IP Library Granted Patent US 12,672,315
Granted Patent B2
US 12,672,315 · App. 19/261,813 · Granted Jun 30, 2026

Thin-film transistors having a metal nitride source material and related methods

Inventors: Douglas Barlage (Edmonton, CA); Alex Ma (Edmonton, CA); Gem Shoute (Edmonton, CA)
Assignee: ZINITE CORPORATION
H10D30/6755H10D30/031H10D30/0314H10D30/6731H10D30/6737H10D30/6757
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,672,315
App. No.
19/261,813
Granted
Jun 30, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

An example thin-film transistor includes a substrate, a source including a body of source material on the substrate, a drain including a body of drain material on the substrate, a body of channel material between the source and the drain, a body of gate dielectric material on the body of channel material, and a body of gate material on the body of gate dielectric material. The source material includes a metal nitride.

Claims (60)

1 . A thin-film transistor comprising:

a substrate;

a source including a body of source material on the substrate;

a drain including a body of drain material on the substrate;

a body of channel material between the source and the drain;

a body of gate dielectric material on the body of channel material; and

a body of gate material on the body of gate dielectric material;

wherein the source material comprises a metal nitride;

wherein the source further comprises a source carrier reservoir of a reservoir material for mitigating carrier starvation between the body of source material and the body of channel material; and

wherein the body of source material and the source carrier reservoir are in contact with the body of channel material.

2 . The thin-film transistor of claim 1 , wherein the drain material comprises a metal nitride.

3 . The thin-film transistor of claim 1 , wherein the channel material comprises an oxide semiconductor.

4 . The thin-film transistor of claim 1 , wherein the reservoir material is the same as the channel material.

5 . The thin-film transistor of claim 1 , wherein the reservoir material is an oxide semiconductor.

6 . The thin-film transistor of claim 1 , wherein the metal nitride is titanium nitride, zirconium nitride, hafnium nitride, or a combination of such.

7 . The thin-film transistor of claim 1 , wherein the body of source material includes a source-channel interface that is a layer of oxidized material.

8 . A method of manufacturing a thin-film transistor, the method comprising:

forming a source including a body of source material on a substrate;

forming a drain including a body of drain material on the substrate;

forming a body of channel material between the source and the drain;

forming a body of gate dielectric material on the body of channel material; and

forming a body of gate material on the body of gate dielectric material;

wherein the source material comprises a metal nitride;

wherein the forming of the body of channel material comprises:

forming a first layer of channel material;

performing a treatment on the first layer of channel material; and

forming a second layer of channel material on the first layer of channel material.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the channel material is formed of an oxide semiconductor.

10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the forming of the body of source material comprises using atomic layer deposition to deposit the body of source material.

11 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising applying a forming gas plasma to the body of source material during the atomic layer deposition of the body of source material.

12 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising applying a forming gas plasma to the substrate before the forming of the body of source material.

13 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising plasma treating the body of source material after the forming of the body of source material and before forming the body of channel material.

14 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising applying an oxygen plasma to the body of source material after the forming of the body of source material and before forming the body of channel material.

15 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the drain material is formed of a metal nitride.

16 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising forming a source carrier reservoir of a reservoir material between the body of source material and the body of channel material.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the reservoir material is the same as the channel material.

18 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the reservoir material is highly doped oxide semiconductor.

19 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the metal nitride is titanium nitride, zirconium nitride, hafnium nitride, or a combination of such.

20 . A method of manufacturing a thin-film transistor, the method comprising:

forming a source including a body of source material on a substrate;

forming a drain including a body of drain material on the substrate;

forming a body of channel material between the source and the drain;

forming a source carrier reservoir of a reservoir material for mitigating carrier starvation between the body of source material and the body of channel material;

forming a body of gate dielectric material on the body of channel material; and

forming a body of gate material on the body of gate dielectric material;

wherein the source material comprises a metal nitride;

wherein the channel material is formed of an oxide semiconductor; and

wherein the body of source material and the source carrier reservoir are in contact with the body of channel material.

21 . The method of claim 20 , wherein the forming of the body of source material comprises using atomic layer deposition to deposit the body of source material.

22 . A method of manufacturing a thin-film transistor, the method comprising:

forming a source including a body of source material on a substrate;

forming a drain including a body of drain material on the substrate;

forming a source carrier reservoir of a reservoir material for mitigating carrier starvation between the body of source material and a body of channel material;

forming the body of channel material between the source and the drain;

forming a body of gate dielectric material on the body of channel material; and

forming a body of gate material on the body of gate dielectric material;

wherein the source material comprises a metal nitride; and

wherein the body of source material and the source carrier reservoir are in contact with the body of channel material.

23 . The method of claim 22 , wherein the reservoir material is the same as the channel material.

24 . The method of claim 22 , wherein the reservoir material is highly doped oxide semiconductor.