Abstract:
A thin film transistor display includes a driving circuit and an active matrix. The driving circuit comprises a first thin film transistor structure. The first thin film transistor structure includes a first gate, source and drain regions, a first LDD region, a second LDD region and a first channel region between the first and the second LDD regions. The first gate region is disposed over the first channel region, and partially or completely overlies the first and the second LDD regions. The active matrix is controlled by the driving circuit and comprises a second thin film transistor structure. The second thin film transistor structure includes a second gate, source and drain regions, a third LDD region, a fourth LDD region and a second channel region between the third and the fourth LDD regions. The second gate region is disposed over the second channel region and substantially overlaps with neither of the first and the second LDD regions.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to a thin film transistor, and more particularly to a low-temperature polysilicon thin film transistor having a lightly doped drain (LDD) structure. The present invention also relates to a process for producing a thin film transistor.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    TFTs (Thin Film Transistors) are widely used as basic electronic devices for controlling pixels of a TFT liquid crystal display (TFTLCD). FIG. 1( a ) is a block diagram schematically illustrating a conventional TFTLCD. Such TFTLCD comprises an active matrix  10  and driving circuits  11 . The active matrix  10  is formed on a glass substrate  1 , whereas the driving circuits  11  are electrically connected to the active matrix  10  via external lines  12 . Nowadays, a so-called low-temperature polysilicon thin film transistor (LTPS-TFT) technology was developed due to improved electrical properties of TFT transistors and other benefits. Please refer to FIG. 1( b ). The active matrix  10  and the driving circuits  11  can be directly formed on the glass substrate  1  so as to reduce fabricating cost.  
           [0003]    A process for producing such LTPS-TFT is illustrated with reference to FIGS.  2 ( a ) to  2 ( f ).  
           [0004]    In FIG. 2( a ), a polysilicon layer  21  is formed on a glass substrate  2  by laser annealing an amorphous silicon layer applied to the glass substrate  2  at a low temperature, and patterning and etching the annealed silicon layer. Then, as shown in FIG. 2( b ), a photoresist  22  is formed on a selected region of the polysilicon layer  21 , and an ion-implantation procedure is performed on the resulting polysilicon layer  21  with the photoresist  22  serving as a mask. By the ion-implantation procedure, B +  ions are implanted to form N-channel TFT zones. Then, a photoresist  23  is partially formed on the N-channel TFT zones, and PHx +  ions are implanted into the N-channel TFT zones with the photoresist  23  serving as a mask, thereby forming source/drain regions  24 , as can be seen in FIG. 2( c ). After the photoresists  22  and  23  are removed, a gate insulator  25  is formed on the resulting structure. Then, gate metal  26  (for example made of molybdenum) is formed on the gate insulator  25 , as shown in FIG. 2( d ). The gate metal  26  for each N-channel TFT zone has cross-sectional area less than that of the corresponding photoresist  23  for that N-channel TFT zone formed in the previous step shown in FIG. 2( c ). Then, for N-channel TFT zones, lightly doped drain (LDD) regions  241  are formed by implanting P +  ions with the gate metal  26  as a mask. The N-channel TFT zones are covered with a photoresist  27 , and then another ion implantation procedure is performed on the resulting structure with the photoresist  27  serving as a mask to form a P-channel TFT zone, as shown in FIG. 2( e ). The dopants are B 2 Hx +  ions, and source/drain regions  242  are formed. Afterwards, an interlayer dielectric layer  28  and source/drain conductive lines  29  are formed in sequence, as shown in FIG. 2( f ), to obtain the desired LTPS-TFT structure.  
           [0005]    With the increasing development of integrated circuits, electronic devices have a tendency toward miniaturization. As a result of miniaturization, the channel between the source and drain regions in each TFT will become narrower and narrower. A so-called “hot electron effect” is rendered, which impairs stability of the LTPS-TFT and results in current leakage. The LDD regions are useful to reduce the hot electron effect. Conventionally, a process involving many masks and steps are involved in order to form the LDD regions. Another conventional process of forming LDD regions by a self-aligned procedure would involve reduced masking steps. For the self-aligned procedure, the LDD regions do not overlap with the gate metal  26  thereabove. It is found, however, improved device stability will be obtained when the gate metal  26  extends over the LDD region  241  to a certain extent. Unfortunately, there is likely to be parasitic capacitance occurring in the overlapped region between the gate metal  26  and the LDD region  241 , which adversely causes a voltage drift of the storage capacitor and liquid crystal capacitor in a pixel cell when the pixel is turned off.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0006]    It is an object of the present invention to provide a TFTLCD having an LDD region with satisfying stability and minimized voltage drift.  
           [0007]    According to a first aspect of the present invention, a thin film transistor display comprises a driving circuit comprising a first thin film transistor structure. The first thin film transistor structure comprises a first gate, source and drain regions, a first LDD region, a second LDD region and a first channel region between the first and the second LDD regions. The first gate region is disposed over the first channel region and overlaps with the first and the second LDD regions. An active matrix is controlled by the driving circuit and comprises a second thin film transistor structure. The second thin film transistor structure comprises a second gate, source and drain regions, a third LDD region, a fourth LDD region and a second channel region between the third and the fourth LDD regions. The second gate region is disposed over the second channel region and overlaps with neither of the first and the second LDD regions.  
           [0008]    Preferably, the length of the first gate region is greater than the length of the first channel region.  
           [0009]    Preferably, the length of the second gate region is no greater than the length of the second channel region. More preferably, the length of the second gate region is identical to the length of the second channel region.  
           [0010]    Preferably, the active matrix and the driving circuit are formed on the same substrate, e.g. a glass substrate.  
           [0011]    Preferably, the display is a liquid crystal display.  
           [0012]    Preferably, the thin film transistor display further comprises a passivation layer overlying the first and the second thin film transistor structures; and a plurality of contact plugs extending from the source/drain regions, respectively.  
           [0013]    According to a second aspect of the present invention relates to a process for producing a thin film transistor display. The process includes steps of providing a substrate; forming a polysilicon layer on the substrate; patterning the polysilicon layer to define a first and a second TFT regions; providing a first and a second doping masks on the polysilicon layer in the first and the second TFT regions to result in a first exposed portion in the first TFT region and a second exposed portion in the second TFT region; implanting a first doping material into the first and the second exposed portions, thereby defining a first doped region and a first channel region adjacent to the first doped region in the first TFT region, and a second doped region and a second channel region adjacent to the second doped region in the second TFT region; removing the first doping mask; providing a third doping mask on the first channel region, which partially overlies the first doped region, so as to result in a third exposed portion in the first TFT region smaller than the first exposed portion; implanting a second doping material into the third exposed portions to form first source/drain regions and simultaneously define a first LDD region; removing the second and the third doping masks; forming an insulator layer and a gate metal layer on the resulting structure; and patterning the gate metal layer to form a first and a second gate structures over the first and the second channel regions, respectively. The first gate structure is longer than the first channel, and the second gate structure has length smaller than or substantially equal to the second channel region.  
           [0014]    In one embodiment, the process further comprises a step of implanting a third doping material into the second TFT region with the second gate structure serving as a doping mask to form second source/drain regions and a second LDD region.  
           [0015]    In one embodiment, the process further comprises a step of covering a portion of the patterned polysilicon layer with a fourth doping mask before doping the patterned polysilicon layer for further defining a third TFT region.  
           [0016]    In one embodiment, the first TFT region is an N-channel TFT region of a driving circuit, the second TFT region is an N-channel TFT region of an active matrix, and the third TFT region is a P-channel TFT region.  
           [0017]    Preferably, the fourth doping mask is removed along with the second and the third doping masks.  
           [0018]    In one embodiment, the process further comprises steps of: forming a third gate structure over the third TFT region at the same time when the first and the second gate structures are formed; and implanting a third doping material into the third TFT region with the third gate region serving as a mask to form source/drain regions of the third TFT region.  
           [0019]    The above objects and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art after reviewing the following detailed description and accompanying drawings, in which: 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0020]    [0020]FIG. 1( a ) is a block diagram schematically illustrating a conventional TFTLCD;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 1( b ) is a block diagram schematically illustrating a conventional LTPS-TFTLCD;  
         [0022]    FIGS.  2 ( a ) to  2 ( f ) are schematic cross-sectional views illustrating a conventional process for producing an LTPS-TFTLCD having LDD regions;  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating the structure of an LTPS-TFTLCD according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0024]    FIGS.  4 ( a ) to  4 ( g ) are schematic cross-sectional views illustrating a process for producing an LTPS-TFTLCD having LDD regions according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; and  
         [0025]    FIGS.  5 ( a ) to  5 ( f ) are schematic cross-sectional views illustrating a process for producing a CMOS thin film transistor according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0026]    As previously described, the fabricating cost of a low-temperature polysilicon thin film transistor liquid crystal display (LTPS-TFTLCD) is relatively low because the active matrix and the driving circuit are formed on the same glass substrate. In addition, the LTPS-TFTLCD has reduced hot electron effect due to the presence of an LDD region. When the LDD region and the gate metal of the LTPS-TFTLCD overlap with each other, i.e. the gate metal of the LTPS-TFTLCD, an improved device stability is obtained while accompanied by some adverse effects such as current leakage and parasitic capacitance. Therefore, voltage drift of the storage capacitor and liquid crystal capacitor in a pixel cell is caused. As is known, the thin film transistors in the active matrix and the driving circuit perform different functions and thus have different requirements. For example, the thin film transistor in the active matrix requires accurate voltage levels. On the contrary, good device stability is prerequisite for the thin film transistor in the driving circuit.  
         [0027]    Based on the above concept, a specified LTPS-TFTLCD is developed according to the present invention, as can be seen in FIG. 3. The LTPS-TFTLCD comprises a driving circuit portion and an active matrix portion, which are formed on the same substrate  3 . In the driving circuit portion, an N-channel TFT M 1  and a P-channel TFT M 2  are included. In the active matrix portion, N-channel TFTs M 3  are included. The N-channel TFT M 1  comprises a gate structure  31 , source/drain regions  32 , LDD regions  33  and a channel region  34 . According to the present invention, the gate region  31  disposed over the channel region  34  overlaps with the LDD regions  33  in order to assure of good device stability. On the other hand, the thin film transistor structure M 3 , which comprises a gate structure  35 , source/drain regions  36 , LDD regions  37  and a channel region  38 , has the gate structure  35  thereof substantially staggered with the LDD regions  37 . In other words, the gate structure  35  does not overlap with the LDD regions  37  so as to reduce current leakage and parasitic capacitance.  
         [0028]    A process for producing an LTPS-TFT similar to that of FIG. 3 according a preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated with reference to FIGS.  4 ( a ) to  4 ( g ).  
         [0029]    In FIG. 4( a ), a polysilicon layer  41  is formed on a glass substrate  4  by laser annealing an amorphous silicon layer applied to the glass substrate  4  at low temperature, and patterning and etching the annealed silicon layer. Then, as shown in FIG. 4( b ), a photoresist  42  is formed on a selected region R 2  of the polysilicon layer  41 , which is defined as a P-channel TFT zone, and an ion-implantation procedure is performed on the resulting polysilicon layer  41  with the photoresist  42  serving as a mask. By the ion-implantation procedure, B +  ions are implanted to form N-channel TFT zones in regions R 1  and R 3 . Then, photoresists  431  and  432  are formed on the N-channel TFT zones in the active matrix portion and the driving circuit portion, respectively, and PHx +  ions are implanted into the exposed parts of the N-channel TFT zones with the photoresist  431  and  432  serving as masks, thereby defining source/drain regions  44 , as can be seen in FIG. 4( c ). Meanwhile, the channel region  442  of the N-channel TFT zone in the region R 1 , is defined. Afterwards, the photoresist  431  is removed and replaced by a photoresist  433  having greater as-shown cross-sectional length than the photoresist  431 . As shown in FIG. 4( d ), PHx +  ions are continuously implanted into the N-channel TFT zones in the regions R 1  and R 3  with the photoresist  433  and  432  serving as masks, thereby forming heavily doped source/drain regions  440  and  442  for all the N-channel TFT zones in the regions R 1  and R 3  and LDD regions  441  for the N-channel TFT zone in the region R 1 . After the photoresists  42 ,  432  and  433  are removed, a gate insulator layer  45  is formed on the resulting structure. Then, a gate metal layer (for example made of molybdenum) is formed on the gate insulator  45 , and the gate metal layer is patterned to form gate structures  461 ,  462  and  463 . As shown in FIG. 4( e ), the gate structure  461  has cross-sectional length substantially the same as that of the photoresist  433  having been removed previously, and thus the gate structure  461  has length greater than the channel region  442 . On the other hand, the gate structure  463  has cross-sectional length less than that of the corresponding photoresist  432  having been removed in the previous step shown in FIG. 4( d ). Then, PHx +  ions are continuously implanted with the gate metal structures  461 ,  462  and  463  serving as masks in the regions R 1 , R 2  and R 3 , respectively, thereby defining source/drain regions  444  in the region R 2 , and forming LDD regions  445  for the N-channel TFT zones in the region R 3  of active matrix portion, as can be seen in FIG. 4( e ). Meanwhile, the channel region  446  of the N-channel TFT zone in the region R 3  is defined. In this embodiment, the gate structure  463  has length substantially identical to that of the channel region  446 . Depending on various processes, however, the present structure still works if the gate structure  463  is shorter than the channel region  446 . The N-channel TFT zones in the regions R 1  and R 3  are then covered with a photoresist  47 , and then another ion implantation procedure is performed on the resulting structure with the photoresist  47  serving as a mask so as to form a P-channel TFT zone in the region R 2 , as shown in FIG. 4( f ). The dopants are B 2 Hx +  ions, and source/drain regions  446  are formed. Afterwards, an interlayer dielectric layer  48  and source/drain conductive lines  49  are formed, as shown in FIG. 4( g ), according to any proper technique, so as to obtain the desired LTPS-TFT structure. That is, the gate electrode  461  of the N-channel TFT in the driving circuit portion overlies the LDD regions  441  to exhibit good device stability, and the effect of the possible parasitic capacitance on a driving circuit is insignificant. On the other hand, the gate electrode  463  and the LDD regions  445  of the N-channel TFT in the active matrix portion stagger from each other to prevent from the voltage level drift resulting from current leakage and parasitic capacitance.  
         [0030]    The concept of the present invention can also be applied to produce a complimentary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) thin film transistor. The process will be illustrated with reference to FIGS.  5 ( a ) to  5 ( f ).  
         [0031]    In FIG. 5( a ), a polysilicon layer  51  is formed on a glass substrate  5  by laser annealing an amorphous silicon layer applied to the glass substrate  4  at low temperature, and patterning and etching the annealed silicon layer, thereby defining a first and a second TFT regions R 1  and R 2  to serve as an N-channel TFT zone and a P-channel TFT zone, respectively. Then, as shown in FIG. 5( b ), a photoresist  52  is formed on the polysilicon layer  51  in the N-channel TFT zone R 1 , and an ion-implantation procedure is performed on the resulting polysilicon layer  51  with the photoresist  52  serving as a mask. By the ion-implantation procedure, B +  ions are implanted into the polysilicon layer  51  in the N-channel TFT zone R 1 . Then, as shown in FIG. 5( c ), a photoresist  53  is partially formed on the polysilicon layer  51  in the N-channel TFT zone R 1 , and PHx +  ions are implanted into the polysilicon layer  51  in the N-channel TFT zone R 1  with the photoresist  53  serving as a mask. After the photoresists  52  and  53  are removed, a gate insulator  55  is formed on the resulting structure. Then, a gate metal layer (for example made of molybdenum) is formed on the gate insulator  55 , and the gate metal layer is patterned to form gate structures  561  and  562 , as shown in FIG. 5( d ). The gate structure  561  has cross-sectional length substantially the same as that of the polysilicon layer  51  in the N-channel TFT zone R 1 . Another ion implantation procedure is performed on the resulting structure with the gate structure  562  serving as a mask in the P-channel TFT zone R 2 . The dopants are B 2 Hx +  ions, and source/drain regions  54  are formed. Then, the gate structure  561  is removed and replaced by another gate region  563  having cross-sectional length smaller than the gate structure  561  but greater than the channel region  510  of the polysilicon layer  51 . Preferably but not necessarily, the length of the gate structure  563  is equal to the total length of the channel region  510  plus the LDD regions  591 , as shown in FIG. 5( e ). Then, a photoresist  57  is formed on the gate region  563 , and the P-channel TFT zone is covered with a photoresist  58 . Then, PHx +  ions are implanted into the N-channel TFT zone with the photoresist  57  serving as a mask, thereby forming source/drain regions  59  and LDD regions  591  in the N-channel TFT zone R 1 . Afterwards, an interlayer dielectric layer  60  and source/drain conductive lines  61  are formed, as shown in FIG. 5( f ), to obtain the desired CMOS structure.  
         [0032]    From the above description, it is known that the process for fabricating the TFTLCD having an LDD region is performed without increasing masking steps when compared with the conventional self-aligned procedure. Advantageously, the TFTLCD fabricated according to the present invention has an LDD region and a gate metal overlapped with each other so as to achieve good device stability.  
         [0033]    While the invention has been described in terms of what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention needs not be limited to the disclosed embodiment. On the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims which are to be accorded with the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar structures.