Passivation of copper with ammonia-free silicon nitride and application to TFT/LCD
US6165917A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 18, 1997 |
| Grant date | Dec 26, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 18, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01L21/02274
- WIPO fieldSemiconductors
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method for passivating copper, aluminum, or other refractory metal films using ammonia-free silicon nitride and structures produced by the method. A thin film transistor for use in a liquid crystal display and a method of constructing the same, wherein the transistor has a gate, a source and a drain, and a gate insulator between the gate and an active silicon layer. The improvement is a layer of the ammonia-free silicon nitride deposited between the copper, aluminum, or other refractory metal gate and the gate insulator. Further, the gate is copper, aluminum, or another refractory metal and is deposited directly on the substrate. The layer of ammonia-free silicon nitride is also deposited on portions of the substrate adjacent the gate and the gate line extending therefrom. The layer is made in a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition process wherein the gas mixture comprises one part silane to 135 parts nitrogen to 100 parts helium and 100 parts hydrogen. A structure, and a process for forming the structure, for providing stable and low-resistance electrical contact between copper, aluminum, or another refractory metal gate lines and a metallization layer of aluminum and/or mo…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.