Abstract: A light-receiving circuit is provided which is capable of reducing component counts, improving light-receiving accuracy and increasing a dynamic range of an amount of received light. The light-receiving circuit includes a photodiode made of thin films formed on an insulating substrate, a transferring TFT (Thin Film Transistor) to transfer charges induced by the photodiode according to input light, a charge accumulating capacitor to accumulate transferred charges, and a reading TFT to transfer charges accumulated in the charge accumulating capacitor to a charge reading signal line.

Abstract: A driving circuit for a LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) panel is provided which is capable of performing overdriving operations in all shades of gray and of obviating the necessity of predetermining a driving pattern based on experimental results. The driving circuit for the LCD panel includes an operational amplifier to a non-inverted input terminal of which a voltage to charge a pixel for current gray level display is applied and to an inverted input of which a voltage for charging a corresponding pixel occurred one field before, a NAND circuit to detect an output state of operational amplifiers, a P-channel MOSFET (Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor) to switch operational states from one state in which the operational amplifier operates as a comparator to perform overdriving operations using source voltages to one state in which a pixel to be charged using a gray level voltage.

Abstract: A backlight for a color liquid crystal display apparatus includes a first light-guide plate; a first incidence part for receiving light of a first primary color in a first area on a first lateral surface of the first light-guide plate; a second incidence part for receiving light of a second primary color light in a second area on a second lateral surface that is opposite to the first lateral surface of the first light-guide plate; and a third incidence part for receiving light of a third primary color in a third area on a rear surface of the first light-guide plate. The number of superposition steps is thereby reduced, light-guide plates can easily be superposed onto an LCD panel with high accuracy, and a lightweight and inexpensive backlight for a color liquid crystal display apparatus can be obtained.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a thin film semiconductor device is provided which is capable of achieving simplification of manufacturing processes and of improving alignment accuracy without using a plurality of alignment masks. An alignment pattern is formed by using a resist layer having a plurality of regions each having a different film thickness corresponding to each of a plurality of patterns produced using a halftone mask having a halftone exposure region as a photomask and by forming a light transmitting portion to be an aperture pattern and by etching an underlying silicon layer. By having an underlying silicon layer exposed and implanting ions into an entire resist layer, only a main pattern region is doped with the ions.

Abstract: A lower capacitive electrode and a capacitive electrode of an opposite substrate are provided to mutually facing surfaces of a TFT substrate and the opposite substrate, respectively; and a seal member is provided to the peripheral part of both substrates. The seal member creates a predetermined gap between the substrates, and the surrounded space is sealed by the seal member. A pressure sensor measures pressure applied to the substrates based on variations in capacitance between the lower capacitive electrode and the facing-substrate capacitive electrode. An acceleration sensor is incorporated into the TFT substrate within the pressure sensor. The presence of the acceleration sensor inside the pressure sensor thereby eliminates the need for a separate pressure sensor and acceleration sensor, and allows a pressure sensor that improves the moisture resistance of the acceleration sensor to be provided.

Abstract: Prior to converting a non-single crystal material of a semiconductor film into a single crystal material through the use of a laser beam, at least one dopant is introduced into whole of the semiconductor film. Then, the non-single crystal semiconductor film is irradiated with a laser beam to crystallize the semiconductor film. In this case, a ratio between quasi-fermi level of the single crystal material within one of transistor formation regions used to form transistors of different conductivity types and quasi-fermi level of the single crystal material within the other thereof is made to be between 0.5:1 and 2.0:1. Thus, transistors of different conductivity types are formed in the crystallized semiconductor film.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display device is provided which is capable of improving display quality of moving images. In the liquid crystal display device, every time a driving pulse voltage is generated by a backlight driving circuit in synchronization with a timing signal fed from a lighting timing control section and is applied to a backlight and a scanning signal is applied to each scanning electrode of a liquid crystal panel, the backlight is turned OFF during a period before completion of a response of each liquid crystal molecule to application of a display signal and is turned ON at time of the completion of the response. When displacement of each of the liquid crystal molecules is large and therefore the change in light transmittance is large, the backlight is turned OFF and, therefore, no change in luminance on a display screen occurs, as a result, contrast of images can be improved.

Abstract: A backlight for a color liquid crystal display apparatus in which light of the three primary colors of red, blue, and green is directly incident on the corresponding pixels of a liquid crystal layer, the backlight comprising a first light-guide plate; a first incidence part for receiving light of a first primary color from among the light of the three primary colors in a first area on a first lateral surface of the first light-guide plate; a second incidence part for receiving light of a second primary color light from among the light of the three primary colors in a second area on a second lateral surface that is opposite to the first lateral surface of the first light-guide plate; and a third incidence part for receiving light of a third primary color from among the light of the three primary colors in a third area on a rear surface of the first light-guide plate.

Abstract: A driving circuit for a LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) panel is provided which is capable of performing overdriving operations in all shades of gray and of obviating the necessity of predetermining a driving pattern based on experimental results. The driving circuit for the LCD panel includes an operational amplifier to a non-inverted input terminal of which a voltage to charge a pixel for current gray level display is applied and to an inverted input of which a voltage for charging a corresponding pixel occurred one field before, a NAND circuit to detect an output state of operational amplifiers, a P-channel MOSFET (Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor) to switch operational states from one state in which the operational amplifier operates as a comparator to perform overdriving operations using source voltages to one state in which a pixel to be charged using a gray level voltage.

Abstract: A light-receiving circuit is provided which is capable of reducing component counts, improving light-receiving accuracy and increasing a dynamic range of an amount of received light. The light-receiving circuit includes a photodiode made of thin films formed on an insulating substrate, a transferring TFT (Thin Film Transistor) to transfer charges induced by the photodiode according to input light, a charge accumulating capacitor to accumulate transferred charges, and a reading TFT to transfer charges accumulated in the charge accumulating capacitor to a charge reading signal line.

Abstract: An optical biosensor that is capable of reading a fingerprint or a vein pattern with high efficiency of light reception. A louver is provided between a backlight unit and a substrate in a sensor for identifying a fingerprint by a process in which light emitted from the backlight unit passes through the substrate and is radiated to a fingerprint that is in contact with the upper surface of a protective layer, and light that is reflected according to the surface irregularity of the fingerprint is received by a semiconductor layer that is a light-receiving element. The emitted light is thereby provided with sharp directivity, and the efficiency of light reception by the sensor is therefore increased.

Abstract: A lower capacitive electrode and a capacitive electrode of an opposite substrate are provided to mutually facing surfaces of a TFT substrate and the opposite substrate, respectively; and a seal member is provided to the peripheral part of both substrates. The seal member creates a predetermined gap between the substrates, and the surrounded space is sealed by the seal member. A pressure sensor measures pressure applied to the substrates based on variations in capacitance between the lower capacitive electrode and the facing-substrate capacitive electrode. An acceleration sensor is incorporated into the TFT substrate within the pressure sensor. The presence of the acceleration sensor inside the pressure sensor thereby eliminates the need for a separate pressure sensor and acceleration sensor, and allows a pressure sensor that improves the moisture resistance of the acceleration sensor to be provided.

Abstract: A memory circuit includes a first resistor composed of chalcogenide, a second resistor composed of chalcogenide, and electrically connected in series to the first resistor, and an inverter having an input terminal electrically connected to a node through which the first and second resistors are electrically connected to each other.

Abstract: A circuit for driving a load with a constant current, includes a first transistor electrically connected in series to a load to be driven, a second transistor electrically connected in series to the load, and electrically connected in parallel with the first transistor, and a resistor electrically connected in series to the second transistor.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display device having a tablet function is provided which is capable of reliably preventing malfunction. Light receiving devices are made up of TFTs (Thin Film Transistors) having approximately the same structure as driving switching elements. A semiconductor layer making up the light receiving devices, in particular, is made up of a non-doped a-Si (amorphous silicon) layer and a doped n+-type a-Si layer. A gate electrode of each of light receiving TFTs is connected to its own source electrode and to its own drain electrode. This prevents each of the light receiving TFTs from being put, in error, into an ON state. The light receiving TFTs can be kept reliably in an OFF state irrespective of setting of a bias level, which prevents reliably malfunction. By detecting optical currents generated in the light receiving devices, light input positions can be identified accurately and reliably.

Abstract: In a semiconductor device having an N-channel MOS transistor and a P-channel MOS transistor, each of the N-channel and P-channel MOS transistors is made up of a polycrystal silicon layer, a gate insulating film, and a gate electrode containing a gate polysilicon on a glass substrate. A method of manufacturing the semiconductor device includes the steps of injecting an impurity into the gate polysilicon at a same time as or in a different step of impurity injection at a time of formation of source/drains of the MOS transistors or formation of an LDD (Lightly Doped Drain), to make an N-type of a gate polysilicon in the N-channel MOS transistor and make a P-type of a gate polysilicon in the P-channel MOS transistor and, furthermore, setting a thickness of the polycrystal silicon layer less than the width of a depletion layer which occurs when an inversion channel is formed. Thus, fluctuations in values of threshold voltages of the MOS transistors are reduced to realize low-voltage driving.

Abstract: A vertical diode formed by stacking semiconductor layers includes (1) a lower electrode whose surface is plasma-treated in a gas containing an element which becomes a P-type or N-type conductivity type, and (2) a non-doped semiconductor layer provided on the lower electrode. The P-type or N-type semiconductor area is formed in a contact surface of the non-doped semiconductor layer in contact with the plasma-treated surface of the lower electrode.

Abstract: In a semiconductor device having an N-channel MOS transistor and a P-channel MOS transistor, each of the N-channel and P-channel MOS transistors is made up of a polycrystal silicon layer, a gate insulating film, and a gate electrode containing a gate polysilicon on a glass substrate. A method of manufacturing the semiconductor device includes the steps of injecting an impurity into the gate polysilicon at a same time as or in a different step of impurity injection at a time of formation of source/drains of the MOS transistors or formation of an LDD (Lightly Doped Drain), to make an N-type of a gate polysilicon in the N-channel MOS transistor and make a P-type of a gate polysilicon in the P-channel MOS transistor and, furthermore, setting a thickness of the polycrystal silicon layer less than the width of a depletion layer which occurs when an inversion channel is formed. Thus, fluctuations in values of threshold voltages of the MOS transistors are reduced to realize low-voltage driving.

Abstract: A method for printing a printed pattern, comprising the steps of a printed pattern forming process for forming the printed pattern such as a resist made of an etching resistant member on an etching film formed on a substrate, and thereafter, a thinning process for thinning the resist in a thickness direction by using dry etching such as plasma ashing and wet etching such as developing processing before carrying out etching by using the printed pattern as a mask, and an etching process for etching an etching film by using the thinned printed pattern as the mask.

Abstract: A backlight for a color liquid crystal display apparatus includes a first light-guide plate; a first incidence part for receiving light of a first primary color in a first area on a first lateral surface of the first light-guide plate; a second incidence part for receiving light of a second primary color light in a second area on a second lateral surface that is opposite to the first lateral surface of the first light-guide plate; and a third incidence part for receiving light of a third primary color in a third area on a rear surface of the first light-guide plate. The number of superposition steps is thereby reduced, light-guide plates can easily be superposed onto an LCD panel with high accuracy, and a lightweight and inexpensive backlight for a color liquid crystal display apparatus can be obtained.