Semiconductor device, an electronic device and an electronic apparatus

Abstract

A semiconductor device 1 includes: a base 2 mainly formed of a semiconductor material; a gate electrode 5 ; and a gate insulating film 3 provided between the base 2 and the gate electrode 5 . The gate insulating film 3 is formed of an insulative inorganic material containing silicon, oxygen and element X other than silicon and oxygen as a main material. The gate insulating film 3 is provided in contact with the base 2 , and contains hydrogen atoms. The gate insulating film 3 has a region where A and B satisfy the relation: B/A is 10 or less in the case where the total concentration of the element X in the region is defined as A and the total concentration of hydrogen in the region is defined as B. Further, the region is at least a part of the gate insulating film 3 in the thickness direction thereof.

1 . A semiconductor device comprising: 
 a base which is mainly formed of a semiconductor material;    an object to be insulated from the base; and    an insulating film provided between the base and the object for insulating the object from the base, the insulating film being formed of an insulative inorganic material as a main material, the insulative inorganic material containing silicon, oxygen and at least one kind of element other than silicon and oxygen, the insulating film being provided in contact with the base, the insulating film containing hydrogen atoms, and the object being a gate electrode and the insulating film being a gate insulating film for insulating the gate electrode from the base,    wherein the gate insulating film has a region in the vicinity of an interface between the gate insulating film and the base where A and B satisfy the relation: B/A is 10 or less (here, B is more than A) in the case where the total concentration of the at least one kind of element in the region is defined as A and the total concentration of hydrogen in the region is defined as B, in which the region is at least a part of the gate insulating film in the thickness direction thereof.    
   
   
       2 . (canceled)  
   
   
       3 . The semiconductor device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein, in the case where the average thickness of the gate insulating film is defined as Y, the region is located at a portion of the gate insulating film which resides within the thickness of Y/3 of the gate insulating film from the interface.  
   
   
       4 . The semiconductor device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the at least one kind of element includes at least one of nitrogen, carbon, aluminum, hafnium, zirconium, and germanium.  
   
   
       5 . The semiconductor device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the concentration of hydrogen and the concentration of the at least one kind of element are measured by means of Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry.  
   
   
       6 . The semiconductor device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein each hydrogen atom in at least a part of the hydrogen atoms is replaced by a deuterium atom.  
   
   
       7 . The semiconductor device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the average thickness of the gate insulating film is 10 nm or less.  
   
   
       8 . (canceled)  
   
   
       9 . The semiconductor device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the semiconductor device is adapted to be used under the condition that a gate voltage is applied to the gate electrode so that the electric field intensity in the gate insulating film is 10 MV/cm or less.  
   
   
       10 . The semiconductor device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the maximum leakage current passing through the gate insulating film in the thickness direction thereof that is measured in a state that the gate voltage is applied to the gate electrode so that the electric field intensity in the gate insulating film is 3 MV/cm or less is 2×10 −8  A/cm 2  or less.  
   
   
       11 . The semiconductor device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the total amount of electrical charges passing through the gate insulating film in the thickness direction thereof until a soft breakdown occurs in the gate insulating film is 40 C/cm 2  or more.  
   
   
       12 . The semiconductor device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the total amount of electrical charges passing through the gate insulating film in the thickness direction thereof until a hard breakdown occurs in the gate insulating film is 100 C/cm 2  or more.  
   
   
       13 . An electronic device comprising the semiconductor device defined by  claim 1 .  
   
   
       14 . An electronic apparatus comprising the electronic device defined by  claim 13.