Semiconductor Device Hydrogen Gradient Insulator
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current semiconductor devices face challenges in achieving favorable electrical characteristics, such as normally-off operation, high on-state current, and high-frequency performance, while also requiring miniaturization, high integration, and long data retention with low power consumption.
Innovation Solution
A semiconductor device structure is developed with a specific layering of insulators and conductors, including silicon nitride and aluminum oxide layers, to control hydrogen concentration and oxygen supply, ensuring low off-state current and high on-state current, and utilizing a metal oxide semiconductor with a wide energy gap to minimize leakage current.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a transistor is formed using a semiconductor thin film to achieve high integration and miniaturization, then device density and integration are improved, but controlling electrical characteristics such as leakage current and on-state current becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
By controlling the hydrogen concentration in the insulator layer to be less than 5×10^21 atoms/cm³ and optimizing layer thickness parameters, the patent achieves excellent electrical characteristics in miniaturized transistors with low leakage current and high on-state current
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite material structures including stacked insulator layers of silicon oxide and silicon nitride, metal oxide semiconductor layers of In-Ga-Zn-O, and multi-layer gate electrodes to achieve both miniaturization for high integration and controlled electrical characteristics for reliability
2Object-generated harmful factors
If oxide semiconductor materials are used to achieve low leakage current, then off-state current is reduced, but achieving high on-state current and high-frequency characteristics becomes challenging
Solution Approach 1:
By controlling the hydrogen concentration in the insulator layer to be less than 5×10^21 atoms/cm³, the patent prevents hydrogen degradation of the oxide semiconductor, enabling simultaneous achievement of low leakage current through wide bandgap and high on-state current through improved material quality
Solution Approach 2:
The insulator layer acts as an intermediary between the substrate and the oxide semiconductor channel, controlling hydrogen diffusion to protect semiconductor quality, enabling the oxide semiconductor to maintain its dual advantages of low off-state current and high on-state current
3Reliability
If multiple insulator layers with different hydrogen concentrations are stacked to control hydrogen diffusion, then electrical characteristics are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates insulator layers with different hydrogen concentrations at different locations in the stack, with the first insulator having higher hydrogen concentration than the second, which has higher concentration than the third. This gradient structure optimizes hydrogen barrier performance while maintaining manufacturing simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the insulator structure into multiple layers with progressively decreasing hydrogen concentrations from bottom to top, creating a hydrogen concentration gradient that effectively blocks hydrogen diffusion while keeping each individual layer simple to manufacture
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 provides a semiconductor device with stable electrical characteristics, reliable operation, and high productivity, enabling miniaturization and integration while maintaining low power consumption and long data retention.
Implementation Method 1
the hydrogen concentration of the second insulator is lower than that of the first insulator, and the hydrogen concentration of the third insulator is lower than that of the second insulator
Implementation Method 2
utilizing a metal oxide semiconductor with a wide energy gap to minimize leakage current
Implementation Method 3
control hydrogen concentration and oxygen supply, ensuring low off-state current and high on-state current
Data Source
AI summary
A semiconductor device having favorable electrical characteristics is provided. The semiconductor device includes a first insulator, a second insulator over the first insulator, a third insulator over the second insulator, a fourth insulator and a first conductor over the third insulator, a fifth insulator over the fourth insulator and the first conductor, a first oxide over the fifth insulator, a second conductor and a third conductor over the first oxide, a second oxide over the first oxide and between the second conductor and the third conductor, a sixth insulator over the second oxide, and a fourth conductor over the sixth insulator. The hydrogen concentration of the second insulator is lower than that of the first insulator. The hydrogen concentration of the third insulator is lower than that of the second insulator.