Gate Insulation Film Oxygen Layering for Plasma Etching Defect Repair
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Solution Overview
Problem
In semiconductor devices using nitride semiconductors, the gate insulation film is prone to defects during plasma etching, leading to reduced insulation properties and potential dielectric breakdown when exposed to high voltages, which can trap carriers and increase ON resistance.
Innovation Solution
A semiconductor device design featuring a gate insulation film with a first silicon nitride layer and a second layer containing silicon nitride and oxygen, where the oxygen concentration is higher at the surface and lower at the interface, formed using a process that repairs defects by bonding oxygen to dangling bonds, maintaining insulation properties even under high voltage conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If plasma etching is used to form the gate electrode, then the gate electrode can be precisely defined, but the gate insulation film is exposed to ion bombardment causing defects and reduced insulation properties
Solution Approach 1:
A protective film is formed over the gate insulation film before the plasma etching process. This protective film serves as a shield during etching, preventing ion bombardment damage to the gate insulation film while allowing precise gate electrode formation to proceed
Solution Approach 2:
The protective film acts as an intermediary layer between the plasma etching process and the gate insulation film. It absorbs the harmful ion bombardment while allowing the etching to proceed through openings in the protective film to define the gate electrode pattern
2Adaptability or versatility
If the gate insulation film is exposed to high voltage, then the semiconductor device can operate at high voltage, but defects in the gate insulation film can lead to dielectric breakdown and carrier trapping
Solution Approach 1:
The protective film is formed beforehand to cushion and absorb the damage from plasma etching ion bombardment. This prevents defects in the gate insulation film that would otherwise lead to dielectric breakdown under high voltage operation
Solution Approach 2:
The protective film, while adding process complexity, ultimately benefits the device by preventing harmful ion damage to the gate insulation film during etching, ensuring reliable high voltage operation
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively repairs defects in the gate insulation film, preventing dielectric breakdown and maintaining the insulation properties, thus minimizing carrier trapping and ON resistance in the semiconductor device.
Implementation Method 1
the oxygen concentration is higher at the surface and lower at the interface, formed using a process that repairs defects by bonding oxygen to dangling bonds
Data Source
AI summary
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor layer, a first electrode located over the semiconductor layer and connected to the semiconductor layer, a second electrode spaced from the first electrode and located over the semiconductor layer and connected to the semiconductor layer, an insulation film located over the semiconductor layer, and a third electrode interposed between the first electrode and the second electrode, and location over a portion of the insulation film. The insulation film includes a first layer located on the semiconductor layer and between the first electrode and the second electrode and comprising silicon nitride, and a second layer located on the first layer and between the first electrode and the third electrode as well as between the second electrode and the third electrode, and comprising silicon nitride and an amount of oxygen larger than the first layer.