Semiconductor Devices

Abstract

To provide a semiconductor device that expresses a high level and a low level without flowing a steady current while using a single polarity transistor.SOLUTION: In a semiconductor device 10, one of a source or a drain of a fourth transistor 14 is connected a first wiring VSS_IN, the other one of them is connected to one of the source and the drain of a second transistor 12, and is connected to one terminal of a second capacitance element C12 and a gate of a third transistor 13. The gate is connected to one terminal of a first input terminal SI_IN and a first capacitance element C11, and the gate of the first transistor 11. The gate of the second transistor is connected to a second input terminal SI_IN. One of the source and the drain of the first transistor is connected to the first wiring, and the other one is connected to the other terminal of the first capacitance element, the other terminal of the second capacitance element, one of the source and the drain of the third transistor, and an output terminal SO_OUT. The other one of each source and each drain of the second and the third transistors is connected to a second wiring VDD_IN.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] One aspect of the present invention relates to a logic circuit configured using unipolar transistors.

[0002] One embodiment of the present invention relates to a semiconductor device. In this specification and the like, a semiconductor device refers to any device that can function by utilizing semiconductor characteristics. For example, an integrated circuit, a chip including an integrated circuit, an electronic component in which a chip is housed in a package, and an electronic device including an integrated circuit are examples of semiconductor devices.

[0003] Note that one aspect of the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned technical fields. The technical fields of the invention disclosed in this specification relate to products, methods, or manufacturing methods. Alternatively, one aspect of the present invention relates to processes, machines, manufactures, or compositions of matter. [Background technology]

[0004] CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) circuits are widely used as circuits (also called digital circuits or logic circuits) that handle digital signals represented by high or low levels (sometimes expressed as High or Low, H or L, 1 or 0, etc.).

[0005] In many cases, logic circuits are supplied with a high power supply potential and a low power supply potential, with a high level represented by the high power supply potential and a low level represented by the low power supply potential. Also, a CMOS circuit is constructed using, for example, n-channel transistors and p-channel transistors formed on a single crystal silicon substrate.

[0006] A CMOS circuit has a circuit configuration in which an n-channel transistor and a p-channel transistor are connected in series between a high power supply potential and a low power supply potential, and when the n-channel transistor is conductive, the p-channel transistor is non-conductive, and when the n-channel transistor is non-conductive, the p-channel transistor is conductive. In other words, once a high or low level is determined, no through current flows from the high power supply potential to the low power supply potential (except for the off-current of the transistor).

[0007] Here, when it is not possible to manufacture both n-channel transistors and p-channel transistors, or when it is desired to reduce the number of transistor manufacturing steps in order to reduce costs, etc., a logic circuit may be constructed using only n-channel transistors or only p-channel transistors (also referred to as unipolar transistors or single-channel transistors).

[0008] For example, Patent Documents 1 and 2 disclose examples of semiconductor device and display device driver circuits configured using unipolar transistors. In Patent Documents 1 and 2, two unipolar transistors are connected in series between a high power supply potential and a low power supply potential, and a first signal and a second signal, the logic of which (high level or low level) is inverted from that of the first signal, are input to the gates of the transistors, respectively, resulting in a circuit configuration in which no through current flows from the high power supply potential to the low power supply potential. The method of using a first signal and a second signal, the logic of which is inverted from that of the first signal, is sometimes called a dual rail.

[0009] Furthermore, in Patent Documents 1 and 2, the problem of either the high level or low level of the output signal not reaching the high power supply potential or the low power supply potential is solved by providing a capacitance between the output terminal and the gate of one of the transistors. The method of providing a capacitance between the output terminal and the gate of one of the transistors is sometimes called bootstrap.

[0010] Meanwhile, transistors having a metal oxide in a channel formation region (also referred to as oxide semiconductor transistors or OS transistors) have been attracting attention in recent years. N-channel OS transistors have been put to practical use and have characteristics such as a very small off-state current, the ability to apply a high voltage between the source and drain (also referred to as a high breakdown voltage), and the ability to be formed as thin film transistors with a stack structure. Furthermore, OS transistors have characteristics such as their off-state current not increasing even in high-temperature environments and their high ratio of on-state current to off-state current even in high-temperature environments. Therefore, semiconductor devices including OS transistors have high reliability.

[0011] For example, Patent Document 3 discloses a semiconductor device having multiple memory cells using OS transistors on a semiconductor substrate on which peripheral circuits such as driver circuits and control circuits are formed, and an example in which OS transistors are used in memory cells of a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory). For example, peripheral circuits can be configured using Si transistors formed on a single-crystal silicon substrate, and memory cells using OS transistors can be stacked above the peripheral circuits. By providing memory cells using OS transistors on the single-crystal silicon substrate on which peripheral circuits are formed, the chip area can be reduced. Furthermore, the off-state current of OS transistors is very small, allowing stored data to be retained for a long time. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0012] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-246936 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-328643 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-256820 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0013] Patent Documents 1 and 2 disclose a logic circuit that employs dual rails and bootstrap and is configured using unipolar transistors, but like a CMOS circuit, has the characteristic that no through current flows from a high power supply potential to a low power supply potential (also called no steady-state current flows) once a high or low level is determined, and can represent a high level using a high power supply potential and a low level using a low power supply potential.

[0014] Here, in the bootstrap, it is preferable that the voltage Vgs of the gate relative to the source of the transistor is sufficiently secured in the transistor having a capacitance between the source and the gate. If the voltage Vgs of the gate relative to the source of the transistor is not sufficiently secured, there are cases where the high level does not rise to the high power supply potential or the low level does not fall to the low power supply potential.

[0015] In Patent Documents 1 and 2, the source of the transistor is electrically connected to the output terminal, and a capacitance is provided between the source and gate of the transistor. For example, when a capacitive load is connected to the output terminal, the potential of the output terminal may not rise to the high power supply potential when at a high level, or may not fall to the low power supply potential when at a low level.

[0016] An object of one embodiment of the present invention is to provide a logic circuit including unipolar transistors, in which a steady current does not flow and the potential of an output terminal rises to a high power supply potential when the output is at a high level and falls to a low power supply potential when the output is at a low level.Another object of one embodiment of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor device including unipolar transistors, in which a steady current does not flow and the potential of the output terminal rises to a high power supply potential when the output is at a high level and falls to a low power supply potential when the output is at a low level.

[0017] It should be noted that one embodiment of the present invention does not necessarily have to solve all of the above problems, but may solve at least one of the problems. Furthermore, the description of the above problems does not preclude the existence of other problems. Problems other than these will become apparent from the description in the specification, claims, drawings, etc., and other problems can be extracted from the description in the specification, claims, drawings, etc. [Means for solving the problem]

[0018] One embodiment of the present invention is a semiconductor device including first to fourth transistors, first and second capacitors, first and second wirings, first and second input terminals, and an output terminal. One of a source or a drain of the fourth transistor is electrically connected to a first wiring, the other of the source or the drain of the fourth transistor is electrically connected to one of a source or a drain of the second transistor, one terminal of the second capacitor, and a gate of the third transistor, and the other of the source or the drain of the second transistor is electrically connected to a second wiring. The gate of the fourth transistor is electrically connected to the first input terminal, one terminal of the first capacitor, and the gate of the first transistor, and the gate of the second transistor is electrically connected to the second input terminal. One of the source or drain of the first transistor is electrically connected to the first wiring, the other of the source or drain of the first transistor is electrically connected to the other terminal of the first capacitance element, the other terminal of the second capacitance element, one of the source or drain of the third transistor, and the output terminal, and the other of the source or drain of the third transistor is electrically connected to the second wiring.

[0019] Also, in the above embodiment, a first potential is supplied to the first wiring, a second potential is supplied to the second wiring, the second potential is higher than the first potential, a first signal is input to the first input terminal, a second signal is input to the second input terminal, and the second signal is a signal in which the logic of the first signal is inverted.

[0020] In the above embodiment, the first to fourth transistors are n-channel transistors.

[0021] In the above embodiment, the first to fourth transistors each have a metal oxide in a channel formation region.

[0022] Another embodiment of the present invention is a semiconductor device including first to third transistors, first and second capacitors, first and second wirings, first and second input terminals, and an output terminal. One of a source or a drain of the second transistor is electrically connected to the second input terminal, the other of the source or the drain of the second transistor is electrically connected to one terminal of the second capacitor and a gate of the third transistor, and the gate of the second transistor is electrically connected to the second wiring. One of the source or the drain of the first transistor is electrically connected to the first wiring, the gate of the first transistor is electrically connected to the first input terminal and one terminal of the first capacitor, the other of the source or the drain of the first transistor is electrically connected to the other terminal of the first capacitor, the other terminal of the second capacitor, one of the source or the drain of the third transistor, and the output terminal, and the other of the source or the drain of the third transistor is electrically connected to the second wiring.

[0023] Also, in the above embodiment, a first potential is supplied to the first wiring, a second potential is supplied to the second wiring, the second potential is higher than the first potential, a first signal is input to the first input terminal, a second signal is input to the second input terminal, and the second signal is a signal in which the logic of the first signal is inverted.

[0024] In the above embodiment, the first to third transistors are n-channel transistors.

[0025] In the above embodiment, the first to third transistors each have a metal oxide in a channel formation region.

[0026] One embodiment of the present invention is a semiconductor device including first to seventh transistors, first to third capacitors, first and second wirings, first to fourth input terminals, and an output terminal, wherein one of a source or a drain of a sixth transistor is electrically connected to a first wiring, the other of the source or the drain of the sixth transistor is electrically connected to one of a source or the drain of a seventh transistor, the other of the source or the drain of the seventh transistor is electrically connected to one of a source or the drain of a third transistor, one of a source or the drain of a fourth transistor, one terminal of the third capacitor, and a gate of a fifth transistor, and the other of the source or the drain of the third transistor and the other of the source or the drain of the fourth transistor are electrically connected to a second wiring. The gate of the sixth transistor is electrically connected to the second input terminal, one terminal of the second capacitance element, and the gate of the first transistor, the gate of the seventh transistor is electrically connected to the first input terminal, one terminal of the first capacitance element, and the gate of the second transistor, the gate of the third transistor is electrically connected to the third input terminal, and the gate of the fourth transistor is electrically connected to the fourth input terminal. One of the source or drain of the first transistor is electrically connected to the first wiring, the other of the source or drain of the first transistor is electrically connected to one of the source or drain of the second transistor, the other of the source or drain of the second transistor is electrically connected to the other terminal of the first capacitance element, the other terminal of the second capacitance element, the other terminal of the third capacitance element, one of the source or drain of the fifth transistor, and the output terminal, and the other of the source or drain of the fifth transistor is electrically connected to the second wiring.

[0027] Also, in the above embodiment, a first potential is supplied to the first wiring, a second potential is supplied to the second wiring, the second potential is higher than the first potential, a first signal is input to the first input terminal, a second signal is input to the second input terminal, a third signal is input to the third input terminal, and a fourth signal is input to the fourth input terminal, the third signal is a signal in which the logic of the first signal is inverted, and the fourth signal is a signal in which the logic of the second signal is inverted.

[0028] In the above embodiment, the first to seventh transistors are n-channel transistors.

[0029] In the above embodiment, the first to seventh transistors each have a metal oxide in a channel formation region.

[0030] Another embodiment of the present invention is a semiconductor device including first to seventh transistors, first to third capacitors, first and second wirings, first to fourth input terminals, and an output terminal, wherein one of a source or a drain of a sixth transistor and one of a source or a drain of a seventh transistor are electrically connected to a first wiring, the other of the source or the drain of the sixth transistor is electrically connected to the other of the source or the drain of the seventh transistor, one of a source or the drain of a third transistor, one terminal of the third capacitor, and a gate of a fifth transistor, the other of the source or the drain of the third transistor is electrically connected to the one of a source or the drain of a fourth transistor, and the other of the source or the drain of the fourth transistor is electrically connected to a second wiring. The gate of the sixth transistor is electrically connected to the first input terminal, one terminal of the first capacitance element, and the gate of the first transistor, the gate of the seventh transistor is electrically connected to the second input terminal, one terminal of the second capacitance element, and the gate of the second transistor, the gate of the third transistor is electrically connected to the third input terminal, and the gate of the fourth transistor is electrically connected to the fourth input terminal. One of the source or drain of the first transistor and one of the source or drain of the second transistor are electrically connected to the first wiring, the other of the source or drain of the first transistor is electrically connected to the other of the source or drain of the second transistor, the other terminal of the first capacitance element, the other terminal of the second capacitance element, the other terminal of the third capacitance element, one of the source or drain of the fifth transistor, and the output terminal, and the other of the source or drain of the fifth transistor is electrically connected to the second wiring.

[0031] Also, in the above embodiment, a first potential is supplied to the first wiring, a second potential is supplied to the second wiring, the second potential is higher than the first potential, a first signal is input to the first input terminal, a second signal is input to the second input terminal, a third signal is input to the third input terminal, and a fourth signal is input to the fourth input terminal, the third signal is a signal in which the logic of the first signal is inverted, and the fourth signal is a signal in which the logic of the second signal is inverted.

[0032] In the above embodiment, the first to seventh transistors are n-channel transistors.

[0033] In the above embodiment, the first to seventh transistors each have a metal oxide in a channel formation region. [Effects of the Invention]

[0034] According to one embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to provide a logic circuit including unipolar transistors, in which a steady-state current does not flow, and in which the potential of the output terminal rises to a high power supply potential when the output is at a high level and falls to a low power supply potential when the output is at a low level.Alternatively, it is possible to provide a semiconductor device including unipolar transistors, in which a steady-state current does not flow, and in which the potential of the output terminal rises to a high power supply potential when the output is at a high level and falls to a low power supply potential when the output is at a low level.

[0035] Note that the description of these effects does not preclude the existence of other effects. Furthermore, one embodiment of the present invention does not necessarily have all of these effects. Effects other than these will become apparent from the description in the specification, claims, drawings, etc., and other effects can be extracted from the description in the specification, claims, drawings, etc. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0036] [Figure 1] 1A and 1B are circuit diagrams showing configuration examples of a semiconductor device. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a timing chart. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a timing chart. [Figure 4] 4A and 4B are diagrams showing circuit diagram symbols of transistors, and Fig. 4C and Fig. 4D are circuit diagrams showing configuration examples of semiconductor devices. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram showing an example of the configuration of a semiconductor device. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a timing chart. [Figure 7] 7A and 7B are circuit diagrams showing configuration examples of a semiconductor device. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a timing chart. [Figure 9] 9A and 9B are diagrams showing symbols of semiconductor devices. [Figure 10] 10A and 10B are block diagrams showing configuration examples of a semiconductor device. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a timing chart. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a timing chart. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of a semiconductor device. [Figure 14] 14A, 14B, and 14C are cross-sectional views showing examples of the structure of a transistor. [Figure 15] 15A is a top view illustrating an example of the structure of a transistor, and FIGS. 15B and 15C are cross-sectional views illustrating an example of the structure of a transistor. [Figure 16] 16A is a top view illustrating an example of the structure of a transistor, and FIGS. 16B and 16C are cross-sectional views illustrating an example of the structure of a transistor. [Figure 17] 17A is a top view illustrating an example of the structure of a transistor, and FIGS. 17B and 17C are cross-sectional views illustrating an example of the structure of a transistor. [Figure 18]18A is a top view illustrating an example of the structure of a transistor, and FIGS. 18B and 18C are cross-sectional views illustrating an example of the structure of a transistor. [Figure 19] 19A is a top view illustrating an example of the structure of a transistor, and FIGS. 19B and 19C are cross-sectional views illustrating an example of the structure of a transistor. [Figure 20] 20A is a top view illustrating an example of the structure of a transistor, and FIGS. 20B and 20C are cross-sectional views illustrating an example of the structure of a transistor. [Figure 21] 21A and 21B are cross-sectional views showing examples of the structure of a transistor. [Figure 22] FIG. 22 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of a semiconductor device. [Figure 23] 23A and 23B are cross-sectional views showing examples of the structure of a transistor. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0037] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. However, it will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments can be implemented in many different forms and that various changes in form and details can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited to the following description of the embodiments.

[0038] In addition, the following multiple embodiments can be combined as appropriate. In addition, when multiple configuration examples are shown in one embodiment, the configuration examples can be combined with each other as appropriate.

[0039] In the drawings attached to this specification, the components are classified by function and shown as block diagrams that are independent of each other, but in reality, it is difficult to completely separate the components by function, and one component may be involved in multiple functions.

[0040] In addition, in the drawings, etc., the size, layer thickness, region, etc. may be exaggerated for clarity. Therefore, the drawings are not necessarily limited to the scale. The drawings are schematic illustrations of ideal examples, and are not limited to the shapes or values ​​shown in the drawings.

[0041] In addition, in drawings, etc., identical elements or elements having similar functions, elements made of the same material, or elements formed at the same time may be given the same symbol, and repeated explanations may be omitted.

[0042] Furthermore, in this specification and the like, the terms "film" and "layer" can be interchangeable. For example, the term "conductive layer" can be changed to the term "conductive film." Or, for example, the term "insulating film" can be changed to the term "insulating layer."

[0043] Furthermore, in this specification and the like, terms indicating arrangement such as "above" and "below" do not limit the positional relationship of components to "directly above" or "directly below." For example, the expression "gate electrode on a gate insulating layer" does not exclude other components between the gate insulating layer and the gate electrode.

[0044] In addition, in this specification, ordinal numbers such as "first," "second," and "third" are used to avoid confusion of components and do not imply any numerical limitation.

[0045] Furthermore, in this specification, "electrically connected" includes a connection via "something that has some kind of electrical function." Here, "something that has some kind of electrical function" is not particularly limited as long as it enables the transmission and reception of electrical signals between the connected objects. For example, "something that has some kind of electrical function" includes electrodes and wiring, as well as switching elements such as transistors, resistive elements, inductors, capacitive elements, and other elements with various functions. Furthermore, even when something is expressed as "electrically connected," there may be no physical connection in the actual circuit, and only wiring may be extended.

[0046] Furthermore, in this specification and the like, the terms "electrode" and "wiring" do not limit the functionality of these components. For example, an "electrode" may be used as part of a "wiring," and vice versa.

[0047] In addition, in this specification, a "terminal" in an electric circuit refers to a part where a current or potential is input (or output) or a signal is received (or transmitted). Therefore, a part of a wiring or an electrode may function as a terminal.

[0048] Generally, a "capacitance" has a configuration in which two electrodes face each other via an insulator (dielectric). In this specification, etc., the term "capacitance element" includes the above-mentioned "capacitance." That is, in this specification, etc., the term "capacitance element" includes a configuration in which two electrodes face each other via an insulator, a configuration in which two wires face each other via an insulator, or a configuration in which two wires are arranged via an insulator.

[0049] Furthermore, in this specification and the like, the term "voltage" often refers to the potential difference between a certain potential and a reference potential (for example, ground potential). Therefore, the terms "voltage" and "potential difference" can be used interchangeably.

[0050] In this specification and the like, a transistor is an element having at least three terminals including a gate, a drain, and a source. A channel formation region is formed between the drain (drain terminal, drain region, or drain electrode) and the source (source terminal, source region, or source electrode), and a current can flow between the source and the drain through the channel formation region. In this specification and the like, the channel formation region refers to a region through which a current mainly flows.

[0051] Furthermore, the functions of the source and drain may be interchanged when transistors of different polarities are used, when the direction of current flow changes during circuit operation, etc. For this reason, the terms source and drain may be used interchangeably in this specification and the like.

[0052] In this specification and the like, unless otherwise specified, the off-state current refers to the drain current when a transistor is in an off state (also referred to as a non-conducting state or a cut-off state). Unless otherwise specified, the off-state refers to a state in which the gate voltage Vgs relative to the source is lower than the threshold voltage Vth for an n-channel transistor, and a state in which the gate voltage Vgs relative to the source is higher than the threshold voltage Vth for a p-channel transistor. In other words, the off-state current of an n-channel transistor may be referred to as the drain current when the gate voltage Vgs relative to the source is lower than the threshold voltage Vth.

[0053] In the above description of off-state current, the drain may be read as the source. That is, the off-state current may refer to the source current when a transistor is in an off state. The off-state current may also be referred to as leakage current, which has the same meaning as the off-state current. In this specification and the like, the off-state current may also refer to the current that flows between the source and drain when a transistor is in an off state.

[0054] In this specification and the like, the on-state current may refer to a current that flows between a source and a drain when a transistor is in an on state (also referred to as a conductive state).

[0055] In this specification and the like, the term "metal oxide" refers to an oxide of a metal in a broad sense. Metal oxides are classified into oxide insulators, oxide conductors (including transparent oxide conductors), oxide semiconductors, etc.

[0056] For example, when a metal oxide is used in a channel formation region of a transistor, the metal oxide may be referred to as an oxide semiconductor. That is, when a metal oxide has at least one of an amplifying function, a rectifying function, and a switching function, the metal oxide can be called a metal oxide semiconductor. That is, a transistor having a metal oxide in a channel formation region can be called an "oxide semiconductor transistor" or an "OS transistor." Similarly, the above-mentioned "transistor using an oxide semiconductor" is also a transistor having a metal oxide in a channel formation region.

[0057] In this specification and the like, a metal oxide containing nitrogen may also be referred to as a metal oxide. A metal oxide containing nitrogen may also be referred to as a metal oxynitride. Details of metal oxides will be described later.

[0058] (Embodiment 1) In this embodiment, a configuration example of a semiconductor device according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described. The semiconductor device according to one embodiment of the present invention is a logic circuit including unipolar transistors, in which a high level is represented by a high power supply potential and a low level is represented by a low power supply potential.

[0059] Although an example of using an n-channel transistor in the semiconductor device described in this specification etc. is shown, a p-channel transistor can also be used. A change from an n-channel transistor to a p-channel transistor can be easily understood by those skilled in the art, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0060] <Configuration Example 1 of Semiconductor Device> 1A is a circuit diagram illustrating a configuration example of a semiconductor device 10. The semiconductor device 10 is a semiconductor device according to one embodiment of the present invention and includes transistors 11 to 14 and capacitors C11 and C12. The transistors 11 to 14 are n-channel transistors.

[0061] The semiconductor device 10 has a wiring VSS_IN to which a low power supply potential VSS is supplied, a wiring VDD_IN to which a high power supply potential VDD is supplied, an input terminal SI_IN to which a signal SI is input, an input terminal SIB_IN to which a signal SIB is input, and an output terminal SO_OUT to which a signal SO is output.

[0062] Here, the high power supply potential VDD is a potential higher than the low power supply potential VSS, and the low power supply potential VSS may be used as a reference potential in the semiconductor device 10. Furthermore, the signals SI and SIB are digital signals, and the potential representing the high level of the signals SI and SIB is the high power supply potential VDD, and the potential representing the low level is the low power supply potential VSS. Furthermore, the signal SIB is a signal obtained by inverting the logic of the signal SI.

[0063] In the semiconductor device 10, one of the source and drain of the transistor 14 is electrically connected to the wiring VSS_IN, the other of the source and drain of the transistor 14 is electrically connected to one of the source and drain of the transistor 12, one terminal of the capacitor C12, and the gate of the transistor 13, and the other of the source and drain of the transistor 12 is electrically connected to the wiring VDD_IN.

[0064] The gate of the transistor 14 is electrically connected to the input terminal SI_IN, one terminal of the capacitor C11, and the gate of the transistor 11, and the gate of the transistor 12 is electrically connected to the input terminal SIB_IN.

[0065] One of the source or drain of transistor 11 is electrically connected to wiring VSS_IN, the other of the source or drain of transistor 11 is electrically connected to the other terminal of capacitor C11, the other terminal of capacitor C12, one of the source or drain of transistor 13, and the output terminal SO_OUT, and the other of the source or drain of transistor 13 is electrically connected to wiring VDD_IN.

[0066] Here, a connection point between the other of the source or the drain of the transistor 14, the one of the source or the drain of the transistor 12, one terminal of the capacitor C12, and the gate of the transistor 13 is referred to as a node N11.

[0067] <Configuration Example 2 of Semiconductor Device> 1B is a circuit diagram showing a configuration example of a semiconductor device 20. The semiconductor device 20 is a semiconductor device according to one embodiment of the present invention and has a different configuration example from the semiconductor device 10. The semiconductor device 20 includes transistors 21 to 23 and capacitors C21 and C22. The transistors 21 to 23 are n-channel transistors.

[0068] Similar to the semiconductor device 10, the semiconductor device 20 has a wiring VSS_IN to which a low power supply potential VSS is supplied, a wiring VDD_IN to which a high power supply potential VDD is supplied, an input terminal SI_IN to which a signal SI is input, an input terminal SIB_IN to which a signal SIB is input, and an output terminal SO_OUT to which a signal SO is output. Note that to avoid repetition, descriptions of the potentials and signals will be omitted.

[0069] In the semiconductor device 20, one of the source and drain of the transistor 22 is electrically connected to the input terminal SIB_IN, the other of the source and drain of the transistor 22 is electrically connected to one terminal of the capacitor C22 and the gate of the transistor 23, and the gate of the transistor 22 is electrically connected to the wiring VDD_IN.

[0070] One of the source or drain of transistor 21 is electrically connected to wiring VSS_IN, the gate of transistor 21 is electrically connected to the input terminal SI_IN and one terminal of capacitor C21, the other of the source or drain of transistor 21 is electrically connected to the other terminal of capacitor C21, the other terminal of capacitor C22, one of the source or drain of transistor 23, and the output terminal SO_OUT, and the other of the source or drain of transistor 23 is electrically connected to wiring VDD_IN.

[0071] Here, a connection point between the other of the source or the drain of the transistor 22, one terminal of the capacitance element C22, and the gate of the transistor 23 is referred to as a node N21.

[0072] <Operation example 1 of the semiconductor device> 2 is a timing chart illustrating an example of operation of the semiconductor device 10. In FIG. 2, the potentials of the signal SI, the signal SIB, the node N11, and the signal SO are shown for periods D11 to D15. The threshold voltages of the transistors 11 to 14 are assumed to be the threshold voltage Vth.

[0073] In period D11, signal SI is at a high level and signal SIB is at a low level. Because signal SI is at a high level, transistors 11 and 14 are in a conductive state, node N11 and signal SO are at a low level, and transistors 12 and 13 are in a non-conductive state.

[0074] Period D12 is part of the period in which signal SI changes from high level to low level and signal SIB changes from low level to high level (the period in which a signal changes from high level to low level is also called the falling period, and the period in which a signal changes from low level to high level is also called the rising period).

[0075] During period D12, due to capacitive coupling by capacitive element C11, signal SO becomes lower in potential than low level (low power supply potential VSS) as signal SI changes from high level to low level. Furthermore, signal SIB rises from low level, and when the potential difference between signal SIB and node N11 exceeds the threshold voltage Vth of transistor 12, transistor 12 becomes conductive, and the potential of node N11 rises from low level. When the potential of node N11 rises from low level, transistor 13 also becomes conductive, so the degree to which the potential of signal SO falls from low level is reduced, and during period D13, which will be described later, the potential of signal SO begins to rise.

[0076] Period D13 is a part of the period when signal SI falls and is at a low level, and a part of the period when signal SIB rises and is at a high level. During period D13, transistors 12 and 13 are conductive, the potential of node N11 rises, and the potential of signal SO, which has become lower than low level, also begins to rise. Furthermore, transistors 11 and 14 are non-conductive.

[0077] During period D13, the potentials of node N11 and signal SO increase. However, because signal SO increases from a potential lower than low, a potential difference occurs between node N11 and signal SO. Furthermore, signal SIB becomes high, the potential of node N11 increases, and when the potential difference between signal SIB and node N11 becomes smaller than the threshold voltage Vth of transistor 12, transistor 12 becomes non-conductive. Although transistor 12 is non-conductive, due to capacitive coupling by capacitor C12, the potential of node N11 further increases as the potential of signal SO increases. In other words, by creating a potential difference between node N11 and signal SO, the potential of node N11 can be reliably increased.

[0078] Since the potential of the node N11 rises above the high power supply potential VDD, the transistor 13 does not become non-conductive even if the potential difference between the signal SO and the high power supply potential VDD becomes smaller than the threshold voltage Vth of the transistor 13. The signal SO rises until it becomes equal to the high power supply potential VDD.

[0079] In period D14, signal SI rises and signal SIB falls. During period D14, transistors 11 and 14 are conductive, and transistors 12 and 13 are non-conductive. That is, node N11 and signal SO are at low level.

[0080] A period D15 is a period in which the signal SI is at a high level and the signal SIB is at a low level. The period D15 is similar to the period D11, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0081] As described above, the semiconductor device 10 is a logic circuit configured using n-channel transistors, and the signal SO output from the output terminal SO_OUT rises to the high power supply potential VDD when at a high level and falls to the low power supply potential VSS when at a low level. Furthermore, the semiconductor device 10 is characterized in that, after the high or low levels of the signals SI and SIB are determined, no through current flows from the high power supply potential VDD to the low power supply potential VSS.

[0082] <Semiconductor Device Operation Example 2> 3 is a timing chart illustrating an example of operation of the semiconductor device 20. In FIG. 3, the potentials of the signal SI, the signal SIB, the node N21, and the signal SO are shown for periods D21 to D25. The threshold voltages of the transistors 21 to 23 are assumed to be the threshold voltage Vth.

[0083] Period D21 is a period during which signal SI is at a high level and signal SIB is at a low level. Because signal SI is at a high level, transistor 21 is in a conductive state and signal SO is at a low level. Furthermore, transistor 22 is in a conductive state, and the potential of node N21 is at a low level, the same as signal SIB. Therefore, transistor 23 is in a non-conductive state.

[0084] The period D22 is a part of the period in which the signal SI changes from high level to low level and the signal SIB changes from low level to high level.

[0085] During period D22, due to capacitive coupling by capacitive element C21, signal SO becomes lower in potential than low level as signal SI changes from high level to low level. Furthermore, signal SIB rises from low level, and the potential of node N21 also rises along with signal SIB. When the potential of node N21 rises from low level, transistor 23 becomes conductive, so the degree to which the potential of signal SO drops from low level is reduced, and during period D23, which will be described later, the potential of signal SO begins to rise.

[0086] Period D23 is a part of the period when signal SI falls and is at a low level, and a part of the period when signal SIB rises and is at a high level. During period D23, the potential of node N21 also rises, transistor 23 is in a conductive state, and the potential of signal SO, which has become lower than low level, also begins to rise. Furthermore, transistor 21 is in a non-conductive state.

[0087] During period D23, the potentials of node N21 and signal SO increase, but because signal SO increases from a potential lower than low, a potential difference occurs between node N21 and signal SO. Furthermore, when signal SIB goes high, the potential of node N21 increases, and the potential difference between node N21 and high power supply potential VDD becomes smaller than the threshold voltage Vth of transistor 22, transistor 22 enters a non-conductive state. Although transistor 22 enters a non-conductive state, the potential of node N21 further increases due to capacitive coupling by capacitor C22 as the potential of signal SO increases. In other words, by creating a potential difference between node N21 and signal SO, the potential of node N21 can be reliably increased.

[0088] Since the potential of the node N21 rises above the high power supply potential VDD, the transistor 23 does not become non-conductive even if the potential difference between the signal SO and the high power supply potential VDD becomes smaller than the threshold voltage Vth of the transistor 23. The signal SO rises until it becomes equal to the high power supply potential VDD.

[0089] In period D24, signal SI rises and signal SIB falls. During period D24, transistor 21 is turned on, the potential of node N21 drops, and transistor 23 is turned off. That is, node N21 and signal SO are at low levels.

[0090] The period D25 is a period in which the signal SI is at a high level and the signal SIB is at a low level. The period D25 is similar to the period D21, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0091] As described above, the semiconductor device 20 is a logic circuit configured using n-channel transistors, and the signal SO output from the output terminal SO_OUT rises to the high power supply potential VDD when at a high level and falls to the low power supply potential VSS when at a low level. Furthermore, the semiconductor device 20 is characterized in that, after the high level or low level of the signals SI and SIB is determined, no through current flows from the high power supply potential VDD to the low power supply potential VSS.

[0092] <Transistors that make up semiconductor devices> The transistors 11 to 14 included in the semiconductor device 10 and the transistors 21 to 23 included in the semiconductor device 20 can be OS transistors having metal oxide in their channel formation regions.

[0093] OS transistors have characteristics such as a very small off-state current, the ability to apply a high voltage between the source and drain, and the ability to be formed as a stacked thin film transistor. Here, the off-state current refers to the drain current when the transistor is in an off state. Since the band gap of an oxide semiconductor is 2.5 eV or more, preferably 3.0 eV or more, OS transistors have a small leakage current due to thermal excitation and a very small off-state current. For example, the off-state current per 1 μm of channel width of an OS transistor can be 100 zA / μm or less, 10 zA / μm or less, 1 zA / μm or less, or 10 yA / μm or less.

[0094] In particular, it is preferable to use transistors with small off-state current as the transistors 12, 14, and 22. As a result, even if the signal SI is at a low level for a long period in the period D13 or the period D23 (the signal SIB is at a high level), the potential of the node N11 or the node N21 that has increased beyond the high power supply potential VDD can be held for a long period.

[0095] Furthermore, OS transistors have the advantage that their off-state current is unlikely to increase even in high-temperature environments and that the ratio of their on-state current to their off-state current is large even in high-temperature environments. By using an OS transistor in the semiconductor device 10 or 20, the reliability of the semiconductor device can be improved.

[0096] The metal oxide used in the channel formation region of the OS transistor is preferably an oxide semiconductor containing at least one of indium (In) and zinc (Zn). A typical example of such an oxide semiconductor is an In-M-Zn oxide (wherein the element M is, for example, Al, Ga, Y, or Sn). By reducing impurities such as moisture and hydrogen that serve as electron donors (donors) and by reducing oxygen vacancies, the oxide semiconductor can be made i-type (intrinsic) or substantially i-type. Such an oxide semiconductor can be called a highly purified oxide semiconductor. Details of the OS transistor will be described in Embodiments 3 and 4.

[0097] Furthermore, because the OS transistor is a thin-film transistor, it can be stacked. For example, the OS transistor can be provided on a circuit configured using Si transistors formed on a single-crystal silicon substrate. This allows the chip area of ​​the semiconductor device 10 or 20 to be reduced.

[0098] Alternatively, transistors other than OS transistors may be used as the transistors 11 to 14 included in the semiconductor device 10 and the transistors 21 to 23 included in the semiconductor device 20. For example, a transistor including a semiconductor with a wide band gap in a channel formation region may be used. A wide band gap semiconductor may refer to a semiconductor with a band gap of 2.2 eV or more, such as silicon carbide, gallium nitride, or diamond.

[0099] Further, the transistors 11 to 14 included in the semiconductor device 10 and the transistors 21 to 23 included in the semiconductor device 20 may each be a transistor having a back gate.

[0100] As an example of a transistor with a back gate, Figure 4A shows the circuit diagram symbol for transistor 31. Transistor 31 has four terminals called a gate (also called a front gate), a drain, a source, and a back gate, which are represented in Figure 4A as G (gate), D (drain), S (source), and BG (back gate), respectively.

[0101] As an example of use of the transistor 31, the back gate may be electrically connected to the gate, the back gate may be electrically connected to the source, a predetermined potential may be applied to the back gate, or the back gate may be in an electrically floating state (also referred to as "floating"). For example, by electrically connecting the back gate to the gate, the on-state current of the transistor 31 can be increased. Furthermore, by applying a predetermined potential to the back gate, the threshold voltage of the transistor 31 can be changed. An example of a cross-sectional structure of a transistor having a back gate will be described in Embodiment 3.

[0102] The transistors 11 to 14 included in the semiconductor device 10 and the transistors 21 to 23 included in the semiconductor device 20 may each be a transistor having multiple gates (also referred to as a multi-gate).

[0103] As an example of a transistor with multiple gates, Figure 4B shows a schematic symbol for a transistor 32 with two gates (also called a double gate). Transistor 32 has four terminals (Gate 1, Gate 2, Drain, and Source). In Figure 4B, these terminals are represented as G1 (Gate 1), G2 (Gate 2), D (Drain), and S (Source), respectively.

[0104] As an example of the use of transistor 32, gate 1 and gate 2 may be electrically connected, or a predetermined potential may be applied to gate 1 or gate 2. For example, by electrically connecting gate 1 and gate 2, the off-current of transistor 32 may be reduced in some cases. Also, by applying a predetermined potential to gate 1 or gate 2, transistor 32 may be made into a transistor with a high breakdown voltage in some cases.

[0105] For example, FIG. 4C shows an example in which a transistor 31 having a back gate is used for the transistor 11 constituting the semiconductor device 10. In FIG. 4C, the back gate of the transistor 31 is electrically connected to the gate.

[0106] For example, FIG. 4D shows an example in which a transistor 32 having two gates is used for the transistor 11 constituting the semiconductor device 10. In FIG. 4D, gate 1 of the transistor 32 is electrically connected to gate 2.

[0107] Note that this embodiment can be implemented in appropriate combination with other embodiments described in this specification.

[0108] (Embodiment 2) In this embodiment, an example of constructing a general-purpose logic circuit by applying the semiconductor device 10 described in the above embodiment will be described. In this specification and the like, when there are a plurality of the same components, in order to distinguish the plurality of components, signs such as "_1" or [_2] may be used (for example, semiconductor device 10_1, semiconductor device 10_2).

[0109] <NOT circuit, buffer circuit> FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram showing a configuration example of a semiconductor device 30. The semiconductor device 30 has two semiconductor devices 10 described in the above embodiment and functions as a NOT circuit that inverts logic or a buffer circuit that does not invert logic.

[0110] As shown in FIG. 5, the semiconductor device 30 includes the semiconductor devices 10_1 and 10_2. For the sake of explanation, in FIG. 5, the semiconductor devices 10_1 and 10_2 are enclosed by a dashed line, and the input / output terminals are indicated by filled circles provided on the dashed line. Also, the input / output potential or signal is represented using an arrow provided on the extension of the wiring.

[0111] Similar to the semiconductor device 10 described in the above embodiment, a signal SI is input to the input terminal SI_IN of the semiconductor device 10_1, a signal SIB is input to the input terminal SIB_IN, and a signal SO is output from the output terminal SO_OUT. On the other hand, a signal SIB is input to the input terminal SI_IN of the semiconductor device 10_2, and a signal SI is input to the input terminal SIB_IN. It is assumed that a signal SOB is output from the output terminal SO_OUT of the semiconductor device 10_2.

[0112] Next, a timing chart showing an operation example of the semiconductor device 30 is shown in FIG. 6. For the signals SI, SIB, and SO, the timing chart is the same as that shown in FIG. 2, and in FIG. 6, a timing chart of the signal SOB is additionally shown. Since the signals SI and SIB are input to the semiconductor device 10_2 in reverse to the semiconductor device 10_1, the signal SOB is a signal in which the logic of the signal SO is inverted.

[0113] As described above, the semiconductor device 30 receives the signals SI and SIB and outputs the signals SO and SOB. Since the signal SIB is a signal in which the logic of the signal SI is inverted and the signal SOB is a signal in which the logic of the signal SO is inverted, the output terminals of the semiconductor device 30 can be electrically connected to the input terminals of another semiconductor device 30.

[0114] <NAND circuit> 7A is a circuit diagram showing a configuration example of a semiconductor device 40. The semiconductor device 40 is a semiconductor device to which the semiconductor device 10 is applied, and has a function as a NAND circuit. The semiconductor device 40 includes transistors 41 to 47 and capacitors C41 to C43. The transistors 41 to 47 are n-channel transistors.

[0115] The semiconductor device 40 has a wiring VSS_IN to which a low power supply potential VSS is supplied, a wiring VDD_IN to which a high power supply potential VDD is supplied, an input terminal SI1_IN to which a signal SI1 is input, an input terminal SI2_IN to which a signal SI2 is input, an input terminal SI1B_IN to which a signal SI1B is input, an input terminal SI2B_IN to which a signal SI2B is input, and an output terminal SO1_OUT to which a signal SO1 is output.

[0116] Here, the high power supply potential VDD is a potential higher than the low power supply potential VSS, and the low power supply potential VSS may be used as a reference potential in the semiconductor device 40. Furthermore, the signals SI1, SI2, SI1B, and SI2B are digital signals, and the potential representing the high level of the signals SI1, SI2, SI1B, and SI2B is the high power supply potential VDD, and the potential representing the low level is the low power supply potential VSS. Furthermore, the signal SI1B is a signal obtained by inverting the logic of the signal SI1, and the signal SI2B is a signal obtained by inverting the logic of the signal SI2.

[0117] In the semiconductor device 40, one of the source and drain of the transistor 46 is electrically connected to the wiring VSS_IN, the other of the source and drain of the transistor 46 is electrically connected to one of the source and drain of the transistor 47, the other of the source and drain of the transistor 47 is electrically connected to one of the source and drain of the transistor 43, one of the source and drain of the transistor 44, one terminal of the capacitor C43, and the gate of the transistor 45, and the other of the source and drain of the transistor 43 and the other of the source and drain of the transistor 44 are electrically connected to the wiring VDD_IN.

[0118] The gate of transistor 46 is electrically connected to input terminal SI2_IN, one terminal of capacitor element C42, and the gate of transistor 41. The gate of transistor 47 is electrically connected to input terminal SI1_IN, one terminal of capacitor element C41, and the gate of transistor 42. The gate of transistor 43 is electrically connected to input terminal SI1B_IN. The gate of transistor 44 is electrically connected to input terminal SI2B_IN.

[0119] One of the source or drain of transistor 41 is electrically connected to wiring VSS_IN. The other of the source or drain of transistor 41 is electrically connected to one of the source or drain of transistor 42. The other of the source or drain of transistor 42 is electrically connected to the other terminal of capacitor element C41, the other terminal of capacitor element C42, the other terminal of capacitor element C43, one of the source or drain of transistor 45, and output terminal SO1_OUT. The other of the source or drain of transistor 45 is electrically connected to wiring VDD_IN.

[0120] Here, the connection part between the other of the source or drain of transistor 47, one of the source or drain of transistor 43, one of the source or drain of transistor 44, one terminal of capacitor element C43, and the gate of transistor 45 is referred to as node N41. The operation example of semiconductor device 40 will be described later.

[0121] <NOR circuit> FIG. 7B is a circuit diagram showing a configuration example of semiconductor device 50. Semiconductor device 50 is a semiconductor device applying semiconductor device 10 and has a function as a NOR circuit. Semiconductor device 50 includes transistors 51 to 57 and capacitor elements C51 to C53. Transistors 51 to 57 are n-channel type transistors.

[0122] The semiconductor device 50 has a wiring VSS_IN to which a low power supply potential VSS is supplied, a wiring VDD_IN to which a high power supply potential VDD is supplied, an input terminal SI1_IN to which a signal SI1 is input, an input terminal SI2_IN to which a signal SI2 is input, an input terminal SI1B_IN to which a signal SI1B is input, an input terminal SI2B_IN to which a signal SI2B is input, and an output terminal SO2_OUT to which a signal SO2 is output. Note that to avoid repetition, descriptions of the potentials and signals will be omitted.

[0123] In the semiconductor device 50, one of the source or drain of the transistor 56 and one of the source or drain of the transistor 57 are electrically connected to the wiring VSS_IN, the other of the source or drain of the transistor 56 is electrically connected to the other of the source or drain of the transistor 57, one of the source or drain of the transistor 53, one terminal of the capacitor C53, and the gate of the transistor 55, the other of the source or drain of the transistor 53 is electrically connected to one of the source or drain of the transistor 54, and the other of the source or drain of the transistor 54 is electrically connected to the wiring VDD_IN.

[0124] The gate of transistor 56 is electrically connected to the input terminal SI1_IN, one terminal of capacitor C51, and the gate of transistor 51, the gate of transistor 57 is electrically connected to the input terminal SI2_IN, one terminal of capacitor C52, and the gate of transistor 52, the gate of transistor 53 is electrically connected to the input terminal SI1B_IN, and the gate of transistor 54 is electrically connected to the input terminal SI2B_IN.

[0125] One of the source or drain of transistor 51 and one of the source or drain of transistor 52 are electrically connected to wiring VSS_IN, the other of the source or drain of transistor 51 is electrically connected to the other of the source or drain of transistor 52, the other terminal of capacitor C51, the other terminal of capacitor C52, the other terminal of capacitor C53, one of the source or drain of transistor 55, and the output terminal SO2_OUT, and the other of the source or drain of transistor 55 is electrically connected to wiring VDD_IN.

[0126] Here, the connection point between the other of the source or drain of the transistor 56, the other of the source or drain of the transistor 57, one of the source or drain of the transistor 53, one terminal of the capacitor C53, and the gate of the transistor 55 is referred to as a node N51.

[0127] <Example of semiconductor device operation> 8 is a timing chart showing an example of the operation of the semiconductor device 40 and the semiconductor device 50. FIG. 8 shows the relationship between the potentials of the signals SI1, SI2, SI1B, and SI2B and the potentials of the signals SO1 and SO2. Note that times T41 to T45 indicate the times when the potentials of the signals SI1, SI2, SI1B, and SI2B start to fall or rise.

[0128] At time T41, the signals SI1 and SI2 start to change from high to low. Note that the signal SI1B is a signal obtained by inverting the logic of the signal SI1, and the signal SI2B is a signal obtained by inverting the logic of the signal SI2, so a description thereof will be omitted.

[0129] In semiconductor device 40, transistors 41, 42, 46, and 47 begin to change from a conductive state to a non-conductive state, and due to capacitive coupling by capacitive elements C41 and C42, signal SO1 becomes a potential lower than low level (low power supply potential VSS). Furthermore, transistors 43 and 44 change from a non-conductive state to a conductive state, so the potential of node N41 rises from low level, and transistor 45 becomes conductive, so the potential of signal SO1 then begins to rise. Due to capacitive coupling by capacitive element C43, the potential of node N41 rises above high power supply potential VDD as the potential of signal SO1 rises, and the potential of signal SO1 rises until it becomes equal to high power supply potential VDD.

[0130] In semiconductor device 50, transistors 51, 52, 56, and 57 begin to change from a conductive state to a non-conductive state, and the potential of signal SO2 becomes lower than low due to capacitive coupling by capacitive elements C51 and C52. Furthermore, transistors 53 and 54 change from a non-conductive state to a conductive state, causing the potential of node N51 to rise from low. Since transistor 55 becomes conductive, the potential of signal SO2 then begins to rise. Due to capacitive coupling by capacitive element C53, the potential of node N51 rises above the high power supply potential VDD as the potential of signal SO2 rises, and the potential of signal SO2 rises until it becomes equal to the high power supply potential VDD.

[0131] At time T42, the signal SI1 begins to change from low to high, while the signal SI2 remains low.

[0132] In semiconductor device 40, transistors 42 and 47 begin to change from a non-conductive state to a conductive state, while transistors 41 and 46 remain in a non-conductive state. Transistor 43 begins to change from a conductive state to a non-conductive state, while transistor 44 remains in a conductive state. Therefore, the potential of node N41 remains high, and the potential of signal SO1 remains at the high power supply potential VDD.

[0133] In semiconductor device 50, transistors 52 and 57 remain non-conductive, while transistors 51 and 56 begin to change from non-conductive to conductive. Also, transistor 54 remains conductive, while transistor 53 begins to change from conductive to non-conductive. As a result, the potential of node N51 drops from high level, and the potential of signal SO2 drops from high power supply potential VDD to low power supply potential VSS.

[0134] At time T43, the signal SI1 begins to change from high level to low level, and the signal SI2 begins to change from low level to high level.

[0135] In semiconductor device 40, transistors 42 and 47 begin to change from a conductive state to a non-conductive state, and transistors 41 and 46 begin to change from a non-conductive state to a conductive state. Transistor 43 also begins to change from a non-conductive state to a conductive state, and transistor 44 also begins to change from a conductive state to a non-conductive state. Therefore, the potential of node N41 remains high, and the potential of signal SO1 remains at the high power supply potential VDD.

[0136] In the semiconductor device 50, the transistors 51 and 56 begin to change from a conductive state to a non-conductive state, and the transistors 52 and 57 begin to change from a non-conductive state to a conductive state. Furthermore, the transistor 53 begins to change from a non-conductive state to a conductive state, and the transistor 54 begins to change from a conductive state to a non-conductive state. Therefore, the potential of the node N51 remains low, and the potential of the signal SO2 remains at the low power supply potential VSS.

[0137] At time T44, the signal SI1 begins to change from low to high, while the signal SI2 remains at high.

[0138] In semiconductor device 40, transistors 42 and 47 begin to change from a non-conductive state to a conductive state, while transistors 41 and 46 remain conductive. Also, transistor 43 begins to change from a conductive state to a non-conductive state, while transistor 44 remains non-conductive. As a result, the potential of node N41 drops from high level, and the potential of signal SO1 drops from the high power supply potential VDD to the low power supply potential VSS.

[0139] In the semiconductor device 50, the transistors 51 and 56 begin to change from a non-conductive state to a conductive state, while the transistors 52 and 57 remain conductive. Also, the transistor 53 begins to change from a conductive state to a non-conductive state, while the transistor 54 remains non-conductive. Therefore, the potential of the node N51 remains low, and the potential of the signal SO2 remains at the low power supply potential VSS.

[0140] At time T45, the signals SI1 and SI2 start to change from high to low. The changes in the signals SI1 and SI2 at time T45 are similar to those at time T41, and therefore will not be described further.

[0141] As described above, signals SI1, SI2, SI1B, and SI2B are input to the semiconductor device 40, and the semiconductor device 40 outputs a signal SO1. That is, the semiconductor device 40 functions as a NAND circuit. Also, signals SI1, SI2, SI1B, and SI2B are input to the semiconductor device 50, and the semiconductor device 50 outputs a signal SO2. That is, the semiconductor device 50 functions as a NOR circuit.

[0142] <Configuration example of semiconductor device> The semiconductor device 40 and the semiconductor device 50 can be used in combination, similar to the semiconductor device 30 having two semiconductor devices 10.

[0143] For example, the semiconductor device 40 is represented by the symbol shown in Fig. 9A, and the semiconductor device 50 is represented by the symbol shown in Fig. 9B. An example of combining these will now be described.

[0144] FIG. 9A is a diagram showing the symbol of the semiconductor device 40, and shows the wiring VSS_IN, wiring VDD_IN, input terminals SI1_IN, input terminals SI2_IN, input terminals SI1B_IN, input terminals SI2B_IN, and output terminal SO1_OUT used for input and output.

[0145] FIG. 9B is a diagram showing the symbol of the semiconductor device 50, and shows the wiring VSS_IN, wiring VDD_IN, input terminals SI1_IN, input terminals SI2_IN, input terminals SI1B_IN, input terminals SI2B_IN, and output terminal SO2_OUT used for input and output.

[0146] 10A is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the semiconductor device 60. The semiconductor device 60 includes the semiconductor device 40 and the semiconductor device 50. Potentials or signals input to and output from the semiconductor device 40 and the semiconductor device 50 are indicated by arrows provided on the extension of the wiring.

[0147] In the semiconductor device 60, the signal SI1 is input to the input terminal SI1_IN of the semiconductor device 40, the signal SI2 is input to the input terminal SI2_IN, the signal SI1B is input to the input terminal SI1B_IN, the signal SI2B is input to the input terminal SI2B_IN, and the signal SO1 is output from the output terminal SO1_OUT. Meanwhile, in the semiconductor device 60, the signal SI1B is input to the input terminal SI1_IN of the semiconductor device 50, the signal SI2B is input to the input terminal SI2_IN, the signal SI1 is input to the input terminal SI1B_IN, the signal SI2 is input to the input terminal SI2B_IN, and the signal SO1B is output from the output terminal SO2_OUT.

[0148] 11 shows a timing chart illustrating an example of operation of the semiconductor device 60. The signals SI1, SI2, SI1B, SI2B, and SO1 are the same as those shown in the timing chart of FIG. 8, and FIG. 11 additionally shows a timing chart for signal SO1B.

[0149] The signals SI1 and SI1B, and the signals SI2 and SI2B are input to the semiconductor device 50 included in the semiconductor device 60 in the reverse order to the semiconductor device 50 described in the timing chart of Fig. 8. Therefore, when the signals SI1B and SI2B are at low levels, the semiconductor device 50 included in the semiconductor device 60 outputs a high-level signal SO1B from the output terminal SO2_OUT. In other words, the signal SO1B is a signal obtained by inverting the logic of the signal SO1.

[0150] 10B is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the semiconductor device 70. The semiconductor device 70 includes the semiconductor device 50 and the semiconductor device 40. Potentials or signals input to and output from the semiconductor device 50 and the semiconductor device 40 are indicated by arrows provided on the extension of the wiring.

[0151] In the semiconductor device 70, the signal SI1 is input to the input terminal SI1_IN of the semiconductor device 50, the signal SI2 is input to the input terminal SI2_IN, the signal SI1B is input to the input terminal SI1B_IN, the signal SI2B is input to the input terminal SI2B_IN, and the signal SO2 is output from the output terminal SO2_OUT. Meanwhile, in the semiconductor device 70, the signal SI1B is input to the input terminal SI1_IN of the semiconductor device 40, the signal SI2B is input to the input terminal SI2_IN, the signal SI1 is input to the input terminal SI1B_IN, the signal SI2 is input to the input terminal SI2B_IN, and the signal SO2B is output from the output terminal SO1_OUT.

[0152] Next, a timing chart showing an operation example of the semiconductor device 70 is shown in Fig. 12. The signals SI1, SI2, SI1B, SI2B, and SO2 are the same as those in the timing chart shown in Fig. 8, and Fig. 12 additionally shows a timing chart for signal SO2B.

[0153] The signals SI1 and SI1B, and the signals SI2 and SI2B are input to the semiconductor device 40 included in the semiconductor device 70 in the reverse order to the semiconductor device 40 described in the timing chart of Fig. 8. Therefore, when the signals SI1B and SI2B are at high levels, the semiconductor device 40 included in the semiconductor device 70 outputs a low-level signal SO2B from the output terminal SO1_OUT. In other words, the signal SO2B is a signal obtained by inverting the logic of the signal SO2.

[0154] As described above, semiconductor device 60 receives signals SI1, SI2, SI1B, and SI2B as inputs and outputs signals SO1 and SO1B. Semiconductor device 70 receives signals SI1, SI2, SI1B, and SI2B as inputs and outputs signals SO2 and SO2B. Signal SO1B is the inverted logic version of signal SO1, and signal SO2B is the inverted logic version of signal SO2.

[0155] That is, the semiconductor device 30, the semiconductor device 60, and the semiconductor device 70 can be electrically connected to each other, and a general-purpose logic circuit can be configured by using the semiconductor device 30, the semiconductor device 60, and the semiconductor device 70.

[0156] Note that this embodiment mode can be implemented in appropriate combination with other embodiment modes described in this specification.

[0157] (Embodiment 3) In this embodiment, a configuration example of an OS transistor that can be used for the transistors that constitute the semiconductor device 10, the transistors that constitute the semiconductor device 20, the transistors that constitute the semiconductor device 40, and the transistors that constitute the semiconductor device 50, which are described in the above embodiments, will be described. Note that the OS transistor is a thin film transistor and can be provided in a stacked structure. Therefore, in this embodiment, a configuration example of a semiconductor device in which an OS transistor is provided above a Si transistor formed on a single crystal silicon substrate will be described.

[0158] <Configuration example of semiconductor device> 13 includes a transistor 300, a transistor 500, and a capacitor 600. Fig. 14A is a cross-sectional view of the transistor 500 in the channel length direction, Fig. 14B is a cross-sectional view of the transistor 500 in the channel width direction, and Fig. 14C is a cross-sectional view of the transistor 300 in the channel width direction.

[0159] The transistor 500 is an OS transistor having a metal oxide in a channel formation region. The transistor 500 has features such as being able to apply a high voltage between the source and drain, being less likely to increase in off-state current even in a high-temperature environment, and having a large ratio of on-state current to off-state current even in a high-temperature environment. Therefore, by using the transistor 500 in the semiconductor device 10, the semiconductor device 20, the semiconductor device 40, and the semiconductor device 50 in the above embodiments, the semiconductor device can be made to have high reliability.

[0160] 13, the semiconductor device described in this embodiment includes a transistor 300, a transistor 500, and a capacitor 600. The transistor 500 is provided above the transistor 300, and the capacitor 600 is provided above the transistors 300 and 500.

[0161] The transistor 300 is provided on a substrate 311 and includes a conductor 316, an insulator 315, a semiconductor region 313 made of part of the substrate 311, and low-resistance regions 314a and 314b that function as source and drain regions.

[0162] 14C , the upper surface and the side surfaces in the channel width direction of the semiconductor region 313 of the transistor 300 are covered with a conductor 316 via an insulator 315. By forming the transistor 300 as a fin type in this way, the effective channel width is increased, thereby improving the on-state characteristics of the transistor 300. Furthermore, the contribution of the electric field of the gate electrode can be increased, thereby improving the off-state characteristics of the transistor 300.

[0163] The transistor 300 may be either a p-channel type or an n-channel type.

[0164] The region where the channel of the semiconductor region 313 is formed, the region nearby, the low-resistance region 314a that serves as the source region or drain region, and the low-resistance region 314b preferably contain a semiconductor such as a silicon-based semiconductor, and preferably contain single-crystal silicon. Alternatively, they may be formed of a material containing Ge (germanium), SiGe (silicon germanium), GaAs (gallium arsenide), GaAlAs (gallium aluminum arsenide), or the like. A configuration using silicon in which the effective mass is controlled by applying stress to the crystal lattice and changing the lattice spacing may also be used. Alternatively, the transistor 300 may be a HEMT (High Electron Mobility Transistor) by using GaAs and GaAlAs, or the like.

[0165] The low resistance region 314a and the low resistance region 314b contain, in addition to the semiconductor material applied to the semiconductor region 313, an element that imparts n-type conductivity, such as arsenic or phosphorus, or an element that imparts p-type conductivity, such as boron.

[0166] The conductor 316 functioning as the gate electrode can be made of a conductive material such as a semiconductor material, metal material, alloy material, or metal oxide material, such as silicon containing an element that imparts n-type conductivity, such as arsenic or phosphorus, or an element that imparts p-type conductivity, such as boron.

[0167] Since the work function is determined by the conductor material, the Vth of the transistor can be adjusted by changing the conductor material. Specifically, it is preferable to use materials such as titanium nitride and tantalum nitride for the conductor. Furthermore, in order to achieve both conductivity and embeddability, it is preferable to use a metal material such as tungsten or aluminum laminated on the conductor, and tungsten is particularly preferable in terms of heat resistance.

[0168] Note that the transistor 300 shown in FIG. 13 is just an example, and the structure is not limited to this, and an appropriate transistor may be used depending on the circuit configuration and driving method.

[0169] An insulator 320, an insulator 322, an insulator 324, and an insulator 326 are stacked in this order over the transistor 300.

[0170] The insulators 320, 322, 324, and 326 can be made of, for example, silicon oxide, silicon oxynitride, silicon nitride oxide, silicon nitride, aluminum oxide, aluminum oxynitride, aluminum nitride oxide, aluminum nitride, or the like.

[0171] The insulator 322 may function as a planarizing film that flattens steps caused by the transistor 300 or the like provided thereunder. For example, the top surface of the insulator 322 may be planarized by planarization treatment using a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) method or the like to improve flatness.

[0172] The insulator 324 is preferably a film having a barrier property that prevents hydrogen or impurities from diffusing from the substrate 311 or the transistor 300 to a region where the transistor 500 is provided.

[0173] An example of a film having a barrier property against hydrogen is silicon nitride formed by a CVD method. Here, hydrogen diffusion into a semiconductor element having an oxide semiconductor, such as the transistor 500, may degrade the characteristics of the semiconductor element. Therefore, it is preferable to use a film that suppresses hydrogen diffusion between the transistor 500 and the transistor 300. Specifically, the film that suppresses hydrogen diffusion is a film that releases a small amount of hydrogen.

[0174] The amount of desorbed hydrogen can be analyzed using, for example, thermal desorption spectroscopy (TDS) etc. For example, the amount of desorbed hydrogen from the insulator 324 is calculated by TDS analysis as follows: when the surface temperature of the film is in the range of 50°C to 500°C, the amount of desorbed hydrogen converted into hydrogen atoms is 10 x 10 per area of ​​the insulator 324. 15 atoms / cm 2 Less than or equal to 5 x 10 15 atoms / cm 2 The following is fine.

[0175] It is preferable that the insulator 326 has a lower dielectric constant than the insulator 324. For example, the relative dielectric constant of the insulator 326 is preferably less than 4, and more preferably less than 3. Furthermore, for example, the relative dielectric constant of the insulator 326 is preferably 0.7 times or less, and more preferably 0.6 times or less, the relative dielectric constant of the insulator 324. By using a material with a low relative dielectric constant as the interlayer film, the parasitic capacitance that occurs between wirings can be reduced.

[0176] Conductors 328 and 330, which connect to the capacitor 600 or the transistor 500, are embedded in the insulators 320, 322, 324, and 326. The conductors 328 and 330 function as plugs or wiring. A plurality of conductors that function as plugs or wiring may be collectively denoted by the same reference numeral. In this specification and the like, a wiring and a plug connected to the wiring may be integral. That is, a portion of a conductor may function as a wiring, and a portion of a conductor may function as a plug.

[0177] The materials for each plug and wiring (such as the conductor 328 and the conductor 330) can be a conductive material such as a metal material, an alloy material, a metal nitride material, or a metal oxide material, and can be used in a single layer or a laminated layer. High-melting-point materials such as tungsten and molybdenum, which have both heat resistance and conductivity, are preferably used, and tungsten is preferred. Alternatively, they are preferably formed from a low-resistance conductive material such as aluminum or copper. The use of a low-resistance conductive material can reduce the wiring resistance.

[0178] A wiring layer may be provided over the insulator 326 and the conductor 330. For example, in FIG. 13 , an insulator 350, an insulator 352, and an insulator 354 are stacked in this order. A conductor 356 is formed in the insulator 350, the insulator 352, and the insulator 354. The conductor 356 functions as a plug or wiring connected to the transistor 300. Note that the conductor 356 can be formed using a material similar to that of the conductor 328 and the conductor 330.

[0179] Note that, for example, the insulator 350 preferably uses an insulator having a barrier property against hydrogen, similar to the insulator 324. The conductor 356 preferably includes a conductor having a barrier property against hydrogen. In particular, a conductor having a barrier property against hydrogen is formed in an opening of the insulator 350 having a barrier property against hydrogen. With this structure, the transistor 300 and the transistor 500 can be separated by a barrier layer, and diffusion of hydrogen from the transistor 300 to the transistor 500 can be suppressed.

[0180] Note that, for example, tantalum nitride or the like is preferably used as the conductor having a barrier property against hydrogen. Stacking tantalum nitride and highly conductive tungsten can suppress diffusion of hydrogen from the transistor 300 while maintaining the conductivity of the wiring. In this case, a structure in which the tantalum nitride layer having a barrier property against hydrogen is in contact with the insulator 350 having a barrier property against hydrogen is preferable.

[0181] A wiring layer may be provided over the insulator 354 and the conductor 356. For example, in FIG. 13, an insulator 360, an insulator 362, and an insulator 364 are stacked in this order. A conductor 366 is formed in the insulator 360, the insulator 362, and the insulator 364. The conductor 366 functions as a plug or a wiring. The conductor 366 can be provided using the same material as the conductors 328 and 330.

[0182] Note that, for example, the insulator 360 preferably uses an insulator having a barrier property against hydrogen, similar to the insulator 324. The conductor 366 preferably includes a conductor having a barrier property against hydrogen. In particular, a conductor having a barrier property against hydrogen is formed in an opening of the insulator 360 having a barrier property against hydrogen. With this structure, the transistor 300 and the transistor 500 can be separated by a barrier layer, and diffusion of hydrogen from the transistor 300 to the transistor 500 can be suppressed.

[0183] A wiring layer may be provided over the insulator 364 and the conductor 366. For example, in FIG. 13, an insulator 370, an insulator 372, and an insulator 374 are stacked in this order. A conductor 376 is formed in the insulator 370, the insulator 372, and the insulator 374. The conductor 376 functions as a plug or a wiring. The conductor 376 can be formed using the same material as the conductors 328 and 330.

[0184] Note that, for example, the insulator 370 preferably uses an insulator having a barrier property against hydrogen, similar to the insulator 324. The conductor 376 preferably includes a conductor having a barrier property against hydrogen. In particular, a conductor having a barrier property against hydrogen is formed in an opening of the insulator 370 having a barrier property against hydrogen. With this structure, the transistor 300 and the transistor 500 can be separated by a barrier layer, and diffusion of hydrogen from the transistor 300 to the transistor 500 can be suppressed.

[0185] A wiring layer may be provided over the insulator 374 and the conductor 376. For example, in FIG. 13, an insulator 380, an insulator 382, ​​and an insulator 384 are stacked in this order. A conductor 386 is formed in the insulator 380, the insulator 382, ​​and the insulator 384. The conductor 386 functions as a plug or a wiring. The conductor 386 can be formed using a material similar to that of the conductor 328 and the conductor 330.

[0186] Note that, for example, the insulator 380 preferably uses an insulator having a barrier property against hydrogen, similar to the insulator 324. The conductor 386 preferably includes a conductor having a barrier property against hydrogen. In particular, a conductor having a barrier property against hydrogen is formed in an opening of the insulator 380 having a barrier property against hydrogen. With this structure, the transistor 300 and the transistor 500 can be separated by a barrier layer, and diffusion of hydrogen from the transistor 300 to the transistor 500 can be suppressed.

[0187] Although the above describes a wiring layer including the conductor 356, a wiring layer including the conductor 366, a wiring layer including the conductor 376, and a wiring layer including the conductor 386, the semiconductor device according to this embodiment is not limited to this. There may be three or fewer wiring layers similar to the wiring layer including the conductor 356, or there may be five or more wiring layers similar to the wiring layer including the conductor 356.

[0188] An insulator 510, an insulator 512, an insulator 514, and an insulator 516 are stacked in this order on the insulator 384. Any of the insulator 510, the insulator 512, the insulator 514, and the insulator 516 is preferably made of a substance that has a barrier property against oxygen and hydrogen.

[0189] For example, the insulator 510 and the insulator 514 are preferably films having barrier properties that prevent hydrogen and impurities from diffusing from the substrate 311 or a region where the transistor 300 is provided to a region where the transistor 500 is provided. Therefore, a material similar to that of the insulator 324 can be used.

[0190] An example of a film having a barrier property against hydrogen is silicon nitride formed by a CVD method. Here, hydrogen diffusion into a semiconductor element having an oxide semiconductor, such as the transistor 500, may degrade the characteristics of the semiconductor element. Therefore, it is preferable to use a film that suppresses hydrogen diffusion between the transistor 500 and the transistor 300. Specifically, the film that suppresses hydrogen diffusion is a film that releases a small amount of hydrogen.

[0191] As a film having a barrier property against hydrogen, for example, the insulators 510 and 514 are preferably made of a metal oxide such as aluminum oxide, hafnium oxide, or tantalum oxide.

[0192] In particular, aluminum oxide has a high blocking effect against both oxygen and impurities such as hydrogen and moisture, which can cause fluctuations in the electrical characteristics of a transistor. Therefore, aluminum oxide can prevent impurities such as hydrogen and moisture from entering the transistor 500 during and after the transistor manufacturing process. Furthermore, aluminum oxide can suppress the release of oxygen from the oxide that constitutes the transistor 500. Therefore, aluminum oxide is suitable for use as a protective film for the transistor 500.

[0193] For example, the insulator 512 and the insulator 516 can be formed using a material similar to that of the insulator 320. Using a material with a relatively low dielectric constant as an interlayer film can reduce parasitic capacitance between wirings. For example, the insulator 512 and the insulator 516 can be formed using a silicon oxide film, a silicon oxynitride film, or the like.

[0194] A conductor 518, a conductor constituting the transistor 500 (the conductor 503), and the like are embedded in the insulators 510, 512, 514, and 516. The conductor 518 functions as a plug or wiring connected to the capacitor 600 or the transistor 300. The conductor 518 can be formed using a material similar to that of the conductor 328 and the conductor 330.

[0195] In particular, the conductor 518 in the region in contact with the insulator 510 and the insulator 514 is preferably a conductor having a barrier property against oxygen, hydrogen, and water. With this structure, the transistor 300 and the transistor 500 can be separated by a layer having a barrier property against oxygen, hydrogen, and water, and diffusion of hydrogen from the transistor 300 to the transistor 500 can be suppressed.

[0196] Above the insulator 516 is the transistor 500 .

[0197] As shown in FIGS. 14A and 14B, the transistor 500 includes a conductor 503 disposed so as to be embedded in an insulator 514 and an insulator 516, an insulator 520 disposed on the insulator 516 and the conductor 503, an insulator 522 disposed on the insulator 520, an insulator 524 disposed on the insulator 522, an oxide 530a disposed on the insulator 524, an oxide 530b disposed on the oxide 530a, conductors 542a disposed apart from each other on the oxide 530b, and and conductor 542b, an insulator 580 disposed on conductor 542a and conductor 542b and having an opening formed thereon overlapping between conductor 542a and conductor 542b, a conductor 560 disposed in the opening, an insulator 550 disposed among oxide 530b, conductor 542a, conductor 542b, and insulator 580, and conductor 560, and an oxide 530c disposed among oxide 530b, conductor 542a, conductor 542b, insulator 580, and insulator 550.

[0198] 14A and 14B, it is preferable that insulator 544 be disposed between oxide 530a, oxide 530b, conductor 542a, and conductor 542b and insulator 580. It is preferable that conductor 560 include conductor 560a disposed inside insulator 550 and conductor 560b disposed so as to be embedded inside conductor 560a. It is preferable that insulator 574 be disposed on insulator 580, conductor 560, and insulator 550, as shown in FIGS.

[0199] In the following, the oxide 530a, the oxide 530b, and the oxide 530c may be collectively referred to as the oxide 530. The conductor 542a and the conductor 542b may be collectively referred to as the conductor 542.

[0200] Although the transistor 500 has a three-layer structure of oxides 530a, 530b, and 530c in and around the channel formation region, the present invention is not limited to this structure. For example, the transistor may have a single layer of oxide 530b, a two-layer structure of oxides 530b and 530a, a two-layer structure of oxides 530b and 530c, or a stacked structure of four or more layers. Although the transistor 500 has a two-layer structure, the present invention is not limited to this structure. For example, the conductor 560 may have a single-layer structure or a stacked structure of three or more layers. The transistor 500 shown in FIGS. 13, 14A, and 14B is merely an example, and the transistor may have any structure suitable for the circuit configuration and driving method.

[0201] Here, the conductor 560 functions as the gate electrode of the transistor, and the conductors 542a and 542b function as the source and drain electrodes, respectively. As described above, the conductor 560 is formed so as to be embedded in the opening of the insulator 580 and in the region sandwiched between the conductors 542a and 542b. The arrangement of the conductors 560, 542a, and 542b is selected in a self-aligned manner with respect to the opening of the insulator 580. That is, in the transistor 500, the gate electrode can be positioned between the source and drain electrodes in a self-aligned manner. Therefore, the conductor 560 can be formed without providing a margin for alignment, thereby reducing the area occupied by the transistor 500. This allows for miniaturization and high integration of semiconductor devices.

[0202] Furthermore, since the conductor 560 is formed in a self-aligned manner in the region between the conductor 542a and the conductor 542b, the conductor 560 does not have a region that overlaps with the conductor 542a or the conductor 542b. This reduces the parasitic capacitance formed between the conductor 560 and the conductor 542a and between the conductor 560 and the conductor 542b. This improves the switching speed of the transistor 500 and provides high frequency characteristics.

[0203] The conductor 560 may function as a first gate (also referred to as a top gate) electrode. The conductor 503 may function as a second gate (also referred to as a bottom gate) electrode. In this case, the Vth of the transistor 500 can be controlled by changing the potential applied to the conductor 503 independently of the potential applied to the conductor 560. In particular, applying a negative potential to the conductor 503 can increase the Vth of the transistor 500 above 0 V and reduce the off-state current. Therefore, applying a negative potential to the conductor 503 can reduce the drain current when the potential applied to the conductor 560 is 0 V compared to not applying a negative potential to the conductor 503.

[0204] The conductor 503 is arranged to overlap the oxide 530 and the conductor 560. In this way, when a potential is applied to the conductor 560 and the conductor 503, the electric field generated from the conductor 560 and the electric field generated from the conductor 503 are connected, and the channel formation region formed in the oxide 530 can be covered. In this specification and the like, a transistor structure in which the channel formation region is electrically surrounded by the electric fields of the first gate electrode and the second gate electrode is called a surrounded channel (S-channel) structure.

[0205] Furthermore, in this specification, the S-channel structure is characterized in that the side surfaces and peripheries of the oxide 530 in contact with the conductors 542a and 542b, which function as source and drain electrodes, are I-type, just like the channel formation region. Furthermore, the side surfaces and peripheries of the oxide 530 in contact with the conductors 542a and 542b are in contact with the insulator 544, so they can be I-type, just like the channel formation region. Note that in this specification, I-type can be treated as the same as high-purity intrinsic oxide, as described later. The S-channel structure disclosed in this specification differs from the fin structure and planar structure. The S-channel structure enhances resistance to the short-channel effect, in other words, makes it possible to create a transistor that is less susceptible to the short-channel effect.

[0206] Conductor 503 has the same configuration as conductor 518, with conductor 503a being formed in contact with the inner walls of the openings of insulators 514 and 516, and conductor 503b being formed further inside.

[0207] The insulators 520, 522, 524, and 550 function as gate insulating films.

[0208] Here, the insulator 524 in contact with the oxide 530 preferably contains more oxygen than the oxygen required for the stoichiometric composition. That is, an excess oxygen region is preferably formed in the insulator 524. By providing such an insulator containing excess oxygen in contact with the oxide 530, oxygen vacancies in the oxide 530 can be reduced and the reliability of the transistor 500 can be improved.

[0209] Specifically, it is preferable to use an oxide material from which some oxygen is released by heating as an insulator having an excess oxygen region. An oxide from which oxygen is released by heating is an oxide from which the amount of released oxygen converted to oxygen atoms is 1.0 × 10 in TDS analysis. 18 atoms / cm 3 or more, preferably 1.0 × 10 19 atoms / cm 3 More preferably, 2.0 × 10 19 atoms / cm 3 or more, or 3.0 x 10 20 atoms / cm 3 The oxide film is one having the above properties. The surface temperature of the film during the TDS analysis is preferably in the range of 100°C or higher and 700°C or lower, or 100°C or higher and 400°C or lower.

[0210] When the insulator 524 has an excess oxygen region, the insulator 522 preferably has a function of suppressing the diffusion of oxygen (for example, oxygen atoms, oxygen molecules, etc.) (preferably making the oxygen less permeable).

[0211] The insulator 522 preferably has a function of suppressing diffusion of oxygen and impurities, which prevents oxygen contained in the oxide 530 from diffusing toward the insulator 520. Furthermore, reaction of the conductor 503 with oxygen contained in the insulator 524 or the oxide 530 can be suppressed.

[0212] The insulator 522 is preferably a single layer or multilayer insulator containing, for example, aluminum oxide, hafnium oxide, tantalum oxide, zirconium oxide, lead zirconate titanate (PZT), strontium titanate (SrTiO3), or (Ba,Sr)TiO3 (BST). As transistors become smaller and more highly integrated, thinner gate insulating films can cause problems such as leakage current. Using a high-k material for the insulator that functions as the gate insulating film makes it possible to reduce the gate potential during transistor operation while maintaining the physical film thickness.

[0213] In particular, an insulator containing an oxide of one or both of aluminum and hafnium, which is an insulating material that has the function of suppressing the diffusion of impurities and oxygen (i.e., is difficult for oxygen to permeate), is preferably used. Aluminum oxide, hafnium oxide, or an oxide containing aluminum and hafnium (hafnium aluminate) is preferably used as the insulator containing an oxide of one or both of aluminum and hafnium. When the insulator 522 is formed using such a material, the insulator 522 functions as a layer that suppresses oxygen release from the oxide 530 and the intrusion of impurities such as hydrogen into the oxide 530 from the periphery of the transistor 500.

[0214] Alternatively, for example, aluminum oxide, bismuth oxide, germanium oxide, niobium oxide, silicon oxide, titanium oxide, tungsten oxide, yttrium oxide, or zirconium oxide may be added to these insulators. Alternatively, these insulators may be nitrided. Silicon oxide, silicon oxynitride, or silicon nitride may be stacked on the above insulators.

[0215] Furthermore, it is preferable that the insulator 520 be thermally stable. For example, silicon oxide and silicon oxynitride are suitable because they are thermally stable. Furthermore, by combining a high-k insulator with silicon oxide or silicon oxynitride, it is possible to obtain the insulator 520 having a thermally stable layered structure with a high dielectric constant.

[0216] The insulators 520, 522, and 524 may each have a stacked structure of two or more layers. In this case, the stacked structures are not limited to those made of the same material, and may be those made of different materials.

[0217] In the transistor 500, a metal oxide functioning as an oxide semiconductor is preferably used for the oxide 530 including the channel formation region. For example, a metal oxide such as In-M-Zn oxide (wherein the element M is one or more elements selected from aluminum, gallium, yttrium, copper, vanadium, beryllium, boron, titanium, iron, nickel, germanium, zirconium, molybdenum, lanthanum, cerium, neodymium, hafnium, tantalum, tungsten, magnesium, etc.) may be used for the oxide 530. Alternatively, an In-Ga oxide or an In-Zn oxide may be used for the oxide 530.

[0218] Furthermore, it is preferable to use a metal oxide with a low carrier density for the transistor 500. To reduce the carrier density of a metal oxide, the impurity concentration in the metal oxide may be reduced to reduce the density of defect states. In this specification and the like, a low impurity concentration and a low density of defect states are referred to as high-purity intrinsic or substantially high-purity intrinsic. Examples of impurities in metal oxides include hydrogen, nitrogen, alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, iron, nickel, and silicon.

[0219] In particular, hydrogen contained in metal oxide reacts with oxygen bonded to metal atoms to form water, which can form oxygen vacancies in the metal oxide. If oxygen vacancies are present in the channel formation region of a metal oxide, the transistor may exhibit normally-on characteristics. Furthermore, defects in which hydrogen has entered the oxygen vacancies can function as donors, generating electrons as carriers. Furthermore, some of the hydrogen may bond with oxygen bonded to metal atoms to generate electrons as carriers. Therefore, transistors using metal oxides containing a large amount of hydrogen tend to exhibit normally-on characteristics.

[0220] Defects in which hydrogen has entered oxygen vacancies can function as donors for metal oxides. However, it is difficult to quantitatively evaluate such defects. Therefore, metal oxides are sometimes evaluated using carrier density rather than donor concentration. Therefore, in this specification and the like, carrier density assuming a state in which no electric field is applied may be used as a parameter for metal oxides, rather than donor concentration. In other words, the "carrier density" described in this specification and the like may sometimes be rephrased as "donor concentration."

[0221] Therefore, when a metal oxide is used for the oxide 530, it is preferable that the hydrogen in the metal oxide is reduced as much as possible. Specifically, in the metal oxide, the hydrogen concentration obtained by secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) is set to 1×10 20 atoms / cm 3 Less than 1 x 10 19 atoms / cm 3 less than 5 × 10 18 atoms / cm 3 less than 1×10 18 atoms / cm 3 By using a metal oxide in which impurities such as hydrogen are sufficiently reduced for a channel formation region of a transistor, stable electrical characteristics can be obtained.

[0222] When a metal oxide is used for the oxide 530, the carrier density of the metal oxide in the channel formation region is 1×10 18 cm -3 Preferably, it is 1×10 or less. 17 cm -3 More preferably, it is less than 1×10 16 cm -3 More preferably, it is less than 1×10 13 cm -3 More preferably, it is less than 1×10 12 cm -3The lower limit of the carrier density of the metal oxide in the channel formation region is not particularly limited, but is preferably, for example, 1×10 -9 cm -3 It can be said that:

[0223] Furthermore, when a metal oxide is used for the oxide 530, contact between the conductor 542 (conductor 542a and conductor 542b) and the oxide 530 may cause oxygen in the oxide 530 to diffuse into the conductor 542, resulting in the oxidation of the conductor 542. The oxidation of the conductor 542 is likely to result in a decrease in the conductivity of the conductor 542. The diffusion of oxygen in the oxide 530 into the conductor 542 can be rephrased as the conductor 542 absorbing the oxygen in the oxide 530.

[0224] Furthermore, oxygen in the oxide 530 diffuses into the conductor 542 (conductor 542a and conductor 542b), which may form a heterogeneous layer between the conductor 542a and the oxide 530b and between the conductor 542b and the oxide 530b. Since the heterogeneous layer contains more oxygen than the conductor 542, it is presumed that the heterogeneous layer has insulating properties. In this case, the three-layer structure of the conductor 542, the heterogeneous layer, and the oxide 530b can be regarded as a three-layer structure consisting of a metal, an insulator, and a semiconductor, and may be called a metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) structure or a diode junction structure mainly based on the MIS structure.

[0225] It should be noted that the above-mentioned different layer is not limited to being formed between the conductor 542 and the oxide 530b, and for example, the different layer may be formed between the conductor 542 and the oxide 530c, between the conductor 542 and the oxide 530b, and between the conductor 542 and the oxide 530c.

[0226] The metal oxide that functions as a channel formation region in the oxide 530 preferably has a band gap of 2 eV or more, preferably 2.5 eV or more. By using a metal oxide with a wide band gap, the off-state current of the transistor can be reduced.

[0227] In addition, the semiconductor material that can be used for the oxide 530 is not limited to the above-mentioned metal oxides. A semiconductor material having a band gap (a semiconductor material that is not a zero-gap semiconductor) may also be used for the oxide 530. For example, a semiconductor of a simple element such as silicon, a compound semiconductor such as gallium arsenide, or a layered material that functions as a semiconductor (also called an atomic layer material or a two-dimensional material) is preferably used as the semiconductor material. In particular, a layered material that functions as a semiconductor is preferably used as the semiconductor material.

[0228] In this specification and the like, a layered material is a general term for a group of materials having a layered crystal structure. A layered crystal structure is a structure in which layers formed by covalent bonds or ionic bonds are stacked via bonds weaker than covalent bonds or ionic bonds, such as van der Waals forces. A layered material has high electrical conductivity within a unit layer, that is, high two-dimensional electrical conductivity. By using a material that functions as a semiconductor and has high two-dimensional electrical conductivity in the channel formation region, a transistor with a large on-current can be provided.

[0229] Layered materials include graphene, silicene, and chalcogenides. Chalcogenides are compounds containing chalcogen. Chalcogen is a general term for elements in Group 16, including oxygen, sulfur, selenium, tellurium, polonium, and livermorium. Chalcogenides also include transition metal chalcogenides and Group 13 chalcogenides.

[0230] It is preferable to use, for example, a transition metal chalcogenide that functions as a semiconductor as the oxide 530. Specific examples of transition metal chalcogenides that can be used as the oxide 530 include molybdenum sulfide (typically MoS2), molybdenum selenide (typically MoSe2), molybdenum tellurium (typically MoTe2), tungsten sulfide (typically WS2), tungsten selenide (typically WSe2), tungsten tellurium (typically WTe2), hafnium sulfide (typically HfS2), hafnium selenide (typically HfSe2), zirconium sulfide (typically ZrS2), and zirconium selenide (typically ZrSe2).

[0231] The oxide 530 has the oxide 530a below the oxide 530b, which can prevent impurities from diffusing from structures formed below the oxide 530a to the oxide 530b. Also, the oxide 530 has the oxide 530c on the oxide 530b, which can prevent impurities from diffusing from structures formed above the oxide 530c to the oxide 530b.

[0232] The oxide 530 preferably has a stacked structure of multiple oxide layers with different atomic ratios of the metal atoms. Specifically, the atomic ratio of the element M among the constituent elements in the metal oxide used for the oxide 530a is preferably greater than the atomic ratio of the element M among the constituent elements in the metal oxide used for the oxide 530b. The atomic ratio of the element M to In in the metal oxide used for the oxide 530a is preferably greater than the atomic ratio of the element M to In in the metal oxide used for the oxide 530b. The atomic ratio of In to M in the metal oxide used for the oxide 530b is preferably greater than the atomic ratio of In to M in the metal oxide used for the oxide 530a. The oxide 530c can be the same metal oxide as that used for the oxide 530a or the oxide 530b.

[0233] The oxides 530a and 530c preferably have a conduction band minimum energy higher than that of the oxide 530b, and the oxides 530a and 530c preferably have a lower electron affinity than that of the oxide 530b.

[0234] Here, the energy level of the conduction band minimum changes smoothly at the junction between the oxides 530a, 530b, and 530c. In other words, the energy level of the conduction band minimum at the junction between the oxides 530a, 530b, and 530c changes continuously or forms a continuous junction. To achieve this, it is preferable to reduce the defect level density of the mixed layers formed at the interface between the oxides 530a and 530b and at the interface between the oxides 530b and 530c.

[0235] Specifically, when the oxides 530a and 530b, and the oxides 530b and 530c, contain a common element (main component) other than oxygen, a mixed layer with a low density of defect states can be formed. For example, when the oxide 530b is an In-Ga-Zn oxide, the oxides 530a and 530c may be made of an In-Ga-Zn oxide, a Ga-Zn oxide, or a gallium oxide.

[0236] In this case, the oxide 530b serves as the main carrier path. By configuring the oxide 530a and the oxide 530c as described above, the defect state density at the interface between the oxide 530a and the oxide 530b and at the interface between the oxide 530b and the oxide 530c can be reduced. This reduces the effect of interface scattering on carrier conduction, allowing the transistor 500 to obtain a high on-state current.

[0237] Conductor 542 (conductor 542a and conductor 542b) functioning as a source electrode and a drain electrode are provided on oxide 530b. Conductor 542 is preferably made of a metal element selected from aluminum, chromium, copper, silver, gold, platinum, tantalum, nickel, titanium, molybdenum, tungsten, hafnium, vanadium, niobium, manganese, magnesium, zirconium, beryllium, indium, ruthenium, iridium, strontium, or lanthanum, or an alloy containing any of the above metal elements or an alloy combining any of the above metal elements. For example, tantalum nitride, titanium nitride, tungsten, a nitride containing titanium and aluminum, a nitride containing tantalum and aluminum, ruthenium oxide, ruthenium nitride, an oxide containing strontium and ruthenium, or an oxide containing lanthanum and nickel is preferably used. In addition, tantalum nitride, titanium nitride, nitrides containing titanium and aluminum, nitrides containing tantalum and aluminum, ruthenium oxide, ruthenium nitride, oxides containing strontium and ruthenium, and oxides containing lanthanum and nickel are preferred because they are conductive materials that are resistant to oxidation or materials that maintain their conductivity even when they absorb oxygen.

[0238] 14A, a region 543 (regions 543a and 543b) may be formed as a low-resistance region at and near the interface between the oxide 530 and the conductor 542. In this case, the region 543a functions as one of a source region and a drain region, and the region 543b functions as the other of the source region and the drain region. A channel formation region is formed in the region sandwiched between the regions 543a and 543b.

[0239] Providing the conductor 542 so as to be in contact with the oxide 530 may reduce the oxygen concentration in the region 543. Also, a metal compound layer containing the metal contained in the conductor 542 and components of the oxide 530 may be formed in the region 543. In such a case, the carrier density in the region 543 increases, and the region 543 becomes a low-resistance region.

[0240] The insulator 544 is provided to cover the conductor 542 and suppresses oxidation of the conductor 542. In this case, the insulator 544 may be provided to cover the side surface of the oxide 530 and to be in contact with the insulator 524.

[0241] The insulator 544 can be a metal oxide containing one or more elements selected from hafnium, aluminum, gallium, yttrium, zirconium, tungsten, titanium, tantalum, nickel, germanium, magnesium, or the like.

[0242] In particular, it is preferable to use, as the insulator 544, an insulator containing an oxide of either or both of aluminum and hafnium, such as aluminum oxide, hafnium oxide, or an oxide containing aluminum and hafnium (hafnium aluminate). Hafnium aluminate is particularly preferable because it has higher heat resistance than hafnium oxide film. Therefore, it is less likely to crystallize during heat treatment in a later process. Note that if the conductor 542 is made of a material that is resistant to oxidation or does not significantly decrease in conductivity even when it absorbs oxygen, the insulator 544 is not an essential component. It can be designed appropriately depending on the desired transistor characteristics.

[0243] The insulator 550 functions as a gate insulating film. The insulator 550 is preferably disposed in contact with the inside (top and side surfaces) of the oxide 530c. The insulator 550 is preferably formed using an insulator that releases oxygen when heated. For example, in TDS analysis, the amount of released oxygen converted into oxygen atoms is 1.0×10 18 atoms / cm 3 or more, preferably 1.0 × 10 19 atoms / cm 3 More preferably, 2.0 × 10 19 atoms / cm 3 or more, or 3.0 x 10 20 atoms / cm 3 The oxide film is as described above. The surface temperature of the film during the TDS analysis is preferably in the range of 100°C or higher and 700°C or lower.

[0244] Specifically, silicon oxide having excess oxygen, silicon oxynitride, silicon nitride oxide, silicon nitride, silicon oxide to which fluorine is added, silicon oxide to which carbon is added, silicon oxide to which carbon and nitrogen are added, and silicon oxide having vacancies can be used. In particular, silicon oxide and silicon oxynitride are preferable because they are stable against heat.

[0245] By providing the insulator 550, which releases oxygen upon heating, in contact with the top surface of the oxide 530c, oxygen can be effectively supplied from the insulator 550 to the channel formation region of the oxide 530b through the oxide 530c. Similarly to the insulator 524, the insulator 550 preferably has a low concentration of impurities such as water or hydrogen. The thickness of the insulator 550 is preferably 1 nm to 20 nm.

[0246] Furthermore, a metal oxide may be provided between the insulator 550 and the conductor 560 to efficiently supply excess oxygen contained in the insulator 550 to the oxide 530. The metal oxide preferably suppresses oxygen diffusion from the insulator 550 to the conductor 560. By providing a metal oxide that suppresses oxygen diffusion, the diffusion of excess oxygen from the insulator 550 to the conductor 560 is suppressed. In other words, a decrease in the amount of excess oxygen supplied to the oxide 530 can be suppressed. Furthermore, oxidation of the conductor 560 due to excess oxygen can be suppressed. As the metal oxide, a material that can be used for the insulator 544 may be used.

[0247] The conductor 560 functioning as the first gate electrode is shown as a two-layer structure in FIGS. 14A and 14B, but may be a single-layer structure or a stacked structure of three or more layers.

[0248] Conductor 560a is preferably made of a conductive material that has the function of suppressing the diffusion of impurities such as hydrogen atoms, hydrogen molecules, water molecules, nitrogen atoms, nitrogen molecules, nitrogen oxide molecules (NO, NO, NO, etc.), and copper atoms. Alternatively, conductive material that has the function of suppressing the diffusion of oxygen (e.g., at least one of oxygen atoms, oxygen molecules, etc.) is preferably used. Conductor 560a has the function of suppressing the diffusion of oxygen, which can suppress the oxidation of conductor 560b due to oxygen contained in insulator 550, thereby preventing a decrease in conductivity. As a conductive material that has the function of suppressing the diffusion of oxygen, for example, tantalum, tantalum nitride, ruthenium, or ruthenium oxide is preferably used.

[0249] The conductor 560b is preferably made of a conductive material containing tungsten, copper, or aluminum as a main component. Because the conductor 560b also functions as wiring, it is preferable to use a conductor with high conductivity. For example, a conductive material containing tungsten, copper, or aluminum as a main component can be used. The conductor 560b may have a layered structure, such as a layered structure of titanium or titanium nitride and the above-mentioned conductive material.

[0250] The insulator 580 is provided on the conductor 542 with the insulator 544 interposed therebetween. The insulator 580 preferably has an excess oxygen region. For example, the insulator 580 preferably includes silicon oxide, silicon oxynitride, silicon nitride oxide, silicon nitride, silicon oxide doped with fluorine, silicon oxide doped with carbon, silicon oxide doped with carbon and nitrogen, silicon oxide having voids, or a resin. Silicon oxide and silicon oxynitride are particularly preferred because they are thermally stable. Silicon oxide and silicon oxide having voids are particularly preferred because they allow for easy formation of an excess oxygen region in a later step.

[0251] The insulator 580 preferably has an excess oxygen region. By providing the insulator 580, from which oxygen is released by heating, in contact with the oxide 530c, oxygen in the insulator 580 can be efficiently supplied to the oxide 530 through the oxide 530c. Note that the concentration of impurities such as water or hydrogen in the insulator 580 is preferably reduced.

[0252] The opening of the insulator 580 is formed to overlap the region between the conductor 542a and the conductor 542b, so that the conductor 560 is formed to be embedded in the opening of the insulator 580 and the region sandwiched between the conductor 542a and the conductor 542b.

[0253] When miniaturizing semiconductor devices, it is necessary to shorten the gate length, but it is also necessary to prevent the conductivity of the conductor 560 from decreasing. If the film thickness of the conductor 560 is increased to achieve this, the conductor 560 may have a shape with a high aspect ratio. In this embodiment, the conductor 560 is provided so as to be embedded in the opening of the insulator 580. Therefore, even if the conductor 560 has a shape with a high aspect ratio, the conductor 560 can be formed without collapsing during the process.

[0254] The insulator 574 is preferably provided in contact with the top surface of the insulator 580, the top surface of the conductor 560, and the top surface of the insulator 550. By forming the insulator 574 by a sputtering method, excess oxygen regions can be provided in the insulator 550 and the insulator 580. This allows oxygen to be supplied from the excess oxygen regions into the oxide 530.

[0255] For example, the insulator 574 can be a metal oxide containing one or more selected from hafnium, aluminum, gallium, yttrium, zirconium, tungsten, titanium, tantalum, nickel, germanium, magnesium, and the like.

[0256] In particular, aluminum oxide has high barrier properties and can suppress the diffusion of hydrogen and nitrogen even when it is a thin film with a thickness of 0.5 nm to 3.0 nm. Therefore, aluminum oxide formed by sputtering can function as both an oxygen source and a barrier film against impurities such as hydrogen.

[0257] An insulator 581 functioning as an interlayer film is preferably provided over the insulator 574. Like the insulator 524, the insulator 581 preferably has a reduced concentration of impurities such as water or hydrogen.

[0258] Furthermore, conductors 540a and 540b are arranged in openings formed in insulators 581, 574, 580, and 544. Conductor 540a and 540b are arranged opposite each other with conductor 560 interposed therebetween. Conductor 540a and 540b have the same configuration as conductors 546 and 548, which will be described later.

[0259] An insulator 582 is provided over the insulator 581. The insulator 582 is preferably formed using a substance that has a barrier property against oxygen and hydrogen. Therefore, the insulator 582 can be formed using a material similar to that of the insulator 514. For example, the insulator 582 is preferably formed using a metal oxide such as aluminum oxide, hafnium oxide, or tantalum oxide.

[0260] In particular, aluminum oxide has a high blocking effect against both oxygen and impurities such as hydrogen and moisture, which can cause fluctuations in the electrical characteristics of a transistor. Therefore, aluminum oxide can prevent impurities such as hydrogen and moisture from entering the transistor 500 during and after the transistor manufacturing process. Furthermore, aluminum oxide can suppress the release of oxygen from the oxide that constitutes the transistor 500. Therefore, aluminum oxide is suitable for use as a protective film for the transistor 500.

[0261] An insulator 586 is provided over the insulator 582. The insulator 586 can be formed using a material similar to that of the insulator 320. Using a material with a relatively low dielectric constant as an interlayer film can reduce parasitic capacitance between wirings. For example, a silicon oxide film, a silicon oxynitride film, or the like can be used as the insulator 586.

[0262] Furthermore, conductors 546, 548, etc. are embedded in insulators 520, 522, 524, 544, 580, 574, 581, 582, and 586.

[0263] The conductor 546 and the conductor 548 function as a plug or a wiring that connects to the capacitor 600, the transistor 500, or the transistor 300. The conductor 546 and the conductor 548 can be formed using a material similar to that of the conductor 328 and the conductor 330.

[0264] Subsequently, a capacitor 600 is provided above the transistor 500. The capacitor 600 includes a conductor 610, a conductor 620, and an insulator 630.

[0265] A conductor 612 may be provided over the conductor 546 and the conductor 548. The conductor 612 functions as a plug or a wiring connected to the transistor 500. The conductor 610 functions as an electrode of the capacitor 600. Note that the conductor 612 and the conductor 610 can be formed at the same time.

[0266] A metal film containing an element selected from molybdenum, titanium, tantalum, tungsten, aluminum, copper, chromium, neodymium, and scandium, or a metal nitride film containing any of the above elements (tantalum nitride film, titanium nitride film, molybdenum nitride film, tungsten nitride film), etc. can be used for the conductor 612 and the conductor 610. Alternatively, a conductive material such as indium tin oxide, indium oxide containing tungsten oxide, indium zinc oxide containing tungsten oxide, indium oxide containing titanium oxide, indium tin oxide containing titanium oxide, indium zinc oxide, or indium tin oxide with silicon oxide added can also be used.

[0267] 13, the conductor 612 and the conductor 610 are shown as single-layer structures, but are not limited to this configuration and may be a stacked structure of two or more layers. For example, a conductor having barrier properties and a conductor having high adhesion to the conductor having high conductivity may be formed between a conductor having barrier properties and a conductor having high conductivity.

[0268] The conductor 620 is provided so as to overlap with the conductor 610 with the insulator 630 interposed therebetween. Note that the conductor 620 can be made of a conductive material such as a metal material, an alloy material, or a metal oxide material. It is preferable to use a high-melting-point material such as tungsten or molybdenum that has both heat resistance and conductivity, and tungsten is particularly preferable. Furthermore, when the conductor 620 is formed simultaneously with other structures such as a conductor, a low-resistance metal material such as Cu (copper) or Al (aluminum) can be used.

[0269] An insulator 650 is provided over the conductor 620 and the insulator 630. The insulator 650 can be provided using a material similar to that of the insulator 320. The insulator 650 may also function as a planarizing film that covers the uneven shape underneath.

[0270] By using this structure, in a semiconductor device using a transistor including an oxide semiconductor, fluctuations in electrical characteristics can be suppressed and reliability can be improved. Alternatively, a transistor including an oxide semiconductor with high on-state current can be provided. Alternatively, a transistor including an oxide semiconductor with low off-state current can be provided. Alternatively, a semiconductor device with reduced power consumption can be provided. Alternatively, miniaturization or high integration of a semiconductor device using a transistor including an oxide semiconductor can be achieved.

[0271] <Example of transistor structure> Note that the transistor 500 of the semiconductor device described in this embodiment is not limited to the above structure. Structural examples that can be used for the transistor 500 are described below.

[0272] <Transistor structure example 1> An example structure of a transistor 510A will be described using Figures 15A, 15B, and 15C. Figure 15A is a top view of the transistor 510A. Figure 15B is a cross-sectional view of the portion indicated by the dashed-dotted line L1-L2 in Figure 15A. Figure 15C is a cross-sectional view of the portion indicated by the dashed-dotted line W1-W2 in Figure 15A. Note that in the top view of Figure 15A, some elements are omitted for clarity.

[0273] 15A, 15B, and 15C show a transistor 510A, and insulators 511, 512, 514, 516, 580, 582, and 584 which function as interlayer films. Also shown are a conductor 546 (conductor 546a and conductor 546b) which is electrically connected to the transistor 510A and functions as a contact plug, and a conductor 503 which functions as a wiring.

[0274] Transistor 510A has a conductor 560 (conductor 560a and conductor 560b) that functions as a first gate electrode, a conductor 505 (conductor 505a and conductor 505b) that functions as a second gate electrode, an insulator 550 that functions as a first gate insulating film, insulators 521, 522, and 524 that function as a second gate insulating film, an oxide 530 (oxide 530a, oxide 530b, and oxide 530c) that has a region where a channel is formed, a conductor 542a that functions as one of a source or a drain, a conductor 542b that functions as the other of the source or a drain, and an insulator 574.

[0275] 15, the oxide 530c, the insulator 550, and the conductor 560 are disposed in an opening in the insulator 580 with the insulator 574 interposed therebetween. The oxide 530c, the insulator 550, and the conductor 560 are disposed between the conductor 542a and the conductor 542b.

[0276] The insulators 511 and 512 function as interlayer films.

[0277] The interlayer film can be formed of a single layer or a stack of insulators such as silicon oxide, silicon oxynitride, silicon nitride oxide, aluminum oxide, hafnium oxide, tantalum oxide, zirconium oxide, lead zirconate titanate (PZT), strontium titanate (SrTiO3), or (Ba,Sr)TiO3 (BST). Alternatively, these insulators may contain, for example, aluminum oxide, bismuth oxide, germanium oxide, niobium oxide, silicon oxide, titanium oxide, tungsten oxide, yttrium oxide, or zirconium oxide. Alternatively, these insulators may be nitrided. Silicon oxide, silicon oxynitride, or silicon nitride may be stacked on the above insulators.

[0278] For example, the insulator 511 preferably functions as a barrier film that prevents impurities such as water or hydrogen from entering the transistor 510A from the substrate side. Therefore, the insulator 511 is preferably made of an insulating material that has a function of preventing the diffusion of impurities such as hydrogen atoms, hydrogen molecules, water molecules, and copper atoms (i.e., the impurities are less likely to permeate through the insulator). Alternatively, the insulator 511 is preferably made of an insulating material that has a function of preventing the diffusion of oxygen (e.g., at least one of oxygen atoms, oxygen molecules, etc.) (i.e., the oxygen is less likely to permeate through the insulator). Furthermore, for example, aluminum oxide or silicon nitride may be used as the insulator 511. This structure can prevent impurities such as hydrogen and water from diffusing from the substrate side toward the transistor 510A through the insulator 511.

[0279] For example, the insulator 512 preferably has a lower dielectric constant than the insulator 511. By using a material with a low dielectric constant as an interlayer film, parasitic capacitance occurring between wirings can be reduced.

[0280] The conductor 503 is formed so as to be embedded in the insulator 512. Here, the height of the top surface of the conductor 503 and the height of the top surface of the insulator 512 can be made approximately the same. Note that although the conductor 503 is shown as having a single layer structure, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the conductor 503 may have a multilayer film structure of two or more layers. Note that the conductor 503 is preferably made of a highly conductive material containing tungsten, copper, or aluminum as a main component.

[0281] In the transistor 510A, the conductor 560 may function as a first gate (also referred to as a top gate) electrode. The conductor 505 may function as a second gate (also referred to as a bottom gate) electrode. In this case, the threshold voltage of the transistor 510A can be controlled by changing the potential applied to the conductor 505 independently of the potential applied to the conductor 560. In particular, applying a negative potential to the conductor 505 can increase the threshold voltage of the transistor 510A above 0 V, thereby reducing the off-state current. Therefore, applying a negative potential to the conductor 505 can reduce the drain current when the potential applied to the conductor 560 is 0 V, compared to when a negative potential is not applied.

[0282] Furthermore, for example, by overlapping the conductor 505 and the conductor 560, when a potential is applied to the conductor 560 and the conductor 505, the electric field generated from the conductor 560 and the electric field generated from the conductor 505 can be connected and can cover the channel formation region formed in the oxide 530.

[0283] That is, the channel formation region can be electrically surrounded by the electric field of the conductor 560 functioning as the first gate electrode and the electric field of the conductor 505 functioning as the second gate electrode. That is, like the transistor 500 described above, this has a surrounded channel (S-channel) structure.

[0284] The insulators 514 and 516 function as interlayer films, similar to the insulator 511 or 512. For example, the insulator 514 preferably functions as a barrier film that prevents impurities such as water or hydrogen from entering the transistor 510A from the substrate side. This structure can prevent impurities such as hydrogen or water from diffusing from the substrate side toward the transistor 510A through the insulator 514. Furthermore, for example, the insulator 516 preferably has a lower dielectric constant than the insulator 514. Using a material with a low dielectric constant as an interlayer film can reduce parasitic capacitance between wirings.

[0285] The conductor 505 functioning as the second gate has a conductor 505a formed in contact with the inner walls of the openings of the insulator 514 and the insulator 516, and a conductor 505b formed further inside. Here, the height of the top surfaces of the conductor 505a and the conductor 505b can be made approximately the same as the height of the top surface of the insulator 516. Note that although the transistor 510A has a structure in which the conductor 505a and the conductor 505b are stacked, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the conductor 505 may have a single layer structure or a stacked structure of three or more layers.

[0286] Here, the conductor 505a is preferably made of a conductive material that has the function of suppressing the diffusion of impurities such as hydrogen atoms, hydrogen molecules, water molecules, and copper atoms (i.e., the impurities are less likely to permeate through it). Alternatively, it is preferably made of a conductive material that has the function of suppressing the diffusion of oxygen (e.g., at least one of oxygen atoms, oxygen molecules, etc.) (i.e., the oxygen is less likely to permeate through it). Note that in this specification, the function of suppressing the diffusion of impurities or oxygen refers to the function of suppressing the diffusion of any one or all of the impurities or oxygen.

[0287] For example, the conductor 505a has a function of suppressing the diffusion of oxygen, so that the conductor 505b can be prevented from being oxidized and its conductivity from decreasing.

[0288] Furthermore, when the conductor 505 also functions as a wiring, it is preferable that the conductor 505b be made of a highly conductive material containing tungsten, copper, or aluminum as a main component. In this case, the conductor 503 is not necessarily provided. Note that although the conductor 505b is illustrated as a single layer, it may have a multilayer structure, for example, a multilayer structure of titanium or titanium nitride and the above-mentioned conductive material.

[0289] The insulators 521, 522, and 524 function as a second gate insulating film.

[0290] The insulator 522 preferably has a barrier property. When the insulator 522 has a barrier property, it functions as a layer that prevents impurities such as hydrogen from entering the transistor 510A from the periphery of the transistor 510A.

[0291] The insulator 522 is preferably a single layer or multilayer insulator containing, for example, aluminum oxide, hafnium oxide, oxide containing aluminum and hafnium (hafnium aluminate), tantalum oxide, zirconium oxide, lead zirconate titanate (PZT), strontium titanate (SrTiO3), or (Ba,Sr)TiO3 (BST). As transistors become smaller and more highly integrated, thinner gate insulating films can cause problems such as leakage current. Using a high-k material for the insulator that functions as the gate insulating film makes it possible to reduce the gate potential during transistor operation while maintaining the physical film thickness.

[0292] Furthermore, it is preferable that the insulator 521 be thermally stable. For example, silicon oxide and silicon oxynitride are suitable because they are thermally stable. Furthermore, by combining a high-k insulator with silicon oxide or silicon oxynitride, it is possible to obtain the insulator 521 having a thermally stable layered structure with a high dielectric constant.

[0293] 15 shows a three-layer stacked structure as the second gate insulating film, it may be a single layer or a stacked structure of four or more layers. In this case, it is not limited to a stacked structure made of the same material, and may be a stacked structure made of different materials.

[0294] The oxide 530 having a region functioning as a channel formation region includes an oxide 530a, an oxide 530b on the oxide 530a, and an oxide 530c on the oxide 530b. Having the oxide 530a below the oxide 530b can suppress impurity diffusion from structures formed below the oxide 530a to the oxide 530b. Having the oxide 530c on the oxide 530b can suppress impurity diffusion from structures formed above the oxide 530c to the oxide 530b. The oxide 530 can be made of an oxide semiconductor, which is one of the above-described metal oxides.

[0295] Note that the oxide 530c is preferably provided in an opening in the insulator 580 via the insulator 574. When the insulator 574 has a barrier property, it can prevent impurities from the insulator 580 from diffusing into the oxide 530.

[0296] One of the conductors 542 functions as a source electrode, and the other functions as a drain electrode.

[0297] The conductors 542a and 542b can be made of a metal such as aluminum, titanium, chromium, nickel, copper, yttrium, zirconium, molybdenum, silver, tantalum, or tungsten, or an alloy containing any of these as its main component. In particular, a metal nitride film such as tantalum nitride is preferable because it has barrier properties against hydrogen or oxygen and is highly resistant to oxidation.

[0298] 15 shows a single-layer structure for the conductors 542a and 542b, but a stacked structure of two or more layers may also be used. For example, a tantalum nitride film and a tungsten film may be stacked. Alternatively, a titanium film and an aluminum film may be stacked. Alternatively, a two-layer structure in which an aluminum film is stacked on a tungsten film, a two-layer structure in which a copper film is stacked on a copper-magnesium-aluminum alloy film, a two-layer structure in which a copper film is stacked on a titanium film, or a two-layer structure in which a copper film is stacked on a tungsten film may also be used.

[0299] Other examples include a three-layer structure in which a titanium film or titanium nitride film is laminated on the titanium film or titanium nitride film, an aluminum film or copper film is laminated on the titanium film or titanium nitride film, and a titanium film or titanium nitride film is further formed thereon, and a three-layer structure in which a molybdenum film or molybdenum nitride film is laminated on the molybdenum film or molybdenum nitride film, an aluminum film or copper film is laminated on the molybdenum film or molybdenum nitride film, and a molybdenum film or molybdenum nitride film is further formed thereon. Note that a transparent conductive material containing indium oxide, tin oxide, or zinc oxide may also be used.

[0300] A barrier layer may be provided over the conductor 542. The barrier layer is preferably formed using a substance that has a barrier property against oxygen or hydrogen. With this structure, oxidation of the conductor 542 can be suppressed when the insulator 574 is formed.

[0301] The barrier layer can be made of, for example, a metal oxide. In particular, it is preferable to use an insulating film that has barrier properties against oxygen and hydrogen, such as aluminum oxide, hafnium oxide, or gallium oxide. Silicon nitride formed by CVD may also be used.

[0302] The presence of the barrier layer can broaden the range of material options for the conductor 542. For example, materials with low oxidation resistance but high conductivity, such as tungsten or aluminum, can be used for the conductor 542. Also, for example, a conductor that is easy to form or process can be used.

[0303] The insulator 550 functions as a first gate insulating film. The insulator 550 is preferably provided in the opening provided in the insulator 580 with the oxide 530c and the insulator 574 interposed therebetween.

[0304] As transistors become more miniaturized and highly integrated, thinning of the gate insulating film can cause problems such as leakage current. In this case, the insulator 550 may have a stacked structure, similar to the second gate insulating film. By using a stacked structure of a high-k material and a thermally stable material for the insulator functioning as the gate insulating film, it is possible to reduce the gate potential during transistor operation while maintaining the physical film thickness. Furthermore, a stacked structure that is thermally stable and has a high dielectric constant can be achieved.

[0305] The conductor 560 functioning as the first gate electrode includes a conductor 560a and a conductor 560b on the conductor 560a. As with the conductor 505a, the conductor 560a is preferably made of a conductive material that has the function of suppressing the diffusion of impurities such as hydrogen atoms, hydrogen molecules, water molecules, and copper atoms. Alternatively, the conductor 560a is preferably made of a conductive material that has the function of suppressing the diffusion of oxygen (e.g., at least one of oxygen atoms and oxygen molecules).

[0306] The conductor 560a has the function of suppressing oxygen diffusion, which broadens the range of material choices for the conductor 560b. That is, the presence of the conductor 560a suppresses oxidation of the conductor 560b, thereby preventing a decrease in conductivity.

[0307] As a conductive material capable of suppressing oxygen diffusion, for example, tantalum, tantalum nitride, ruthenium, or ruthenium oxide is preferably used. Furthermore, an oxide semiconductor that can be used as the oxide 530 can be used as the conductor 560a. In this case, by forming the conductor 560b by a sputtering method, the electrical resistance of the conductor 560a can be reduced, making it a conductor. This can be called an OC (Oxide Conductor) electrode.

[0308] The conductor 560b is preferably made of a conductive material containing tungsten, copper, or aluminum as a main component. Furthermore, since the conductor 560 functions as wiring, it is preferable to use a conductor with high conductivity for the conductor 560b. For example, a conductive material containing tungsten, copper, or aluminum as a main component can be used. Furthermore, the conductor 560b may have a layered structure, for example, a layered structure of titanium or titanium nitride and the above-mentioned conductive material.

[0309] An insulator 574 is disposed between the insulator 580 and the transistor 510A. The insulator 574 is preferably an insulating material that has a function of suppressing diffusion of impurities such as water or hydrogen and oxygen. For example, aluminum oxide or hafnium oxide is preferably used. Other examples of the insulator include metal oxides such as magnesium oxide, gallium oxide, germanium oxide, yttrium oxide, zirconium oxide, lanthanum oxide, neodymium oxide, and tantalum oxide, silicon nitride oxide, and silicon nitride.

[0310] The insulator 574 can prevent impurities such as water and hydrogen contained in the insulator 580 from diffusing to the oxide 530b through the oxide 530c and the insulator 550. The insulator 574 can also prevent the conductor 560 from being oxidized by excess oxygen contained in the insulator 580.

[0311] Insulators 580, 582, and 584 function as interlayer films.

[0312] Like the insulator 514, the insulator 582 preferably functions as a barrier insulating film that prevents impurities such as water or hydrogen from entering the transistor 510A from the outside.

[0313] Similarly to the insulator 516, the insulators 580 and 584 preferably have a lower dielectric constant than the insulator 582. By using a material with a low dielectric constant as an interlayer film, parasitic capacitance between wirings can be reduced.

[0314] Additionally, transistor 510A may be electrically connected to other structures through plugs or interconnects such as conductor 546 embedded in insulator 580, insulator 582, and insulator 584.

[0315] Similarly to the conductor 505, the conductor 546 can be made of a conductive material such as a metal material, an alloy material, a metal nitride material, or a metal oxide material, either in a single layer or a stacked layer. For example, it is preferable to use a high-melting-point material such as tungsten or molybdenum, which has both heat resistance and conductivity. Alternatively, it is preferable to form the conductor 546 from a low-resistance conductive material such as aluminum or copper. The use of a low-resistance conductive material can reduce wiring resistance.

[0316] For example, by using a layered structure of tantalum nitride, a conductor that has barrier properties against hydrogen and oxygen, and tungsten, which has high conductivity, as the conductor 546, it is possible to suppress the diffusion of impurities from the outside while maintaining the conductivity as a wiring.

[0317] With the above structure, a semiconductor device including a transistor having an oxide semiconductor and high on-state current can be provided. Alternatively, a semiconductor device including a transistor having an oxide semiconductor and low off-state current can be provided. Alternatively, a semiconductor device in which fluctuations in electrical characteristics are suppressed, which has stable electrical characteristics and improved reliability can be provided.

[0318] <Transistor structure example 2> An example structure of a transistor 510B will be described using Figures 16A, 16B, and 16C. Figure 16A is a top view of the transistor 510B. Figure 16B is a cross-sectional view of the portion indicated by the dashed-dotted line L1-L2 in Figure 16A. Figure 16C is a cross-sectional view of the portion indicated by the dashed-dotted line W1-W2 in Figure 16A. Note that in the top view of Figure 16A, some elements are omitted for clarity.

[0319] The transistor 510B is a modified example of the transistor 510A, and therefore, to avoid repetition of explanation, the differences from the transistor 510A will be mainly described.

[0320] The transistor 510B has a region in which the conductor 542 (the conductor 542a and the conductor 542b) overlaps with the oxide 530c, the insulator 550, and the conductor 560. With this structure, a transistor with high on-state current and high controllability can be provided.

[0321] The conductor 560 functioning as the first gate electrode includes a conductor 560a and a conductor 560b on the conductor 560a. As with the conductor 505a, the conductor 560a is preferably made of a conductive material that has the function of suppressing the diffusion of impurities such as hydrogen atoms, hydrogen molecules, water molecules, and copper atoms. Alternatively, the conductor 560a is preferably made of a conductive material that has the function of suppressing the diffusion of oxygen (e.g., at least one of oxygen atoms and oxygen molecules).

[0322] The conductor 560a has the function of suppressing oxygen diffusion, which broadens the range of material choices for the conductor 560b. That is, the presence of the conductor 560a suppresses oxidation of the conductor 560b, thereby preventing a decrease in conductivity.

[0323] Furthermore, it is preferable to provide an insulator 574 so as to cover the top surface and side surfaces of the conductor 560, the side surfaces of the insulator 550, and the side surfaces of the oxide 530c. Note that the insulator 574 is preferably made of an insulating material that has a function of suppressing the diffusion of impurities such as water or hydrogen and oxygen. For example, it is preferable to use aluminum oxide or hafnium oxide. Other examples that can be used include metal oxides such as magnesium oxide, gallium oxide, germanium oxide, yttrium oxide, zirconium oxide, lanthanum oxide, neodymium oxide, and tantalum oxide, silicon nitride oxide, and silicon nitride.

[0324] Providing the insulator 574 can suppress oxidation of the conductor 560. Furthermore, including the insulator 574 can suppress diffusion of impurities such as water and hydrogen contained in the insulator 580 into the transistor 510B.

[0325] Furthermore, an insulator 576 (insulators 576a and 576b) having barrier properties may be disposed between the conductor 546 and the insulator 580. By providing the insulator 576, it is possible to prevent oxygen in the insulator 580 from reacting with the conductor 546 and oxidizing the conductor 546.

[0326] Furthermore, by providing the insulator 576 with barrier properties, the range of materials that can be used for the plugs and wirings can be expanded. For example, by using a metal material that has oxygen absorption properties and high conductivity for the conductor 546, a semiconductor device with low power consumption can be provided. Specifically, a material that has low oxidation resistance but high conductivity, such as tungsten or aluminum, can be used. Furthermore, for example, a conductor that is easy to form or process can be used.

[0327] <Transistor structure example 3> An example structure of a transistor 510C will be described using Figures 17A, 17B, and 17C. Figure 17A is a top view of the transistor 510C. Figure 17B is a cross-sectional view of the portion indicated by the dashed-dotted line L1-L2 in Figure 17A. Figure 17C is a cross-sectional view of the portion indicated by the dashed-dotted line W1-W2 in Figure 17A. Note that in the top view of Figure 17A, some elements are omitted for clarity.

[0328] The transistor 510C is a modified example of the transistor 510A, and therefore, to avoid repetition of explanation, the differences from the transistor 510A will be mainly described.

[0329] 17, a conductor 547a is disposed between a conductor 542a and an oxide 530b, and a conductor 547b is disposed between the conductor 542b and the oxide 530b. The conductor 542a (conductor 542b) extends beyond the top surface of the conductor 547a (conductor 547b) and the side surface on the conductor 560 side, and has a region in contact with the top surface of the oxide 530b. The conductor 547 may be any conductor that can be used for the conductor 542. Furthermore, the thickness of the conductor 547 is preferably at least thicker than that of the conductor 542.

[0330] 17 has the above-described structure, the conductor 542 can be closer to the conductor 560 than in the transistor 510A. Alternatively, the ends of the conductors 542a and 542b can overlap with the conductor 560. This shortens the effective channel length of the transistor 510C, thereby improving the on-state current and frequency characteristics.

[0331] The conductor 547a (conductor 547b) is preferably provided so as to overlap with the conductor 542a (conductor 542b). With this configuration, the conductor 547a (conductor 547b) functions as a stopper during etching to form an opening in which the conductor 546a (conductor 546b) is to be embedded, thereby preventing the oxide 530b from being over-etched.

[0332] 17 may have a structure in which an insulator 545 is provided on and in contact with the insulator 544. The insulator 544 preferably functions as a barrier insulating film that prevents impurities such as water or hydrogen or excess oxygen from entering the transistor 510C from the insulator 580. The insulator 545 can be any insulator that can be used for the insulator 544. The insulator 544 may be, for example, a nitride insulator such as aluminum nitride, aluminum titanium nitride, titanium nitride, silicon nitride, or silicon nitride oxide.

[0333] Unlike the transistor 510A shown in FIG. 15, the transistor 510C shown in FIG. 17 may have a single-layer structure including the conductor 505. In this case, an insulating film serving as the insulator 516 may be formed on the patterned conductor 505, and the upper portion of the insulating film may be removed by CMP or the like until the top surface of the conductor 505 is exposed. Here, it is preferable to improve the flatness of the top surface of the conductor 505. For example, the average surface roughness (Ra) of the top surface of the conductor 505 may be 1 nm or less, preferably 0.5 nm or less, and more preferably 0.3 nm or less. This improves the flatness of the insulating layer formed on the conductor 505 and improves the crystallinity of the oxide 530b and the oxide 530c.

[0334] <Transistor structure example 4> An example structure of a transistor 510D will be described using Figures 18A, 18B, and 18C. Figure 18A is a top view of the transistor 510D. Figure 18B is a cross-sectional view of the portion indicated by the dashed-dotted line L1-L2 in Figure 18A. Figure 18C is a cross-sectional view of the portion indicated by the dashed-dotted line W1-W2 in Figure 18A. Note that in the top view of Figure 18A, some elements are omitted for clarity.

[0335] The transistor 510D is a variation of the transistor described above, and therefore, to avoid repetition of the description, the differences from the transistor described above will be mainly described.

[0336] 18A to 18C, the conductor 503 is not provided, and the conductor 505, which functions as the second gate, also functions as a wiring. An insulator 550 is provided over the oxide 530c, and a metal oxide 552 is provided over the insulator 550. A conductor 560 is provided over the metal oxide 552, and an insulator 570 is provided over the conductor 560. An insulator 571 is provided over the insulator 570.

[0337] The metal oxide 552 preferably has a function of suppressing oxygen diffusion. By providing the metal oxide 552, which suppresses oxygen diffusion, between the insulator 550 and the conductor 560, the diffusion of oxygen into the conductor 560 is suppressed. That is, a decrease in the amount of oxygen supplied to the oxide 530 can be suppressed. Furthermore, oxidation of the conductor 560 by oxygen can be suppressed.

[0338] Note that the metal oxide 552 may function as a part of the first gate. For example, the oxide semiconductor that can be used as the oxide 530 can be used as the metal oxide 552. In this case, by forming the conductor 560 by a sputtering method, the electrical resistance of the metal oxide 552 can be reduced, making it a conductive layer. This can be called an OC (Oxide Conductor) electrode.

[0339] The metal oxide 552 may also function as part of the gate insulating film. Therefore, when silicon oxide or silicon oxynitride is used for the insulator 550, it is preferable to use a metal oxide, which is a high-k material with a high dielectric constant, for the metal oxide 552. This layered structure can be thermally stable and have a high dielectric constant. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the gate potential applied during transistor operation while maintaining the physical film thickness. Furthermore, it is possible to reduce the equivalent oxide thickness (EOT) of the insulating layer that functions as a gate insulating film.

[0340] Although the metal oxide 552 in the transistor 510D is shown as a single layer, it may have a stacked structure of two or more layers. For example, a metal oxide functioning as part of the gate electrode and a metal oxide functioning as part of the gate insulating film may be stacked.

[0341] When the metal oxide 552 functions as a gate electrode, the on-state current of the transistor 510D can be improved without weakening the influence of the electric field from the conductor 560. Alternatively, when the metal oxide 552 functions as a gate insulating film, the physical thickness of the insulator 550 and the metal oxide 552 can maintain a distance between the conductor 560 and the oxide 530, thereby suppressing leakage current between the conductor 560 and the oxide 530. Therefore, by providing a stacked structure of the insulator 550 and the metal oxide 552, the physical distance between the conductor 560 and the oxide 530 and the electric field strength applied from the conductor 560 to the oxide 530 can be easily adjusted as needed.

[0342] Specifically, an oxide semiconductor that can be used for the oxide 530 can be reduced in resistance to be used as the metal oxide 552. Alternatively, a metal oxide containing one or more elements selected from hafnium, aluminum, gallium, yttrium, zirconium, tungsten, titanium, tantalum, nickel, germanium, magnesium, and the like can be used.

[0343] In particular, it is preferable to use an insulating layer containing oxides of either or both aluminum and hafnium, such as aluminum oxide, hafnium oxide, or oxide containing aluminum and hafnium (hafnium aluminate). Hafnium aluminate is particularly preferable because it has higher heat resistance than hafnium oxide film and is therefore less likely to crystallize during heat treatment in a later step. Note that the metal oxide 552 is not an essential component. It may be designed appropriately depending on the desired transistor characteristics.

[0344] The insulator 570 is preferably made of an insulating material that has the function of suppressing the permeation of impurities such as water or hydrogen, and oxygen. For example, aluminum oxide or hafnium oxide is preferably used. This can suppress oxidation of the conductor 560 by oxygen from above the insulator 570. Furthermore, impurities such as water or hydrogen from above the insulator 570 can be prevented from being mixed into the oxide 530 through the conductor 560 and the insulator 550.

[0345] The insulator 571 functions as a hard mask. By providing the insulator 571, when the conductor 560 is processed, the side surface of the conductor 560 can be approximately perpendicular, specifically, the angle between the side surface of the conductor 560 and the surface of the substrate can be 75 degrees or more and 100 degrees or less, preferably 80 degrees or more and 95 degrees or less.

[0346] Note that the insulator 571 may also function as a barrier layer by using an insulating material that has a function of suppressing permeation of impurities such as water or hydrogen and oxygen. In that case, the insulator 570 is not necessary.

[0347] Using insulator 571 as a hard mask, portions of insulator 570, conductor 560, metal oxide 552, insulator 550, and oxide 530c can be selectively removed to roughly align their sides and expose a portion of the surface of oxide 530b.

[0348] Transistor 510D also has regions 531a and 531b on a portion of the exposed oxide 530b surface, with one of regions 531a or 531b functioning as the source region and the other as the drain region.

[0349] The regions 531a and 531b can be formed by introducing impurity elements such as phosphorus or boron into the exposed surface of the oxide 530b by, for example, ion implantation, ion doping, plasma immersion ion implantation, or plasma treatment. Note that in this embodiment and other examples, the term "impurity elements" refers to elements other than the main component elements.

[0350] Alternatively, a metal film can be formed after exposing a portion of the surface of oxide 530b, followed by heat treatment to diffuse elements contained in the metal film into oxide 530b, thereby forming regions 531a and 531b.

[0351] The region of the oxide 530b into which the impurity element has been introduced has a reduced electrical resistivity, and therefore the region 531a and the region 531b are sometimes referred to as an "impurity region" or a "low-resistance region."

[0352] By using the insulator 571 and / or the conductor 560 as a mask, the regions 531a and 531b can be formed in a self-aligned manner. Therefore, the regions 531a and / or 531b do not overlap with the conductor 560, reducing parasitic capacitance. Furthermore, no offset region is formed between the channel formation region and the source / drain region (region 531a or region 531b). By forming the regions 531a and 531b in a self-aligned manner, it is possible to achieve an increase in on-current, a reduction in threshold voltage, an improvement in operating frequency, and the like.

[0353] To further reduce the off-state current, an offset region may be provided between the channel formation region and the source / drain region. The offset region is a region with high electrical resistivity, into which the impurity element described above is not introduced. The offset region can be formed by introducing the impurity element described above after forming the insulator 575. In this case, the insulator 575 also functions as a mask, similar to the insulator 571. Therefore, the impurity element is not introduced into the region of the oxide 530b that overlaps with the insulator 575, and the electrical resistivity of the region can be maintained high.

[0354] The transistor 510D also includes an insulator 575 on the side surfaces of the insulator 570, the conductor 560, the metal oxide 552, the insulator 550, and the oxide 530c. The insulator 575 is preferably an insulator with a low dielectric constant. For example, silicon oxide, silicon oxynitride, silicon nitride oxide, silicon nitride, silicon oxide to which fluorine has been added, silicon oxide to which carbon has been added, silicon oxide to which carbon and nitrogen have been added, silicon oxide having vacancies, or a resin is preferable. In particular, using silicon oxide, silicon oxynitride, silicon nitride oxide, or silicon oxide having vacancies for the insulator 575 is preferable because it allows for easy formation of an excess oxygen region in the insulator 575 in a later step. Silicon oxide and silicon oxynitride are also preferable because they are thermally stable. The insulator 575 preferably has a function of diffusing oxygen.

[0355] The transistor 510D also includes an insulator 574 over the insulator 575 and the oxide 530. The insulator 574 is preferably formed by a sputtering method. By using a sputtering method, an insulator with few impurities such as water or hydrogen can be formed. For example, aluminum oxide is preferably used as the insulator 574.

[0356] Note that an oxide film formed by a sputtering method may extract hydrogen from the structure to be deposited. Therefore, the insulator 574 absorbs hydrogen and water from the oxide 530 and the insulator 575, thereby reducing the hydrogen concentrations in the oxide 530 and the insulator 575.

[0357] <Transistor structure example 5> An example structure of a transistor 510E will be described with reference to FIGS. 19A to 19C. FIG. 19A is a top view of the transistor 510E. FIG. 19B is a cross-sectional view of a portion indicated by dashed dotted line L1-L2 in FIG. 19A. FIG. 19C is a cross-sectional view of a portion indicated by dashed dotted line W1-W2 in FIG. 19A. Note that in the top view of FIG. 19A, some elements are omitted for clarity.

[0358] The transistor 510E is a modified example of the transistor described above, and therefore, to avoid repetition of the description, the differences from the transistor described above will be mainly described.

[0359] 19A to 19C, the conductor 542 is not provided, and the exposed oxide 530b has regions 531a and 531b on a portion of its surface. One of the regions 531a and 531b functions as a source region, and the other functions as a drain region. An insulator 573 is provided between the oxide 530b and the insulator 574.

[0360] 19, the region 531 (region 531a and region 531b) is a region in which the following elements are added to the oxide 530b: The region 531 can be formed by using a dummy gate, for example.

[0361] Specifically, a dummy gate is provided on the oxide 530b, and an element that reduces the resistance of the oxide 530b is added using the dummy gate as a mask. That is, the element is added to a region of the oxide 530b that does not overlap with the dummy gate, forming a region 531. The element can be added by ion implantation, which adds an ionized source gas after mass separation, ion doping, which adds an ionized source gas without mass separation, plasma immersion ion implantation, or the like.

[0362] Representative elements that reduce the resistance of the oxide 530 include boron and phosphorus. Hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, fluorine, sulfur, chlorine, titanium, and rare gases may also be used. Representative examples of rare gases include helium, neon, argon, krypton, and xenon. The concentration of the element may be measured using SIMS or the like.

[0363] Boron and phosphorus are particularly preferred because they can be produced using equipment from a low-temperature polysilicon production line, allowing existing facilities to be reused and capital investment to be reduced.

[0364] Subsequently, an insulating film to be the insulator 573 and an insulating film to be the insulator 574 may be formed over the oxide 530b and the dummy gate. By stacking the insulating film to be the insulator 573 and the insulating film to be the insulator 574, a region can be formed in which the region 531 overlaps with the oxide 530c and the insulator 550.

[0365] Specifically, an insulating film to be the insulator 580 is formed on an insulating film to be the insulator 574, and then CMP processing is performed on the insulating film to be the insulator 580 to remove a portion of the insulating film to be the insulator 580 and expose the dummy gate. Subsequently, when removing the dummy gate, a portion of the insulator 573 in contact with the dummy gate may also be removed. Therefore, the insulators 574 and 573 are exposed on the side surfaces of the opening formed in the insulator 580, and a portion of the region 531 formed in the oxide 530b is exposed on the bottom surface of the opening. Next, an oxide film to be the oxide 530c, an insulating film to be the insulator 550, and a conductive film to be the conductor 560 are sequentially formed in the opening. Then, by CMP or the like, the oxide film to be the oxide 530c, the insulating film to be the insulator 550, and the conductive film to be the conductor 560 are removed until the insulator 580 is exposed, thereby forming the transistor shown in FIG. 19 .

[0366] Note that the insulators 573 and 574 are not essential components and may be appropriately designed depending on desired transistor characteristics.

[0367] The transistor shown in FIG. 19 can be an existing device and does not include the conductor 542, which contributes to cost reduction.

[0368] <Transistor structure example 6> An example structure of a transistor 510F will be described with reference to FIGS. 20A to 20C. FIG. 20A is a top view of the transistor 510F. FIG. 20B is a cross-sectional view of a portion indicated by dashed dotted line L1-L2 in FIG. 20A. FIG. 20C is a cross-sectional view of a portion indicated by dashed dotted line W1-W2 in FIG. 20A. Note that in the top view of FIG. 20A, some elements are omitted for clarity.

[0369] The transistor 510F is a modified example of the transistor 510A, and therefore, to avoid repetition of the description, the differences from the above transistor will be mainly described.

[0370] In transistor 510A, a portion of insulator 574 is provided in an opening provided in insulator 580 and is provided so as to cover the side surface of conductor 560. On the other hand, in transistor 510F, an opening is formed by removing a portion of insulator 580 and insulator 574.

[0371] Furthermore, an insulator 576 (insulators 576a and 576b) having barrier properties may be disposed between the conductor 546 and the insulator 580. By providing the insulator 576, it is possible to prevent oxygen in the insulator 580 from reacting with the conductor 546 and oxidizing the conductor 546.

[0372] When an oxide semiconductor is used for the oxide 530, the oxide 530 preferably has a stacked structure of multiple oxide layers with different atomic ratios of metal atoms. Specifically, the atomic ratio of the element M among the constituent elements in the metal oxide used for the oxide 530a is preferably larger than the atomic ratio of the element M among the constituent elements in the metal oxide used for the oxide 530b. The atomic ratio of the element M to In in the metal oxide used for the oxide 530a is preferably larger than the atomic ratio of the element M to In in the metal oxide used for the oxide 530b. The atomic ratio of In to M in the metal oxide used for the oxide 530b is preferably larger than the atomic ratio of In to M in the metal oxide used for the oxide 530a. The oxide 530c can be the same metal oxide as can be used for the oxide 530a or the oxide 530b.

[0373] The oxide 530a, the oxide 530b, and the oxide 530c preferably have crystallinity, and CAAC-OS is particularly preferable. Crystalline oxides such as CAAC-OS have few impurities and defects (such as oxygen vacancies), and have a highly crystalline and dense structure. This can prevent the source or drain electrode from extracting oxygen from the oxide 530b. This can reduce the extraction of oxygen from the oxide 530b even during heat treatment, making the transistor 510F stable against high temperatures (so-called thermal budget) during the manufacturing process.

[0374] One or both of the oxides 530a and 530c may be omitted. The oxide 530 may be a single layer of the oxide 530b. When the oxide 530 is a stack of the oxides 530a, 530b, and 530c, the conduction band minimum energies of the oxides 530a and 530c are preferably higher than the conduction band minimum energy of the oxide 530b. In other words, the electron affinity of the oxides 530a and 530c is preferably lower than the electron affinity of the oxide 530b. In this case, the oxide 530c is preferably a metal oxide that can be used for the oxide 530a. Specifically, the atomic ratio of the element M among the constituent elements of the metal oxide used for the oxide 530c is preferably higher than the atomic ratio of the element M among the constituent elements of the metal oxide used for the oxide 530b. In addition, the atomic ratio of the element M to In in the metal oxide used for oxide 530c is preferably greater than the atomic ratio of the element M to In in the metal oxide used for oxide 530b. In addition, the atomic ratio of In to M in the metal oxide used for oxide 530b is preferably greater than the atomic ratio of In to M in the metal oxide used for oxide 530c.

[0375] Here, the energy level of the conduction band minimum changes smoothly at the junction between the oxides 530a, 530b, and 530c. In other words, the energy level of the conduction band minimum at the junction between the oxides 530a, 530b, and 530c changes continuously or forms a continuous junction. To achieve this, it is preferable to reduce the defect level density of the mixed layers formed at the interface between the oxides 530a and 530b and at the interface between the oxides 530b and 530c.

[0376] Specifically, the oxides 530a and 530b, and the oxides 530b and 530c, may have a common element other than oxygen (as a main component), thereby forming a mixed layer with a low density of defect states. For example, when the oxide 530b is an In-Ga-Zn oxide, the oxides 530a and 530c may be made of In-Ga-Zn oxide, Ga-Zn oxide, gallium oxide, or the like. The oxide 530c may also have a stacked structure. For example, a stacked structure of In-Ga-Zn oxide and Ga-Zn oxide on the In-Ga-Zn oxide, or a stacked structure of In-Ga-Zn oxide and gallium oxide on the In-Ga-Zn oxide, may be used. In other words, the oxide 530c may have a stacked structure of In-Ga-Zn oxide and an oxide not containing In.

[0377] Specifically, oxide 530a may be a metal oxide having an atomic ratio of In:Ga:Zn=1:3:4 or 1:1:0.5. Oxide 530b may be a metal oxide having an atomic ratio of In:Ga:Zn=4:2:3 or 3:1:2. Oxide 530c may be a metal oxide having an atomic ratio of In:Ga:Zn=1:3:4, In:Ga:Zn=4:2:3, Ga:Zn=2:1, or Ga:Zn=2:5. Specific examples of the oxide 530c having a layered structure include a layered structure of In:Ga:Zn=4:2:3 [atomic ratio] and Ga:Zn=2:1 [atomic ratio], a layered structure of In:Ga:Zn=4:2:3 [atomic ratio] and Ga:Zn=2:5 [atomic ratio], and a layered structure of In:Ga:Zn=4:2:3 [atomic ratio] and gallium oxide.

[0378] In this case, the oxide 530b serves as the main carrier path. The oxide 530a and the oxide 530c are configured as described above, thereby reducing the defect state density at the interface between the oxide 530a and the oxide 530b and at the interface between the oxide 530b and the oxide 530c. This reduces the effect of interface scattering on carrier conduction, allowing the transistor 510F to achieve a high on-state current and high frequency characteristics. Note that when the oxide 530c has a stacked structure, in addition to reducing the defect state density at the interface between the oxide 530b and the oxide 530c, it is expected to prevent the constituent elements of the oxide 530c from diffusing toward the insulator 550. More specifically, the oxide 530c has a stacked structure, and an oxide not containing In is positioned above the stacked structure, thereby preventing In from diffusing toward the insulator 550. The insulator 550 functions as a gate insulator, and diffusion of In leads to poor transistor characteristics. Therefore, by forming the oxide 530c into a stacked structure, a highly reliable semiconductor device can be provided.

[0379] The oxide 530 is preferably a metal oxide that functions as an oxide semiconductor. For example, a metal oxide having a band gap of 2 eV or more, preferably 2.5 eV or more, is preferably used as the metal oxide that forms the channel formation region of the oxide 530. By using a metal oxide with such a wide band gap, the off-state current of the transistor can be reduced. By using such a transistor, a semiconductor device with low power consumption can be provided.

[0380] <Transistor structure example 7> 21A and 21B will be used to describe a structural example of a transistor 510G. The transistor 510G is a variation of the transistor 500. Therefore, to avoid repetition of description, differences from the above transistor will be mainly described. Note that the structures illustrated in FIGS. 21A and 21B can also be applied to other transistors included in a semiconductor device of one embodiment of the present invention, such as the transistor 300.

[0381] 21A is a cross-sectional view of the transistor 510G in the channel length direction, and FIG. 21B is a cross-sectional view of the transistor 510G in the channel width direction. The transistor 510G shown in FIGS. 21A and 21B differs from the transistor 500 shown in FIGS. 14A and 14B in that the transistor 510G includes an insulator 402 and an insulator 404. The transistor 510G also differs from the transistor 500 shown in FIGS. 14A and 14B in that the insulator 551 is provided in contact with the side surface of the conductor 540a and the insulator 551 is provided in contact with the side surface of the conductor 540b. The transistor 510G also differs from the transistor 500 shown in FIGS. 14A and 14B in that the insulator 520 is not provided.

[0382] 21A and 21B, the insulator 402 is provided over the insulator 512. The insulator 404 is provided over the insulator 574 and the insulator 402.

[0383] 21A and 21B , the insulators 514, 516, 522, 524, 544, 580, and 574 are patterned, and the insulator 404 covers them. That is, the insulator 404 is in contact with the top surface of the insulator 574, the side surface of the insulator 574, the side surface of the insulator 580, the side surface of the insulator 544, the side surface of the insulator 524, the side surface of the insulator 522, the side surface of the insulator 516, the side surface of the insulator 514, and the top surface of the insulator 402. As a result, the oxide 530 and the like are isolated from the outside by the insulators 404 and 402.

[0384] The insulators 402 and 404 preferably have a high function of suppressing diffusion of hydrogen (for example, at least one of hydrogen atoms and hydrogen molecules) or water molecules. For example, silicon nitride or silicon nitride oxide, which are materials with high hydrogen barrier properties, are preferably used for the insulators 402 and 404. This can suppress diffusion of hydrogen and the like into the oxide 530, thereby suppressing deterioration in the characteristics of the transistor 510G. Therefore, the reliability of the semiconductor device of one embodiment of the present invention can be improved.

[0385] The insulator 551 is provided in contact with the insulator 581, the insulator 404, the insulator 574, the insulator 580, and the insulator 544. The insulator 551 preferably has a function of suppressing diffusion of hydrogen or water molecules. For example, the insulator 551 is preferably formed using an insulator with high hydrogen barrier properties, such as silicon nitride, aluminum oxide, or silicon nitride oxide. Silicon nitride is particularly suitable for use as the insulator 551 because it has high hydrogen barrier properties. Using a material with high hydrogen barrier properties for the insulator 551 can suppress diffusion of impurities such as water or hydrogen from the insulator 580 or the like to the oxide 530 through the conductors 540a and 540b. Furthermore, oxygen contained in the insulator 580 can be suppressed from being absorbed by the conductors 540a and 540b. Thus, the reliability of the semiconductor device of one embodiment of the present invention can be improved.

[0386] 22 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration example of a semiconductor device in which the transistor 500 and the transistor 300 have the configurations shown in FIGS. 21A and 21B. An insulator 551 is provided on the side surface of the conductor 546.

[0387] 23A and 23B show modifications of the transistor shown in FIGS. 21A and 21B. FIG. 23A is a cross-sectional view of the transistor in the channel length direction, and FIG. 23B is a cross-sectional view of the transistor in the channel width direction. The transistor shown in FIGS. 23A and 23B differs from the transistor shown in FIGS. 21A and 21B in that the oxide 530c has a two-layer structure of oxides 530c1 and 530c2.

[0388] The oxide 530c1 contacts the top surface of the insulator 524, the side surface of the oxide 530a, the top surface and side surface of the oxide 530b, the side surfaces of the conductors 542a and 542b, the side surface of the insulator 544, and the side surface of the insulator 580. The oxide 530c2 contacts the insulator 550.

[0389] Oxide 530c1 can be, for example, an In-Zn oxide. Oxide 530c2 can be made of the same material as that used for oxide 530c when oxide 530c has a single-layer structure. For example, oxide 530c2 can be made of a metal oxide with an atomic ratio of In:Ga:Zn=1:3:4, Ga:Zn=2:1, or Ga:Zn=2:5.

[0390] By forming the oxide 530c as a two-layer structure of the oxide 530c1 and the oxide 530c2, the on-state current of the transistor can be increased compared to when the oxide 530c has a single-layer structure. Therefore, the transistor can be, for example, a power MOS transistor. The oxide 530c of the transistor shown in FIGS. 14A and 14B can also have a two-layer structure of the oxide 530c1 and the oxide 530c2.

[0391] The transistors shown in FIGS. 23A and 23B can be applied to, for example, the transistor 500, the transistor 300, or both.

[0392] Note that this embodiment mode can be implemented in appropriate combination with other embodiment modes described in this specification.

[0393] (Fourth embodiment) In this embodiment, a structure of a metal oxide that can be used for the OS transistor described in the above embodiment will be described.

[0394] <Metal oxide composition> In this specification, etc., they may be referred to as CAAC (c-axis aligned crystal) and CAC (Cloud-Aligned Composite). CAAC represents an example of a crystal structure, and CAC represents an example of a function or material configuration.

[0395] CAC-OS or CAC-metal oxide has a conductive function in part of the material and an insulating function in part of the material, and functions as a semiconductor as a whole. When CAC-OS or CAC-metal oxide is used in the channel formation region of a transistor, the conductive function is a function of allowing electrons (or holes) to flow as carriers, and the insulating function is a function of preventing the flow of electrons as carriers. By making the conductive function and the insulating function act complementarily, a switching function (on / off function) can be imparted to CAC-OS or CAC-metal oxide. By separating the respective functions in CAC-OS or CAC-metal oxide, both functions can be maximized.

[0396] Furthermore, CAC-OS or CAC-metal oxide has conductive regions and insulating regions. The conductive regions have the above-mentioned conductive function, and the insulating regions have the above-mentioned insulating function. In addition, the conductive regions and the insulating regions may be separated at the nanoparticle level in the material. In addition, the conductive regions and the insulating regions may be unevenly distributed in the material. In addition, the conductive regions may be observed as connected in a cloud-like shape with the periphery blurred.

[0397] In addition, in CAC-OS or CAC-metal oxide, the conductive regions and the insulating regions may be dispersed in the material with sizes of 0.5 nm to 10 nm, preferably 0.5 nm to 3 nm.

[0398] Furthermore, the CAC-OS or CAC-metal oxide is composed of components with different band gaps. For example, the CAC-OS or CAC-metal oxide is composed of a component with a wide gap due to an insulating region and a component with a narrow gap due to a conductive region. In this configuration, when carriers flow, the carriers mainly flow in the component with the narrow gap. Furthermore, the component with the narrow gap acts complementarily with the component with the wide gap, and carriers also flow in the component with the wide gap in conjunction with the component with the narrow gap. Therefore, when the CAC-OS or CAC-metal oxide is used in the channel formation region of a transistor, the transistor can achieve high current driving power in the on state, i.e., a large on-state current, and high field-effect mobility.

[0399] That is, CAC-OS or CAC-metal oxide can also be called a matrix composite or a metal matrix composite.

[0400] <Metal oxide structure> Oxide semiconductors are divided into single-crystal oxide semiconductors and non-single-crystal oxide semiconductors, such as c-axis aligned crystalline oxide semiconductors (CAAC-OS), polycrystalline oxide semiconductors, nanocrystalline oxide semiconductors (nc-OS), amorphous-like oxide semiconductors (a-like OS), and amorphous oxide semiconductors.

[0401] It is preferable to use a thin film with high crystallinity as the oxide semiconductor used as the semiconductor of a transistor. The use of such a thin film can improve the stability or reliability of the transistor. Examples of such a thin film include a thin film of a single-crystal oxide semiconductor or a thin film of a polycrystalline oxide semiconductor. However, forming a thin film of a single-crystal oxide semiconductor or a polycrystalline oxide semiconductor on a substrate requires a high-temperature or laser heating process. This increases the cost of the manufacturing process and also reduces throughput.

[0402] CAAC-OS has a c-axis orientation and a distorted crystal structure in which multiple nanocrystals are connected in the ab-plane direction. The distorted crystal structure refers to the change in the lattice orientation between regions with a uniform lattice arrangement and regions with a different uniform lattice arrangement in the regions where multiple nanocrystals are connected.

[0403] Nanocrystals are basically hexagonal, but not necessarily regular hexagons; they can also have non-regular hexagonal shapes. Furthermore, the lattice arrangements of CAAC-OSs can be pentagonal, heptagonal, or other shapes due to distortion. In CAAC-OSs, no clear grain boundaries are observed even near the distortion. This indicates that the formation of grain boundaries is suppressed by the distortion of the lattice arrangement. This is thought to be because the CAAC-OSs can tolerate distortion due to the lack of close-packed oxygen atom arrangement in the ab-plane direction and the change in interatomic bond distance caused by the substitution of metal elements.

[0404] CAAC-OS also tends to have a layered crystal structure (also referred to as a layered structure) in which a layer containing indium and oxygen (hereinafter referred to as an In layer) and a layer containing the element M, zinc, and oxygen (hereinafter referred to as an (M,Zn) layer) are stacked. Note that indium and the element M are mutually substituted, and when the element M in an (M,Zn) layer is substituted with indium, it can also be expressed as an (In,M,Zn) layer. When the indium in an In layer is substituted with the element M, it can also be expressed as an (In,M) layer.

[0405] CAAC-OS is an oxide semiconductor with high crystallinity. On the other hand, because no clear grain boundaries are visible in CAAC-OS, it can be said that a decrease in electron mobility due to grain boundaries is unlikely to occur. Furthermore, because the crystallinity of oxide semiconductors can be reduced by the inclusion of impurities or the generation of defects, CAAC-OS can be said to be an oxide semiconductor with few impurities and defects (such as oxygen vacancies). Therefore, oxide semiconductors with CAAC-OS have stable physical properties. Therefore, oxide semiconductors with CAAC-OS are heat-resistant and highly reliable. Furthermore, CAAC-OS is stable even under high temperatures (or thermal budgets) during the manufacturing process. Therefore, using CAAC-OS for OS transistors can expand the flexibility of the manufacturing process.

[0406] The nc-OS has periodic atomic arrangement in a small region (for example, a region of 1 nm to 10 nm, particularly a region of 1 nm to 3 nm). Furthermore, the nc-OS exhibits no regularity in the crystal orientation between different nanocrystals. Therefore, no orientation is observed throughout the film. Therefore, depending on the analytical method, the nc-OS may be indistinguishable from an a-like OS or an amorphous oxide semiconductor.

[0407] The a-like OS is an oxide semiconductor having a structure between the nc-OS and the amorphous oxide semiconductor. The a-like OS has a pore or low-density region. That is, the a-like OS has lower crystallinity than the nc-OS and CAAC-OS.

[0408] Oxide semiconductors have a variety of structures, each with different characteristics. The oxide semiconductor of one embodiment of the present invention may include two or more of an amorphous oxide semiconductor, a polycrystalline oxide semiconductor, an a-like OS, an nc-OS, and a CAAC-OS.

[0409] <Transistors containing oxide semiconductors> Next, a case where the oxide semiconductor is used in a transistor will be described.

[0410] By using the oxide semiconductor for a transistor, a transistor with high field-effect mobility and high reliability can be realized.

[0411] An oxide semiconductor having a low carrier density is preferably used for a transistor. To reduce the carrier density of an oxide semiconductor film, the impurity concentration in the oxide semiconductor film may be reduced to reduce the density of defect states. In this specification and the like, a semiconductor having a low impurity concentration and a low density of defect states is referred to as a highly purified intrinsic or substantially highly purified intrinsic semiconductor.

[0412] In addition, a highly purified intrinsic or substantially highly purified intrinsic oxide semiconductor film may have a low density of trap states due to a low density of defect states. Note that the carrier density of an oxide semiconductor that can be used in one embodiment of the present invention may be in the range described in Embodiment 3.

[0413] Furthermore, charges trapped in the trap states of an oxide semiconductor take a long time to dissipate and may behave like fixed charges. Therefore, a transistor in which a channel formation region is formed in an oxide semiconductor with a high density of trap states may have unstable electrical characteristics.

[0414] Therefore, in order to stabilize the electrical characteristics of a transistor, it is effective to reduce the impurity concentration in the oxide semiconductor. Furthermore, in order to reduce the impurity concentration in the oxide semiconductor, it is preferable to also reduce the impurity concentration in the adjacent film. Examples of impurities include hydrogen, nitrogen, alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, iron, nickel, and silicon.

[0415] <Impurities> Here, the influence of each impurity in an oxide semiconductor will be described.

[0416] When an oxide semiconductor contains silicon or carbon, which is one of the Group 14 elements, defect levels are formed in the oxide semiconductor. Therefore, the concentrations of silicon or carbon in the oxide semiconductor and those near the interface with the oxide semiconductor (concentrations obtained by secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS)) are calculated as follows: 18 atoms / cm 3 Less than or equal to 2 x 10 17 atoms / cm 3 The following applies.

[0417] Furthermore, when an oxide semiconductor contains an alkali metal or alkaline earth metal, defect states may be formed and carriers may be generated. Therefore, a transistor using an oxide semiconductor containing an alkali metal or alkaline earth metal is likely to have normally-on characteristics. For this reason, it is preferable to reduce the concentration of the alkali metal or alkaline earth metal in the oxide semiconductor. Specifically, the concentration of the alkali metal or alkaline earth metal in the oxide semiconductor obtained by SIMS is preferably reduced to 1×10 18 atoms / cm 3 Less than or equal to 2 x 10 16 atoms / cm 3 Do the following:

[0418] Furthermore, when nitrogen is contained in an oxide semiconductor, electrons serving as carriers are generated, the carrier density increases, and the oxide semiconductor is likely to become n-type. As a result, a transistor using an oxide semiconductor containing nitrogen in a channel formation region is likely to have normally-on characteristics. Therefore, it is preferable that nitrogen be reduced as much as possible in the oxide semiconductor. For example, the nitrogen concentration in the oxide semiconductor is 5×10 19 atoms / cm 3 Less than 5 x 10 18 atoms / cm 3 Less than 1×10, more preferably 18 atoms / cm 3 Less than 5 × 10, more preferably 17 atoms / cm 3 The following applies.

[0419] Furthermore, hydrogen contained in an oxide semiconductor may react with oxygen bonded to a metal atom to form water, which may form an oxygen vacancy. When hydrogen enters the oxygen vacancy, electrons serving as carriers may be generated. Furthermore, some of the hydrogen may bond with oxygen bonded to a metal atom to generate electrons serving as carriers. Therefore, a transistor using an oxide semiconductor containing hydrogen is likely to have normally-on characteristics. For this reason, it is preferable to reduce the amount of hydrogen in the oxide semiconductor as much as possible. Specifically, the hydrogen concentration in an oxide semiconductor measured by SIMS is 1×10 20 atoms / cm 3 Less than 1 x 10 19 atoms / cm 3 less than 5 × 10 18 atoms / cm 3 less than 1×10 18 atoms / cm 3 Less than.

[0420] When an oxide semiconductor with sufficiently reduced impurities is used for a channel formation region of a transistor, stable electrical characteristics can be obtained.

[0421] The discovery of the CAAC structure and the nc structure has contributed to improving the electrical characteristics and reliability of transistors using oxide semiconductors having the CAAC structure or the nc structure, as well as reducing the cost and increasing the throughput of the manufacturing process. Furthermore, research into the application of the transistor to semiconductor devices is ongoing, taking advantage of the low leakage current of the transistor.

[0422] Note that this embodiment mode can be implemented in appropriate combination with other embodiment modes described in this specification. [Explanation of symbols]

[0423] C11: Capacitor, C12: Capacitor, C21: Capacitor, C22: Capacitor, C41: Capacitor, C42: Capacitor, C43: Capacitor, C51: Capacitor, C52: Capacitor, C53: Capacitor, N11: Node, N21: Node, N41: Node, N51: Node, SI1: Signal, SI1_IN: Input terminal, SI1B: Signal, SI1B_IN: Input terminal, SI2: Signal, SI2_IN: Input terminal, SI2B: Signal, SI2B_IN: Input terminal, SO1: Signal, SO1_OUT: Output terminal, SO1B: Signal, SO2: Signal, SO2_OUT: Output terminal Child, SO2B: signal, 10: semiconductor device, 10_1: semiconductor device, 10_2: semiconductor device, 11: transistor, 12: transistor, 13: transistor, 14: transistor, 20: semiconductor device, 21: transistor, 22: transistor, 23: transistor, 30: semiconductor device, 31: transistor, 32: transistor, 40: semiconductor device, 41: transistor, 42: transistor, 43: transistor, 44: transistor, 45: transistor, 46: transistor, 47: transistor, 50: semiconductor device, 51: transistor, 52 : transistor, 53: transistor, 54: transistor, 55: transistor, 56: transistor, 57: transistor, 60: semiconductor device, 70: semiconductor device, 300: transistor, 311: substrate, 313: semiconductor region, 314a: low resistance region, 314b: low resistance region, 315: insulator, 316: conductor, 320: insulator, 322: insulator, 324: insulator, 326: insulator, 328: conductor, 330: conductor, 350: insulator, 352: insulator, 354: insulator, 356: conductor, 360: insulator, 362: insulator, 364: insulator, 36 6: conductor, 370: insulator, 372: insulator, 374: insulator, 376: conductor, 380: insulator, 382: insulator, 384: insulator, 386: conductor, 402: insulator, 404: insulator, 500: transistor, 503: conductor, 503a: conductor, 503b: conductor, 505: conductor, 505a: conductor, 505b: conductor, 510: insulator, 510A: transistor, 510B: transistor, 510C: transistor, 510D: transistor, 510E: transistor, 510F: transistor, 510G: transistor, 511: insulator,512: insulator, 514: insulator, 516: insulator, 518: conductor, 520: insulator, 521: insulator, 522: insulator, 524: insulator, 530: oxide, 530a: oxide, 530b: oxide, 530c: oxide, 530c1: oxide, 530c2: oxide, 531: region, 531a: region, 531b: region, 540a: conductor, 540b: conductor, 542: conductor, 542a: conductor, 542b: conductor, 543: region, 543a: region, 543b: region, 544: insulator, 545: insulator, 546: conductor, 546a: conductor, 546b : conductor, 547: conductor, 547a: conductor, 547b: conductor, 548: conductor, 550: insulator, 551: insulator, 552: metal oxide, 560: conductor, 560a: conductor, 560b: conductor, 570: insulator, 571: insulator, 573: insulator, 574: insulator, 575: insulator, 576: insulator, 576a: insulator, 576b: insulator, 580: insulator, 581: insulator, 582: insulator, 584: insulator, 586: insulator, 600: capacitor, 610: conductor, 612: conductor, 620: conductor, 630: insulator, 650: insulator,

Claims

1. first to seventh transistors which are n-channel transistors; first to third capacitor elements; a first wiring to which a first potential is supplied and a second wiring to which a second potential is supplied; a first input terminal to which a first signal is input; a second input terminal to which a second signal is input; a third input terminal to which a third signal is input; a fourth input terminal to which a fourth signal is input; an output terminal; A semiconductor device having a function as a NOR circuit, the second potential is higher than the first potential, the third signal is a signal obtained by inverting the logic of the first signal, the fourth signal is a signal obtained by inverting the logic of the second signal, one of the source and the drain of the first transistor is always electrically connected to the first wiring; the other of the source and the drain of the first transistor is always electrically connected to the output terminal; a gate of the first transistor is always electrically connected to the first input terminal; one of the source and the drain of the second transistor is always electrically connected to the first wiring; the other of the source and the drain of the second transistor is always electrically connected to the output terminal; a gate of the second transistor is always electrically connected to the second input terminal; one of the source and the drain of the third transistor is always electrically connected to the gate of the fifth transistor; the other of the source and the drain of the third transistor is always electrically connected to the one of the source and the drain of the fourth transistor; a gate of the third transistor is always electrically connected to the third input terminal; the other of the source and the drain of the fourth transistor is always electrically connected to the second wiring; a gate of the fourth transistor is always electrically connected to the fourth input terminal; one of the source and the drain of the fifth transistor is always electrically connected to the output terminal; the other of the source and the drain of the fifth transistor is always electrically connected to the second wiring; one of the source and the drain of the sixth transistor is always electrically connected to the first wiring; the other of the source and the drain of the sixth transistor is always electrically connected to the gate of the fifth transistor; a gate of the sixth transistor is always electrically connected to the first input terminal; one of the source and the drain of the seventh transistor is always electrically connected to the first wiring; the other of the source and the drain of the seventh transistor is always electrically connected to the gate of the fifth transistor; a gate of the seventh transistor is always electrically connected to the second input terminal; a first electrode of the first capacitance element is always electrically connected to the first input terminal; a second electrode of the first capacitance element is always electrically connected to the output terminal; a first electrode of the second capacitance element is always electrically connected to the second input terminal; a second electrode of the second capacitance element is always electrically connected to the output terminal; a first electrode of the third capacitance element is always electrically connected to a gate of the fifth transistor; a second electrode of the third capacitance element is always electrically connected to the output terminal; channel formation regions of the third transistor, the fourth transistor, the sixth transistor, and the seventh transistor include a metal oxide; a channel formation region of the fifth transistor includes silicon; Semiconductor device.

2. In claim 1, The metal oxide contains at least one of indium and zinc. Semiconductor device.

3. In claim 1 or claim 2, At least one of the third transistor, the fourth transistor, the sixth transistor, and the seventh transistor is provided above the fifth transistor. Semiconductor device.

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