Abstract: There is provided a laminated type photoelectric converter whose sensitivity is enhanced uniformly. In the photoelectric converter in which a photoelectric conversion device is laminated above a signal transfer device, the sensitivity is enhanced by providing bends on a lower electrode of the photoelectric conversion device and by confining light uniformly.

Abstract: A display device using a novel semiconductor device, which includes a pixel matrix, an image sensor, and a peripheral circuit for driving those, that is, which has both a camera function and a display function, and is made intelligent, is provided and a method of manufacturing the same is also provided. One pixel includes a semiconductor device for display and a semiconductor for light reception, that is, one pixel includes semiconductor devices (insulated gate-type field effect semiconductor device) for controlling both display and light reception, so that the display device having a picture reading function is made miniaturized and compact.

Abstract: A driving circuit of a liquid crystal display device having driver output lines connected to outputs of a data line driver, m pieces of block selection signal lines for sequentially selecting m pieces of blocks, data lines for supplying data to a display area, and a switch for sequentially connecting an ith driver output line to ith, i+2jth, . . . , and i+2j×(m−1)th data lines in response to signals on the m pieces of block selection signal lines when j is a positive integer smaller than m.

Abstract: There are provided a first gate electrode of a first MOS transistor formed on a semiconductor layer via a gate insulating film, a second gate electrode of a second MOS transistor formed on the semiconductor layer via the gate insulating film at a distance from the first gate electrode, first and second one conductivity type impurity introduced regions formed in the semiconductor layer on both sides of the first gate electrode to serve as source/drain of the first MOS transistor, and first and second opposite conductivity type impurity introduced regions formed in the semiconductor layer on both sides of the second gate electrode to serve as source/drain of the second MOS transistor, whereby one of the first and second opposite conductivity type impurity introduced regions is formed to contact mutually to the second one conductivity type impurity introduced region.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display device comprises: a display circuit including data lines and scanning lines arranged in a two-dimensional matrix, and switching elements connected between the data lines and the scanning lines; a first inspection circuit including an inspection voltage input and/or output terminal for inputting and/or outputting an inspection voltage to/from one end of the data line via a first analog switch; and a second inspection circuit including an inspection voltage input and/or output terminal for inputting and/or outputting an inspection voltage to/from the other end of the data line. The display circuit, the first inspection circuit, and the second inspection circuit are provided on one substrate, and the first inspection circuit is separable from the display circuit.

Abstract: An opening for separating elements is formed in self-alignment by making use of a pattern of electrodes. This eliminates the patterning margin which might otherwise be required for the element separation. Thus, the degree of integration of a thin film transistor circuit can be further raised.

Abstract: A process for fabricating thin film transistors is disclosed, which comprises a two-step laser annealing process as follows: crystallizing the channel portion by irradiating the channel portion with an irradiation beam; and modifying the electric properties of the source and the drain by irradiating the source and the drain with an irradiation beam in a step independent to the first step of crystallizing the channel portion.

Abstract: A thin film transistor device reduced substantially in resistance between the source and the drain regions by incorporating a silicide film, which is fabricated by a process comprising forming a gate insulator film and a gate contact on a silicon substrate, anodically oxidizing the gate contact, covering an exposed surface of the silicon semiconductor with a metal, and irradiating an intense light such as a laser beam to the metal film either from the upper side or from an insulator substrate side to allow the metal coating to react with silicon to obtain a silicide film. The metal silicide layer may be obtained otherwise by tightly adhering a metal coating to the exposed surface of the source and drain regions using an insulator formed into an approximately triangular shape, preferably 1 &mgr;m or less in width, and allowing the metal to react with silicon.

Abstract: After an amorphous silicon film is crystallized by annealing and then patterned into islands, the silicon islands are heated by radiation of intense rays for a short time. Especially, in the crystallizing process by annealing, an element which promotes crystallization such as nickel is doped therein. The area not crystallized by annealing is also crystallized by radiation of intense rays and a condensed silicon film is formed. After a metal element which promotes crystallization is disposed in contact with semiconductor film, annealing by light for a short time is performed by radiating intense rays onto the silicon film crystallized by annealing in an atmosphere containing halide. After the surface of the silicon film is oxidized by heating or by radiating intense rays in a halogenated atmosphere and an oxide film is formed on the silicon film, the oxide film is then etched. As a result, nickel in the silicon film is removed.

Abstract: A semiconductor device having a pair of impurity doped second semiconductor layers, formed on a first semiconductor layer having a channel formation region therein, an outer edge of the first semiconductor film being at least partly coextensive with an outer edge of the impurity doped second semiconductor layers. The semiconductor device further includes source and drain electrodes formed on the pair of impurity doped second semiconductor layers, wherein the pair of impurity doped second semiconductor layers extend beyond inner sides edges of the source and drain electrodes so that a stepped portion is formed from an upper surface of the source and drain electrodes to a surface of the first semiconductor film.

Abstract: A process for fabricating a semiconductor by crystallizing a silicon film in a substantially amorphous state by annealing it at a temperature not higher than the crystallization temperature of amorphous silicon, and it comprises forming selectively, on the surface or under an amorphous silicon film, a coating, particles, clusters, and the like containing nickel, iron, cobalt, platinum or palladium either as a pure metal or a compound thereof such as a silicide, a salt, and the like, shaped into island-like portions, linear portions, stripes, or dots; and then annealing the resulting structure at a temperature lower than the crystallization temperature of an amorphous silicon by 20 to 150° C.

Abstract: To suppress the occurrence of a failure caused by static electricity in the manufacturing process of an active matrix type display device in which an active matrix circuit and peripheral drive circuits are integrated on a glass substrate, a protective capacitor to be connected to a short ring is formed using a semiconductor layer made from the. same material as the active layer of a thin film transistor present under the short ring. This protective capacitor has a function to absorb an electric pulse generated in the plasma using process. Discharge patterns are provided to prevent an electric pulse from affecting each circuit.

Abstract: An electronic device having an active matrix liquid crystal device comprising a sealing layer with a region overlapping an insulating film formed over another insulating film, which extends beyond said insulating film and forms on a peripheral switching device, a region in contact with said another insulating film, and a region where said second insulating film is not formed over said another insulating film.

Abstract: In an active matrix display device integrated with peripheral drive circuits, an image sensor is provided on the same substrate as a pixel matrix and peripheral drive circuits. The image sensor is formed on the substrate having pixel electrodes, pixel TFTs connected to the pixel electrodes and CMOS-TFTs for driving the pixel TFTs. The light receiving unit of the image sensor has light receiving elements having a photoelectric conversion layer and light receiving TFTs. These TFTs are produced in the same step. The lower electrode and transparent electrode of the light receiving element are produced by patterning the same film as the light shielding film and the pixel electrodes arranged in the pixel matrix.

Abstract: A method of fabricating silicon TFTs (thin-film transistors) is disclosed. The method comprises a crystallization step by laser irradiation effected after the completion of the device structure. First, amorphous silicon TFTs are fabricated. In each of the TFTs, the channel formation region, the source and drain regions are exposed to laser radiation illuminated from above or below the substrate. Then, the laser radiation is illuminated to crystallize and activate the channel formation region, and source and drain regions. After the completion of the device structure, various electrical characteristics of the TFTs are controlled. Also, the amorphous TFTs can be changed into polysilicon TFTs.

Abstract: A high quality semiconductor device comprising at least a semiconductor film having a microcrystal structure is disclosed, wherein said semiconductor film has a lattice distortion therein and comprises crystal grains at an average diameter of 30 Å to 4 &mgr;m as viewed from the upper surface of said semiconductor film and contains oxygen impurity and concentration of said oxygen impurity is not higher than 7×1019 atoms.cm−3 at an inside position of said semiconductor film. Also is disclosed a method for fabricating semiconductor devices mentioned hereinbefore, which comprises depositing an amorphous semiconductor film containing oxygen impurity at a concentration not higher than 7×1019 atoms.cm−3 by sputtering from a semiconductor target containing oxygen impurity at a concentration not higher than 5×1018 atoms.

Abstract: A laser annealing process for recovering crystallinity of a deposited semiconductor film such as of silicon which had undergone morphological damage, said process comprising activating the semiconductor by irradiating a pulsed laser beam operating at a wavelength of 400 nm or less and at a pulse width of 50 nsec or less onto the surface of the film, wherein, said deposited film is coated with a transparent film such as a silicon oxide film at a thickness of from 3 to 300 nm, and the laser beam incident to said coating is applied at an energy density E (mJ/cm2) provided that it satisfies the relation: log10N≦−0.02(E−350), where N is the number of shots of the pulsed laser beam.

Abstract: There is provided a method for eliminating influence of nickel element from a crystal silicon film obtained by utilizing nickel. A mask made of a silicon oxide film is formed on an amorphous silicon film. Then, the nickel element is held selectively on the surface of the amorphous silicon film by utilizing the mask. Next, a heat treatment is implemented to grow crystal. This crystal growth occurs with the diffusion of the nickel element. Next, phosphorus is doped to a region by using the mask. Then, another heat treatment is implemented to remove the nickel element from the pattern under the mask through the course reverse to the previous course in diffusing the nickel element in growing crystal. Then, the silicon film is patterned by utilizing the mask again to form a pattern. Thus, the pattern of the active layer which has high crystallinity and from which the influence of the nickel element is removed may be obtained without increasing masks in particular (i.e. without complicating the process).

Abstract: In forming a thin film transistor (TFT), a semiconductor region is formed on a glass substrate and then a gate electrode is formed on the semiconductor region through an gate insulating film. After the gate electrode and a gate electrode arrangement extended from the gate electrode is anodized, insulators each having approximately rectangular shape are formed on side surfaces of the gate electrode and the gate electrode arrangement. An interlayer insulator is formed on a whole surface, and then the second layer arrangement is formed on the interlayer insulator. In an overlap portion in which the second layer arrangement overlaps the gate electrode and the gate electrode arrangement, since the insulators is formed, a slope is small.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing thin film transistors on a substrate having an insulative surface comprises the steps of: (a) forming a plurality of island-shaped semiconductor layers on a substrate having an insulative surface; (b) implanting dopant into first regions at outsides of a region designated for a channel region in each of the semiconductor layers directly or through a thin insulation film whose thickness is equal to or less than 50 nm by ion implantation to form lightly doped regions; and (c) implanting dopant into regions at outsides of the first regions in each of the semiconductor layers directly or through the thin insulation film to form heavily doped source/drain regions whose impurity concentration is higher than that of the lightly doped regions.