Granted Patent B2

US 8,796,692 · App. 13/997,802 · Granted Aug 5, 2014

Abstract

Claims (38)

1. A thin-film semiconductor device comprising:

a substrate;

a gate electrode above the substrate;

a gate insulating film above the gate electrode;

a channel layer above the gate insulating film, the channel layer comprising a polycrystalline semiconductor;

a first amorphous semiconductor layer above the channel layer;

an organic insulating layer above the first amorphous semiconductor layer;

a pair of second amorphous semiconductor layers, one of which is positioned at a side surface on one side of the first amorphous semiconductor layer and a side surface on one side of the channel layer, and the other of which is positioned at a side surface on the other side of the first amorphous semiconductor layer and a side surface on the other side of the channel layer;

a pair of contact layers above the pair of second amorphous semiconductor layers, the pair of contact layers contacting the side surfaces of the channel layer via the pair of second amorphous semiconductor layers;

a source electrode above one of the pair of contact layers; and a drain electrode above the other of the pair of contact layers,

wherein the gate electrode, the channel layer, the first amorphous semiconductor layer, and the organic insulating layer have outlines that coincide with one another in a top view,

the first amorphous semiconductor layer has a density of localized states higher than a density of localized states of the pair of second amorphous semiconductor layers, and

the pair of second amorphous semiconductor layers has a band gap larger than a band gap of the first amorphous semiconductor layer.

2. The thin-film semiconductor device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the outline on a lower surface of the organic insulating layer recedes inside the outline of the gate electrode by 0.5 μm at most, in a top view.

3. The thin-film semiconductor device according to claim 2 ,

wherein the outline on the lower surface of the organic insulating layer recedes inside the outline of the gate electrode by a value greater than or equal to a thickness of the pair of second amorphous semiconductor layers, in a top view.

4. The thin-film semiconductor device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the pair of second amorphous semiconductor layers, the pair of contact layers, the source electrode, and the drain electrode extend to a part of an upper surface of the organic insulating layer and a side surface of the organic insulating layer.

5. The thin-film semiconductor device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the first amorphous semiconductor layer has a thickness of 50 nm at most.

6. A method for fabricating a thin-film semiconductor device, the method comprising:

preparing a substrate;

forming a gate electrode above the substrate;

forming a gate insulating film above the gate electrode;

forming a crystalline semiconductor layer above the gate insulating film;

forming an amorphous semiconductor layer above the crystalline semiconductor layer;

forming an organic insulating layer above the amorphous semiconductor layer;

etching the crystalline semiconductor layer and the amorphous semiconductor layer to form a channel layer and a first amorphous semiconductor layer at positions overlapping the gate electrode;

forming a pair of second amorphous semiconductor layers, one of which is formed at a side surface on one side of the first amorphous semiconductor layer and a side surface on one side of the channel layer, and the other of which is formed at a side surface on the other side of the first amorphous semiconductor layer and a side surface on the other side of the channel layer;

forming a pair of contact layers above the pair of second amorphous semiconductor layers, the pair of contact layers contacting the side surfaces of the channel layer via the pair of second amorphous semiconductor layers; and

forming a source electrode above one of the pair of contact layers, and forming a drain electrode above the other of the pair of contact layers,

wherein in the forming of an organic insulating layer, an outline on a lower surface of the organic insulating layer recedes inside an outline of the gate electrode in a top view by (i) applying an organic material serving as a precursor of the organic insulating layer onto the amorphous semiconductor layer and drying the organic material, (ii) exposing, using the gate electrode as a mask, the organic material to light emitted from a surface of the substrate opposite a surface of the substrate on which the gate electrode is formed, and (iii) developing the organic material.

7. The method for fabricating a thin-film semiconductor device according to claim 6 ,

wherein, in the etching of the crystalline semiconductor layer and the amorphous semiconductor layer, the developed organic insulating layer is used as a mask to allow the outline on the lower surface of the organic insulating layer to recede inside the outline of the gate electrode by a value greater than or equal to a thickness of the pair of second amorphous semiconductor layers, in a top view.

8. The method for fabricating a thin-film semiconductor device according to claim 6 ,

wherein the first amorphous semiconductor layer is formed to have a density of localized states higher than a density of localized states of the pair of second amorphous semiconductor layers, and

the pair of second amorphous semiconductor layers are formed to have a band gap larger than a band gap of the first amorphous semiconductor layer.

Assignments (6)