Oxide Semiconductor Cooling Sequence to Prevent Oxygen Desorption
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing semiconductor devices with oxide semiconductors face oxygen deficiency, leading to suboptimal electrical characteristics due to desorption of oxygen at high temperatures during manufacturing.
Innovation Solution
A manufacturing method involving loading a substrate with an oxide semiconductor into a chamber, setting a first temperature, supplying an oxidizing gas, lowering the temperature, stopping gas supply before unloading, and maintaining a second temperature lower than the first, to reduce oxygen desorption and enhance oxygen retention in the oxide semiconductor.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the temperature is maintained at a high level during oxidizing gas supply, then oxygen supply to oxide semiconductor is enhanced, but oxygen desorption increases leading to oxygen deficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The temperature is lowered before the oxidizing gas supply is completely stopped, creating a temperature gradient that prevents oxygen desorption while maintaining oxygen supply. This preliminary temperature reduction action resolves the contradiction by preparing the system state before the harmful effect (oxygen desorption) can occur.
Solution Approach 2:
The temperature parameter is dynamically changed during the oxidizing gas supply process. By lowering the temperature while maintaining oxidizing gas supply, the patent changes the thermal parameter to prevent oxygen desorption while preserving oxygen incorporation, thus resolving the contradiction between oxygen supply and oxygen retention.
2Reliability
If oxidizing gas is supplied at high temperature, then electrical characteristics improve, but threshold voltage stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The temperature is reduced before stopping oxidizing gas supply as a preliminary action to stabilize the oxide semiconductor composition. This prevents threshold voltage drift by ensuring oxygen is retained in the lattice structure, thereby maintaining both electrical characteristics and threshold voltage stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The oxidizing gas supply continues during the temperature lowering process, maintaining the useful action of oxygen supply while eliminating the harmful effect of oxygen desorption. This continuous oxygen supply during cooling ensures both electrical characteristic improvement and threshold voltage stability.
3Quantity of substance
If temperature is lowered quickly after oxidizing gas supply, then oxygen retention is improved, but manufacturing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The temperature lowering is initiated as a preliminary action before oxidizing gas supply is completely stopped, optimizing the timing to achieve both oxygen retention and efficient manufacturing cycle. This sequential control resolves the time-retention contradiction by optimizing the transition sequence.
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 method improves electrical characteristics by maintaining sufficient oxygen in the oxide semiconductor, reducing current at predetermined voltages and stabilizing threshold voltages, resulting in semiconductor devices with desired performance.
Implementation Method 1
supplying an oxidizing gas into the chamber
Implementation Method 2
lowering the temperature in the chamber from the first temperature; stopping supplying the oxidizing gas into the chamber after lowering the temperature
Data Source
AI summary
A manufacturing method includes loading a substrate into a chamber, the substrate including oxide semiconductor; configuring a temperature in the chamber to a first temperature; supplying an oxidizing gas into the chamber; lowering the temperature in the chamber from the first temperature; stopping supplying the oxidizing gas into the chamber after lowering the temperature; and unloading the substrate from the chamber after the temperature in the chamber reaches a second temperature lower than the first temperature.