Abstract: There is disclosed an active matrix liquid crystal display that suppresses formation of a stripe pattern on the displayed image. An active matrix circuit, a peripheral drive circuit, and A image data signal lines for supplying image data signals are all integrated on a common substrate. The liquid crystal display includes a sampling circuit to which sampling circuit input lines are connected. These sampling circuit input lines are in contact with the image data signal lines and include dummy conducting lines extending to a buffer circuit. These dummy lines average out impedances of the individual image data signal lines, thus making uniform the amounts of image data signals lost from the image data signal lines. Thus, the formation of the stripe pattern is suppressed.

Abstract: In the fabrication of a CMOS-TFT, non-selectively doping (for both of p- and n-type TFTS) and selectively doping (only for the n-type TFT) with p-type impurities (B: boron) are successively performed at very low concentrations to control the threshold voltages (Vthp and Vthn). More specifically, the Id-Vg characteristics of the p- and n-type TFTs are initially negatively shifted. In this state, non-selectively doping is performed positively to shift the p- and n-type TFTs first to adjust the Vthp to a specified value. Selectively doping is then performed positively to shift only the n-type TFT to adjust the Vthn to a specified value. The threshold voltages of the p- and n-type TFTs constructing the CMOS-TFT can be independently and efficiently (with minimum photolithography) controlled with high accuracy.

Abstract: A semiconductor material and a method for forming the same, said semiconductor material having produced by a process comprising melting a noncrystal semiconductor film containing therein carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen each at a concentration of 5×1019 atoms·cm−3 or lower, preferably 1×1019 atoms·cm−3 or lower, by irradiating a laser beam or a high intensity light equivalent to a laser beam to said noncrystal semiconductor film, and then recrystallizing the thus molten amorphous silicon film. The present invention provides thin film semiconductors having high mobility at an excellent reproducibility, said semiconductor materials being useful for fabricating thin film semiconductor devices such as thin film transistors improved in device characteristics.

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: The present invention provides an active matrix type display device having a high aperture ratio and a required auxiliary capacitor. A source line and a gate line are overlapped with part of a pixel electrode. This overlapped region functions to be a black matrix. Further, an electrode pattern made of the same material as the pixel electrode is disposed to form the auxiliary capacitor by utilizing the pixel electrode. It allows a required value of auxiliary capacitor to be obtained without dropping the aperture ratio. Also, it allows the electrode pattern to function as a electrically shielding film for suppressing the cross-talk between the source and gate lines and the pixel electrode.

Abstract: A method for improving the reliability and yield of a thin film transistor by controlling the crystallinity thereof. The method comprises the steps of forming a gate electrode on an island amorphous silicon film, injecting an impurity using the gate electrode as a mask, forming a coating film containing at least one of nickel, iron, cobalt, platinum and palladium so that it adheres to parts of the impurity regions, and annealing it at a temperature lower than the crystallization temperature of pure amorphous silicon to advance the crystallization starting therefrom and to crystallize the impurity regions and channel forming region.

Abstract: In thin film transistors (TFTS) having an active layer of crystalline silicon adapted for mass production, a catalytic element is introduced into doped regions of an amorphous silicon film by ion implantation or other means. This film is crystallized at a temperature below the strain point of the glass substrate. Further, a gate insulating film and a gate electrode are formed. Impurities are introduced by a self-aligning process. Then, the laminate is annealed below the strain point of the substrate to activate the dopant impurities. On the other hand, Neckel or other element is also used as a catalytic element for promoting crystallization of an amorphous silicon film. First, this catalytic element is applied in contact with the surface of the amorphous silicon film. The film is heated at 450 to 650° C. to create crystal nuclei. The film is further heated at a higher temperature to grow the crystal grains. In this way, a crystalline silicon film having improved crystallinity is formed.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display includes a pixel cell array formed on a substrate. The pixel cell array includes rows and columns of pixel cells and each pixel cell has a pixel TFT. Gate control lines extend along the respective rows of the pixel cell array and connect the pixel TFTs to a gate control circuit. A termination unit is located near one end of the gate control lines. The termination unit is made up of antenna TFTs, respectively connected to the gate control lines. The antenna TFTs have a size which is much larger than a size of the pixel TFTs and are preferably CMOS type TFTs. The termination unit discharges a static charge which may build up on the gate control lines so that damage to the pixel TFTs caused by the static charge is prevented.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display includes a display part displaying an image in accordance with image display data supplied through data signal lines, and a driving part driving the data signal lines by using a plurality of driving devices simultaneously for each data signal line.

Abstract: An active matrix type display device includes a discharge pattern or a short ring. The display device includes an active matrix circuit and a driver circuit for driving said active matrix circuit. The active matrix circuit and the driver circuit are provided over the same substrate and at least the active matrix circuit is surrounded by discharge patterns.

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: An electro-optical device such as a liquid crystal device comprises a transparent substrate and a plurality of thin film transistors for driving pixel electrodes. In order to prevent an undesirable influence of light incident on the thin film transistors, a light shielding layer is interposed between the thin film transistors and the transparent substrate. Another portion of the light-shielding layer which corresponds to the pixel electrodes, has been changed to transparent by selectively oxidizing or nitriding the layer.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display apparatus has a display section formed on a first substrate. The display section including a plurality of pixels disposed in a matrix pattern, a plurality of scan lines extending in a row direction and a plurality of signal lines extending in a column direction. One pixel is connected at each cross point between the scan and signal lines and each pixel includes a semiconductor active element and a pixel electrode. A signal line driver circuit is disposed at opposite end portions in the row direction and includes semiconductor active elements for driving the scan lines. A scan line driver circuit is disposed at opposite end portions in the column direction and includes semiconductor active elements for driving the signal lines. A transparent second substrate is disposed opposing the first substrate and a liquid crystal layer is sandwiched between the first and second substrates.

Abstract: In a source/drain doping step in manufacturing a field effect transistor, particularly a thin-film transistor (TFT), high-speed boron ions are implanted in a state that an active layer in which to form the source and drain is covered with an insulating film, whereas phosphorus ions are implanted in a state that the surface of the active layer is exposed.

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 process for fabricating a highly stable and reliable semiconductor, comprising: coating the surface of an amorphous silicon film with a solution containing a catalyst element capable of accelerating the crystallization of the amorphous silicon film, and heat treating the amorphous silicon film thereafter to crystallize the film.

Abstract: The formation of contact holes and a capacitor is performed in a semiconductor integrated circuit such as an active matrix circuit. An interlayer insulator having a multilayer (a lower layer is silicon oxide; an upper layer is silicon nitride) each having different dry etching characteristic is formed. Using a first mask, the silicon nitride corresponding to the upper layer in the interlayer insulator is etched by dry etching. This etching is completed by using the silicon oxide corresponding to the lower layer as an etching stopper. A pattern is formed using a second mask to form selectively the silicon oxide corresponding to the lower layer. Thus a first portion that the silicon oxide and the silicon nitride are etched and a second portion that only silicon nitride is etched are obtained. The first portion is used as a contact hole. A capacitor is formed in the second portion.

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: 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).