Introduction Of Nondopant Into Semiconductor Layer Patents (Class 438/162)
  • Patent number: 6589828
    Abstract: Fabricating thin film transistors. A gate electrode is formed on a substrate. A gate oxide film is then formed on the gate electrode. A polysilicon layer is deposited on the gate oxide film. An impurity ion is implanted into the polysilicon layer to control a threshold voltage of the polysilicon layer. A mask is formed on the polysilicon layer above the gate electrode, having the same width as the gate electrode. A second impurity ion is implanted into the exposed portion of the polysilicon layer using the mask, to form a lightly doped offset region on a drain region. The mask is removed. A second mask is formed on the polysilicon layer so as to cover a portion of the gate electrode and the light doped offset region. A Third impurity ion is implanted into the polysilicon layer using the second mask to form source/drain regions. The mask is removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2003
    Assignee: Hyundai Electronics Industries Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Sung Kwon Lee
  • Patent number: 6586287
    Abstract: The invention provides a method for fabricating a TFT including a crystalline silicon active layer. The inventive method forms a metal offset region between the metal layer used to induce the cystallization of the active layer and the channel region of the TFT without introducing an additional process such as photoresist processing. Therefore, the inventive method improves the performance and manufacturing productivity of TFT and lower its production cost as well.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2003
    Inventors: Seung Ki Joo, Seok-Woon Lee
  • Publication number: 20030096460
    Abstract: Subjected to obtain a crystalline TFT which simultaneously prevents increase of OFF current and deterioration of ON current. A gate electrode of a crystalline TFT is comprised of a first gate electrode and a second gate electrode formed in contact with the first gate electrode and a gate insulating film. LDD region is formed by using the first gate electrode as a mask, and a source region and a drain region are formed by using the second gate electrode as a mask. By removing a portion of the second gate electrode, a structure in which a region where LDD region and the second gate electrode overlap with a gate insulating film interposed therebetween, and a region where LDD region and the second gate electrode do not overlap, is obtained.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2002
    Publication date: May 22, 2003
    Applicant: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Setsuo Nakajima, Hisashi Ohtani, Shunpei Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 6562670
    Abstract: A thin film transistor. The thin film transistor comprises a substrate, a dielectric layer and a polysilicon layer. A gate electrode is located on the substrate. A dielectric layer is located on the substrate and the gate electrode. A polysilicon layer is located on the dielectric layer. The polysilicon layer comprises a channel region and a doped region, wherein the channel region is located above the gate electrode and the doped region is adjacent to the channel region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2003
    Assignee: Hannstar Display Corporation
    Inventor: Po-Sheng Shih
  • Patent number: 6558988
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for manufacturing a crystalline semiconductor thin film and is characterized in that it includes forming an amorphous semiconductor thin film on an insulated substrate, providing a single crystal semiconductor substrate primarily composed of the same material as that of the amorphous semiconductor thin film, including a catalytic metal on the surface thereof, putting the surface of the single crystal semiconductor substrate into contact with the amorphous semiconductor thin film, and performing a thermal process on the single crystal semiconductor substrate and amorphous semiconductor thin film in contact with each other at a temperature lower than the natural crystallizing temperature of the amorphous semiconductor thin film to crystallize the amorphous semiconductor thin film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2003
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Koji Suzuki, Masato Hiramatsu
  • Patent number: 6555448
    Abstract: There is provided a semiconductor manufacturing method capable of sufficiently reducing catalytic element in a crystalline silicon film and also increasing the area of the crystalline silicon film to be left on the substrate. A catalytic element for accelerating the crystallization is introduced into an amorphous silicon film on a substrate, and a first heat treatment is performed to crystallize the amorphous silicon film into a crystalline silicon film. A mask layer is provided on the surface of the crystalline silicon film, the mask layer having an opening passing thicknesswise through the mask layer. Further thereon, a sacrifice film is formed so as to continuously cover the surface of the mask layer and an opening-correspondent portion of the crystalline silicon film. A getter element for gettering the catalytic element is introduced into the sacrifice film and the opening-correspondent portion of the crystalline silicon film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2003
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yasumori Fukushima
  • Patent number: 6548331
    Abstract: A method for fabricating a TFT including a crystalline silicon active layer is disclosed, in which the metal which induced the crystallization of the active layer is offset from a gate electrode utilizing a mask used to form a lightly doped drain (LDD) region or an offset junction region in the active layer. The TFT includes a silicon active layer crystallized by crystallization inducing metal and a gate electrode, and has an LDD region or an offset junction region formed in the vicinity of the channel region. The method for fabricating the TFT forms a metal offset region without using an additional photoresist forming process, and forms a LDD region by conducting a low density doping in the metal offset region. As a result, a transistor made according to the present invention has low leakage current in its off-state, and has stable electrical characteristics in its on-state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2003
    Assignee: PT Plus Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Seok Woon Lee, Seung Ki Joo
  • Patent number: 6544825
    Abstract: A method of fabricating MIS transistors starts with formation of gate electrode portions. Then, high-speed ions are irradiated through an insulating film to implant impurity ions into a semiconductor region by a self-aligning process, followed by total removal of the insulating film. The laminate is irradiated with laser light or other similar intense light to activate the doped semiconductor region. Another method of fabricating MIS transistors begins with formation of a gate-insulating film and gate electrode portions. Then, the gate-insulating film is removed, using the gate electrode portions as a mask. The semiconductor surface is exposed, or a thin insulating film is formed on this surface. High-speed ions are irradiated to perform a self-aligning ion implantation process. A further method of fabricating MIS transistors starts with formation of a gate-insulating film and gate electrode portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2003
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shunpei Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 6541315
    Abstract: Concentration of metal element which promotes crystallization of silicon and which exists within a crystal silicon film obtained by utilizing the metal element is reduced. A first heat treatment for crystallization is implemented after introducing nickel to an amorphous silicon film. Then, after obtaining the crystal silicon film, another heat treatment is implemented within an oxidizing atmosphere at a temperature higher than that of the previous heat treatment. A thermal oxide film is formed in this step. At this time, gettering of the nickel element into the thermal oxide film takes place. Then, the thermal oxide film is removed. Thereby, a crystal silicon film having low concentration of the metal element and a high crystalinity can be obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2003
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Satoshi Teramoto, Jun Koyama, Yasushi Ogata, Masahiko Hayakawa, Mitsuaki Osame
  • Patent number: 6541323
    Abstract: A method of fabricating a polysilicon thin film transistor on a substrate includes forming a gate electrode on the substrate, forming a gate insulating layer on the gate electrode including the substrate, sequentially forming an intrinsic amorphous silicon layer and a doped amorphous silicon layer on the gate insulating layer, forming a catalytic metal layer on the doped amorphous silicon layer by an ion doping method, simultaneously crystallizing the doped amorphous silicon layer and the intrinsic amorphous silicon layer so as to form a doped polysilicon layer and an intrinsic polysilicon layer, respectively, forming a source electrode and a drain electrode on the doped polysilicon layer, and removing a portion of the doped polysilicon layer between the source and drain electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2003
    Assignee: LG. Philips LCD Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Joon Young Yang, Jae Beom Choi
  • Publication number: 20030059989
    Abstract: The present invention provides a thin-film transistor (TFT) and its production method which enables an arrangement restraining bipolar transistor type behavior, in order to stabilize saturation current and to provide a TFT that can improve reliability. The TFT includes a channel region facing a gate electrode through a gate insulating film, a source electrode connected to the channel region and a drain region connected to the channel region on the side opposite this source region are formed in a polycrystal semiconductor film that was patterned in island forms. In the channel region, a recombination center is formed for capturing a small number of carriers (holes) by introducing impurities, such as inert gases, metals, Group III elements, Group IV elements and Group V elements after a crystallization process is carried out on a semiconductor film 100.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2001
    Publication date: March 27, 2003
    Inventors: Ichio Yudasaka, Mitsutoshi Miyasaka, Piero Migliorato
  • Patent number: 6534353
    Abstract: A method of fabricating a thin-film transistor including forming a polycrystalline semiconductor thin film on a substrate by irradiating with a laser beam an amorphous semiconductor thin film formed on the substrate. Heat treating the polycrystalline semiconductor thin film while the substrate is held by a substrate holder provided in a container containing hydrogen, and processing, prior to or after the heat treating, the polycrystalline semiconductor thin film into a specified configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2003
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Keizaburo Kuramasu, Atsushi Sasaki, Tetsuo Kawakita
  • Patent number: 6528397
    Abstract: In a polycrystalline silicon thin film transistor, a semiconductor device having a high field effect mobility is achieved by increasing a grain size of a silicon thin film. First, an insulation layer having a two-layer structure is formed on a transparent insulated substrate 201. In the insulation layer, a lower insulation layer 202, which is in contact with the transparent insulating substrate 201, is made to have a higher thermal conductivity than an upper insulation layer 203. Thereafter, the upper insulation layer 203 is patterned so that a plurality of stripes are formed thereon. Subsequently, an amorphous silicon thin film 204 is formed on the patterned insulation layer, and the insulation layer is irradiated with a laser light scanning in a direction parallel to the stripe pattern on the upper insulation layer 203. Thus, the amorphous silicon thin film 203 is formed into a polycrystalline silicon thin film 210.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2003
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshinao Taketomi, Keizaburo Kuramasu, Masumi Izuchi, Hiroshi Satani, Hiroshi Tsutsu, Hikaru Nishitani, Mikihiko Nishitani, Masashi Goto, Yoshiko MIno
  • Patent number: 6528359
    Abstract: In order to promote an effect of laser annealing in respect of a semiconductor film, moisture is intentionally included in an atmosphere in irradiating laser beam to the semiconductor film by which a temperature holding layer comprising water vapor is formed on the surface of the semiconductor film in irradiating the laser beam and the laser annealing operation can be performed effectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2003
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoto Kusumoto, Shunpei Yamazaki, Koichiro Tanaka
  • Patent number: 6528358
    Abstract: A novel and very useful method for forming a crystal silicon film by introducing a metal element which promotes crystallization of silicon to an amorphous silicon film and for eliminating or reducing the metal element existing within the crystal silicon film thus obtained is provided. The method for fabricating a semiconductor device comprises steps of intentionally introducing the metal element which promotes crystallization of silicon to the amorphous silicon film and crystallizing the amorphous silicon film by a first heat treatment to obtain the crystal silicon film; eliminating or reducing the metal element existing within the crystal silicon film by implementing a second heat treatment within an oxidizing atmosphere; eliminating a thermal oxide film formed in the previous step; and forming another thermal oxide film on the surface of the region from which the thermal oxide film has been eliminated by implementing another thermal oxidation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2003
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Satoshi Teramoto, Jun Koyama, Yasushi Ogata, Masahiko Hayakawa, Mitsuaki Osame, Hisashi Ohtani, Toshiji Hamatani
  • Patent number: 6521977
    Abstract: Semiconductor structures are provided with on-board deuterium reservoirs or with deuterium ingress paths which allow for diffusion of deuterium to semiconductor device regions for passivation purposes. The on-board deuterium reservoirs are in the form of plugs which extend through an insulating layer and a deuterium barrier layer to the semiconductor substrate, and are preferably positioned in contact with a shallow trench oxide which will allow diffusion of deuterium to the semiconductor devices. The deuterium ingress paths extend through thin film layers from the top or through the silicon substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2003
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Jay Burnham, Eduard A. Cartier, Thomas G. Ference, Steven W. Mittl, Anthony K. Stamper
  • Publication number: 20030027381
    Abstract: A SOI substrate is preamorphized by ion implanting Xe prior to forming source/drain extensions and source/drain regions, thereby virtually eliminating or significantly reducing floating body effects. Other aspects comprise ion implanting a Xe2+ into a bulk silicon or SOI substrate to effect preeamorphization prior to forming source/drain extensions and regions having shallow junctions with reduced vertical and lateral straggle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2001
    Publication date: February 6, 2003
    Applicant: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew Stephen Buynoski, Che-Hoo Ng
  • Patent number: 6514803
    Abstract: In a thin film semiconductor device having a substrate (1), an active layer (3, 6, 9), a gate insulation layer (4), and a gate electrode (5), said active layer is produced through the steps of producing an amorphous silicon layer on said substrate through a CVD process by using a gas made up of poly silane SinH2(n+1), where n is an integer, and chloride gas, and effecting solid phase growth to produce said amorphous silicon layer. The addition of chlorine to the CVD gas used in producing the amorphous silicon layer makes it possible to produce the amorphous silicon layer at a lower temperature with a rapid growth rate. A thin film semiconductor device thus produced has the advantages of high mobility and low threshold voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2003
    Assignees: TDK Corporation, Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Michio Arai, Isamu Kobori
  • Patent number: 6503771
    Abstract: A semiconductor device including a conductive substrate or a first conductive layer formed on the substrate, a non-single-crystal semiconductor layer member is disposed on the conductive substrate or the conductive layer, the non-single-crystal semiconductor layer member having at least one intrinsic, non-single-crystal semiconductor layer, and a second conductive layer disposed on the non-single-crystal semiconductor layer. The intrinsic non-single-crystal semiconductor layer contains sodium and oxygen in very low concentrations where each concentration is 5×1018 atoms/cm3 or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2003
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shunpei Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 6498057
    Abstract: Methods and silicon-on-Insulator (SOI) semiconductor structures are provided for implementing transistor source connections for SOI transistor devices using buried dual rall distribution. A SOI semiconductor structure Includes a SOI transistor having a silicide layer covering a SOI transistor source, a predefined burled conduction layer to be connected to a SOI transistor source, and an Intermediate conduction layer between the SOI transistor and the predefined buried conduction layer, A first hole for a transistor source connection to a local interconnect is anisotropically etched in the SOI semiconductor structure to the silcide layer covering the SOI transistor source. A second hole aligned with the local interconnect hole is anisotropically etched through the SOI semiconductor structure to the predefined buried conduction layer. An Insulator is disposed between the second hole and the intermediate conduction layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2002
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Todd Alan Christensen, John Edward Sheets, II, Gregory John Uhlmann
  • Patent number: 6495404
    Abstract: A laser processing apparatus provides a heating chamber, a chamber for laser light irradiation and a robot arm, wherein a temperature of a substrate on which a silicon film to be irradiated with laser light is formed is heated to 450 to 750° C. in the heating chamber followed by irradiating the silicon film with laser light so that a silicon film having a single crystal or a silicon film that can be regarded as the single crystal can be obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2002
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Satoshi Teramoto, Hisashi Ohtani, Akiharu Miyanaga, Toshiji Hamatani, Shunpei Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 6495383
    Abstract: A gate electrode is formed on the substrate, and a gate insulating layer is formed over the gate electrode. An amorphous silicon layer and a doped amorphous silicon layer is formed in sequence. On the doped amorphous silicon layer, a source and a drain electrode made of molybdenum or molybdenum-tungsten alloy is formed and the doped amorphous silicon layer is dry etched. When the doped amorphous silicon layer is dry etched, the source/drain electrodes or the photoresist pattern used to form the source/drain electrodes is used as a mask, and a HCl+CF4 gas system is used for dry etching gas. After dry etching the doped amorphous silicon layer, in-situ He plasma treatment is performed. If HCl+CF4+O2 dry etching gas is used to etch the doped amorphous silicon layer, the characteristics of TFT may be improved with one dry etch process without the additional plasma treatment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2002
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Chun-Gi Lyu
  • Patent number: 6492244
    Abstract: Methods and semiconductor structures are provided for implementing buried dual rail power distribution and integrated decoupling capacitance for silicon on insulator (SOI) devices. A bulk silicon substrate layer is provided that defines one power distribution rail. A high energy deep oxygen implant is performed to create a deep buried oxide layer and a first intermediate silicon layer. The deep buried oxide layer is disposed between the bulk silicon substrate layer and the first intermediate silicon layer. The first intermediate silicon layer defines another power distribution rail. A lower energy oxygen implant is performed to create a shallow buried oxide layer and a second intermediate silicon layer. The shallow buried oxide layer is disposed between the first intermediate silicon layer and the second intermediate silicon layer. A connection to the bulk silicon substrate layer is formed without making electrical connection to the intermediate silicon layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2002
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Todd Alan Christensen, John Edward Sheets, II
  • Patent number: 6486812
    Abstract: A D/A conversion circuit is described which comprises a n switching, n capacitors and a coupling circuit. Upper n bit of the digital signal control n switches respectively and control charging and discharging of electric charge into the n capacitors, and the n capacitors are connected to the output line in an upper bit writing period. Lower n bit of the digital signal control the n switches and control charging and discharging of electric charge into the n capacitors, and the capacitors are connected to the output line through the coupling capacitor in a lower bit writing period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2002
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yukio Tanaka
  • Patent number: 6486046
    Abstract: It is possible to prevent lowering in productivity of thin-film transistors with no decrease in performance of the transistors. Provided are depositing an amorphous semiconductor film on a substrate, a first irradiating the amorphous semiconductor film with an energy-rich beam in an atmosphere of a gas containing an inert gas as a major component with a specific amount of oxygen, to change the amorphous semiconductor film into a polycrystalline semiconductor film, and a second irradiating the polycrystalline semiconductor film with an energy-rich beam in an atmosphere of a gas containing an inert gas as major component with oxygen of an amount less than the specific amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2002
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Takashi Fujimura, Shinichi Kawamura
  • Patent number: 6482686
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2002
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yasuhiko Takemura
  • Patent number: 6482687
    Abstract: A laser processing apparatus provides a heating chamber, a chamber for laser light irradiation and a robot arm, wherein a temperature of a substrate on which a silicon film to be irradiated with laser light is formed is heated to 450 to 750° C. in the heating chamber followed by irradiating the silicon film with laser light so that a silicon film having a single crystal or a silicon film that can be regarded as the single crystal can be obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2002
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Satoshi Teramoto, Hisashi Ohtani, Akiharu Miyanaga, Toshiji Hamatani, Shunpei Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 6482685
    Abstract: A method for fabricating a low temperature polysilicon thin film transistor incorporating a multi-layer channel passivation stack, and for activating dopant ions in a polysilicon gate in the TFT structure has been described. In the method, a multi-layer channel passivation stack consisting of a first insulating material layer, a metal layer and a second insulating material layer are first deposited on a polysilicon gate to shield a channel region in the gate during a laser irradiation process for activating the dopant ions in the gate. Any damages to the channel region of the polysilicon gate by the laser irradiation or the rapid thermal annealing step can be avoided, as well as the dopant impurity out-diffusion and lateral diffusion problems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2002
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Chih-Chiang Chen, Kun-Chih Lin
  • Patent number: 6479333
    Abstract: A crystal growth 301 is carried out by diffusing a metal element, and a nickel element is moved into regions 108 and 109 which has been doped with phosphorus. An axis coincident with the moving directions 302 and 303 of the nickel element at this time is made to coincide with an axis coincident with the direction of the crystal growth, and a TFT having the regions as channel forming regions is manufactured. In the path of the region where nickel moved, since high crystallinity is obtained in the moving direction, the TFT having high characteristics can be obtained by this way.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2002
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tamae Takano, Hideto Ohnuma, Hisashi Ohtani, Setsuo Nakajima, Shunpei Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 6468844
    Abstract: A preparation method of a semiconductor device comprising a substrate having formed thereon plural semiconductor elements formed in a matrix form and plural pixel electrodes each connected to each semiconductor element and a liquid crystal layer held on the substrate, comprising a step of forming the plural pixel electrodes on an interlayer dielectric, a step of heat-treating the plural electrodes to form hillocks and whiskers on the surfaces of the electrodes, and a step of removing the hillocks and the whiskers to flatten the electrode surfaces. The semiconductor device is suitably used for, for example, a reflection type LCD apparatus with pixel electrodes having a good light reflectance and a high anti-brittleness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2002
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Yoshiharu Hirakata
  • Patent number: 6465287
    Abstract: Concentration of metal element which promotes crystallization of silicon and which exists within a crystalline silicon film obtained by utilizing the metal element is reduced. A first heat treatment for crystallization is performed in temperature above 750° C. after introducing elemental nickel to an amorphous silicon film 103 disposed on a quartz substrate 101. Then, after obtaining the crystalline silicon film 105, it is patterned to obtain a pattern 106. Then, another heat treatment is performed within an oxidizing atmosphere at a temperature higher than that of the previous heat treatment. A thermal oxide film 107 is formed in this step. At this time, the elemental nickel is gettered to the thermal oxide film 107. Next, the thermal oxide film 107 is removed. Thereby, a crystalline silicon film 106 having low concentration of the metal element and a high crystallinity can be obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2002
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Satoshi Teramoto, Jun Koyama, Yasushi Ogata, Masahiko Hayakawa, Mitsuaki Osame
  • Patent number: 6465288
    Abstract: After a catalyst element is introduced into an amorphous silicon film, the amorphous silicon film is converted into a crystalline silicon film by a heat treatment and laser irradiation. After a resist mask is formed on the crystalline silicon film, boron and phosphorus are selectively introduced into the crystalline silicon film to form a gettering region therein. Then, a heat treatment is performed at 500°-650° C., whereby the catalyst element in a gettering subject region is gettered to the gettering region. As a result, a crystalline semiconductor film is obtained in which the catalyst element concentration is reduced. The crystalline semiconductor film is patterned into a semiconductor layer of a semiconductor device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2002
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hideto Ohnuma
  • Patent number: 6461943
    Abstract: To provide a method of removing a catalyst element from a crystalline silicon film obtained by solid phase growth using the catalyst element promoting crystallization, phosphorus is implanted selectively to the crystalline silicon film having the catalyst element whereby a portion of the silicon film implanted with phosphorus is made amorphous, and when a thermal annealing treatment is performed and the silicon film is heated, the catalyst element is moved to an amorphous portion implanted with phosphorus having large gettering capacity by which the concentration of the catalyst element in the silicon film is lowered and a semiconductor device is fabricated by using the silicon film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2002
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Hideto Ohnuma, Tamae Takano, Hisashi Ohtani
  • Patent number: 6461945
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing an integrated circuit utilizes solid phase epitaxy to form a channel region. The method includes providing an amorphous semiconductor material including germanium, crystallizing the amorphous semiconductor material via solid phase epitaxy, and doping to form a source location and a drain location. The semiconductor material containing germanium can increase the charge mobility associated with the transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2002
    Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventor: Bin Yu
  • Patent number: 6458715
    Abstract: A target semiconductor device can be obtained stably by reforming an insulating film and a semiconductor. In a process of manufacturing a semiconductor device, at least one of the semiconductor and the insulating film is reformed after an annealing process for annealing the semiconductor at a temperature ranging from 20 to 400° C. in the atmosphere containing a gas of water (H2O) with a partial pressure from 1 Torr to a saturated vapor pressure for an annealing time ranging from 15 seconds to 20 hours.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2002
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Naoki Sano, Masaki Hara, Mitsunobu Sekiya, Toshiyuki Sameshima
  • Patent number: 6440784
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a thin film transistor and a fabricating method thereof wherein a source/drain region and a gate electrode are formed in the same layer, which improves the degree of planarization. Because source/drain electrodes and a gate electrode are formed by patterning the same layer with a single mask, the invention reduces the number of fabrication steps. The TFT includes an insulated substrate which is transparent, a source electrode and a drain electrode on the insulated substrate. The source and drain electrodes are separated each other, and a gate electrode is between the source and drain electrodes on the insulated substrate. A gate insulating layer covers the source and drain electrodes and the gate electrodes on the gate insulating layer. An active layer is then formed on the gate insulating layer. Source and drain regions are formed at each end of the active layer corresponding to the gate electrode and a channel region is formed between the source and drain regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2002
    Assignee: LG. Philips LCD Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Sang-Gul Lee
  • Patent number: 6432847
    Abstract: A novel method of using lasers for generating driving energy for activating P-type compound semiconductor films and reducing the resistivity thereof. The P-type compound semiconductor films are made from III-V nitrides or II-VI group compounds doped with P-type impurity. The present invention can be carried out in the ambience of atmosphere rather than in the ambience of nitrogen gas. In addition, adjusting the power and focusing distance of a laser source, and the power density can change the time required by the activating process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2002
    Assignee: Advanced Epitaxy Technology Inc.
    Inventors: Jian-Shihn Tsang, Wen-Chung Tsai, Tsung-Yu Chen, Chia-Hung Hsu, Wei-Chih Lai
  • Patent number: 6432756
    Abstract: To effectively crystallize an amorphous semiconductor film comprising silicon by utilizing nickel element and remove nickel element contributed to the crystallization, a mask 103 is provided on an amorphous silicon film 102, oxide film patterns 107 and 108 including nickel are formed, phosphorus is doped in a region 109, thereafter, heating is performed, nickel element is diffused via paths 110 and 111 and nickel element diffuses in the amorphous silicon film and gettered by phosphorus at the region 109 by which crystallization of diffusion of nickel and gettering of nickel can be carried out simultaneously.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2002
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hisashi Ohtani, Tamae Takano, Chiho Kokubo
  • Patent number: 6423586
    Abstract: A semiconductor material and a method for forming the same, said semiconductor material having produced by a process comprising melting a noncrystal semiconductor film containing therein carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen each at a concentration of 5×1019 atoms·cm−3 or lower, preferably 1×1019 atoms·cm−3 or lower, by irradiating a laser beam or a high intensity light equivalent to a laser beam to said noncrystal semiconductor film, and then recrystallizing the thus molten amorphous silicon film. The present invention provides thin film semiconductors having high mobility at an excellent reproducibility, said semiconductor materials being useful for fabricating thin film semiconductor devices such as thin film transistors improved in device characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2002
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Hongyong Zhang, Naoto Kusumoto, Yasuhiko Takemura
  • Patent number: 6420219
    Abstract: A thin film transistor includes: a) a thin film transistor layer comprising a source region, a channel region and a drain region; the thin film transistor layer further comprising a drain offset region positioned between the drain region and the channel region; b) the channel region being substantially polycrystalline and having a first average crystalline grain size; and c) the drain offset region being substantially polycrystalline and having a second average crystalline grain size, the second average crystalline grain size being larger than the first average crystalline grain size. A method for forming such a construction using polycrystalline materials, preferably polysilicon, and an amorphizing silicon implant with subsequent recrystallization is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2002
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Shubneesh Batra, Monte Manning, Sanjay Banerjee, John Damiano, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6420246
    Abstract: A mask is formed selectively on a crystalline silicon film containing a catalyst element, and an amorphous silicon film is formed so as to cover the mask. Phosphorus is implanted into the amorphous silicon film and the portion of the crystalline silicon film which is not covered with the mask. The silicon films are then heated by rapid thermal annealing (RTA). By virtue of the existence of the amorphous silicon film, the temperature of the crystalline silicon film is increased uniformly, whereby the portion of the crystalline silicon film covered with the mask is also heated sufficiently and the catalyst element existing in this region moves to the phosphorus-implanted, amorphous portion having high gettering ability. As a result, the concentration of the catalyst element is reduced in the portion of the silicon film covered with the mask. A semiconductor device is manufactured by using this portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2002
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Hisashi Ohtani
  • Patent number: 6403433
    Abstract: An ultra-large-scale integrated (ULSI) circuit includes MOSFETs on an SOI substrate. The MOSFETs include elevated source and drain regions. The elevated source and drain regions are amorphized before doping. Neutral ion species can be utilized to amorphize the elevated source and drain region. Dopants are activated in a low-temperature rapid thermal anneal process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2002
    Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Bin Yu, Jonathan Kluth, Emi Ishida
  • Patent number: 6399454
    Abstract: In a method of manufacturing a semiconductor film, nickel elements are first held as indicated by 103 on the surface of an amorphous silicon film 102. Then a crystalline silicon film 104 is obtained by a heat treatment. At this time, the crystallization is remarkably improved by the action of the nickel elements. During this crystallization, nickel elements are diffused in a film. Then a thermal oxide film 105 is formed as a barrier film, and a silicon film 106 containing a high concentration of phosphorus is formed. By carrying out a heat treatment, the nickel elements in the crystalline silicon film 104 are transferred into the silicon film 106. In this way, the concentration of nickel in the crystalline silicon film 104 is lowered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2002
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shunpei Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 6391695
    Abstract: A method for forming a double-gate SOI MOS transistor with a back gate formed by a laser thermal process is described. In this method, a back gate is formed in a semiconductor substrate and is subsequently amorphized by implanting an amorphization species such as germanium, silicon, and xenon. The amorphous back gate region is melted using a laser annealing process and subsequently recrystallized to form the back gate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2002
    Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventor: Bin Yu
  • Patent number: 6376287
    Abstract: A thin film field effect transistor includes: a) a thin film channel region; b) a pair of opposing electrically conductive first and second source/drain regions adjacent the thin film channel region; c) a gate insulator and a gate positioned adjacent the thin film channel region for electrically energizing the channel region to switch on the thin film field effect, transistor; d) the first source/drain region having a first thickness, the second source/drain region having a second thickness, the channel region having a third thickness; at least one of the first and second thicknesses being greater than the third thickness. Methods are disclosed for making thin field effect transistors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2002
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Charles H. Dennison, Monte Manning
  • Patent number: 6372559
    Abstract: A method of forming a self-aligned vertical double-gate metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) device is provided that includes processing steps that are CMOS compatible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2002
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Scott Crowder, Michael J. Hargrove, Suk Hoon Ku, L. Ronald Logan
  • Patent number: 6372566
    Abstract: An embodiment of the instant invention is a method of making a transistor having a silicided gate structure insulatively disposed over a semiconductor substrate, the method comprising the steps of: forming a conductive structure insulatively disposed over the semiconductor substrate (step 302 of FIG. 3); introducing a silicide enhancing substance into the conductive structure (step 304 of FIG. 3); amorphizing a portion of the conductive structure; forming a metal layer on the conductive structure (step 310 of FIG. 3); and wherein the metal layer interacts with the silicide enhancing substance in the amorphized portion of the conductive structure so as to form a lower resistivity silicide on the conductive structure. The conductive structure is, preferably, comprised of: doped polysilicon, undoped polysilicon, epitaxial silicon, or any combination thereof. Preferably, the silicide enhancing substance is comprised of: molybdenum, Co, W, Ta, Nb, Ru, Cr, any refractory metal, and any combination thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2002
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Jorge A. Kittl, Qi-Zhong Hong
  • Patent number: 6372560
    Abstract: A simplified process for forming a thin film transistor matrix for a liquid crystal display is disclosed. By forming and patterning a conductive layer overlying a TFT unit, a data line, a first connection line between the TFT unit and the data line, and a second connection line between the TFT unit and a pixel electrode can be simultaneously formed in the forming and patterning step. Furthermore, after a passivation layer is applied to protect the TFT matrix, an isolation window area, a contact hole and a TAB window can be created in a single patterning step. Therefore, masking steps can be reduced so as to simplify the process. On the other hand, owing to the first connection line for connecting the TFT unit and the scan line is of the same material as the scan line, the resistivity of the connection line is inherently low. Therefore, a TFTLCD of a large area can be made according to this process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2002
    Assignee: Hannstar Display Corp.
    Inventors: Tean-Sen Jen, Jia-Shyong Cheng
  • Patent number: 6372561
    Abstract: For fabricating a field effect transistor in SOI (semiconductor on insulator) technology, an opening is etched through a first surface of a first semiconductor substrate, and a dielectric material is deposited to fill the opening. The dielectric material and the first surface of the first semiconductor substrate are polished down to form a dielectric island comprised of the dielectric material surrounded by the first surface of the first semiconductor substrate that is exposed. The semiconductor material of the first semiconductor substrate remains on the dielectric island toward a second surface of the first semiconductor substrate. A layer of dielectric material is deposited on a second semiconductor substrate. The first surface of the first semiconductor substrate is placed on the layer of dielectric material of the second semiconductor substrate such that the dielectric island and the first surface of the first semiconductor substrate are bonded to the layer of dielectric material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2002
    Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventor: Bin Yu
  • Publication number: 20020037609
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device such as a thin film transistor using a crystal silicon film is provided. The crystal silicon film is obtained by selectively forming films, particles or clusters containing nickel, iron, cobalt, ruthenium, rhodium, paradium, osmium, iridium, platinum, scandium, titanium, vanadium, chrome, manganese, copper, zinc, gold, silver or silicide thereat in a form of island, line, stripe, dot or film on or under an amorphous silicon film and using them as a starting point, by advancing its crystallization by annealing at a temperature lower than a normal crystallization temperature of an amorphous silicon. A transistor whose leak current is low and a transistor in which a mobility is high are obtained in the same time in structuring a dynamic circuit having a thin film transistor by selectively forming a cover film on a semiconductor layer which is to become an active layer of the transistor and by thermally crystallizing it thereafter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2001
    Publication date: March 28, 2002
    Inventors: Hongyong Zhang, Hideki Uochi, Toru Takayama, Takeshi Fukunaga, Yasuhiko Takemura