlled independently from the channel layer, e.g., in terms of thickness or resistivity, in various implementations. Thus, the contact resistivity between the channel and the source/drain structures can be improved or optimized without negatively affecting the channel itself, and vice versa.
The structure can form a portion or section of the FET device or can form the entire FET device. The FET device can be a planar transistor, for example, a TFT, or another type of transistor, such as a FinFET.
In an embodiment, the first and/or the second oxide semiconductor layer comprises any one of the following materials: indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO), indium tin oxide (ITO) or indium zinc oxide (IZO).
In an embodiment, the first oxide semiconductor layer comprises a doping, such as by oxygen vacancies, wherein the doping, for example, a concentration of dopants, of the first oxide semiconductor layer can be modified by an oxygen annealing process.
In some embodiments, the electrical properties of the FET, for example, its channel layer can be efficiently controlled. In particular, damages or defects in the channel layer that are, for instance, introduced during fabrication of the device and that change the doping of the layer in an unwanted way can be reduced or removed, and a desired concentration of oxygen dopants in the layer can be recovered.
Modifying the doping in the first oxide semiconductor layer may refer to a reduction or restoring of damages and/or a filling up of oxygen (O2) vacancies that occurred during the fabrication of the FET.
In an embodiment, the second oxide semiconductor layer comprises a first contact layer to the source structure and a second contact layer to the drain structure.
In some instances, the first contact layer and the second contact layer can be separated by a trench, which was, e.g., formed during a fabrication step of the structure.
In an embodiment, the first oxide semiconductor layer is arranged on the substrate, wherein the second oxide semiconductor layer is arranged on the first oxide semiconductor layer.
In an embodiment, the second oxide semiconductor layer is arranged on the substrate, and the first oxide semiconductor layer is arranged within a trench, such as on the bottom of the trench, wherein the trench is arranged between the source structure and the drain structure.
Embodiments of the disclosed technology will be explained in the following descriptions together with the figures.
1H, 1I, and 1J show various intermediate structures at various stages of a method of processing a FET device according to some embodiments;
Thereby,
The method can comprise, as shown in
As described herein, an oxygen passing layer refers to a layer which, when subjected to processing conditions suitable for oxide semiconductors as described herein, substantially diffuses oxygen atoms or ions therethrough. The amount of oxygen diffused through the oxygen passing layer can be comparable to or exceed a dopant concentration of a semiconductor channel. On the other hand, an oxygen blocking layer refers to a layer which, when subjected to processing conditions suitable for oxide semiconductors as described herein, substantially serves as a diffusion barrier to oxygen atoms or ions. The amount of oxygen diffused through the oxygen blocking layer can be less than a dopant concentration of a semiconductor channel. An oxygen blocking layer can diffuse substantially less oxygen atoms or ions, e.g., at least an order of magnitude less, relative to the oxygen passing layer.
The substrate 11 shown in
The oxygen passing layer 15 may comprise a silicon oxide layer, a silicon oxynitride layer, a porous material layer, and/or an air gap. The oxygen blocking layer 13 may comprise a metallic and/or a dielectric material layer, e.g., tungsten nitride, silicon nitride, aluminum oxide, titanium, titanium nitride, ruthenium, hafnium dioxide, molybdenum, titanium tungsten, silver, gold, or silicon carbonitride. Both these layers 13, 15 can be formed by a suitable deposition technique.
In various implementations, the oxygen passing layer 15 can be defined by a high permeability for oxygen, e.g., a material with a high diffusion coefficient for oxygen, and the oxygen blocking layer 13 can be defined by a low permeability for oxygen, e.g., the oxygen blocking layer 13 can form a diffusion barrier for oxygen.
Alternatively or additionally to the oxygen passing layer 15 and the oxygen blocking layer 13, the substrate may comprise a buffer layer, e.g., in the form of a continuous oxygen passing layer, a bottom gate layer, e.g., comprising a gate metal and/or gate dielectric layer, or no surface layer at all on its top side.
As shown in
Each of the first and the second oxide semiconductor layers 17, 18 can be a metal-oxide semiconductor or a doped metal-semiconductor layer. For example, the first oxide semiconductor layer 17 and/or the second oxide semiconductor layer 18 can be made of any one of the following materials: indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO), indium tin oxide (ITO) or indium zinc oxide (IZO).
In some implementations, the first oxide semiconductor layer 17 and the second oxide semiconductor layer 18 can be made from the same material, e.g., IGZO, each with a different doping, stochiometry and/or crystallinity.
The first and second oxide semiconductor layers 17, 18 can be deposited with a suitable deposition technique, for instance by any combination of atomic layer deposition (ALD) and physical vapor deposition (PVD), e.g., ALD/ALD, PVD/PVD, ALD/PVD or PVD/ALD.
In various implementations, the first oxide semiconductor layer 17 forms the channel layer of the FET device, and the second oxide semiconductor layer 18 forms a contact layer between the channel and source and drain structures, which are formed in a subsequent step. Forming the channel layer 17 and the contact layer 18 as two separate material layers can allow control of the thickness and electrical properties of these layers 17, 18 independently from each other. For example, the channel layer 17 can be formed from a material with a high electrical resistivity while the contact layer 18 can be formed from a compatible material with a high conductivity.
In some implementations, by forming the contact layer to the source and drain structures from a separate material layer 18 that is different from the channel layer 17, it might no longer be necessary to modify the source/drain areas of the channel layer 17 to reduce the contact resistivity, e.g., via an additional silicidation step. Furthermore, this integration scheme can further suppress the access resistance area, which can be beneficial for the performance of the FET device. The access resistance, typically, depends on the distance between the source and the gate. To increase the density of FET devices on a substrate, this distance tends to be reduced, e.g., to the spacer thickness for 14 nm FinFETs by using advanced patterning methods, such as self-aligned contact (SAC) methods.
Subsequent to the formation of the oxide semiconductor layers 17, 18, a metallic layer 25 can be formed on the second oxide semiconductor layer 18. In addition, a hard mask, e.g., made of a silicon nitride (Si3N4) layer 28 and a silicon dioxide (SiO2) layer 29, can be deposited on top of the metallic layer 25.
Optionally, an additional barrier layer (not shown) can be formed between the second oxide semiconductor layer 18 and the metallic layer 25, e.g., via deposition prior to the forming of the metallic layer 25.
Subsequent to the deposition of the metallic layer 25 or the hard mask 28/29, an oxygen annealing step can be performed. The oxygen annealing step can, also, be carried out at a later stage of the processing, e.g., after stack deposition and first patterning (e.g., after the step shown in
During the oxygen annealing, oxygen atoms can be inserted into the oxygen passing layer 15, which forms a channel for the oxygen atoms below the first oxide semiconductor layer 17. The oxygen atoms can penetrate the first oxide semiconductor layer 17 in a section above the oxygen passing layer 15 and, thus, change the concentration of dopants, for example oxygen vacancies, in the oxygen passing layer 15. In this way, damages in the first oxide semiconductor layer 17 caused by previous fabrication steps can be reduced or eliminated and an intended doping of the first oxide semiconductor 17 can be improved or restored.
In a further step, shown in
In a further step, shown in
The trench 30 can be formed by lithographic patterning of the layers 18, 25, 28, 29, e.g., by a suitable wet and/or dry etching technique.
As shown in
In further steps, as shown in
The gate structure can be formed in the form of a gate stack by filling the trench with a gate dielectric (layer 31), followed by work function controlling metal (layer 32), and a gate contact metal (layer 33). The work function controlling layer 32 can be designed to control the threshold voltage Vt of the FET device. For example, the work function controlling layer 32 can be made from titanium nitride (TiN) or titanium aluminum.
By an advantageous design of the gate structure, the access to the channel layer 17 for an oxygen annealing and/or for a doping, e.g. by plasma or element implantation, might be improved. Additionally, the access can be enhanced by the oxygen passing layer 15.
In a further step, shown in
In a final step, shown in
In particular,
The substrate 11 shown in
The structure 10 comprises the substrate 11, the first oxide semiconductor layer 17 and the second oxide semiconductor layer 18 arranged above the substrate 11. The structure 11 further comprises the source structure 25-1 and the drain structure 25-2 arranged on the second oxide semiconductor layer, as well as the gate structure 43 arranged on the first oxide semiconductor layer 17.
Thereby, the first oxide semiconductor layer 17 forms a channel between the source structure 25-1 and the drain structure 25-2, and the second oxide semiconductor layer 18 forms a contact layer to the source structure 25-1 and the drain structure 25-2.
In various instances, the second oxide semiconductor layer 18 comprises a first contact layer to the source structure 25-1 and a second contact layer to the drain structure 25-2. A buffer layer can be arranged between the second oxide semiconductor layer 18 and the source structure 25-1 respectively drain structure 25-2.
The structure 10 may further comprise an optional bottom gate dielectric and/or buffer layer 41, which is arranged between the substrate 11 and the channel layer 17. The buffer layer 41 can be a continuous oxygen passing layer. For example, the first semiconductor oxygen layer 17 may be arranged on an oxygen passing layer 15, a gate dielectric layer 51 and a bottom gate metal layer 52, as shown in
The gate structure 43 can comprise a gate dielectric layer that is formed above the first oxide semiconductor layer 17. Several top gate dielectric materials, thicknesses and crystallinities can be used. Possible top gate materials are aluminum oxide (Al2O3), hafnium dioxide (HfO2), or wide band gap oxide semiconductors, such as gallium zinc oxide (GZO) or silicon dioxide (SiO2). The gate structure 43 can further comprise an electric contact.
The first oxide semiconductor layer 17 can be arranged on the substrate 11, such as on the bottom gate dielectric or buffer layer 41 covering the substrate 11. The second oxide semiconductor layer 18 can be arranged on the first oxide semiconductor layer 17, for example, in contact with the first oxide semiconductor layer 17.
Each of the first and the second oxide semiconductor layers 17, 18 can be a metal-oxide semiconductor or a doped metal-semiconductor layer. In some implementations, the first oxide semiconductor layer 17 and/or the second 18 can be made of any one of the following materials: indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO), indium tin oxide (ITO) or indium zinc oxide (IZO). In some implementations, at least the first oxide semiconductor layer 17 comprises a doping, e.g., by oxygen vacancies.
In various implementations, the first oxide semiconductor layer 17 has a high electrical resistivity, whereas the second oxide semiconductor layer 18 has a high conductivity.
By performing an oxygen annealing process, a concentration of the dopants in the first oxide semiconductor layer 17 can be changed or restored to a desired value. In this way, damages that were generated in the first oxide semiconductor layer 17 during a fabrication of the structure 10 can be reduced or repaired.
The structure 10 can form at least a portion of a TFT, MOSFET, FinFET or other type of transistor.
In the embodiments shown in
In particular, the structures 10 as shown in
In the structure 10 shown in
In contrast, in the structure 10 shown in
While methods and processes may be depicted in the drawings and/or described in a particular order, it is to be recognized that the steps need not be performed in the particular order shown or in sequential order, or that all illustrated steps be performed, to achieve desirable results. Further, other steps that are not depicted may be incorporated in the example methods and processes that are schematically illustrated. For example, one or more additional steps may be performed before, after, simultaneously, or between any of the illustrated steps. Additionally, the steps may be rearranged or reordered in other embodiments.
In the above the inventive concept has mainly been described with reference to a limited number of examples. However, as is readily appreciated by a person skilled in the art, other examples than the ones disclosed above are equally possible within the scope of the inventive concept, as defined by the appended claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20217391.0 | Dec 2020 | EP | regional |
