Oxide Semiconductor Contact Structure for Impurity Barrier Reliability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing semiconductor devices face challenges in achieving high reliability, favorable electrical characteristics, high on-state current, miniaturization, and low power consumption, particularly due to issues with impurities and oxygen vacancies in oxide semiconductors.
Innovation Solution
The formation of a semiconductor device involves creating a structure with insulators containing excess-oxygen regions and using aluminum oxide as a barrier to inhibit impurity diffusion, combined with a cylindrical or inverted cone-shaped openings to embed conductors, ensuring the oxide semiconductor is protected and maintained in a stable state.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional manufacturing methods are used, then production efficiency is maintained, but impurity ingress and oxygen vacancies occur in oxide semiconductors, degrading device reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by forming a protective insulator layer covering the oxide semiconductor before subsequent processing steps. This insulator layer is prepared in advance to prevent impurity ingress during conductor embedding and other manufacturing processes, thereby maintaining oxide semiconductor quality without requiring changes to subsequent production steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses an insulator layer as an intermediary barrier between the oxide semiconductor and the external environment. This intermediary layer prevents direct contact between impurities and the oxide semiconductor, allowing manufacturing processes to proceed while maintaining device reliability through indirect protection.
2Reliability
If oxide semiconductor properties are maintained stable, then device performance improves, but manufacturing complexity increases due to additional insulator layers and processing steps
Solution Approach 1:
The patent achieves multi-functionality by designing the insulator layer to serve multiple purposes simultaneously: it acts as a protective barrier against impurity ingress, provides a planarization surface for subsequent processing, and can function as a dielectric layer in the device structure. This consolidates multiple functions into a single layer, reducing overall manufacturing complexity while maintaining device performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs parameter changes by adjusting the thickness, composition, and deposition conditions of the insulator layer to optimize its protective function. By carefully controlling these parameters, the insulator layer achieves effective impurity barrier properties without requiring excessive layer thickness or complex multi-layer structures, thereby simplifying the manufacturing process.
3Stability of the object's composition
If impurity diffusion is inhibited, then oxide semiconductor stability is maintained, but manufacturing time increases due to additional barrier layers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes manufacturing time by adjusting the insulator layer thickness to the minimum effective value that still provides adequate impurity barrier properties. By carefully controlling deposition parameters such as thickness, density, and composition, the patent achieves effective protection against impurity diffusion without requiring excessively thick layers that would increase manufacturing time and processing complexity.
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
This approach enhances the reliability and electrical performance of semiconductor devices by minimizing impurity ingress, maintaining stable oxide semiconductor properties, and enabling miniaturization and integration while reducing power consumption.
Implementation Method 1
the second insulator is formed to have a higher barrier property against oxygen, hydrogen, or water than the first insulator
Implementation Method 2
a second insulator over the first insulator is formed by a sputtering method under an oxygen atmosphere
Data Source
AI summary
A semiconductor device with high reliability is provided by the following steps: forming an oxide semiconductor; forming a first insulator in contact with the oxide semiconductor; forming a second insulator over the first insulator; forming a third insulator over the second insulator; forming an opening in the third insulator, the second insulator, and the first insulator; cleaning the inside of the opening; embedding a conductor in the cleaned opening; forming the first insulator to include an excess-oxygen region; forming the second insulator to have a higher barrier property against oxygen, hydrogen, or water than the first insulator; and processing the opening to have a cylindrical shape or an inverted cone shape.