USRE43450EExpiredUtility

Method for fabricating semiconductor thin film

53
Assignee: YAMAZAKI SHUNPEIPriority: Sep 29, 1994Filed: Oct 6, 2003Granted: Jun 5, 2012
Est. expirySep 29, 2014(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Shunpei YamazakiHisashi OhtaniAkiharu MiyanagaSatoshi Teramoto
H10P 14/3808H10P 14/3806H10P 14/3411H10P 14/3238H10P 14/2922H10D 30/6745H10D 30/6731
53
PatentIndex Score
3
Cited by
77
References
37
Claims

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a technology of reducing a nickel element in the silicon film which is crystallized by using nickel. An extremely small amount of nickel is introduced into an amorphous silicon film which is formed on the glass substrate. Then this amorphous silicon film is crystallized by heating. At this time, the nickel element remains in the crystallized silicon film. Then an amorphous silicon film is formed on the surface of the silicon film crystallized with the action of nickel. Then the amorphous silicon film is further heat treated. By carrying out this heat treatment, the nickel element is dispersed from the crystallized silicon film into the amorphous silicon film with the result that the nickel density in the crystallized silicon film is lowered.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1. A method for fabricating a semiconductor thin film comprising the steps of:
 providing an amorphous semiconductor film with a metal element which promotes crystallization of said semiconductor film;   crystallizing said amorphous semiconductor film by heat treatment to obtain a crystalline semiconductor film;   forming a silicon nitride film in contact with said crystalline semiconductor film;   forming a metal element diffusion film comprising a semiconductor in contact with said silicon nitride film;   diffusing said metal element into said metal element diffusion film; and   removing said metal element diffusion film into which said metal element has been diffused, using said silicon nitride film as an etching stopper.   
     
     
       2. A method for fabricating a semiconductor thin film comprising the steps of:
 providing an amorphous silicon film with a metal element which promotes crystallization of said silicon film;   obtaining a crystalline silicon film by crystallizing said amorphous silicon film by heat treatment;   forming a silicon nitride film in contact with said crystalline silicon film;   forming an amorphous semiconductor film in contact with said silicon nitride film;   dispersing by heat treatment the metal element in said crystalline silicon film into the amorphous semiconductor film formed in contact with said silicon nitride film; and   removing the semiconductor film formed in contact with said silicon nitride film by using said silicon nitride film as an etching stopper.   
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2  wherein said amorphous semiconductor film comprises silicon. 
     
     
       4. A method for fabricating a semiconductor thin film comprising the steps of:
 providing an amorphous silicon film with a metal element which promotes crystallization of said silicon film;   obtaining a crystalline silicon film by crystallizing said amorphous silicon film by heat treatment;   forming a silicon nitride film in contact with said crystalline silicon film;   forming an amorphous semiconductor film in contact with said silicon nitride film;   crystallizing by heat treatment the amorphous semiconductor film which is formed in contact with said silicon nitride film; and   removing the semiconductor film which is formed in contact with said silicon nitride film by using said silicon nitride film as an etching stopper.   
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4  wherein said amorphous semiconductor film comprises silicon. 
     
     
       6. A method for fabricating a semiconductor thin film comprising the steps of:
 providing an amorphous semiconductor film with a metal element which promotes crystallization of said semiconductor film;   crystallizing said amorphous semiconductor film by heat treatment to obtain a crystalline semiconductor film;   forming a silicon nitride film in contact with said semiconductor film;   forming a metal element diffusion film comprising a semiconductor in contact with said silicon nitride film;   diffusing said metal element into said metal element diffusion film; and   removing said metal element diffusion film into which said metal element has been diffused.   
     
     
       7. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising:
 providing an amorphous semiconductor film with a metal element for promoting crystallization of said semiconductor film;   heating said amorphous semiconductor film to crystallize said amorphous semiconductor film;   forming a metal element diffusion film comprising a semiconductor over the crystallized semiconductor film, said forming of the metal element diffusion film including the step of artificially increasing a defect density of the metal element diffusion film;   diffusing the metal element from the crystallized semiconductor film into the metal element diffusion film; and   removing the metal element diffusion film after the step of diffusing the metal element.   
     
     
       8. The method of claim 7 wherein said metal element diffusion film is an amorphous silicon film. 
     
     
       9. The method of claim 7 wherein said metal element diffusion film is a polycrystalline silicon film. 
     
     
       10. The method of claim 7 wherein said metal element diffusion film is an amorphous Si x Ge 1-x  film where 0<x<1. 
     
     
       11. The method of claim 7 wherein said metal element is at least one of Fe, Co, Ni, Ru, Rh, Pd, Os, Ir, Pt, Cu and Au. 
     
     
       12. The method according to claim 7 wherein said metal diffusion film is directly formed on said crystallized semiconductor film. 
     
     
       13. The method of claim 7 further comprising the step of forming an etching stopper film which is interposed between said metal element diffusion film and said crystallized semiconductor film. 
     
     
       14. The method of claim 13 wherein said etching stopper film comprises silicon nitride. 
     
     
       15. The method of claim 13 wherein said etching stopper film comprises silicon oxide. 
     
     
       16. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising:
 providing a selected portion of an amorphous semiconductor film with a metal element for promoting crystallization of said semiconductor film;   heating said amorphous semiconductor film to crystallize said amorphous semiconductor film wherein the crystallization proceeds from said selected portion laterally;   forming a metal element diffusion film comprising a semiconductor over the crystallized semiconductor film, said forming of the metal element diffusion film including the step of artificially increasing a defect density of the metal element diffusion film;   diffusing the metal element from the crystallized semiconductor film into the metal element diffusion film; and   removing the metal element diffusion film after the step of diffusing the metal element.   
     
     
       17. The method of claim 16 wherein said metal element diffusion film is an amorphous silicon film. 
     
     
       18. The method of claim 17 wherein said metal element diffusion film is a polycrystalline silicon film. 
     
     
       19. The method of claim 17 wherein said metal element diffusion film is an amorphous Si x Ge 1-x  film where 0<x<1. 
     
     
       20. The method of claim 19 wherein said metal element is at least one of Fe, Co, Ni, Ru, Rh, Pd, Os, Ir, Pt, Cu and Au. 
     
     
       21. The method according to claim 16 wherein said metal diffusion film is directly formed on said crystallized semiconductor film. 
     
     
       22. The method of claim 16 further comprising the step of forming an etching stopper film which is interposed between said metal element diffusion film and said crystallized semiconductor film. 
     
     
       23. The method of claim 22 wherein said etching stopper film comprises silicon nitride. 
     
     
       24. The method of claim 22 wherein said etching stopper film comprises silicon oxide. 
     
     
       25. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising:
 providing an amorphous semiconductor film with a metal element for promoting crystallization of said semiconductor film;   heating said amorphous semiconductor film to crystallize said amorphous semiconductor film;   forming a metal element diffusion film comprising a semiconductor over the crystallized semiconductor film, said forming of the metal element diffusion film including the step of artificially increasing a defect density of the metal element diffusion film;   diffusing the metal element from the crystallized semiconductor film into the metal element diffusion film by irradiating the crystallized semiconductor film with laser; and   removing the metal element diffusion film after the step of diffusing the metal element.   
     
     
       26. The method of claim 25 wherein said metal element diffusion film is an amorphous silicon film. 
     
     
       27. The method of claim 25 wherein said metal element diffusion film is a polycrystalline silicon film. 
     
     
       28. The method of claim 25 wherein said metal element diffusion film is an amorphous Si x Ge 1-x  film where 0<x<1. 
     
     
       29. The method of claim 25 wherein said metal element is at least one of Fe, Co, Ni, Ru, Rh, Pd, Os, Ir, Pt, Cu and Au. 
     
     
       30. The method according to claim 25 wherein said metal diffusion film is directly formed on said crystallized semiconductor film. 
     
     
       31. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising:
 providing an amorphous semiconductor film with a metal element for promoting crystallization of said semiconductor film;   heating said amorphous semiconductor film to crystallize said amorphous semiconductor film;   forming an etching stopper film on the crystallized semiconductor film;   forming a metal element diffusion film comprising a semiconductor over the crystallized semiconductor film with the etching stopper film interposed there between, said forming of the metal element diffusion film including the step of artificially increasing a defect density of the metal element diffusion film;   diffusing the metal element from the crystallized semiconductor film into the metal element diffusion film by irradiating the crystallized semiconductor film with laser; and   removing the metal element diffusion film after the step of diffusing the metal element.   
     
     
       32. The method of claim 31 wherein said metal element diffusion film is an amorphous silicon film. 
     
     
       33. The method of claim 31 wherein said metal element diffusion film is a polycrystalline silicon film. 
     
     
       34. The method of claim 31 wherein said metal element diffusion film is an amorphous Si x Ge 1-x  film where 0<x<1. 
     
     
       35. The method of claim 31 wherein said metal element is at least one of Fe, Co, Ni, Ru, Rh, Pd, Os, Ir, Pt, Cu and Au. 
     
     
       36. The method of claim 31 wherein said etching stopper film comprises silicon nitride. 
     
     
       37. The method of claim 31 wherein said etching stopper film comprises silicon oxide.

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