JP2004282050A - Thin-film integrated circuit device, ic label, vessel including thin-film integrated circuit mounted thereon, manufacturing method therefor, and commodity management method for commodity including vessel - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an unevenness on the surface of an integrated circuit made of a silicon wafer when mounted on a product container itself because the integrated circuit is thick, resulting in reduced design. Therefore, the present invention provides a thin film integrated circuit having a very small thickness and a thin film integrated circuit device having the thin film integrated circuit.
SOLUTION: The thin film integrated circuit of the present invention is characterized by including a semiconductor film as an active region (for example, a channel forming region in the case of a thin film transistor), unlike an integrated circuit formed by a conventional silicon wafer. Since the thin film integrated circuit of the present invention is very thin, its design is not impaired even when it is mounted on a product such as a card or a container.
[Selection] Fig. 6

Description

  The present invention relates to a thin film integrated circuit device having a memory and a microprocessor (central processing unit, CPU), etc., and mounting a thin and flexible thin film integrated circuit like paper, an IC label using the thin film integrated circuit device as a label, The present invention relates to a product container on which the thin film integrated circuit is mounted, and a method for manufacturing the container. Further, the present invention relates to a method for managing products as described above.

  In recent years, the number of cards carried per person has been increasing. All information is recorded on the card and rewritten as necessary, and the amount of recorded information is constantly increasing.

  Such an increase in the amount of information has become indispensable in various fields. For example, there is an increasing demand from the food industry and the manufacturing industry to strengthen the safety and management system of products, and the amount of information on products increases accordingly. However, the current product information is mainly information such as the country of manufacture, manufacturer, product number, etc., which is mainly provided by over ten digits of the barcode, and the amount of information is extremely small. Also, when a barcode is used, it takes time to read each barcode because it is performed manually.

  Therefore, a product management method using a network, in which an identifier of a returned product is input from a terminal of each store connected to the network, and information about the product is notified to the store via a server. There is. The product identifier is composed of a two-dimensional barcode, a character string, or the like, and is sent to the server via an input to a terminal of the store. In addition, the product has a removable storage medium for storing programs, data, or personal information related to the product, and the storage medium includes an IC card, a smart card, a card such as a compact flash (registered trademark) card, and the like. (See Patent Document 1).

  As another method, a unique ID number is assigned to each of the foods in the retail store, and consumers can access the Internet to browse the raw materials, producers, distribution channels, etc. of the food, and systems related to wireless tags For example, by using software, servers, etc. that process information read by readers / writers, providing necessary product information in response to inquiries, and improving the efficiency of production and distribution (See Non-Patent Document 1).

JP 2002-230141 Gazette Nikkei Electronics Nikkei BP issued February 1.18, p. 67-76

  With such an increase in the amount of information, when information is managed using bar codes, the amount of information that can be provided is limited. In addition, the amount of information to be provided is small, and manual reading time is spent, which is inefficient. Further, since the reading operation of the barcode is performed by hand, it is not possible to avoid a reading error or the like.

  In particular, with regard to the above documents, it was troublesome for consumers to access the Internet, and it was necessary to own a personal computer or the like. Furthermore, since an integrated circuit formed of a silicon wafer used for a wireless tag is thick, when it is mounted on a product container itself, irregularities are generated on the surface, and the design is reduced.

  Therefore, the present invention provides an integrated circuit (IC) having a large amount of information to be recorded, which is very thin unlike a conventional silicon wafer, and a thin film integrated circuit device having the thin film integrated circuit. That is the task. In particular, it is an object of the present invention to provide a product container which has a label (IC label) using a thin film integrated circuit mounted on a store product and which does not impair the design, and a method for manufacturing the same. Still another object of the present invention is to provide a method for managing a product on which an IC label is mounted.

  In view of the above problems, the present invention features a thin film integrated circuit device on which an integrated circuit (thin film integrated circuit) as thin as paper is mounted. The thin film integrated circuit of the present invention is characterized by having a semiconductor film as an active region (for example, a channel forming region in the case of a thin film transistor), unlike an integrated circuit formed by a conventional silicon wafer.

  In such an integrated circuit, the recordable data is only about several tens of bytes in the magnetic recording type, but the recordable data is generally about 5 KB or more, and a remarkably large capacity is secured. It is known to Therefore, a large amount of information can be provided in every field as compared with the barcode. For example, in the case of a thin film integrated circuit device in which a thin film integrated circuit is mounted on a card owned by an individual, a large amount of information can be recorded, which leads to more efficient information management. Further, by using a thin film integrated circuit, there is no need to carry a plurality of cards, and only one card is required. Further, by mounting a rewritable memory on the thin film integrated circuit, a thin film integrated circuit device which can rewrite information as needed can be provided.

  In addition, the thin film integrated circuit has a merit that there is no danger of data being read unlike magnetism and that stored data is not easily falsified. That is, the security of the recorded information can be ensured. In particular, for cards carried by individuals, security and high reliability are required. Further, by mounting a thin film integrated circuit, an alarm can be issued, and shoplifting and anti-theft effects can be obtained.

  Further, the present invention is characterized by providing a label (IC label) using a very thin thin film integrated circuit which does not impair the design of the product, and a product container on which the IC label is mounted.

  As a specific IC label, as shown in FIG. 6 (A), the thin film integrated circuit 72 is adhered (adhered) under the label 205 (back) adhered to the product 18 such as a bottle or a card and fixed. To form an IC label 204. Since the thin film integrated circuit of the present invention is formed of a semiconductor film having a thickness of about 500 nm, it is characterized by being extremely thin as compared with an IC formed by a silicon wafer. As a result, even if a thin film integrated circuit constituted by the semiconductor film of the present invention is mounted on a product as a label, the design is not impaired.

  FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view taken along a line aa ′ in FIG. 6A, in which the thin film integrated circuit of the present invention is arranged under a label, and is adhered and fixed to a product with an adhesive 41. Specifically, an IC label is shown. When the label 205 has adhesiveness, the adhesive 41 is unnecessary. FIG. 6C is a cross-sectional view taken along the line aa ′ in FIG. 6A, and the thin film integrated circuit is bonded and fixed to a product while the thin film integrated circuit of the present invention is sandwiched (held) between labels. A circuit device, an IC label as a specific example, is shown. At this time, the label 205 has adhesiveness on the surface in contact with the thin film integrated circuit, and further has an adhesive on the surface in contact with the product. When the label does not have adhesiveness, an adhesive may be used. Alternatively, a thin film integrated circuit may be directly transferred to a product, and a label may be attached thereon to complete the IC label.

  That is, the present invention provides a thin film integrated circuit device (specifically, an IC label) having a very thin thin film integrated circuit, and a product equipped with the thin film integrated circuit. Can be considered.

  With such an IC label, it is possible to improve the efficiency of distribution management such as merchandise management or sales routes, such as stock management, stock management, grasp of work processes, and grasp of delivery schedules. Further, a large amount of information such as inspection results for each raw material, place of origin, production (manufacturing) process, and history of distribution processes can be managed and provided to consumers.

  Since the thin film integrated circuit of the present invention as described above is very thin, it does not impair the design even if it is mounted on a product such as a card or a container, and records a much larger amount of information than barcodes and magnetism. be able to. Further, the thin film integrated circuit of the present invention can be appropriately used as a contact IC or a non-contact IC.

  With the thin film integrated circuit of the present invention having a very small thickness, information transaction or information management can be performed easily and in a short time. And a wide variety of information can be provided to those who need it. Further, even when an IC label is mounted on a product container, the design is not impaired because it is extremely thin.

  Further, the thin film integrated circuit of the present invention does not need to perform a back grinding process that causes cracks and polishing marks unlike an IC manufactured from a silicon wafer mounted on a wireless tag. Further, the variation in the thickness of the thin film also depends on the variation at the time of forming each of the films constituting the integrated circuit. Therefore, it is at most about several hundred nm, and several to several tens μm by the back grinding process. Can be dramatically reduced as compared to the variation in

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
However, the present invention can be implemented in many different modes, and it is easily understood by those skilled in the art that the mode and details can be variously changed without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Understood. Therefore, the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited to the description in this embodiment mode.
Note that in all the drawings for describing the embodiments, the same portions or portions having similar functions are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will not be repeated.

(Embodiment 1)
In this embodiment mode, a method for manufacturing a thin film integrated circuit of the present invention, which is manufactured using separation and transfer, will be described.

  First, a metal film 11 is formed on a first substrate 10 as shown in FIG. Note that the first substrate only needs to have rigidity enough to withstand a later peeling step, and for example, a glass substrate, a quartz substrate, a ceramic substrate, a silicon substrate, a metal substrate, or a stainless steel substrate can be used. As the metal film, an element selected from W, Ti, Ta, Mo, Nd, Ni, Co, Zr, Zn, Ru, Rh, Pd, Os, and Ir, or an alloy material or a compound material containing the above element as a main component , Or a laminate thereof. For example, a metal film may be formed by a sputtering method using a metal target. Note that the metal film may be formed to have a thickness of 10 nm to 200 nm, preferably 50 nm to 75 nm.

Instead of the metal film, a film in which the above metal is nitrided (for example, tungsten nitride or molybdenum nitride) may be used. Further, an alloy film of the above metal (for example, an alloy of W and Mo: W _x Mo _1-x ) may be used instead of the metal film. In this case, a plurality of targets such as a first metal (W) and a second metal (Mo) are used in the deposition chamber, or a target of an alloy of the first metal (W) and the second metal (Mo) is used. May be formed by a sputtering method using Further, nitrogen or oxygen may be added to the metal film. As a method of adding, for example, nitrogen or oxygen may be ion-implanted into a metal film, or a film formation chamber may be formed by a sputtering method in a nitrogen or oxygen atmosphere. At this time, a metal nitride may be used as a target.

  When a metal film is formed by a sputtering method, the thickness of a peripheral portion of a substrate may be uneven. For this reason, it is preferable to remove the film at the peripheral portion by dry etching. At this time, since the first substrate is not etched, silicon nitride oxide (SiON or SiNO) is provided between the first substrate 10 and the metal film 11. ) An insulating film containing nitrogen such as a film is preferably formed to a thickness of about 100 nm.

  By setting the method for forming the metal film in this manner, the peeling step can be controlled, and the process margin is widened. That is, for example, when a metal alloy is used, the peeling step can be controlled by controlling the composition ratio of each metal of the alloy. Specifically, it is possible to control the heating temperature for peeling and to control the necessity of heat treatment.

  After that, the layer to be peeled 12 is formed on the metal film 11. The layer to be peeled has an oxide film containing silicon and a semiconductor film, and may have an antenna in the case of a non-contact IC. In order to prevent intrusion of impurities or dust from the metal film or the substrate, an insulating film containing nitrogen such as a silicon nitride (SiN) film or a silicon nitride oxide (SiON or SiNO) film is formed below the layer to be peeled 12, particularly the semiconductor film. It is preferable to provide it as a base film.

  As the oxide film containing silicon, silicon oxide, silicon oxynitride, or the like may be formed by a sputtering method or a CVD method. Note that the thickness of the oxide film containing silicon is preferably about twice or more the thickness of the metal film. In this embodiment, the silicon oxide film is formed to a thickness of 150 nm to 200 nm by a sputtering method using a silicon target.

  When the oxide film containing silicon is formed, an oxide (metal oxide) 13 containing the metal is formed on the metal film. The metal oxide is a thin metal oxide formed on the surface of the metal film by treating with an aqueous solution containing sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, or nitric acid, an aqueous solution in which sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, or nitric acid is mixed with hydrogen peroxide, or ozone water. Can also be used. As still another method, a plasma treatment in an oxygen atmosphere or an oxidation treatment may be performed by generating ozone by irradiating ultraviolet rays in an oxygen-containing atmosphere, and heating to about 200 to 350 ° C. using a clean oven. Alternatively, it may be formed.

  The metal oxide may be formed to have a thickness of 0.1 nm to 1 μm, preferably 0.1 nm to 100 nm, and more preferably 0.1 nm to 5 nm.

  Note that an oxide film containing silicon, a base film, and the like provided between the semiconductor film and the metal film are collectively referred to as an insulating film. That is, a state in which a metal film, a metal oxide, an insulating film, and a semiconductor film are stacked, that is, a semiconductor film is provided on one surface of the insulating film, and a metal oxide and a metal film are provided on the other surface. What is necessary is just to be the structure which can be performed.

  Further, a predetermined manufacturing process is performed on the semiconductor film to form a semiconductor element, for example, a thin film transistor (TFT), an organic TFT, a thin film diode, or the like. These semiconductor elements constitute a CPU, a memory, and the like of the thin film integrated circuit. Then, in order to protect the semiconductor element, a protective film containing carbon such as DLC or carbon nitride (CN) or a protective film containing nitrogen such as silicon nitride (SiN) or silicon nitride oxide (SiNO or SiON) on the semiconductor element. Is preferably provided. A protective film having carbon and a protective film having nitrogen may be stacked.

After forming the layer 12 to be separated as described above, specifically, after forming the metal oxide, heat treatment is performed so that the metal oxide can be crystallized. For example, in the case where W (tungsten) is used for the metal film, when heat treatment is performed at 400 ° C. or higher, the metal oxide of WO ₂ or WO ₃ becomes a crystalline state. When heating is performed after the formation of the semiconductor film included in the layer to be separated 12, hydrogen in the semiconductor film can be diffused. It is considered that the valence of the metal oxide changes due to the hydrogen. In such a heat treatment, the temperature and necessity may be determined depending on the selected metal film. That is, the metal oxide may be crystallized as needed in order to easily perform the peeling.

  Further, the number of steps can be reduced by performing the heat treatment also as a manufacturing step of the semiconductor element. For example, heat treatment can be performed using a heating furnace or laser irradiation when a crystalline semiconductor film is formed.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 1B, the layer to be peeled 12 is attached to the second substrate 14 with the first adhesive 15. Note that it is preferable to use a substrate having higher rigidity than the first substrate 10 as the second substrate 14. As the first adhesive 15, it is preferable to use a peelable adhesive, for example, an ultraviolet peeling type that peels off by ultraviolet rays, a thermal peeling type that peels off by heat, a water-soluble adhesive that peels off by water, or a double-sided tape.

  Then, the first substrate 10 provided with the metal film 11 is separated using physical means (FIG. 1C). Although the drawing is a schematic diagram, it is not described, but in the crystallized metal oxide layer or at the boundary (interface) on both surfaces of the metal oxide, that is, the interface between the metal oxide and the metal film or the metal oxide. At the interface between the layer and the layer to be peeled. Thus, the layer to be separated 12 can be separated from the first substrate 10.

  At this time, in order to easily perform peeling, a part of the substrate may be cut, and a peeling interface on the cut surface, that is, a vicinity of an interface between the metal film and the metal oxide may be scratched with a cutter or the like.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 1D, the peeled layer 12 is affixed to a third substrate (for example, a label) 17 serving as a transfer body (a transfer destination) with a second adhesive 16. As the second adhesive 16, an ultraviolet curable resin, specifically, an adhesive such as an epoxy resin adhesive or a resin additive, a double-sided tape, or the like may be used. When the third substrate has adhesiveness, the second adhesive is not required.

  As a material of the third substrate, a substrate having flexibility (flexibility) such as paper or a plastic material such as polyethylene terephthalate, polycarbonate, polyarylate, or polyethersulfone can be used. Further, by coating or the like, unevenness on the surface of the film substrate may be reduced, or hardness, resistance, and stability may be increased.

  Next, the first adhesive 15 is removed, and the second substrate 14 is peeled off (FIG. 1E). Specifically, the first adhesive may be irradiated with ultraviolet rays, heated, or washed with water to remove the first adhesive.

  Note that the removal of the first adhesive and the curing of the second adhesive may be performed in one step. For example, when using a heat-releasing resin and a thermosetting resin, or an ultraviolet-releasing resin and an ultraviolet-setting resin, respectively, the first adhesive and the second adhesive are removed by one heating or ultraviolet irradiation. And curing. Note that the practitioner may select the adhesive in consideration of the translucency of the third substrate and the like.

  As described above, the thin film integrated circuit of the present invention is completed. Thereafter, the thin film integrated circuit is attached to a product such as a card, a container or a label, and a thin film integrated circuit device, that is, a product on which the thin film integrated circuit is mounted is completed. Of course, an IC label in which a thin film integrated circuit is sandwiched between labels may be formed and mounted (adhered or adhered) to a product. In addition, the surface of the product may be a curved surface such as a side surface of a bottle.

  Note that the metal oxide 13 may be completely removed from the thin film integrated circuit, or may be partially or mostly scattered (remaining) on the lower surface of the layer to be separated. If the metal oxide remains, it may be removed by etching or the like. Further, at this time, the oxide film containing silicon may be removed.

  Next, an example of a method for manufacturing a thin film integrated circuit device different from that in FIG. 1, in which an IC label is formed by transferring a layer to be peeled to the surface of a product will be described with reference to FIG.

  In FIG. 2A, the first substrate is separated, and the layer to be separated 12 is transferred to the surface of a product 18 such as a card or a container via the second adhesive 16.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 2B, the second substrate 14 is separated. FIG. 1 may be referred to for a method for peeling.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 2C, the label 17 is adhered so as to cover the layer to be peeled, thereby completing a product having an IC label. The label has an adhesive surface and is fixed over the thin film integrated circuit. At this time, an insulating film containing nitrogen such as silicon nitride oxide (SiNO or SiON) or an insulating film containing carbon such as DLC (diamond-like carbon) or CN (carbon nitride) is provided between the IC and the label. Good. Alternatively, an insulating film containing nitrogen and an insulating film containing carbon may be stacked. Further, it is preferable that the protective film be provided so as to cover the entire product.

  In addition, mass production can be performed by forming a plurality of thin film integrated circuits on a large-sized substrate by using the above method, and the cost of a thin film integrated circuit, that is, a thin film integrated circuit device can be reduced. .

  Note that the thin film integrated circuit of the present invention can be formed by peeling a layer to be peeled off from a first substrate by wet etching, dry etching, or laser irradiation, After the removal, it may be transferred to a third substrate.

  As described above, the thin film integrated circuit of the present invention has a thickness of about 250 to 750 nm, preferably 500 nm or less, while the thickness of an IC made of a silicon wafer used for a wireless tag is about 50 μm. It becomes very thin because it is formed by using the semiconductor film. For example, when a semiconductor film to be an active element, a gate insulating film, a gate electrode, an interlayer insulating film, a single-layer wiring, and a protective film are formed, a remarkably thin thin film integrated circuit of 1500 to 3000 nm is formed. be able to. As a result, the thin film integrated circuit of the present invention does not impair the design even if it is attached to a product such as a card or a container.

  Further, the thin film integrated circuit of the present invention does not need to perform a back grinding process that causes cracks and polishing marks, unlike an IC manufactured using a silicon wafer. In addition, since the variation in the thickness of the thin film also depends on the variation at the time of forming the semiconductor film and the like, it is at most about several hundred nm, which is smaller than the variation of several to several tens μm due to the back grinding process. Can be significantly reduced.

(Embodiment 2)
In this embodiment mode, a structure of a thin film integrated circuit and a principle of a non-contact type IC will be described. Note that a non-contact type thin film integrated circuit is employed as an IC label that can be read in a non-contact manner because, for example, the shape of a container has a curved surface or the like.

  First, FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the principle of a non-contact type thin film integrated circuit. The non-contact type integrated circuit unit 50 includes a CPU 51, a memory 52, an I / O port 53, and a coprocessor 54, and exchanges data via a path 55. Further, the IC has an RF (wireless) interface 56 and a non-contact interface 57. The reader / writer 60, which is a reading unit, has a non-contact interface 61 and an interface circuit 62, holds an IC over the reader / writer, and performs information transmission / exchange between the non-contact interfaces by radio waves or the like. . The reader / writer exchanges information with the host computer through an interface circuit. Of course, the host computer may have the reader / writer means.

  PROM, EPROM or EEPROM is used for the memory. In the case of PROM or EPROM, writing is not possible except when a card is issued, but EEPROM is rewritable. These memories may be selected according to the application.

  The feature of the non-contact type IC is that power is supplied by electromagnetic induction (electromagnetic induction), mutual induction (electromagnetic coupling) or static induction (electrostatic coupling) of a coiled antenna. It is a point. Further, by controlling the number of turns of the antenna, the height of the frequency to be received can be selected.

  FIG. 3 is a top view of a specific configuration of a non-contact type thin film integrated circuit. An antenna 31, a current circuit 32, and an integrated circuit unit 35 including the CPU 33 and the memory 34 described above are connected, and the antenna is connected to the IC via the current circuit. The current circuit 32 only needs to have a configuration including, for example, a diode and a capacitor, and has a function of converting an AC frequency received by the antenna into a DC.

  Next, a specific method of manufacturing an IC label will be described with reference to FIG. 4 which is a cross-sectional view taken along a line a-a ′ in FIG. Note that FIG. 4 illustrates a case where a thin film integrated circuit is held between labels as illustrated in FIG.

  FIG. 4A shows a metal oxide 42, an oxide film 43 containing silicon, a base film 44 containing an insulating film containing nitrogen, and a semiconductor film having an impurity region on a first label 40 via an adhesive 41. A gate electrode via the gate insulating film, a first interlayer insulating film 46 covering the gate electrode, a second interlayer insulating film 47, wiring connected to the impurity region, and an antenna 49 on the same layer (same layer) as the wiring. , A structure in which a second label 50 is provided over the wiring and the antenna with a protective film 49 interposed therebetween. Note that in the case of a contact-type thin film integrated circuit, a structure without an antenna may be employed.

  The semiconductor film, the impurity region, the gate electrode, and the like may be manufactured by a known method. For example, the base film is a stacked structure of SiNO and SiON, and the wiring is aluminum (Al), titanium (Ti), molybdenum (Mo), tungsten ( W) or a single layer or a laminated structure of a metal film selected from silicon (Si) (for example, Ti / Al-Si / Ti), and the gate electrode is tantalum (Ta), tungsten (W), titanium (Ti), molybdenum ( Mo), a single layer or a laminated (for example, W / TaN) structure of an element selected from aluminum (Al) and copper (Cu), and the semiconductor film is a material having silicon or silicon germanium; The insulating film may be formed using an insulating film containing nitrogen (passivation film), and the second interlayer insulating film may be formed using an inorganic material or an organic material.

  As the protective film, an organic resin film having flatness may be used in order to increase adhesiveness. Further, an insulating film containing nitrogen such as a silicon nitride (SiN) film or a silicon nitride oxide (SiNO or SiON) film, or an insulating film containing carbon such as DLC or CN for preventing impurities in the semiconductor film is stacked. It is preferable to form an insulating film.

  That is, a feature of the structure illustrated in FIG. 4A is that an antenna is formed in the same layer as a wiring. The manufacturing conditions of the antenna may be set as appropriate. For example, the antenna is etched into a predetermined shape at the same time as wiring using a wiring material, or formed using a conductive paste (specifically, a silver paste) by an inkjet method or a printing method. A recess may be formed in the second interlayer insulating film, an antenna material may be poured, and patterning may be performed by etch-back.

  FIG. 4B illustrates an example in which the antenna 48 is formed in the same layer as the gate electrode, which is different from FIG. That is, the gate electrode is etched into a predetermined shape at the same time as the gate electrode using a gate material, formed using a conductive paste (specifically, silver paste) by an inkjet method or a printing method, or formed using a first interlayer insulating film or a gate. A concave portion is formed in the insulating film, and an antenna material is poured into the insulating film. In the case of a contact type IC, a structure without an antenna may be employed.

  FIG. 4C illustrates an example in which an antenna and an IC portion are formed separately, different from FIGS. An IC having a CPU and a memory is transferred to a predetermined position, and the antenna 48 is formed using a conductive paste (specifically, a silver paste) by an inkjet method or a printing method. Then, the conductive paste is covered with a protective film 49. Of course, a protective film different from the protective film 49 may be used. At this time, the arrangement of the antenna and the integrated circuit portion may be set as appropriate. In the case of a contact type IC, a structure without an antenna may be employed.

  In FIG. 4, the label 50 becomes a product when the thin film integrated circuit is transferred to the label and then fixed to a product such as a card or a container with an adhesive, and when the thin film integrated circuit is directly transferred to the product, the label 40 becomes the product. Become a product.

  Further, FIG. 10 shows a configuration example in which a semiconductor element such as a thin film transistor is prevented from being damaged by stress when the thin film integrated circuit is mounted on a curved surface, that is, when the thin film integrated circuit is deformed by applying stress. FIG. 10 shows a thin film integrated circuit mounted on a product 100 such as a container or a card, and shows the periphery of a CPU 33 and a memory 34. Further, the present invention can be applied to any of the non-contact type and contact type thin film integrated circuits having the configuration described in any of FIGS. 4 (A) to 4 (C).

  First, as shown in FIG. 10A, a structure up to a first interlayer insulating film of a thin film transistor is formed. After that, a mask is arranged over the semiconductor film, and in a region where the semiconductor film is not provided, the first interlayer insulating film, the gate insulating film, and the base film are removed by etching to form an opening. Etching may be performed by a method that can obtain a predetermined selectivity, for example, dry etching may be used.

  Next, a second interlayer insulating film 47 including an organic material such as polyimide which is higher in elasticity than an inorganic material is formed so as to cover the opening. Then, the periphery (edge, edge) of the semiconductor film is surrounded by the second interlayer insulating film. As a result, the stress at the time of deformation concentrates on the second interlayer insulating film having an organic material, and mainly the second interlayer insulating film is deformed, so that the stress applied to the thin film transistor is reduced. Further, when deformation occurs, a portion (edge, corner) to which the most stress is applied is not an edge of the semiconductor film but an edge of the base film, so that stress concentration at the edge or interface of the semiconductor film can be suppressed. .

  That is, in this configuration, the opening may be formed so as to be a portion where the stress is most applied, except for the edge of the semiconductor film, and is not limited to the configuration in which the stress concentration is added to the edge of the base film. For example, in the case where the first and second base films to be stacked are provided, an opening may be formed up to the first base film to relax the stress on the semiconductor film.

  When an opening is formed and separated for each thin film transistor in this manner, a large number of locations for dispersing stress are provided, so that the semiconductor element is not broken even when the curve of the curved surface is steep, that is, even when the radius of curvature is small. , A thin film integrated circuit can be mounted.

  Further, the wiring is preferably formed so as to have a metal material having excellent malleability and ductility, and more preferably, the wiring is made thick to withstand stress due to deformation.

  Note that FIG. 10A illustrates an example in which an opening is formed for each thin film transistor; however, an opening may be formed and separated for each circuit block, that is, for each CPU or memory. In the case where separation is performed for each circuit block, the manufacturing process of an opening is easier than in the case where separation is performed for each thin film transistor. Since an opening is not provided between thin film transistors, the distance between adjacent thin film transistors is reduced and the degree of integration is reduced. improves.

  Next, an example will be described in which wiring is provided while separating a plurality of interlayer insulating films while separating each circuit block. For example, as shown in FIG. 10B, a plurality of second interlayer insulating films 47 (a) and 47 (b), a wiring for connecting a source / drain electrode and a source line or a drain line are stacked. Provide. In this case, an organic material is preferably used for the second interlayer insulating films 47 (a) and 47 (b), and an organic material is used for at least the uppermost second interlayer insulating film 47 (b), and an organic material is used for the opening. Should just be filled. If an organic material is used only for the uppermost second interlayer insulating film, the thin film transistor can be formed after the heat treatment is completed, so that a lower heat-resistant acrylic or the like can be used, and the choice of the organic material is expanded. .

  Next, a thin film integrated circuit having a structure in which thin film transistors are stacked and separated into circuit blocks is described. The stacked structure may be manufactured by peeling and transferring in a state where the thin film transistor is formed by the method shown in FIG. 1 or FIG. Since the thin film integrated circuit of the present invention has a very small thickness, it may be stacked.

  For example, in the case of a thin film integrated circuit having a stacked structure as illustrated in FIG. 10C, the second interlayer insulating film 47 in each thin film transistor is formed to have a highly elastic organic material. For example, in the structure illustrated in FIG. 10B, an organic material is preferably used for a second interlayer insulating film in each thin film transistor, and an organic material is preferably used for an interlayer insulating film of a wiring layer connecting between thin film transistors.

  As shown in FIG. 10, an opening may be formed, and a second interlayer insulating layer having a highly elastic organic material for relaxing stress may be provided in the opening.

  As described above, the non-contact type thin film integrated circuit of the present invention is a remote type having a distance of up to 2 mm from a card reader / writer, a proximity type having a distance of up to 70 cm, a proximity type having a distance of up to 10 cm, and a contact type having a distance of several cm. It can be. Considering work at the production and manufacturing sites, the proximity type to the close contact type are preferred.

  The frequency is generally microwave for the remote type, 13.56 MHz for the proximity type and the proximity type, and 4.91 MHz for the contact type, but the number of turns of the antenna is reduced by increasing the frequency and shortening the wavelength. it can.

  In addition, non-contact type thin film integrated circuits do not contact a reader / writer and supply power and communicate information in a non-contact manner compared to contact type thin film integrated circuits, so they are not damaged, have high durability, static electricity, etc. There is no need to worry about errors. Further, the configuration of the reader / writer itself does not become complicated, and the thin film integrated circuit may be held over the reader / writer, so that the handling is easy.

  Since the non-contact type or contact type thin film integrated circuit formed as described above is extremely thin, even if the thin film integrated circuit is mounted on a product such as a card or a container, the design is not spoiled. Furthermore, in the case of a non-contact type thin film integrated circuit, the antenna can be integrally formed with the IC, and it is easy to directly transfer the antenna to a product having a curved surface.

(Embodiment 3)
In this embodiment, a method of reading information from a product equipped with an IC label will be described. In this embodiment, a case where the IC label is a non-contact type will be described.

  A product on which a thin film integrated circuit 72 is mounted is held over a sensor unit 71 of a reader / writer body 70 as shown in FIG. The display unit 73 displays the raw materials and the place of origin of the product, the inspection results for each production (manufacturing) process, the history of the distribution process, and the like, and further displays information on the product such as a description of the product. Of course, it is not always necessary to provide the display unit in the reader / writer, and it may be provided separately. Such a reader / writer may be installed on a shelf on which products are displayed.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 7B, a portable information terminal owned by an individual, for example, a mobile phone main body 80 has a reader function mounted thereon, and a thin film integrated circuit 82 is mounted on a sensor section 81 provided in a part of the main body. The displayed product is held up and information is displayed on the display unit 83. Then, similarly, information on the product is displayed. Of course, it is not always necessary to provide a display unit in a portable information terminal serving as a reader / writer, and it may be provided separately.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 7C, the sensor unit 91 of the portable reader main body 90 owned by the individual is held over a product on which the thin film integrated circuit 92 is mounted, and information is displayed on the display unit 93. Then, similarly, information on the product is displayed. Of course, it is not always necessary to provide the display unit in the reader / writer, and it may be provided separately.

  Although the non-contact type reader / writer has been described in the present embodiment, information may be displayed on the display unit even if the type is a contact type. Alternatively, a display unit may be provided on the product itself on which the non-contact type or contact type thin film integrated circuit is mounted to display information.

  In this way, the consumer can freely obtain a wealth of information on the product as compared with the information provided by the wireless tag or the like. Of course, the product management can be performed quickly and accurately by the thin film integrated circuit.

(Embodiment 4)
In the present embodiment, a method for managing a product equipped with an IC label and a flow of information and a product will be described. In this embodiment, a case where the IC label is a non-contact type will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 8, information necessary for merchandise management is input to the host computer before the merchandise is shipped from the manufacturer or before the merchandise is displayed. For example, a cardboard packed with a plurality of products 200 on which an IC label 204 is mounted is passed through a reader / writer 203 by using a conveying means 201 such as a belt conveyor, and information on the products is input to a computer. At this time, a reader / writer can be directly connected to the computer. Of course, the information input by the reader / writer may be performed not for each cardboard but for each product.

  Information about a large number of products recorded on the thin film integrated circuit can be immediately input to the computer 202. The computer is provided with software having a function of processing information on the product. Of course, information processing may be performed by hardware. As a result, as compared with the conventional operation of reading bar codes one by one, the time, labor, and mistakes spent on information processing are reduced, and the burden on product management is reduced.

  FIG. 9 shows the flow of information and products among producers (manufacturers), sellers, and consumers. Producers (manufacturers) provide merchants or consumers with products equipped with thin-film integrated circuits. Then, the seller can provide the producer (manufacturer) with, for example, price information and sales information such as the number of sold products and the purchase time at the time of settlement of the consumer. On the other hand, consumers can provide purchase information such as personal information. For example, purchase information can be provided to a seller or a producer (manufacturer) via a net by a credit cart equipped with a thin film integrated circuit, a personal reader, or the like.

  In addition, the seller can provide the consumer with product information by using the thin film integrated circuit, and the seller can obtain purchase information from the consumer. Such sales information and purchase information are valuable information and are useful for future sales strategies.

  As means for providing various information, information read by a reader of a seller or a consumer from a thin film integrated circuit is disclosed to a producer (manufacturer), a seller, or a consumer via a computer or a network. There is a way.

  As described above, various kinds of information can be provided to necessary persons through the thin film integrated circuit, and the thin film integrated circuit of the present invention is useful in merchandise transactions or merchandise management.

3A to 3C illustrate a method for manufacturing a thin film integrated circuit of the present invention. 3A to 3C illustrate a method for manufacturing a thin film integrated circuit of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing details of a thin film integrated circuit of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing details of a thin film integrated circuit of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the principle of a non-contact type thin film integrated circuit of the present invention. The figure which shows the goods in which the thin film integrated circuit of this invention is mounted. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a reader / writer of a non-contact type thin film integrated circuit of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a diagram for leading a product equipped with an IC label according to the present invention. The figure which shows the relationship with a producer (manufacturer), a seller, and a consumer. 3A to 3C illustrate a method for manufacturing a thin film integrated circuit of the present invention.

Claims (39)

A thin-film integrated circuit device including a thin-film integrated circuit provided on an insulating film and having a plurality of semiconductor films separated from each other as an active region. A thin film integrated circuit provided on one surface of the insulating film and having a plurality of semiconductor films separated from each other as an active region;
A metal oxide provided on the other surface of the insulating film;
And a thin film integrated circuit device. A thin film integrated circuit including a thin film transistor provided on one surface of the insulating film and including a plurality of semiconductor films separated from each other as a channel formation region;
A metal oxide provided on the other surface of the insulating film;
And a thin film integrated circuit device. According to claim 2 or 3, the thin film integrated circuit device, wherein the metal oxide is WO ₂ or WO _3. The metal oxide according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the metal oxide is an element selected from W, Ti, Ta, Mo, Nd, Ni, Co, Zr, Zn, Ru, Rh, Pd, Os, and Ir, and the metal is a main component. Or an oxide of a compound of the metal. Including a thin film integrated circuit provided on an insulating film, having a plurality of semiconductor films separated from each other as an active region,
An IC label having a means for attaching to one side of the container. Including a thin film integrated circuit provided on an insulating film, having a plurality of semiconductor films separated from each other as an active region,
An IC label characterized in that one surface has a means for attaching to a container and the other surface has a surface on which characters, symbols or figures can be printed. The IC label according to claim 6, wherein the IC label is a non-contact type. An IC label having a non-contact type thin film integrated circuit adhered to a container,
The thin film integrated circuit has, as active regions, a plurality of semiconductor films separated from each other provided on an insulating film, and a gate electrode provided on the semiconductor film,
An IC label having an antenna on the same layer as the gate electrode. 10. The IC label according to claim 9, wherein the antenna has the same material as the gate electrode. An IC label having a non-contact type thin film integrated circuit adhered to a container,
The thin film integrated circuit has, as an active region, a plurality of semiconductor films separated from each other provided on an insulating film, and a wiring connected to an impurity region of the semiconductor film,
An IC label having an antenna on the same layer as the wiring. The IC label according to claim 11, wherein the antenna has the same material as the wiring. The IC label according to claim 9 or 11, wherein the antenna has a conductive paste. A container to which a thin film integrated circuit provided on an insulating film and having a plurality of semiconductor films separated from each other as an active region is bonded. A thin film integrated circuit provided on one surface of the insulating film and having a plurality of semiconductor films separated from each other as an active region;
A container, wherein a metal oxide provided on the other surface of the insulating film is bonded. A thin film integrated circuit provided on one surface of the insulating film and having a plurality of semiconductor films separated from each other as an active region;
A container, wherein a metal oxide provided on the other surface of the insulating film is bonded. A container to which a non-contact type thin film integrated circuit is bonded,
The thin film integrated circuit is provided as an active region on a same layer as the plurality of semiconductor films provided on one surface of an insulating film, a plurality of separated semiconductor films, a gate electrode provided on the plurality of semiconductor films, and the gate electrode. And an antenna,
The other surface of the insulating film contains a metal oxide. A container to which a non-contact type thin film integrated circuit is bonded,
The thin film integrated circuit is provided as an active region on the same layer as the plurality of semiconductor films provided on one surface of an insulating film, separated from each other, a wiring connected to an impurity region of the semiconductor film, and the wiring. Having an antenna,
The other surface of the insulating film contains a metal oxide. The container according to any one of claims 14 to 18, wherein the thin film integrated circuit is covered with a label. 20. The container according to claim 19, further comprising a protective film having a DLC film or a CN film between the thin film integrated circuit and the label. 19. The method according to claim 14, wherein the thin film integrated circuit is sandwiched between a first label and a second label, and the second label is attached via an adhesive. Container. Forming a metal film on the first substrate,
Forming an insulating film in which an oxide film containing silicon and an insulating film containing nitrogen are stacked on the metal film;
Forming a semiconductor film on the insulating film,
Forming a thin film integrated circuit having the semiconductor film,
Bonding a second substrate on the semiconductor film via a first adhesive, separating the first substrate,
A method for manufacturing a thin film integrated circuit device, comprising: bonding the metal film and a third substrate via a second adhesive; removing the first adhesive; and separating the second substrate.
A method for manufacturing a thin film integrated circuit device, wherein a metal oxide is formed over the metal film, and the metal oxide is separated in a layer of the metal oxide or at a boundary of the metal film or the metal oxide. 23. The method for manufacturing a thin film integrated circuit device according to claim 22, wherein the thin film integrated circuit device has an antenna formed of a conductive paste using a printing method. Forming a metal film on the first substrate,
Forming an insulating film in which an oxide film containing silicon and an insulating film containing nitrogen are stacked on the metal film;
Forming a semiconductor film on the insulating film,
On the semiconductor film, a gate electrode and an antenna are formed in the same layer to form a thin film integrated circuit,
Bonding a second substrate on the gate electrode and the antenna via a first adhesive, separating the first substrate,
A method for manufacturing a thin film integrated circuit device, comprising: bonding the metal film and a third substrate via a second adhesive; removing the first adhesive; and separating the second substrate.
A method for manufacturing a thin film integrated circuit device, wherein a metal oxide is formed over the metal film, and the metal oxide is separated in a layer of the metal oxide or at a boundary of the metal film or the metal oxide. Forming a metal film on the first substrate,
Forming an insulating film in which an oxide film containing silicon and an insulating film containing nitrogen are stacked on the metal film;
Forming a semiconductor film having an impurity region on the insulating film,
Forming a thin film integrated circuit by forming a wiring and an antenna connected to the impurity region in the same layer on the semiconductor film,
Bonding a second substrate on the wiring and the antenna via a first adhesive, separating the first substrate,
A method for manufacturing a thin film integrated circuit device, comprising: bonding the metal film and a third substrate via a second adhesive; removing the first adhesive; and separating the second substrate.
A method for manufacturing a thin film integrated circuit device, wherein a metal oxide is formed over the metal film, and the metal oxide is separated in a layer of the metal oxide or at a boundary of the metal film or the metal oxide. 26. The method for manufacturing a thin film integrated circuit device according to claim 22, wherein the oxide film containing silicon is formed over the metal film by a sputtering method. 27. The method for manufacturing a thin film integrated circuit device according to claim 26, wherein when forming an oxide film containing silicon over the metal film, the metal is oxidized to form the metal oxide. The method for manufacturing a thin film integrated circuit device according to any one of claims 22 to 27, wherein the metal oxide is crystallized by heating. 29. The method for manufacturing a thin film integrated circuit device according to claim 22, wherein the removal of the first adhesive and the curing of the second adhesive are performed in the same step. 30. The metal film according to claim 22, wherein the metal film is an element selected from W, Ti, Ta, Mo, Nd, Ni, Co, Zr, Zn, Ru, Rh, Pd, Os, and Ir. A method for manufacturing a thin film integrated circuit device, comprising: an alloy mainly composed of: or a compound of the metal. 31. The thin film integrated circuit device according to claim 22, wherein the first adhesive is formed of an adhesive having an ultraviolet release resin, a heat release resin, or a water-soluble resin, or a double-sided tape. Method of manufacturing. The thin film integrated circuit device according to any one of claims 22 to 31, wherein the second adhesive is formed of an adhesive having an ultraviolet curable resin, a thermosetting resin, or a water-soluble resin, or a double-sided tape. Method of manufacturing. Forming a metal film on the first substrate,
Forming an insulating film in which an oxide film containing silicon and an insulating film containing nitrogen are stacked on the metal film;
Forming a semiconductor film on the insulating film,
Bonding a second substrate on the semiconductor film via a first adhesive, separating the first substrate,
Production of a container to which a thin film integrated circuit formed by separating the second substrate is adhered by adhering the metal film and the container via a second adhesive, removing the first adhesive, and separating the second substrate. The method,
A method for manufacturing a container, comprising forming a metal oxide on the metal film and separating the metal oxide in a layer of the metal oxide or at a boundary of the metal film or the metal oxide. Forming a metal film on the first substrate,
Forming an insulating film in which an oxide film containing silicon and an insulating film containing nitrogen are stacked on the metal film;
Forming a semiconductor film on the insulating film,
Bonding a second substrate on the semiconductor film via a first adhesive, separating the first substrate,
Bonding the metal film and the container via a second adhesive, removing the first adhesive, separating the second substrate,
A method for manufacturing a container to which a thin film integrated circuit on which a protective film is formed covering the container is bonded.
A method for manufacturing a container, comprising forming a metal oxide on the metal film and separating the metal oxide in a layer of the metal oxide or at a boundary of the metal film or the metal oxide. 35. The method according to claim 34, wherein the protective film has DLC. A thin film integrated circuit having a semiconductor film provided on one surface of the insulating film;
A method for managing a product having a container, wherein the metal oxide provided on the other surface of the insulating film is adhered,
A product management method, wherein the product is held over a reading unit and information obtained from the reading unit is provided to a consumer or a seller. 37. The product management method according to claim 36, wherein the information is displayed on a display unit connected to the reading unit. A thin film integrated circuit having a semiconductor film provided on one surface of the insulating film;
A method for managing a product having a container, wherein the metal oxide provided on the other surface of the insulating film is adhered,
A product management method, wherein the product is held over a reading unit, and information obtained from the reading unit is provided to a manufacturer or a seller via a network. 39. The method according to claim 36, wherein the reading unit is mounted on a portable information terminal.

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