Top-gate self-aligned metal oxide semiconductor TFT and method of making the same

1. A method of manufacturing a top-gate self-aligned metal oxide semiconductor TFT, wherein a light-shielding layer is provided below an active layer and the light-shielding layer is connected to a source, and the method comprises:

providing a base substrate, forming the light-shielding layer on the base substrate, forming a buffer layer on the base substrate covering the light-shielding layer, forming the active layer on the buffer layer corresponding to a region above the light-shielding layer, a material of the active layer is a metal oxide semiconductor material;

forming a gate insulating layer on the buffer layer covering the active layer, and depositing a gate metal layer on the gate insulating layer;

forming a photoresist layer on the gate metal layer and patterning the photoresist layer by a photo lithography process, wherein the remaining photoresist layer defines a gate pattern on the gate metal layer;

using the photoresist layer as a barrier and etching the gate metal layer to obtain a gate corresponding to a region above the active layer;

using the photoresist layer and the gate as the barrier, etching the gate insulating layer by keeping only a portion corresponding to a region below the gate and removing other portions, wherein the keeping gate insulating layer is located on the active layer and aligned with the gate from top to bottom, the gate and the gate insulating layer define a channel region corresponding to a region below the gate insulating layer, as well as a source contact region and a drain contact region located on two sides of the channel region, respectively;

using the photoresist layer, the gate and the gate insulating layer as the barrier, conducting a conductive treatment on the active layer, turning the metal oxide semiconductor material of the source contact region and the drain contact region into a conductor, keeping semiconductor characteristics for the metal oxide semiconductor material of the channel region; and peeling off the photoresist layer after the conductive treatment is completed;

forming an interlayer insulating layer on the buffer layer covering the gate and the active layer; forming a source contact hole and a drain contact hole on the interlayer insulating layer corresponding respectively to the source contact region and the drain contact region, and simultaneously forming a signal via hole on the interlayer insulating layer and the buffer layer corresponding to a region above the light shielding layer;

forming the source and a drain on the interlayer insulating layer, wherein the source and the drain are respectively electrically connected to the source contact region and the drain contact region through the source contact hole and the drain contact hole, while the source is electrically connected to the light-shielding layer through the signal via hole; and

forming a passivation layer on the interlayer insulating layer covering the source and the drain.

2. The method of manufacturing a top-gate self-aligned metal oxide semiconductor TFT according to claim 1 , wherein the method of conducting a conductive treatment on the active layer is a plasma treatment for reducing oxygen content of the metal oxide semiconductor material, so as to reduce the resistivity of the metal oxide semiconductor material, and turn the metal oxide semiconductor material into a conductor.

3. The method of manufacturing a top-gate self-aligned metal oxide semiconductor TFT according to claim 2 , wherein the plasma comprises one or more of helium plasma, argon plasma, and ammonia plasma.

4. The method of manufacturing a top-gate self-aligned metal oxide semiconductor TFT according to claim 1 , wherein an area of the light-shielding layer is greater than that of the active layer, and an orthographic projection of the light-shielding layer on the base substrate covers the orthographic projection of the active layer on the base substrate; a thickness of the active layer is 100 Å-1000 Å, and the metal oxide semiconductor material includes one or more of indium-gallium-zinc-oxide, indium-zinc-tin-oxide, and indium-gallium-zinc-tin-oxide.

5. The method of manufacturing a top-gate self-aligned metal oxide semiconductor TFT according to claim 4 , wherein when the metal oxide semiconductor material is indium-gallium-zinc-oxide, and after conducting the conductive treatment on the source contact region and the drain contact region of the active layer, a molar ratio of indium, gallium, zinc and oxygen in the indium-gallium-zinc-oxide of the source contact region and the drain contact region of the active layer is, In:Ga:Zn:O=1:1:1:X 2 , where X 2 is less than 1, and the molar ratio of indium, gallium, zinc and oxygen in the indium-gallium-zinc-oxide of the channel region of the active layer is, In:Ga:Zn:O=1:1:1:X 1 , where X 1 is between 1 and 10.

6. A method of manufacturing a top-gate self-aligned metal oxide semiconductor TFT, comprising providing a light-shielding layer below an active layer, and connecting the light-shielding layer to a source; the method further comprising:

providing a base substrate, forming the light-shielding layer on the base substrate, forming a buffer layer on the base substrate covering the light-shielding layer, forming the active layer on the buffer layer corresponding to a region above the light-shielding layer, a material of the active layer is a metal oxide semiconductor material;

forming a gate insulating layer on the buffer layer covering the active layer, and depositing a gate metal layer on the gate insulating layer;

forming a photoresist layer on the gate metal layer and patterning the photoresist layer by a photo lithography process, wherein the remaining photoresist layer defines a gate pattern on the gate metal layer;

using the photoresist layer as a barrier and etching the gate metal layer to obtain a gate corresponding to a region above the active layer;

using the photoresist layer and the gate as the barrier, etching the gate insulating layer by keeping only a portion corresponding to a region below the gate and removing other portions, wherein the keeping gate insulating layer is located on the active layer and aligned with the gate from top to bottom, the gate and the gate insulating layer define a channel region corresponding to a region below the gate insulating layer, as well as a source contact region and a drain contact region located on two sides of the channel region, respectively;

using the photoresist layer, the gate and the gate insulating layer as the barrier, conducting a conductive treatment on the active layer, turning the metal oxide semiconductor material of the source contact region and the drain contact region into a conductor, keeping semiconductor characteristics for the metal oxide semiconductor material of the channel region; and peeling off the photoresist layer after the conductive treatment is completed;

forming an interlayer insulating layer on the buffer layer covering the gate and the active layer; forming a source contact hole and a drain contact hole on the interlayer insulating layer corresponding respectively to the source contact region and the drain contact region, and simultaneously forming a signal via hole on the interlayer insulating layer and the buffer layer corresponding to a region above the light shielding layer;

forming the source and a drain on the interlayer insulating layer, wherein the source and the drain are respectively electrically connected to the source contact region and the drain contact region through the source contact hole and the drain contact hole, while the source is electrically connected to the light-shielding layer through the signal via hole;

forming a passivation layer on the interlayer insulating layer covering the source and the drain;

wherein the method of conducting a conductive treatment on the active layer is a plasma treatment for reducing oxygen content of the metal oxide semiconductor material, so as to reduce the resistivity of the metal oxide semiconductor material, and turn the metal oxide semiconductor material into a conductor;

wherein the plasma comprises one or more of helium plasma, argon plasma, and ammonia plasma; and

wherein an area of the light-shielding layer is greater than that of the active layer, and an orthographic projection of the light-shielding layer on the base substrate covers the orthographic projection of the active layer on the base substrate; a thickness of the active layer is 100 Å-1000 Å, and the metal oxide semiconductor material includes one or more of indium-gallium-zinc-oxide, indium-zinc-tin-oxide, and indium-gallium-zinc-tin-oxide.

7. The method of manufacturing a top-gate self-aligned metal oxide semiconductor TFT according to claim 6 , wherein when the metal oxide semiconductor material is indium-gallium-zinc-oxide, and after conducting the conductive treatment on the source contact region and the drain contact region of the active layer, a molar ratio of indium, gallium, zinc and oxygen in the indium-gallium-zinc-oxide of the source contact region and the drain contact region of the active layer is, In:Ga:Zn:O=1:1:1:X 2 , where X 2 is less than 1, and the molar ratio of indium, gallium, zinc and oxygen in the indium-gallium-zinc-oxide of the channel region of the active layer is, In:Ga:Zn:O=1:1:1:X 1 , where X 1 is between 1 and 10.