Patents by Inventor Kengo Akimoto

Kengo Akimoto 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).

  • Patent number: 11107928
    Abstract: An object is to improve field effect mobility of a thin film transistor using an oxide semiconductor. Another object is to suppress increase in off current even in a thin film transistor with improved field effect mobility. In a thin film transistor using an oxide semiconductor layer, by forming a semiconductor layer having higher electrical conductivity and a smaller thickness than the oxide semiconductor layer between the oxide semiconductor layer and a gate insulating layer, field effect mobility of the thin film transistor can be improved, and increase in off current can be suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kengo Akimoto, Toshinari Sasaki
  • Publication number: 20210249538
    Abstract: To provide an oxide semiconductor film having stable electric conductivity and a highly reliable semiconductor device having stable electric characteristics by using the oxide semiconductor film. The oxide semiconductor film contains indium (In), gallium (Ga), and zinc (Zn) and includes a c-axis-aligned crystalline region aligned in the direction parallel to a normal vector of a surface where the oxide semiconductor film is formed. Further, the composition of the c-axis-aligned crystalline region is represented by In1+?Ga1??O3(ZnO)m (0<?<1 and m=1 to 3 are satisfied), and the composition of the entire oxide semiconductor film including the c-axis-aligned crystalline region is represented by InxGayO3(ZnO)m (0<x<2, 0<y<2, and m=1 to 3 are satisfied).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2021
    Publication date: August 12, 2021
    Inventors: Masahiro TAKAHASHI, Kengo AKIMOTO, Shunpei YAMAZAKI
  • Publication number: 20210242346
    Abstract: To offer a semiconductor device including a thin film transistor having excellent characteristics and high reliability and a method for manufacturing the semiconductor device without variation. The summary is to include an inverted-staggered (bottom-gate structure) thin film transistor in which an oxide semiconductor film containing In, Ga, and Zn is used for a semiconductor layer and a buffer layer is provided between the semiconductor layer and source and drain electrode layers. An ohmic contact is formed by intentionally providing a buffer layer containing In, Ga, and Zn and having a higher carrier concentration than the semiconductor layer between the semiconductor layer and the source and drain electrode layers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2021
    Publication date: August 5, 2021
    Inventors: Shunpei YAMAZAKI, Hidekazu MIYAIRI, Akiharu MIYANAGA, Kengo AKIMOTO, Kojiro SHIRAISHI
  • Patent number: 11069817
    Abstract: A display device including a pixel having a memory. The pixel includes at least a display element, a capacitor, an inverter, and a switch. The switch is controlled with a signal held in the capacitor and a signal output from the inverter so that voltage is supplied to the display element. The inverter and the switch can be constituted by transistors with the same polarity. A semiconductor layer included in the pixel may be formed using a light-transmitting material. Moreover, a gate electrode, a drain electrode, and a capacitor electrode may be formed using a light-transmitting conductive layer. The pixel is formed using a light-transmitting material in such a manner, whereby the display device can be a transmissive display device while including a pixel having a memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hajime Kimura, Kengo Akimoto, Masashi Tsubuku, Toshinari Sasaki
  • Publication number: 20210175256
    Abstract: The semiconductor device includes a driver circuit portion including a driver circuit and a pixel portion including a pixel. The pixel includes a gate electrode layer having a light-transmitting property, a gate insulating layer, a source electrode layer and a drain electrode layer each having a light-transmitting property provided over the gate insulating layer, an oxide semiconductor layer covering top surfaces and side surfaces of the source electrode layer and the drain electrode layer and provided over the gate electrode layer with the gate insulating layer therebetween, a conductive layer provided over part of the oxide semiconductor layer and having a lower resistance than the source electrode layer and the drain electrode layer, and an oxide insulating layer in contact with part of the oxide semiconductor layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2020
    Publication date: June 10, 2021
    Inventors: Masayuki SAKAKURA, Yoshiaki OIKAWA, Shunpei YAMAZAKI, Junichiro SAKATA, Masashi TSUBUKU, Kengo AKIMOTO, Miyuki HOSOBA
  • Patent number: 11024516
    Abstract: An object is to provide a display device with excellent display characteristics, where a pixel circuit and a driver circuit provided over one substrate are formed using transistors which have different structures corresponding to characteristics of the respective circuits. The driver circuit portion includes a driver circuit transistor in which a gate electrode layer, a source electrode layer, and a drain electrode layer are formed using a metal film, and a channel layer is formed using an oxide semiconductor. The pixel portion includes a pixel transistor in which a gate electrode layer, a source electrode layer, and a drain electrode layer are formed using an oxide conductor, and a semiconductor layer is formed using an oxide semiconductor. The pixel transistor is formed using a light-transmitting material, and thus, a display device with higher aperture ratio can be manufactured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Junichiro Sakata, Masashi Tsubuku, Kengo Akimoto, Miyuki Hosoba, Masayuki Sakakura, Yoshiaki Oikawa
  • Patent number: 11024763
    Abstract: An object is to provide a semiconductor device including a thin film transistor with excellent electrical characteristics and high reliability and a method for manufacturing the semiconductor device with high mass productivity. A main point is to form a low-resistance oxide semiconductor layer as a source or drain region after forming a drain or source electrode layer over a gate insulating layer and to form an oxide semiconductor film thereover as a semiconductor layer. It is preferable that an oxygen-excess oxide semiconductor layer be used as a semiconductor layer and an oxygen-deficient oxide semiconductor layer be used as a source region and a drain region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Kengo Akimoto, Shigeki Komori, Hideki Uochi
  • Publication number: 20210159345
    Abstract: An oxide semiconductor film which has more stable electric conductivity is provided. The oxide semiconductor film comprises a crystalline region. The oxide semiconductor film has a first peak of electron diffraction intensity with a full width at half maximum of greater than or equal to 0.4 nm?1 and less than or equal to 0.7 nm?1 in a region where a magnitude of a scattering vector is greater than or equal to 3.3 nm?1 and less than or equal to 4.1 nm?1. The oxide semiconductor film has a second peak of electron diffraction intensity with a full width at half maximum of greater than or equal to 0.45 nm?1 and less than or equal to 1.4 nm?1 in a region where a magnitude of a scattering vector is greater than or equal to 5.5 nm?1 and less than or equal to 7.1 nm?1.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2021
    Publication date: May 27, 2021
    Inventors: Shunpei YAMAZAKI, Masashi TSUBUKU, Kengo AKIMOTO, Hiroki OHARA, Tatsuya HONDA, Takatsugu OMATA, Yusuke NONAKA, Masahiro TAKAHASHI, Akiharu MIYANAGA
  • Patent number: 10998449
    Abstract: To provide an oxide semiconductor film having stable electric conductivity and a highly reliable semiconductor device having stable electric characteristics by using the oxide semiconductor film. The oxide semiconductor film contains indium (In), gallium (Ga), and zinc (Zn) and includes a c-axis-aligned crystalline region aligned in the direction parallel to a normal vector of a surface where the oxide semiconductor film is formed. Further, the composition of the c-axis-aligned crystalline region is represented by In1+?Ga1-?O3(ZnO)m (0<?<1 and m=1 to 3 are satisfied), and the composition of the entire oxide semiconductor film including the c-axis-aligned crystalline region is represented by InxGayO3(ZnO)m (0<x<2, 0<y<2, and m=1 to 3 are satisfied).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiro Takahashi, Kengo Akimoto, Shunpei Yamazaki
  • Publication number: 20210104557
    Abstract: With an increase in the definition of a display device, the number of pixels is increased, and thus the numbers of gate lines and signal lines are increased. Due to the increase in the numbers of gate lines and signal lines, it is difficult to mount an IC chip having a driver circuit for driving the gate and signal lines by bonding or the like, which causes an increase in manufacturing costs. A pixel portion and a driver circuit for driving the pixel portion are formed over one substrate. At least a part of the driver circuit is formed using an inverted staggered thin film transistor in which an oxide semiconductor is used. The driver circuit as well as the pixel portion is provided over the same substrate, whereby manufacturing costs are reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2020
    Publication date: April 8, 2021
    Inventors: Shunpei YAMAZAKI, Kengo AKIMOTO, Atsushi UMEZAKI
  • Publication number: 20210091210
    Abstract: It is an object to provide a semiconductor device including a thin film transistor with favorable electric properties and high reliability, and a method for manufacturing the semiconductor device with high productivity. In an inverted staggered (bottom gate) thin film transistor, an oxide semiconductor film containing In, Ga, and Zn is used as a semiconductor layer, and a buffer layer formed using a metal oxide layer is provided between the semiconductor layer and a source and drain electrode layers. The metal oxide layer is intentionally provided as the buffer layer between the semiconductor layer and the source and drain electrode layers, whereby ohmic contact is obtained.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2020
    Publication date: March 25, 2021
    Inventors: Shunpei YAMAZAKI, Hidekazu MIYAIRI, Kengo AKIMOTO, Kojiro SHIRAISHI
  • Patent number: 10937897
    Abstract: It is an object to provide a semiconductor device including a thin film transistor with favorable electric properties and high reliability, and a method for manufacturing the semiconductor device with high productivity. In an inverted staggered (bottom gate) thin film transistor, an oxide semiconductor film containing In, Ga, and Zn is used as a semiconductor layer, and a buffer layer formed using a metal oxide layer is provided between the semiconductor layer and a source and drain electrode layers. The metal oxide layer is intentionally provided as the buffer layer between the semiconductor layer and the source and drain electrode layers, whereby ohmic contact is obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Hidekazu Miyairi, Kengo Akimoto, Kojiro Shiraishi
  • Patent number: 10930792
    Abstract: To offer a semiconductor device including a thin film transistor having excellent characteristics and high reliability and a method for manufacturing the semiconductor device without variation. The summary is to include an inverted-staggered (bottom-gate structure) thin film transistor in which an oxide semiconductor film containing In, Ga, and Zn is used for a semiconductor layer and a buffer layer is provided between the semiconductor layer and source and drain electrode layers. An ohmic contact is formed by intentionally providing a buffer layer containing In, Ga, and Zn and having a higher carrier concentration than the semiconductor layer between the semiconductor layer and the source and drain electrode layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Hidekazu Miyairi, Akiharu Miyanaga, Kengo Akimoto, Kojiro Shiraishi
  • Patent number: 10916663
    Abstract: An oxide semiconductor film which has more stable electric conductivity is provided. The oxide semiconductor film comprises a crystalline region. The oxide semiconductor film has a first peak of electron diffraction intensity with a full width at half maximum of greater than or equal to 0.4 nm?1 and less than or equal to 0.7 nm?1 in a region where a magnitude of a scattering vector is greater than or equal to 3.3 nm?1 and less than or equal to 4.1 nm?1. The oxide semiconductor film has a second peak of electron diffraction intensity with a full width at half maximum of greater than or equal to 0.45 nm?1 and less than or equal to 1.4 nm?1 in a region where a magnitude of a scattering vector is greater than or equal to 5.5 nm?1 and less than or equal to 7.1 nm?1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Masashi Tsubuku, Kengo Akimoto, Hiroki Ohara, Tatsuya Honda, Takatsugu Omata, Yusuke Nonaka, Masahiro Takahashi, Akiharu Miyanaga
  • Patent number: 10910408
    Abstract: With an increase in the definition of a display device, the number of pixels is increased, and thus the numbers of gate lines and signal lines are increased. Due to the increase in the numbers of gate lines and signal lines, it is difficult to mount an IC chip having a driver circuit for driving the gate and signal lines by bonding or the like, which causes an increase in manufacturing costs. A pixel portion and a driver circuit for driving the pixel portion are formed over one substrate. At least a part of the driver circuit is formed using an inverted staggered thin film transistor in which an oxide semiconductor is used. The driver circuit as well as the pixel portion is provided over the same substrate, whereby manufacturing costs are reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Kengo Akimoto, Atsushi Umezaki
  • Publication number: 20200381565
    Abstract: An object is to provide favorable interface characteristics of a thin film transistor including an oxide semiconductor layer without mixing of an impurity such as moisture. Another object is to provide a semiconductor device including a thin film transistor having excellent electric characteristics and high reliability, and a method by which a semiconductor device can be manufactured with high productivity. A main point is to perform oxygen radical treatment on a surface of a gate insulating layer. Accordingly, there is a peak of the oxygen concentration at an interface between the gate insulating layer and a semiconductor layer, and the oxygen concentration of the gate insulating layer has a concentration gradient. The oxygen concentration is increased toward the interface between the gate insulating layer and the semiconductor layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2020
    Publication date: December 3, 2020
    Inventors: Shunpei YAMAZAKI, Kengo AKIMOTO
  • Patent number: 10854640
    Abstract: The semiconductor device includes a driver circuit portion including a driver circuit and a pixel portion including a pixel. The pixel includes a gate electrode layer having a light-transmitting property, a gate insulating layer, a source electrode layer and a drain electrode layer each having a light-transmitting property provided over the gate insulating layer, an oxide semiconductor layer covering top surfaces and side surfaces of the source electrode layer and the drain electrode layer and provided over the gate electrode layer with the gate insulating layer therebetween, a conductive layer provided over part of the oxide semiconductor layer and having a lower resistance than the source electrode layer and the drain electrode layer, and an oxide insulating layer in contact with part of the oxide semiconductor layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masayuki Sakakura, Yoshiaki Oikawa, Shunpei Yamazaki, Junichiro Sakata, Masashi Tsubuku, Kengo Akimoto, Miyuki Hosoba
  • Publication number: 20200350308
    Abstract: A protective circuit includes a non-linear element which includes a gate electrode, a gate insulating layer covering the gate electrode, a first oxide semiconductor layer overlapping with the gate electrode over the gate insulating layer, a channel protective layer overlapping with a channel formation region of the first oxide semiconductor layer, and a pair of a first wiring layer and a second wiring layer whose end portions overlap with the gate electrode over the channel protective layer and in which a conductive layer and a second oxide semiconductor layer are stacked. Over the gate insulating layer, oxide semiconductor layers with different properties are bonded to each other, whereby stable operation can be performed as compared with Schottky junction. Thus, the junction leakage can be reduced and the characteristics of the non-linear element can be improved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2020
    Publication date: November 5, 2020
    Inventors: Shunpei YAMAZAKI, Kengo AKIMOTO, Shigeki KOMORI, Hideki UOCHI, Tomoya FUTAMURA, Takahiro KASAHARA
  • Patent number: 10756080
    Abstract: A protective circuit includes a non-linear element which includes a gate electrode, a gate insulating layer covering the gate electrode, a first oxide semiconductor layer overlapping with the gate electrode over the gate insulating layer, a channel protective layer overlapping with a channel formation region of the first oxide semiconductor layer, and a pair of a first wiring layer and a second wiring layer whose end portions overlap with the gate electrode over the channel protective layer and in which a conductive layer and a second oxide semiconductor layer are stacked. Over the gate insulating layer, oxide semiconductor layers with different properties are bonded to each other, whereby stable operation can be performed as compared with Schottky junction. Thus, the junction leakage can be reduced and the characteristics of the non-linear element can be improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Kengo Akimoto, Shigeki Komori, Hideki Uochi, Tomoya Futamura, Takahiro Kasahara
  • Patent number: 10744146
    Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide a composition that has preventive or ameliorative action on symptoms or diseases caused by decreased brain function. This composition contains, as its active ingredient, arachidonic acid and/or a compound having arachidonic acid as a constituent fatty acid and, particularly, an alcohol ester of arachidonic acid or a triglyceride, phospholipid or glycolipid in which all or a portion of the constituent fatty acids are arachidonic acid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: SUNTORY HOLDINGS LIMITED
    Inventors: Kengo Akimoto, Hiroshi Kawashima, Yoshiko Ono, Hiroshige Okaichi, Youko Okaichi