Abstract: In a thin film transistor, an increase in off current or negative shift of the threshold voltage is prevented. In the thin film transistor, a buffer layer is provided between an oxide semiconductor layer and each of a source electrode layer and a drain electrode layer. The buffer layer includes a metal oxide layer which is an insulator or a semiconductor over a middle portion of the oxide semiconductor layer. The metal oxide layer functions as a protective layer for suppressing incorporation of impurities into the oxide semiconductor layer. Therefore, in the thin film transistor, an increase in off current or negative shift of the threshold voltage can be prevented.

Abstract: It is an object to provide an oxide semiconductor which is suitable for use in a semiconductor device. Alternatively, it is another object to provide a semiconductor device using the oxide semiconductor. Provided is a semiconductor device including an In—Ga—Zn—O based oxide semiconductor layer in a channel formation region of a transistor. In the semiconductor device, the In—Ga—Zn—O based oxide semiconductor layer has a structure in which crystal grains represented by InGaO3(ZnO)m (m=1) are included in an amorphous structure represented by InGaO3(ZnO)m (m>0).

Abstract: It is an object to provide an oxide semiconductor which is suitable for use in a semiconductor device. Alternatively, it is another object to provide a semiconductor device using the oxide semiconductor. Provided is a semiconductor device including an In—Ga—Zn—O based oxide semiconductor layer in a channel formation region of a transistor. In the semiconductor device, the In—Ga—Zn—O based oxide semiconductor layer has a structure in which crystal grains represented by InGaO3(ZnO)m (m=1) are included in an amorphous structure represented by InGaO3(ZnO)m (m>0).

Abstract: In a thin film transistor, an increase in off current or negative shift of the threshold voltage is prevented. In the thin film transistor, a buffer layer is provided between an oxide semiconductor layer and each of a source electrode layer and a drain electrode layer. The buffer layer includes a metal oxide layer which is an insulator or a semiconductor over a middle portion of the oxide semiconductor layer. The metal oxide layer functions as a protective layer for suppressing incorporation of impurities into the oxide semiconductor layer. Therefore, in the thin film transistor, an increase in off current or negative shift of the threshold voltage can be prevented.

Abstract: It is an object to provide a highly reliable semiconductor device with good electrical characteristics and a display device including the semiconductor device as a switching element. In a transistor including an oxide semiconductor layer, a needle crystal group provided on at least one surface side of the oxide semiconductor layer grows in a c-axis direction perpendicular to the surface and includes an a-b plane parallel to the surface, and a portion except for the needle crystal group is an amorphous region or a region in which amorphousness and microcrystals are mixed. Accordingly, a highly reliable semiconductor device with good electrical characteristics can be formed.

Abstract: It is an object to provide a highly reliable semiconductor device including a thin film transistor with stable electric characteristics. In a semiconductor device including an inverted staggered thin film transistor whose semiconductor layer is an oxide semiconductor layer, a buffer layer is provided over the oxide semiconductor layer. The buffer layer is in contact with a channel formation region of the semiconductor layer and source and drain electrode layers. A film of the buffer layer has resistance distribution. A region provided over the channel formation region of the semiconductor layer has lower electrical conductivity than the channel formation region of the semiconductor layer, and a region in contact with the source and drain electrode layers has higher electrical conductivity than the channel formation region of the semiconductor layer.

Abstract: Reducing hydrogen concentration in a channel formation region of an oxide semiconductor is important in stabilizing threshold voltage of a transistor including an oxide semiconductor and improving reliability. Hence, hydrogen is attracted from the oxide semiconductor and trapped in a region of an insulating film which overlaps with a source region and a drain region of the oxide semiconductor. Impurities such as argon, nitrogen, carbon, phosphorus, or boron are added to the region of the insulating film which overlaps with the source region and the drain region of the oxide semiconductor, thereby generating a defect. Hydrogen in the oxide semiconductor is attracted to the defect in the insulating film. The defect in the insulating film is stabilized by the presence of hydrogen.

Abstract: It is an object to provide a highly reliable semiconductor device including a thin film transistor with stable electric characteristics. In a semiconductor device including an inverted staggered thin film transistor whose semiconductor layer is an oxide semiconductor layer, a buffer layer is provided over the oxide semiconductor layer. The buffer layer is in contact with a channel formation region of the semiconductor layer and source and drain electrode layers. A film of the buffer layer has resistance distribution. A region provided over the channel formation region of the semiconductor layer has lower electrical conductivity than the channel formation region of the semiconductor layer, and a region in contact with the source and drain electrode layers has higher electrical conductivity than the channel formation region of the semiconductor layer.

Abstract: It is an object to provide a highly reliable semiconductor device with good electrical characteristics and a display device including the semiconductor device as a switching element. In a transistor including an oxide semiconductor layer, a needle crystal group provided on at least one surface side of the oxide semiconductor layer grows in a c-axis direction perpendicular to the surface and includes an a-b plane parallel to the surface, and a portion except for the needle crystal group is an amorphous region or a region in which amorphousness and microcrystals are mixed. Accordingly, a highly reliable semiconductor device with good electrical characteristics can be formed.

Abstract: An object of an embodiment of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor device provided with a thin film transistor which includes an oxide semiconductor layer and has high electric characteristics. The semiconductor device includes a gate electrode over an insulating surface, an oxide semiconductor layer including silicon oxide, an insulating layer between the gate electrode and the oxide semiconductor layer, and source and drain regions between the oxide semiconductor layer including silicon oxide and source and drain electrode layers. The source and drain regions are formed using a degenerate oxide semiconductor material or a degenerate oxynitride material.

Abstract: In forming a thin film transistor, an oxide semiconductor layer is used and a cluster containing a titanium compound whose electrical conductance is higher than that of the oxide semiconductor layer is formed between the oxide semiconductor layer and a gate insulating layer.

Abstract: A coenzyme Q10-containing water soluble composition comprises coenzyme Q10, a hydrophilic polyglycerol fatty acid ester, a lipophilic sucrose fatty acid ester and an aqueous phase component and a process for producing the same are disclosed. A coenzyme Q10-containing water-soluble dry powder can be obtained by drying the above-mentioned coenzyme Q10-containing water soluble composition. A food, functional food, beverage, pharmaceutical product, quasi drug, cosmetic, or animal food can be obtained by using the above-mentioned coenzyme Q10-containing water soluble composition or the above-mentioned coenzyme Q10-containing water-soluble dry powder. The coenzyme Q10-containing water soluble composition has a high bioavailability, and maintains a stable emulsion form for a long period of time from refrigeration temperature to room temperature and allows efficient supply.

Abstract: In a thin film transistor, an increase in off current or negative shift of the threshold voltage is prevented. In the thin film transistor, a buffer layer is provided between an oxide semiconductor layer and each of a source electrode layer and a drain electrode layer. The buffer layer includes a metal oxide layer which is an insulator or a semiconductor over a middle portion of the oxide semiconductor layer. The metal oxide layer functions as a protective layer for suppressing incorporation of impurities into the oxide semiconductor layer. Therefore, in the thin film transistor, an increase in off current or negative shift of the threshold voltage can be prevented.

Abstract: An object is to provide a transistor including an oxide layer which includes Zn and does not include a rare metal such as In or Ga. Another object is to reduce an off current and stabilize electric characteristics in the transistor including an oxide layer which includes Zn. A transistor including an oxide layer including Zn is formed by stacking an oxide semiconductor layer including insulating oxide over an oxide layer so that the oxide layer is in contact with a source electrode layer or a drain electrode layer with the oxide semiconductor layer including insulating oxide interposed therebetween, whereby variation in the threshold voltage of the transistor can be reduced and electric characteristics can be stabilized.

Abstract: It is an object to provide a semiconductor device typified by a display device having a favorable display quality, in which parasitic resistance generated in a connection portion between a semiconductor layer and an electrode is suppressed and an adverse effect such as voltage drop, a defect in signal wiring to a pixel, a defect in grayscale, and the like due to wiring resistance are prevented. In order to achieve the above object, a semiconductor device according to the present invention may have a structure where a wiring with low resistance is connected to a thin film transistor in which a source electrode and a drain electrode that include metal with high oxygen affinity are connected to an oxide semiconductor layer with a suppressed impurity concentration. In addition, the thin film transistor including the oxide semiconductor may be surrounded by insulating films to be sealed.

Abstract: It is an object to provide an oxide semiconductor which is suitable for use in a semiconductor device. Alternatively, it is another object to provide a semiconductor device using the oxide semiconductor. Provided is a semiconductor device including an In—Ga—Zn—O based oxide semiconductor layer in a channel formation region of a transistor. In the semiconductor device, the In—Ga—Zn—O based oxide semiconductor layer has a structure in which crystal grains represented by InGaO3(ZnO)m (m=1) are included in an amorphous structure represented by InGaO3(ZnO)m (m>0).

Abstract: The impurity concentration in the oxide semiconductor film is reduced, and a highly reliability can be obtained.

Abstract: In a thin film transistor, an increase in off current or negative shift of the threshold voltage is prevented. In the thin film transistor, a buffer layer is provided between an oxide semiconductor layer and each of a source electrode layer and a drain electrode layer. The buffer layer includes a metal oxide layer which is an insulator or a semiconductor over a middle portion of the oxide semiconductor layer. The metal oxide layer functions as a protective layer for suppressing incorporation of impurities into the oxide semiconductor layer. Therefore, in the thin film transistor, an increase in off current or negative shift of the threshold voltage can be prevented.

Abstract: In a channel protected thin film transistor in which a channel formation region is formed using an oxide semiconductor, an oxide semiconductor layer which is dehydrated or dehydrogenated by a heat treatment is used as an active layer, a crystal region including nanocrystals is included in a superficial portion in the channel formation region, and the rest portion is amorphous or is formed of a mixture of amorphousness/non-crystals and microcrystals, where an amorphous region is dotted with microcrystals. By using an oxide semiconductor layer having such a structure, a change to an n-type caused by entry of moisture or elimination of oxygen to or from the superficial portion and generation of a parasitic channel can be prevented and a contact resistance with a source and drain electrodes can be reduced.

Abstract: To provide a transistor having a favorable electric characteristics and high reliability and a display device including the transistor. The transistor is a bottom-gate transistor formed using an oxide semiconductor for a channel region. An oxide semiconductor layer subjected to dehydration or dehydrogenation through heat treatment is used as an active layer. The active layer includes a first region of a superficial portion microcrystallized and a second region of the rest portion. By using the oxide semiconductor layer having such a structure, a change to an n-type, which is attributed to entry of moisture to the superficial portion or elimination of oxygen from the superficial portion, and generation of a parasitic channel can be suppressed. In addition, contact resistance between the oxide semiconductor layer and source and drain electrodes can be reduced.