Abstract: Method of fabricating a semiconductor circuit is initiated with formation of an amorphous silicon film. Then, a second layer containing at least one catalytic element is so formed as to be in intimate contact with the amorphous silicon film, or the catalytic element is introduced into the amorphous silicon film. This amorphous silicon film is selectively irradiated with laser light or other equivalent intense light to crystallize the amorphous silicon film.

Abstract: By repeating a purification process of a light-emitting organic compound several times, a thin film made of the light-emitting organic compound to be used in an EL display device contains ionic impurities at the concentration of 0.1 ppm or lower and has a volume resistivity in the range of 3×1010 &OHgr;cm or larger. By using such a thin film as a light-emitting layer in the EL device, a current caused by reasons other than the carrier recombination can be prevented from flowing through the thin film, and deterioration caused by unnecessary heat generation can be suppressed. Accordingly, it is possible to obtain an EL display device with high reliability.

Abstract: A signal point arrangement dispersion calculation circuit whose circuit scale is small. The phase of a demodulation baseband signal is turned by a 22.5° turning remapper (3) at a speed twice the speed of the symbol rate of the demodulation baseband signal. The signal point position of the demodulation baseband signal is found by a signal point arrangement conversion circuit (73) in accordance with the demodulation baseband signal and the baseband signal whose phase is turned by a phase turning circuit. The signal point arrangement of the demodulation baseband signal is converted into the position of the first quadrant in accordance with the found signal point position from the demodulation baseband signal and the baseband signal whose phase is turned 45° by the two successive rotations made by the 22.5° turning remapper (3), and the dispersion is obtained in accordance with the baseband signal whose signal point arrangement is converted.

Abstract: A digital demodulator that eliminates the need for an absolute phase circuit is provided. In a digital demodulator for a digital broadcasting receiver that receives digital time-division multiplexed signals of different types of modulation, the demodulated baseband signal is selectively inverted by an inverter (7) according to an inversion command signal “0” or “1” that is output from an inversion decision circuit (6) depending on a BPSK signal of a known pattern. A phase error detector (8) for carrier reproduction determines the phase error voltage based on the phase difference between the absolute phase and the phase of the signal point of the demodulated baseband signal output from the inverter (7). The phase error voltage is passed through a carrier filter (9), including a low-pass filter, to control the carrier frequency so that carrier reproduction can be carried out with the phase at the signal point being coincident with the point of phase convergence.

Abstract: A semiconductor device having improved reliability is provided. The semiconductor device has a pixel portion. The pixel portion has a TFT and a storage capacitor. The TFT and the storage capacitor has a semiconductor layer which includes first and second regions formed continuously. The TFT has the first region of the semiconductor layer including a channel forming region, a source region and a drain region located outside the channel forming region, a gate insulating film adjacent to the first region of the semiconductor layer, and a gate electrode formed on the gate insulating film. The storage capacitor has the second region of the semiconductor layer, an insulating film formed adjacent to the second region of the semiconductor layer, and a capacitor wiring formed on the insulating film. The second region of the semiconductor layer contains an impurity element for imparting n-type or p-type conductivity.

Abstract: A semiconductor device having high TFT characteristics is realized. In a pixel matrix circuit of an AM-LCD, a lower electrode of a storage capacitor is made to include an element in group 15 and a catalytic element used for crystallization, so that its resistance is reduced. Further, a dielectric of the storage capacitor is made thin, so that capacity can be secured without increasing an area for formation of the capacitance. Thus, it becomes possible to secure sufficient storage capacitor even in the AM-LCD having a size of 1 inch or less in diagonal without lowering an opening ratio.

Abstract: There is a problem in that a possibility of a carrier being caused on an interface between a semiconductor layer and an insulating film is high, and the carrier is injected into the insulating film and the interface between the insulating film and the semiconductor layer, so that a threshold rises.

Abstract: A laser processing process which comprises laser annealing a silicon film 2 &mgr;m or less in thickness by irradiating at laser beam 400 nm or less in wavelength and being operated in pulsed mode with a pulse width of 50 nsec or more, and preferably, 100 nsec or more. A laser processing apparatus which comprises a laser generation device and a stage for mounting thereon a sample provided separately from said devices to thereby prevent transfer of vibration attributed to the movement of the stage to the laser generation device and the optical system. A stable laser beam can be obtained to thereby improve productivity.

Abstract: There is provided an active matrix type semiconductor display device which realizes low power consumption and high reliability. In the active matrix type semiconductor display device of the present invention, a counter electrode is divided into two, different potentials are applied to the two counter electrodes, respectively and inversion driving is carried out each other. Since a potential of an image signal can be made low by doing so, it is possible to lower a voltage necessary for operation of a driver circuit. As a result, it is possible to realize improvement of reliability of an element such as a TFT and reduction of consumed electric power. Moreover, since it is possible to lower a voltage of a timing pulse supplied by the driver circuit, a booster circuit can be omitted, and reduction of an area of the driver circuit can be realized.

Abstract: An insulated gate field effect transistor comprises a non-single-crystalline semiconductor layer formed on a substrate, a gate electrode is formed on a portion of the surface of said semiconductor layer, and a gate insulated film is disposed between said gate electrode and said semiconductor layer. A non-single-crystalline channel region is defined within said semiconductor layer just below said gate electrode. A source region and a drain region are transformed from and defined within said semiconductor layer immediately adjacent to said channel region in an opposed relation, said source and drain regions being crystallized to a higher degree than that of said channel region by selectively irradiating portions of said semiconductor layer using said gate electrode as a mask.

Abstract: A disc reproduction apparatus capable of stabilizing the position of the circumferential edge of a disc during the disc loading and preventing the disc from abutting on a turntable. In the disc reproduction apparatus of the type that a disc squeezed between a disc guide and a disc roller is loaded while the roller is rotated, a disc contact surface of the disc guide is slanted so that the disc is spaced from a turntable along a disc transport direction when the disc is loaded.

Abstract: A semiconductor device comprising a substrate having an insulating surface layer and an active layer comprising a semiconductor thin film formed thereon, wherein the substrate and the insulating surface layer in contact with the substrate each has at least one concave part, and the influence of the concave part is removed by conducting a flattening treatment and heat treatment of the undercoat film of the semiconductor thin film.

Abstract: To a provide a method of forming a layered film of a silicon nitride film and a silicon oxide film on a glass substrate in a short time without requiring a plurality of film deposition chambers. In a thin film transistor, a layered film including a silicon nitride oxide film (12) is formed between a semiconductor layer (13) and a substrate (11) using the same chamber. The silicon nitride oxide film has a continuously changing composition ration of nitrogen or oxygen. An electric characteristic of the TFT is thus improved.

Abstract: An information input/output apparatus comprising a display device, a screen on which an image displayed on the display device is projected with magnification, and a position detecting means for detecting a position of an arbitrarily designated particular point on the screen.

Abstract: In a picture display device, a picture having high gradation is obtained by using an alternating method which can deal with a video signal having a high frequency band region. On the basis of an input signal, a signal processing circuit outputs a pair of analog video signals (a signal reversal frequency is one frame), which have inversion relationships with each other, to a signal line drive circuit, and the signal line drive circuit applies one of the inputted pair of video signals to an odd signal line, and applies the other of the video signals to an even signal line, so that source line reversal drive is carried out.

Abstract: I and Q symbol streams are demodulated from a received signal of a wave to be PSK-modulated in which BPSK-modulated frame-synchronizing signal and superframe-identifying signal respectively having a 20-symbol length and an 8 PSK-modulated digital signal are time-multiplexed by a demodulating circuit (1). BPSK-demapped bit streams B0 to B3 are generated by a BSPK demapper (3) in accordance with criterion border lines obtained by rotating a basic BPSK criterion border line and a basic criterion border line whose received-signal points are the same as Q-axis on, I-Q phase plane by &pgr;/4, 2&pgr;/4, and 3&pgr;/4 counterclockwise.

Abstract: A magnetic recording medium having a diamond-like carbon (DLC) film added therein a Group IV element of the periodic table such as silicon, particularly in the vicinity of the boundary between the magnetic material and the formed DLC film. Since a DLC having low friction coefficient can be formed, the centerline average roughness can be reduced to 30 nm or even less. Accordingly, a magnetic recording medium improved in magnetic properties and in lubricity can be obtained.

Abstract: After an amorphous semiconductor thin film is crystallized by utilizing a catalyst element, the catalyst element is removed by performing a heat treatment in an atmosphere containing a halogen element. A resulting crystalline semiconductor thin film has features that it exhibits {111} orientation and that almost all crystal lattices have continuity at a crystal boundary. This type of grain boundaries greatly contribute to improving the carrier mobility, and make it possible to realize, semiconductor devices having very high performance.

Abstract: A monolithic circuit comprises a plurality of thin film transistors. Source and drain regions of the TFT are provided with a metal silicide layer having a relatively low resistivity. Thereby, the effective distance between a gate and a source/drain electrode can be reduced.

Abstract: In a thin-film insulated gate type field effect transistor having a metal gate in which the surface of the gate electrode is subjected to anodic oxidation, a silicon nitride film is provided so as to be interposed between the gate electrode and the gate insulating film to prevent invasion of movable ions into a channel, and also to prevent the breakdown of the gate insulating film due to a potential difference between the gate electrode and the channel region. By coating a specific portion of the gate electrode with metal material such as chrome or the like for the anodic oxidation, and then removing only the metal material such as chrome or the like together with the anodic oxide of the metal material such as chrome or the like, an exposed portion of metal gate (e.g. aluminum) is formed, and an upper wiring is connected to the exposed portion.