Patents by Inventor Hajime Imai
Hajime Imai 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).
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Patent number: 11393849Abstract: An active matrix substrate includes a substrate, a plurality of oxide semiconductor TFTs, a plurality of gate bus lines, a plurality of source bus lines, and at least one trunk wiring provided in a non-display region and transmitting a signal, and a plurality of other wirings, each of which is disposed so as to at least partially overlap the trunk wirings. The active matrix substrate includes a first metal layer, a second metal layer disposed above the first metal layer, and a third metal layer disposed above the second metal layer on the substrate. One of the first, second, and third metal layers includes a source bus line, and other layer includes a gate bus line. The trunk wiring is formed in two metal layer of the first, second and third metal layers.Type: GrantFiled: June 4, 2020Date of Patent: July 19, 2022Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Tetsuo Kikuchi, Tohru Daitoh, Hajime Imai, Masahiko Suzuki, Setsuji Nishimiya, Kengo Hara, Masamitsu Yamanaka, Hitoshi Takahata
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Publication number: 20220157855Abstract: The oxide semiconductor layer is electrically connected to a source electrode or the source bus line within the source opening formed in the lower insulating layer, each wiring line connection section includes a lower conductive portion formed using the first conductive film, the lower insulating layer extending over the lower conductive portion, an oxide connection layer formed using an oxide film the same as the oxide semiconductor layer and electrically connected to the lower conductive portion within the lower opening formed in the lower insulating layer, an insulating layer covering the oxide connection layer, and an upper conductive portion electrically connected to the oxide connection layer within the upper opening formed in the insulating layer, wherein the oxide connection layer includes a region lower in a specific resistance than the channel region of the oxide semiconductor layer.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 7, 2022Publication date: May 19, 2022Inventors: Hajime IMAI, Tohru DAITOH, Tetsuo KIKUCHI, Masamitsu YAMANAKA, Yoshihito HARA, Tatsuya KAWASAKI, Masahiko SUZUKI, Setsuji NISHIMIYA
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Patent number: 11322105Abstract: According to an embodiment of the present invention, an active matrix substrate (100) includes a display region (DR) defined by a plurality of pixel regions (P) arranged in a matrix and a peripheral region (FR) located around the display region. The active matrix substrate includes a substrate (1), a first TFT (10), and a second TFT (20). The first TFT is supported by the substrate and disposed in the peripheral region. The second TFT is supported by the substrate and disposed in the display region. The first TFT includes a crystalline silicon semiconductor layer (11), which is an active layer. The second TFT includes an oxide semiconductor layer (21), which is an active layer. The first TFT and the second TFT each have a top-gate structure.Type: GrantFiled: August 13, 2021Date of Patent: May 3, 2022Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Tetsuo Kikuchi, Hideki Kitagawa, Hajime Imai, Toshikatsu Itoh, Masahiko Suzuki, Teruyuki Ueda, Kengo Hara, Setsuji Nishimiya, Tohru Daitoh
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Patent number: 11302718Abstract: Each of pixel regions of an active matrix substrate (1002) includes: a lower insulating layer (5); an oxide semiconductor layer (7) that is arranged on the lower insulating layer and includes an active region (7a) of an oxide semiconductor TFT; an upper insulating layer (9) that is arranged on a portion of the oxide semiconductor layer so as not to be in contact with the lower insulating layer; an upper gate layer (10) that is arranged on the upper insulating layer and includes an upper gate electrode (10a) and one of a plurality of gate bus lines (GL); and a source electrode and a drain electrode, wherein: the oxide semiconductor layer 7 further includes an extension region (7e) that extends from the active region (7a) in a direction x different from a channel length direction y of the oxide semiconductor TFT as seen from a normal direction to the substrate; and the extension region (7e) is arranged on the substrate side of one of the plurality of gate bus lines (GL) with an upper insulating layer (9) interpType: GrantFiled: May 11, 2018Date of Patent: April 12, 2022Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Kengo Hara, Tohru Daitoh, Hajime Imai, Tetsuo Kikuchi, Hideki Kitagawa, Teruyuki Ueda, Masahiko Suzuki, Setsuji Nishimiya, Toshikatsu Itoh
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Patent number: 11296126Abstract: The oxide semiconductor layer is electrically connected to a source electrode or the source bus line within the source opening formed in the lower insulating layer, each wiring line connection section includes a lower conductive portion formed using the first conductive film, the lower insulating layer extending over the lower conductive portion, an oxide connection layer formed using an oxide film the same as the oxide semiconductor layer and electrically connected to the lower conductive portion within the lower opening formed in the lower insulating layer, an insulating layer covering the oxide connection layer, and an upper conductive portion electrically connected to the oxide connection layer within the upper opening formed in the insulating layer, wherein the oxide connection layer includes a region lower in a specific resistance than the channel region of the oxide semiconductor layer.Type: GrantFiled: March 26, 2020Date of Patent: April 5, 2022Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Hajime Imai, Tohru Daitoh, Tetsuo Kikuchi, Masamitsu Yamanaka, Yoshihito Hara, Tatsuya Kawasaki, Masahiko Suzuki, Setsuji Nishimiya
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Publication number: 20220077318Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a thin film transistor, wherein: a semiconductor layer of the thin film transistor has a layered structure including a lower oxide semiconductor layer including In, Ga, Zn and Sn and an upper oxide semiconductor layer arranged on the lower oxide semiconductor layer and including In, Ga and Zn; a thickness of the lower oxide semiconductor layer is 20 nm or less; an atomic ratio of Sn with respect to all metal elements of the lower oxide semiconductor layer is 5% or more; the upper oxide semiconductor layer includes no Sn, or an atomic ratio of Sn with respect to all metal elements of the upper oxide semiconductor layer is smaller than an atomic ratio of Sn with respect to all metal elements of the lower oxide semiconductor layer; and a first angle ?1 between a side surface and a lower surface of the lower oxide semiconductor layer is smaller than a second angle ?2 between a side surface and a lower surface of the upper oxide semiconductor layer.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 12, 2021Publication date: March 10, 2022Inventors: Tetsuo KIKUCHI, Masahiko SUZUKI, Setsuji NISHIMIYA, Teruyuki UEDA, Masamitsu YAMANAKA, Tohru DAITOH, Hajime IMAI, Kengo HARA
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Patent number: 11215891Abstract: An active matrix substrate includes: a substrate; lower bus lines and upper bus lines; a lower insulating layer positioned between the lower bus lines and the upper bus lines; an oxide semiconductor TFT that are disposed in each pixel region and have an oxide semiconductor layer disposed on the lower insulating layer; pixel electrodes disposed in each pixel region; and wiring connection units arranged in a non-display region. Each wiring connection unit includes: a lower conductive layer formed using the same conductive film as the lower bus lines; an insulating layer that extends on the lower conductive layer and includes the lower insulating layer. The lower bus lines and the lower conductive layer have a first laminated structure including a metal layer and a transparent conductive layer that covers an upper surface and a side surface of the metal layer.Type: GrantFiled: May 21, 2020Date of Patent: January 4, 2022Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Hideki Kitagawa, Yoshihito Hara, Masaki Maeda, Yoshiharu Hirata, Tatsuya Kawasaki, Teruyuki Ueda, Hajime Imai, Tohru Daitoh
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Patent number: 11205729Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a thin film transistor, wherein: a semiconductor layer of the thin film transistor has a layered structure including a lower oxide semiconductor layer including In, Ga, Zn and Sn and an upper oxide semiconductor layer arranged on the lower oxide semiconductor layer and including In, Ga and Zn; a thickness of the lower oxide semiconductor layer is 20 nm or less; an atomic ratio of Sn with respect to all metal elements of the lower oxide semiconductor layer is 5% or more; the upper oxide semiconductor layer includes no Sn, or an atomic ratio of Sn with respect to all metal elements of the upper oxide semiconductor layer is smaller than an atomic ratio of Sn with respect to all metal elements of the lower oxide semiconductor layer; and a first angle ?1 between a side surface and a lower surface of the lower oxide semiconductor layer is smaller than a second angle ?2 between a side surface and a lower surface of the upper oxide semiconductor layer.Type: GrantFiled: March 6, 2019Date of Patent: December 21, 2021Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Tetsuo Kikuchi, Masahiko Suzuki, Setsuji Nishimiya, Teruyuki Ueda, Masamitsu Yamanaka, Tohru Daitoh, Hajime Imai, Kengo Hara
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Publication number: 20210390920Abstract: According to an embodiment of the present invention, an active matrix substrate (100) includes a display region (DR) defined by a plurality of pixel regions (P) arranged in a matrix and a peripheral region (FR) located around the display region. The active matrix substrate includes a substrate (1), a first TFT (10), and a second TFT (20). The first TFT is supported by the substrate and disposed in the peripheral region. The second TFT is supported by the substrate and disposed in the display region. The first TFT includes a crystalline silicon semiconductor layer (11), which is an active layer. The second TFT includes an oxide semiconductor layer (21), which is an active layer. The first TFT and the second TFT each have a top-gate structure.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 13, 2021Publication date: December 16, 2021Inventors: Tetsuo KIKUCHI, Hideki KITAGAWA, Hajime IMAI, Toshikatsu ITOH, Masahiko SUZUKI, Teruyuki UEDA, Kengo HARA, Setsuji NISHIMIYA, Tohru DAITOH
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Publication number: 20210384276Abstract: An active matrix substrate includes a first TFT and a second TFT, in which the first TFT includes a first oxide semiconductor layer and a first gate electrode arranged on a part of the first oxide semiconductor layer with a first gate insulating layer interposed therebetween, the first gate insulating layer has a layered structure including a first insulating film and a second insulating film arranged on the first insulating film, the second TFT includes a second oxide semiconductor layer having a higher mobility than the first oxide semiconductor layer and a second gate electrode arranged on a part of the second oxide semiconductor layer with a second gate insulating layer interposed therebetween, and the second gate insulating layer includes the second insulating film and does not include the first insulating film, and the second TFT further includes a lower insulating layer including the first insulating film arranged between the second oxide semiconductor layer and a substrate.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 4, 2021Publication date: December 9, 2021Inventors: Hajime IMAI, Tohru DAITOH, Teruyuki UEDA, Yoshihito HARA, Masaki MAEDA, Tatsuya KAWASAKI, Yoshiharu HIRATA
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Patent number: 11189645Abstract: There is provided a high-definition active matrix substrate while suppressing an occurrence of pixel defects. The active matrix substrate includes a first semiconductor film corresponding to one of two sub-pixels adjacent to each other in a row direction, a second semiconductor film corresponding to the other of two sub-pixels, a transistor using part of the first semiconductor film as a channel in the row direction, and a pixel electrode connected to a drain electrode of the transistor through a contact hole. In a plan view, a distance (dc) in the row direction from a drain electrode-side edge of the channel to a bottom surface of the contact hole is 0.15 or more times a sub-pixel pitch (dp) in the row direction.Type: GrantFiled: March 26, 2018Date of Patent: November 30, 2021Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Hideki Kitagawa, Hajime Imai, Toshikatsu Itoh, Tetsuo Kikuchi, Masahiko Suzuki, Teruyuki Ueda, Kengo Hara, Setsuji Nishimiya, Tohru Daitoh
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Publication number: 20210349340Abstract: A display device includes a switching element having a pixel connection portion, a first insulating film having a first pixel contact hole formed therein so as to be in a place overlapping at least a part of the pixel connection portion, a common line, an intermediate electrode composed of the same conducting film as the common line, disposed to overlap the first pixel contact hole, and connected to the pixel connection portion, a common electrode not connected to the intermediate electrode but connected to the common line, a second insulating film having a second pixel contact hole formed therein so as to be in a place overlapping at least a part of the intermediate electrode, and a pixel electrode disposed so that at least a part of the pixel electrode overlaps the second pixel contact hole.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 28, 2021Publication date: November 11, 2021Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: YOSHIHITO HARA, HAJIME IMAI, MASAKI MAEDA, TATSUYA KAWASAKI, YOSHIHARU HIRATA, TOHRU DAITOH
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Patent number: 11145679Abstract: A method for manufacturing an active matrix board includes (E) a step of forming a source contact hole and a drain contact hole in an interlayer insulating layer such that a portion of a source contact region of an oxide semiconductor layer and a portion of a drain contact region thereof are exposed and forming a connecting portion contact hole in the interlayer insulating layer and a lower insulating layer such that a portion of a lower conductive layer is exposed; and (F) a step of forming a source electrode, a drain electrode, and an upper conductive layer on the interlayer insulating layer; and the step (E) includes (e-1) a step of forming a photoresist film on the interlayer insulating layer and (e-2) a step of forming a photoresist layer in such a manner that the photoresist film is exposed to light using a multi-tone mask and is then developed.Type: GrantFiled: March 17, 2020Date of Patent: October 12, 2021Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Kengo Hara, Tohru Daitoh, Hajime Imai, Tetsuo Kikuchi, Masahiko Suzuki, Setsuji Nishimiya, Masamitsu Yamanaka, Teruyuki Ueda, Hitoshi Takahata
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Publication number: 20210305280Abstract: There is provided a high-definition active matrix substrate while suppressing an occurrence of pixel defects. The active matrix substrate includes a first semiconductor film corresponding to one of two sub-pixels adjacent to each other in a row direction, a second semiconductor film corresponding to the other of two sub-pixels, a transistor using part of the first semiconductor film as a channel in the row direction, and a pixel electrode connected to a drain electrode of the transistor through a contact hole. In a plan view, a distance (dc) in the row direction from a drain electrode-side edge of the channel to a bottom surface of the contact hole is 0.15 or more times a sub-pixel pitch (dp) in the row direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 26, 2018Publication date: September 30, 2021Inventors: Hideki KITAGAWA, Hajime IMAI, Toshikatsu ITOH, Tetsuo KIKUCHI, Masahiko SUZUKI, Teruyuki UEDA, Kengo HARA, Setsuji NISHIMIYA, Tohru DAITOH
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Publication number: 20210294138Abstract: A pixel area in the active matrix substrate 100 includes a thin film transistor 101 that has an oxide semiconductor layer 7, an inorganic insulating layer 11 and an organic insulating layer 12 that cover a thin film transistor, a common electrode 15, a dielectric layer 17 that primarily contains silicon nitride, and a pixel electrode 19. The inorganic insulating layer has a multi-layered structure that includes a silicon oxide layer and a silicon nitride layer. A pixel electrode 10 is brought into contact with a drain electrode 9 within a pixel contact hole. The pixel contact hole is configured with a first opening portion, a second opening portion, and a third opening portion that are formed in the inorganic insulating layer 11, the organic insulating layer 12, and the dielectric layer 17, respectively. A flank surface of the first opening portion and a flank surface of the second opening portion are aligned.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 19, 2017Publication date: September 23, 2021Inventors: Hideki KITAGAWA, Tohru DAITOH, Hajime IMAI, Tetsuo KIKUCHI, Masahiko SUZUKI, Toshikatsu ITOH, Teruyuki UEDA, Setsuji NISHIMIYA, Kengo HARA
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Patent number: 11107429Abstract: According to an embodiment of the present invention, an active matrix substrate (100) includes a display region (DR) defined by a plurality of pixel regions (P) arranged in a matrix and a peripheral region (FR) located around the display region. The active matrix substrate includes a substrate (1), a first TFT (10), and a second TFT (20). The first TFT is supported by the substrate and disposed in the peripheral region. The second TFT is supported by the substrate and disposed in the display region. The first TFT includes a crystalline silicon semiconductor layer (11), which is an active layer. The second TFT includes an oxide semiconductor layer (21), which is an active layer. The first TFT and the second TFT each have a top-gate structure.Type: GrantFiled: March 16, 2018Date of Patent: August 31, 2021Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Tetsuo Kikuchi, Hideki Kitagawa, Hajime Imai, Toshikatsu Itoh, Masahiko Suzuki, Teruyuki Ueda, Kengo Hara, Setsuji Nishimiya, Tohru Daitoh
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Patent number: 11079643Abstract: An active matrix substrate includes: a source metal layer including a plurality of source bus lines; a lower insulating layer covering the source metal layer; a oxide semiconductor TFT including an oxide semiconductor layer provided on the lower insulating layer; an inter-layer insulating layer covering the oxide semiconductor TFT; a pixel electrode provided on the inter-layer insulating layer; a common electrode including a plurality of sub common electrodes each of which is capable of functioning as a touch sensor electrode; a gate metal layer including a plurality of gate bus lines and a gate electrode; a drain metal layer including the drain electrode; and a plurality of touch sensor lines included in the drain metal layer and each electrically connected to any one of the sub common electrodes.Type: GrantFiled: June 3, 2020Date of Patent: August 3, 2021Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Masaki Maeda, Tohru Daitoh, Hajime Imai, Yoshihito Hara, Hideki Kitagawa, Tatsuya Kawasaki, Teruyuki Ueda, Yoshiharu Hirata
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Patent number: 11079636Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: October 21, 2020Date of Patent: August 3, 2021Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Yoshiharu Hirata, Yoshihito Hara, Hideki Kitagawa, Tatsuya Kawasaki, Masaki Maeda, Teruyuki Ueda, Yoshimasa Chikama, Hajime Imai, Tohru Daitoh
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Patent number: 11043599Abstract: A semiconductor device (100) includes a TFT (10) supported on a substrate (11), wherein the TFT (10) includes a gate electrode (12g), a gate insulating layer (14) that covers the gate electrode (12g), and an oxide semiconductor layer (16) that is formed on the gate insulating layer (14). The oxide semiconductor layer 16 has a layered structure including a first oxide semiconductor layer (16a) in contact with the gate insulating layer (14) and a second oxide semiconductor layer (16b) layered on the first oxide semiconductor layer (16a). The first oxide semiconductor layer (16a) and the second oxide semiconductor layer (16b) both include In, Ga and Zn; an In atomic ratio of the first oxide semiconductor layer (16a) is greater than a Zn atomic ratio thereof, and an In atomic ratio of the second oxide semiconductor layer (16b) is smaller than a Zn atomic ratio thereof; and the oxide semiconductor layer (16) has a side surface of a forward tapered shape.Type: GrantFiled: March 8, 2018Date of Patent: June 22, 2021Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Setsuji Nishimiya, Tohru Daitoh, Masahiko Suzuki, Kengo Hara, Hajime Imai, Toshikatsu Itoh, Hideki Kitagawa, Tetsuo Kikuchi, Teruyuki Ueda
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Publication number: 20210183899Abstract: An active matrix substrate includes a plurality of source bus lines, a lower insulating layer covering the source bus lines, a plurality of gate bus lines formed above the lower insulating layer, and an oxide semiconductor TFT disposed to correspond to each pixel area. The oxide semiconductor TFT includes an oxide semiconductor layer disposed on the lower insulating layer, and a gate electrode disposed above the oxide semiconductor layer. The gate electrode is formed in a different layer from the gate bus lines, and is disposed to be separated from another gate electrode disposed in an adjacent pixel area. The gate electrode is covered by an interlayer insulating layer. The gate bus line is disposed on the interlayer insulating layer and in a gate contact hole formed in the interlayer insulating layer, and is connected to the gate electrode in the gate contact hole.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 11, 2020Publication date: June 17, 2021Inventors: Hajime IMAI, Tohru DAITOH, Teruyuki UEDA, Yoshihito HARA, Masaki MAEDA, Tatsuya KAWASAKI, Yoshiharu HIRATA, Tetsuo KIKUCHI