IP Library Granted Patent US 12,283,612
Granted Patent B1
US 12,283,612 · App. 18/430,771 · Granted Apr 22, 2025

Metal oxide and transistor including metal oxide

Inventor: Shunpei Yamazaki (Setagaya, JP)
Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
H01L29/24H01L29/04H01L29/1033H01L29/0673
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,283,612
App. No.
18/430,771
Granted
Apr 22, 2025
Kind
B1
Abstract

A novel metal oxide is provided. One embodiment of the present invention is a crystalline metal oxide. The metal oxide includes a first layer and a second layer; the first layer has a wider bandgap than the second layer; the first layer and the second layer form a crystal lattice; and in the case where a carrier is excited in the metal oxide, the carrier is transferred through the second layer. Furthermore, the first layer contains an element M (M is one or more selected from Al, Ga, Y, and Sn) and Zn, and the second layer contains In.

Claims (29)

1. A transistor comprising:

a crystalline metal oxide; and

a gate, a source, and a drain,

wherein the crystalline metal oxide comprising a first layer and a second layer,

wherein the first layer has a wider bandgap than the second layer,

wherein the first layer and the second layer form a crystal lattice, and

wherein in the case where a temperature increases, the crystalline metal oxide is configured such that a thickness of the second layer in a c-axis direction is decreased.

2. The transistor according to claim 1 ,

wherein the crystalline metal oxide comprises a first metal oxide, a second metal oxide over the first metal oxide, and a third metal oxide over the second metal oxide, and

wherein the first metal oxide, the second metal oxide, and the third metal oxide each comprise the first layer and the second layer.

3. The transistor according to claim 2 ,

wherein the first layer included in the second metal oxide and the second layer included in the second metal oxide are each placed substantially parallel to a formation surface of the second metal oxide.

4. The transistor according to claim 3 ,

wherein in a channel width direction of the transistor, the third metal oxide covers a top surface and a side surface of the second metal oxide,

wherein the gate covers the top surface and the side surface of the second metal oxide, and

wherein in a region where the side surface of the second metal oxide faces the third metal oxide, a c-axis direction of the third metal oxide is different from a c-axis direction of the second metal oxide.

5. The transistor according to claim 2 ,

wherein the first metal oxide, the second metal oxide, and the third metal oxide each comprise the first layer and the second layer, and

wherein the first layer included in the second metal oxide and the second layer included in the second metal oxide are each placed substantially perpendicularly to a formation surface of the second metal oxide.

6. The transistor according to claim 2 ,

wherein a bottom surface of a first region not overlapping with the second metal oxide in the gate is at a lower position than a bottom surface of the second metal oxide, and

wherein a bottom surface of a second region positioned opposite to the first region with the second metal oxide sandwiched therebetween in the gate is at a lower position than the bottom surface of the second metal oxide.

7. The transistor according to claim 2 ,

further comprising a second gate below the first metal oxide to overlap with at least part of a region where the second metal oxide and the gate overlap with each other.

8. The transistor according to claim 2 ,

wherein the first layer comprises an element M (M is one or more selected from Al, Ga, Y, and Sn) and Zn, and

wherein the second layer comprises In.

9. The transistor according to claim 1 ,

wherein one or both of a channel length and a channel width of the transistor comprises a region of less than or equal to 100 nm.

Priority Claims (4)
JP 2018-044786 · Mar 12, 2018 · national
JP 2018-049535 · Mar 16, 2018 · national
JP 2018-055807 · Mar 23, 2018 · national
JP 2018-055943 · Mar 23, 2018 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation 17825209 · May 26, 2022
Continuation 16975833
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