Patents by Inventor Yoshimasa Chikama

Yoshimasa Chikama has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20230305201
    Abstract: A reflection plate includes a substrate, an insulation film disposed on the substrate and including projection portions and recesses on an uneven surface, and a reflection film disposed on the uneven surface and having a surface that conforms to the uneven surface and reflecting light. The projection portions are arranged at intervals and are inclined with respect to a normal direction of a surface of the substrate. The recesses are between the projection portions that are adjacent to each other. The projection portions include a first projection portion, a second projection portion, and a third projection portion that are inclined in different directions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2023
    Publication date: September 28, 2023
    Inventors: Yutaka SAWAYAMA, Yoshimasa CHIKAMA, Masamitsu YAMANAKA, Hideki KITAGAWA
  • Patent number: 11762252
    Abstract: A first substrate of a liquid crystal display device includes a plurality of gate wiring lines, a plurality of source wiring lines, a thin film transistor (TFT) provided in each of the pixels, a pixel electrode formed of a transparent conductive material and electrically connected to the TFT, a reflective electrode including a portion positioned in a reflective region, and a terminal portion disposed in a non-display region. The pixel electrode is formed in an upper layer above the reflective electrode, and the reflective electrode is not in contact with the pixel electrode. The terminal portion includes at least one of a first conductive layer formed in a same layer as that of the gate wiring lines and a second conductive layer formed in a same layer as that of the source wiring lines, and a third conductive layer formed in a same layer as that of the pixel electrode, and does not include a conductive layer formed in a same layer as that of the reflective electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshimasa Chikama, Masamitsu Yamanaka
  • Patent number: 11688743
    Abstract: An active matrix substrate includes a first TFT and a second TFT, each of TFTs includes an oxide semiconductor layer and a gate electrode arranged on a part of the oxide semiconductor layer with a gate insulating layer therebetween, in which in the first TFT, the oxide semiconductor layer, in a first region covered with the gate electrode with the gate insulating layer interposed between the oxide semiconductor layer and the gate electrode, has a layered structure including a lower oxide semiconductor film and an upper oxide semiconductor film throughout and a mobility of the upper oxide semiconductor film is higher than a mobility of the lower oxide semiconductor film, and in the second TFT, in at least a part of a first region of the oxide semiconductor layer, of the lower oxide semiconductor film and the upper oxide semiconductor film, one oxide semiconductor film is provided, and another oxide semiconductor film is not provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masamitsu Yamanaka, Yoshimasa Chikama
  • Publication number: 20230178561
    Abstract: An active matrix substrate includes a substrate, a plurality of thin-film transistors, a plurality of pixel electrodes, and a first insulating layer. Each pixel electrode is formed from a transparent conducting material. Each thin-film transistor includes a gate electrode, a gate insulating layer, source and drain electrodes, and an oxide semiconductor layer. The oxide semiconductor layer includes a channel region, a source contact region, and a drain contact region. The source electrode has a stack structure including a source transparent conducting layer and a source metal layer. The drain electrode includes a drain transparent conducting layer. The drain transparent conducting layer is formed integrally with a corresponding one of the plurality of pixel electrodes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2022
    Publication date: June 8, 2023
    Inventors: Hideki KITAGAWA, Yoshimasa CHIKAMA, Masamitsu YAMANAKA
  • Publication number: 20220317532
    Abstract: A first substrate of a liquid crystal display device includes a plurality of gate wiring lines, a plurality of source wiring lines, a thin film transistor (TFT) provided in each of the pixels, a pixel electrode formed of a transparent conductive material and electrically connected to the TFT, a reflective electrode including a portion positioned in a reflective region, and a terminal portion disposed in a non-display region. The pixel electrode is formed in an upper layer above the reflective electrode, and the reflective electrode is not in contact with the pixel electrode. The terminal portion includes at least one of a first conductive layer formed in a same layer as that of the gate wiring lines and a second conductive layer formed in a same layer as that of the source wiring lines, and a third conductive layer formed in a same layer as that of the pixel electrode, and does not include a conductive layer formed in a same layer as that of the reflective electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2022
    Publication date: October 6, 2022
    Inventors: Yoshimasa CHIKAMA, Masamitsu YAMANAKA
  • Patent number: 11385488
    Abstract: A curved display panel including a display surface curving at least around a curve axis and displaying an image, the curved display panel includes a first substrate; a second substrate spaced apart from, and facing, the first substrate; a plurality of pixels provided to the first substrate, and arranged in a matrix inside the display surface; a light shield provided to the second substrate, extending in a curve direction of the display surface, and dividing the pixels adjacent to each other in an orthogonal-to-curve direction extending along the display surface and orthogonal to the curve direction; and an indicator provided to the second substrate, and serving as a position indicator of each of the pixels in the curve direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshimasa Chikama, Masamitsu Yamanaka
  • Publication number: 20220005838
    Abstract: An active matrix substrate includes a first TFT and a second TFT, each of TFTs includes an oxide semiconductor layer and a gate electrode arranged on a part of the oxide semiconductor layer with a gate insulating layer therebetween, in which in the first TFT, the oxide semiconductor layer, in a first region covered with the gate electrode with the gate insulating layer interposed between the oxide semiconductor layer and the gate electrode, has a layered structure including a lower oxide semiconductor film and an upper oxide semiconductor film throughout and a mobility of the upper oxide semiconductor film is higher than a mobility of the lower oxide semiconductor film, and in the second TFT, in at least a part of a first region of the oxide semiconductor layer, of the lower oxide semiconductor film and the upper oxide semiconductor film, one oxide semiconductor film is provided, and another oxide semiconductor film is not provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2021
    Publication date: January 6, 2022
    Inventors: Masamitsu YAMANAKA, Yoshimasa CHIKAMA
  • Publication number: 20210397038
    Abstract: A curved display panel including a display surface curving at least around a curve axis and displaying an image, the curved display panel includes a first substrate; a second substrate spaced apart from, and facing, the first substrate; a plurality of pixels provided to the first substrate, and arranged in a matrix inside the display surface; a light shield provided to the second substrate, extending in a curve direction of the display surface, and dividing the pixels adjacent to each other in an orthogonal-to-curve direction extending along the display surface and orthogonal to the curve direction; and an indicator provided to the second substrate, and serving as a position indicator of each of the pixels in the curve direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2021
    Publication date: December 23, 2021
    Inventors: YOSHIMASA CHIKAMA, MASAMITSU YAMANAKA
  • Patent number: 11079636
    Abstract: An active matrix substrate includes TFTs, an interlayer insulating layer, a common electrode, a first dielectric layer, pixel electrodes, a second dielectric layer, and touch wirings, in which each of the pixel electrodes at least partially overlaps the common electrode via the first dielectric layer, so that an auxiliary capacitance including each of the pixel electrodes, the common electrode, and the first dielectric layer is formed, the touch sensor electrodes include a first electrode, the touch wirings include a first wiring and a second wiring in the touch sensor electrodes, the second wiring extends to the other electrode across the first electrode when viewed from a normal direction, and a portion of the second wiring overlaps the first electrode via the first and the second dielectric layers, so that a touch wiring capacitance including the second wiring, the first electrode, the first and the second dielectric layers is formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshiharu Hirata, Yoshihito Hara, Hideki Kitagawa, Tatsuya Kawasaki, Masaki Maeda, Teruyuki Ueda, Yoshimasa Chikama, Hajime Imai, Tohru Daitoh
  • Patent number: 11061263
    Abstract: Provided is a touch-panel-equipped display device that can achieve a desired touch detection performance even if it has a large-size high-definition panel. The touch-panel-equipped display device of the present invention includes an active matrix substrate (1). The active matrix substrate (1) includes, on a substrate (40), a plurality of pixel electrodes, a plurality of counter electrodes (21), and an insulating film (46) provided between the pixel electrodes and the counter electrodes (21). The active matrix substrate (1) further includes a plurality of signal lines (22) each of which is connected with any one of the counter electrodes (21), a plurality of switching elements that are connected with the pixel electrodes, respectively, and an organic insulating film (45) that is provided between the pixel electrodes and the signal lines (22) as well as the switching elements. The signal lines (22) are in contact with the substrate (40).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tetsuo Fujita, Yoshimasa Chikama, Yoshihito Hara, Yukinobu Nakata
  • Patent number: 11009758
    Abstract: A display panel displaying an image includes a first substrate, a second substrate disposed opposite the first substrate, electric optical substance sealed between the first substrate and the second substrate, a transistor disposed on the first substrate and supplying an electric signal to the electric optical substance and including an oxide semiconductor film as an activating layer, and a light blocking film disposed on the second substrate and blocking visible light from transmitting therethrough, the light blocking film having a hole in a position overlapping the transistor in a plan view.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshimasa Chikama, Jun Nishimura, Yoshiharu Hirata
  • Publication number: 20210124220
    Abstract: An active matrix substrate includes TFTs, an interlayer insulating layer, a common electrode, a first dielectric layer, pixel electrodes, a second dielectric layer, and touch wirings, in which each of the pixel electrodes at least partially overlaps the common electrode via the first dielectric layer, so that an auxiliary capacitance including each of the pixel electrodes, the common electrode, and the first dielectric layer is formed, the touch sensor electrodes include a first electrode, the touch wirings include a first wiring and a second wiring in the touch sensor electrodes, the second wiring extends to the other electrode across the first electrode when viewed from a normal direction, and a portion of the second wiring overlaps the first electrode via the first and the second dielectric layers, so that a touch wiring capacitance including the second wiring, the first electrode, the first and the second dielectric layers is formed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2020
    Publication date: April 29, 2021
    Inventors: Yoshiharu HIRATA, Yoshihito HARA, Hideki KITAGAWA, Tatsuya KAWASAKI, Masaki MAEDA, Teruyuki UEDA, Yoshimasa CHIKAMA, Hajime IMAI, Tohru DAITOH
  • Publication number: 20210103350
    Abstract: Provided is a touch-panel-equipped display device that can achieve a desired touch detection performance even if it has a large-size high-definition panel. The touch-panel-equipped display device of the present invention includes an active matrix substrate (1). The active matrix substrate (1) includes, on a substrate (40), a plurality of pixel electrodes, a plurality of counter electrodes (21), and an insulating film (46) provided between the pixel electrodes and the counter electrodes (21). The active matrix substrate (1) further includes a plurality of signal lines (22) each of which is connected with any one of the counter electrodes (21), a plurality of switching elements that are connected with the pixel electrodes, respectively, and an organic insulating film (45) that is provided between the pixel electrodes and the signal lines (22) as well as the switching elements. The signal lines (22) are in contact with the substrate (40).
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2017
    Publication date: April 8, 2021
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: TETSUO FUJITA, YOSHIMASA CHIKAMA, YOSHIHITO HARA, YUKINOBU NAKATA
  • Patent number: 10957712
    Abstract: A substrate of the present invention sequentially includes an insulating substrate, a lower layer, a first insulating film, a second insulating film, and an upper layer. The substrate is provided with a hole reaching at least one of the lower layer or the insulating substrate through at least the first insulating film and the second insulating film. The first insulating film includes in a region with the hole a protrusion that protrudes from an end portion in contact with the first insulating film of the second insulating film. The substrate includes a stepwise structure including the protrusion and the end portion. The upper layer coats the stepwise structure. An upper surface portion of the first insulating film in a region with the protrusion and an upper surface portion of the first insulating film in a region below the end portion of the second insulating film are coplanar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Ryuji Matsumoto, Yoshimasa Chikama, Hirokazu Furukawa
  • Patent number: 10777587
    Abstract: Provided is an active matrix substrate (1001) that includes multiple inspection TFTs (10Q) that are arranged in a non-display area (900), and an inspection circuit (200) that includes multiple inspection TFTs (10Q). At least one or more of the multiple inspection TFTs (10Q) are arranged within a semiconductor chip mounting area (R) in which a semiconductor chip is mounted. Each of the multiple inspection TFTs (10Q) includes a semiconductor layer, a lower gate electrode (FG) that is positioned on a side of the substrate of the semiconductor layer with a gate insulation layer in between, an upper gate electrode (BG) that is positioned on a side opposite to the side of the substrate of the semiconductor layer with an insulation layer including a first insulation layer in between, and a source electrode and a drain electrode that are connected to the semiconductor layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Jun Nishimura, Yoshihito Hara, Yoshimasa Chikama, Yukinobu Nakata
  • Publication number: 20200287054
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a thin film transistor including a semiconductor layer, a gate electrode, a gate insulating layer positioned between the semiconductor layer and the gate electrode, and a source electrode and a drain electrode that are electrically connected to the semiconductor layer, wherein the semiconductor layer has a stacked layer structure including a first oxide semiconductor layer including In, Ga, Zn, and Sn, and a second oxide semiconductor layer including In, Ga, Zn, and Sn, having a lower mobility than the first oxide semiconductor layer, and disposed on the first oxide semiconductor layer so as to be in direct contact with the first oxide semiconductor layer, the first and the second oxide semiconductor layers are amorphous, and a Sn atomic ratio R1 relative to all metal elements in the first oxide semiconductor layer and a Sn atomic ratio R2 relative to all metal elements in the second oxide semiconductor layer satisfy 0.8×R1?R2?1.2×R1.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2020
    Publication date: September 10, 2020
    Inventors: Masahiko SUZUKI, Hajime IMAI, Tetsuo KIKUCHI, Yoshimasa CHIKAMA, Setsuji NISHIMIYA, Teruyuki UEDA, Masamitsu YAMANAKA, Kengo HARA, Hitoshi TAKAHATA, Tohru DAITOH
  • Patent number: 10754210
    Abstract: A display device according to an aspect of the present invention includes a plurality of connection terminals and a plurality of lead lines, and the plurality of lead lines includes first lead lines, second lead lines, and third lead lines. Signal-line-side first lead lines are formed of a first conductive layer, signal-line-side second lead lines are formed of a second conductive layer, and signal-line-side third lead lines are formed of a third conductive layer. A lowest conductive layer of each switching element is formed of the second conductive layer. Among the plurality of lead lines, the connection-terminal-side first lead lines, the connection-terminal-side second lead lines, and the connection-terminal-side third lead lines are formed of conductive layers that include at least the third conductive layer but do not include the first conductive layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tetsuo Fujita, Yoshimasa Chikama, Yoshihito Hara, Yukinobu Nakata
  • Publication number: 20200257154
    Abstract: A display device according to an aspect of the present invention includes a plurality of connection terminals and a plurality of lead lines, and the plurality of lead lines includes first lead lines, second lead lines, and third lead lines. Signal-line-side first lead lines are formed of a first conductive layer, signal-line-side second lead lines are formed of a second conductive layer, and signal-line-side third lead lines are formed of a third conductive layer. A lowest conductive layer of each switching element is formed of the second conductive layer. Among the plurality of lead lines, the connection-terminal-side first lead lines, the connection-terminal-side second lead lines, and the connection-terminal-side third lead lines are formed of conductive layers that include at least the third conductive layer but do not include the first conductive layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2017
    Publication date: August 13, 2020
    Inventors: TETSUO FUJITA, YOSHIMASA CHIKAMA, YOSHIHITO HARA, YUKINOBU NAKATA
  • Publication number: 20200219903
    Abstract: A substrate of the present invention sequentially includes an insulating substrate, a lower layer, a first insulating film, a second insulating film, and an upper layer. The substrate is provided with a hole reaching at least one of the lower layer or the insulating substrate through at least the first insulating film and the second insulating film. The first insulating film includes in a region with the hole a protrusion that protrudes from an end portion in contact with the first insulating film of the second insulating film. The substrate includes a stepwise structure including the protrusion and the end portion. The upper layer coats the stepwise structure. An upper surface portion of the first insulating film in a region with the protrusion and an upper surface portion of the first insulating film in a region below the end portion of the second insulating film are coplanar.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2018
    Publication date: July 9, 2020
    Inventors: Ryuji MATSUMOTO, Yoshimasa CHIKAMA, Hirokazu FURUKAWA
  • Publication number: 20200201095
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device of the present invention includes: a pair of substrates; a liquid crystal layer; a plurality of TFTs; a plurality of pixel electrodes; a common electrode placed in such a manner as to overlap the pixel electrodes via an insulating film; a color filter placed between the TFTs and the pixel electrodes and placed in such a manner as to overlap each of the plurality of pixel electrodes, that includes a plurality of colored portions that exhibit different colors from one another; and a light-blocking conducting film provided on an array substrate, placed closer to the liquid crystal layer than the TFTs while having a light blocking effect, placed in such a manner as to overlap a boundary portion between two adjacent colored portions of the plurality of colored portions, and electrically connected to the common electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2018
    Publication date: June 25, 2020
    Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshimasa CHIKAMA, Jun NISHIMURA, Yoshiharu HIRATA