Patents by Inventor Kengo Hara
Kengo Hara 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: 11955097Abstract: A shift register includes stages each constituted by a unit circuit provided with a thin-film transistor (separation transistor) that separates a control node into an output-side first control node and an input-side second control node and a capacitor whose first end is connected to the second control node. The thin-film transistor (separation transistor) has a control terminal that is supplied with a high-level DC power supply voltage. Typically, the channel width of a thin-film transistor (first output control transistor) that controls output from a unit circuit is ten or more times greater than the channel width of the thin-film transistor (separation transistor).Type: GrantFiled: December 5, 2022Date of Patent: April 9, 2024Assignee: Sharp Display Technology CorporationInventors: Jun Nishimura, Yoshihito Hara, Yohei Takeuchi, Kengo Hara, Tohru Daitoh
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Publication number: 20240112646Abstract: A set circuit in a unit circuit in a gate driver of a display device includes a setting transistor, a first auxiliary transistor, and a second auxiliary transistor. The setting transistor includes a source terminal connected to an internal node, a gate terminal connected to a set input terminal, and a drain terminal connected to the set input terminal via the first auxiliary transistor and also connected to an input terminal via the second auxiliary transistor in a diode-connected form. Each transistor is controlled to be in an on state and an off state during normal drive and is controlled to be in the off state and the on state during a pause period by a control signal supplied to the input terminal.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 14, 2023Publication date: April 4, 2024Inventors: Jun NISHIMURA, Kengo HARA, Yohei TAKEUCHI, Yoshihito HARA, Tohru DAITOH
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Patent number: 11830454Abstract: An active matrix substrate includes a gate driver including a shift register including a plurality of unit circuits connected in multiple stages. Each of the plurality of unit circuits includes an output node, a first node, a first TFT including a first gate terminal supplied with the set signal, a first source terminal connected to the first node, and a first drain terminal supplied with a first power supply potential higher than a low-level potential of the set signal, and a second TFT including a second gate terminal connected to the first node, a second source terminal connected to the output node, and a second drain terminal supplied with the clock signal. The first TFT includes a semiconductor layer, and a first and a second gate electrodes disposed on a side of the semiconductor layer opposite to the substrate and connected to the first gate terminal.Type: GrantFiled: January 25, 2023Date of Patent: November 28, 2023Assignee: SHARP DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY CORPORATIONInventors: Kengo Hara, Tohru Daitoh, Yoshihito Hara, Jun Nishimura, Yohei Takeuchi
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Publication number: 20230352493Abstract: An active matrix substrate includes a thin film transistor including an oxide semiconductor layer, an interlayer insulating layer covering the thin film transistor, a pixel electrode provided above the interlayer insulating layer and electrically connected to the thin film transistor, a common electrode provided between the pixel electrode and the interlayer insulating layer, a first dielectric layer provided between the common electrode and the pixel electrode, and an alignment film covering the pixel electrode. The first dielectric layer includes a plurality of openings each of which exposes a part of the common electrode and includes the alignment film positioned therein.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 27, 2023Publication date: November 2, 2023Inventors: Yoshihito HARA, Tohru DAITOH, Jun NISHIMURA, Kengo HARA, Yohei TAKEUCHI
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Patent number: 11791345Abstract: An active matrix substrate includes a first TFT having an oxide semiconductor layer formed from a first oxide semiconductor film and a second TFT having an oxide semiconductor layer formed from a second oxide semiconductor film. The oxide semiconductor layer of each TFT includes a high-resistance region including a channel region and offset regions and low-resistance regions including a source contact region, a drain contact region, and interposed regions. The first TFT has a gate insulating layer including a first insulating film and a second insulating film. The second TFT has a gate insulating layer including the second insulating film but not including the first insulating film. A total length L1 of the offset regions of the first TFT in a channel length direction is greater than a total length L2 of the offset regions of the second TFT in the channel length direction.Type: GrantFiled: December 22, 2021Date of Patent: October 17, 2023Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Hitoshi Takahata, Tetsuo Kikuchi, Kengo Hara, Setsuji Nishimiya, Masahiko Suzuki, Tohru Daitoh
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Patent number: 11790867Abstract: 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: December 7, 2022Date of Patent: October 17, 2023Assignee: 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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Publication number: 20230252951Abstract: An active matrix substrate includes a gate driver including a shift register including a plurality of unit circuits connected in multiple stages. Each of the plurality of unit circuits includes an output node, a first node, a first TFT including a first gate terminal supplied with the set signal, a first source terminal connected to the first node, and a first drain terminal supplied with a first power supply potential higher than a low-level potential of the set signal, and a second TFT including a second gate terminal connected to the first node, a second source terminal connected to the output node, and a second drain terminal supplied with the clock signal. The first TFT includes a semiconductor layer, and a first and a second gate electrodes disposed on a side of the semiconductor layer opposite to the substrate and connected to the first gate terminal.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 25, 2023Publication date: August 10, 2023Inventors: Kengo HARA, Tohru DAITOH, Yoshihito HARA, Jun NISHIMURA, Yohei TAKEUCHI
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Publication number: 20230215876Abstract: An active matrix substrate includes a plurality of gate bus lines, a plurality of source bus lines located closer to the substrate side; a lower insulating layer that covers the source bus lines; an interlayer insulating layer that covers the gate bus lines; a plurality of oxide semiconductor TFTs disposed in association with respective pixel regions; a pixel electrode disposed in each of the pixel regions; and a plurality of source contact portions each of which electrically connects one of the oxide semiconductor TFTs to the corresponding one of the source bus lines, in which each of the oxide semiconductor TFTs includes an oxide semiconductor layer disposed on the lower insulating layer, a gate electrode disposed on a portion of the oxide semiconductor layer, and a source electrode formed of a conductive film, and each of the source contact portions includes a source contact hole, and a connection electrode.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 9, 2023Publication date: July 6, 2023Inventors: Masahiko SUZUKI, Tetsuo KIKUCHI, Hideki KITAGAWA, Setsuji NISHIMIYA, Kengo HARA, Hitoshi TAKAHATA, Tohru DAITOH
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Publication number: 20230215877Abstract: An active matrix substrate includes a plurality of source bus lines and a plurality of gate bus lines and a plurality of oxide semiconductor TFTs that have a plurality of pixel TFTs, each of which is associated with one of the plurality of pixel regions, and a plurality of circuit TFTs constituting a peripheral circuit, in which each of oxide semiconductor TFTs has an oxide semiconductor layer and a gate electrode disposed on a channel region of the oxide semiconductor layer via a gate insulating layer, the plurality of oxide semiconductor TFTs have a plurality of first TFTs, a plurality of second TFTs, and/or a plurality of third TFTs, and the plurality of first TFTs have the plurality of pixel TFTs, and the plurality of second TFTs and/or the plurality of third TFTs have at least a portion of the plurality of circuit TFTs.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 9, 2023Publication date: July 6, 2023Inventors: Kengo HARA, Tohru DAITOH, Tetsuo KIKUCHI, Masahiko SUZUKI, Setsuji NISHIMIYA, Hitoshi TAKAHATA
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Publication number: 20230215395Abstract: A shift register includes stages each constituted by a unit circuit provided with thin-film transistors that separate a control node (i.e. a node that controls output from a unit circuit) into an output-side first control node and an input-side second control node. One of the thin-film transistors has a control terminal that is supplied with a set signal that is an output signal from a unit circuit constituting a preceding stage. The other of the thin-film transistors has a control terminal that is supplied with a reset signal that is an output signal from a unit circuit constituting a subsequent stage.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 5, 2022Publication date: July 6, 2023Inventors: Jun NISHIMURA, Yoshihito HARA, Yohei TAKEUCHI, Kengo HARA, Tohru DAITOH
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Patent number: 11695016Abstract: An active matrix substrate includes a first TFT and a second TFT, each of TFTs includes an oxide semiconductor layer and a gate electrode arranged on the oxide semiconductor layer with a gate insulating layer therebetween, in which in the first TFT, in the oxide semiconductor layer, in at least a part of a first region covered with the gate electrode with the gate insulating layer interposed therebetween, a layered structure including a high mobility oxide semiconductor film having a relatively high mobility and a low mobility oxide semiconductor film placed on the high mobility oxide semiconductor film and having a lower mobility than the high mobility oxide semiconductor film is provided, and in the second TFT, in a first region of the oxide semiconductor layer, throughout, of the high mobility oxide semiconductor film and the low mobility oxide semiconductor film, one oxide semiconductor film is provided, and the other oxide semiconductor film is not provided.Type: GrantFiled: July 1, 2021Date of Patent: July 4, 2023Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Tohru Daitoh, Masahiko Suzuki, Setsuji Nishimiya, Kengo Hara, Hitoshi Takahata, Tetsuo Kikuchi
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Publication number: 20230206875Abstract: A shift register includes stages each constituted by a unit circuit provided with a thin-film transistor (separation transistor) that separates a control node into an output-side first control node and an input-side second control node and a capacitor whose first end is connected to the second control node. The thin-film transistor (separation transistor) has a control terminal that is supplied with a high-level DC power supply voltage. Typically, the channel width of a thin-film transistor (first output control transistor) that controls output from a unit circuit is ten or more times greater than the channel width of the thin-film transistor (separation transistor).Type: ApplicationFiled: December 5, 2022Publication date: June 29, 2023Inventors: Jun NISHIMURA, Yoshihito HARA, Yohei TAKEUCHI, Kengo HARA, Tohru DAITOH
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Publication number: 20230135065Abstract: An active matrix substrate includes a substrate, a plurality of oxide semiconductor TFTs each including an oxide semiconductor layer, a lower gate electrode positioned on the substrate side of the oxide semiconductor layer, and an upper gate electrode positioned on the oxide semiconductor layer on a side opposite from the substrate, a plurality of source wiring lines extending in a column direction, a plurality of upper gate wiring lines extending in a row direction, and a plurality of lower gate wiring lines extending in the row direction. The plurality of lower gate wiring lines include a first gate wiring line, and the plurality of upper gate wiring lines include a second gate wiring line partially overlapping the first gate wiring line via the lower gate insulating layer and the upper gate insulating layer.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 26, 2022Publication date: May 4, 2023Inventors: Masahiko SUZUKI, Tetsuo KIKUCHI, Setsuji NISHIMIYA, Kengo HARA, Hitoshi TAKAHATA, Tohru DAITOH
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Patent number: 11637132Abstract: An active matrix substrate includes a plurality of gate bus lines, a plurality of source bus lines located closer to the substrate side; a lower insulating layer that covers the source bus lines; an interlayer insulating layer that covers the gate bus lines; a plurality of oxide semiconductor TFTs disposed in association with respective pixel regions; a pixel electrode disposed in each of the pixel regions; and a plurality of source contact portions each of which electrically connects one of the oxide semiconductor TFTs to the corresponding one of the source bus lines, in which each of the oxide semiconductor TFTs includes an oxide semiconductor layer disposed on the lower insulating layer, a gate electrode disposed on a portion of the oxide semiconductor layer, and a source electrode formed of a conductive film, and each of the source contact portions includes a source contact hole, and a connection electrode.Type: GrantFiled: January 25, 2021Date of Patent: April 25, 2023Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Masahiko Suzuki, Tetsuo Kikuchi, Hideki Kitagawa, Setsuji Nishimiya, Kengo Hara, Hitoshi Takahata, Tohru Daitoh
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Patent number: 11631704Abstract: An active matrix substrate includes a plurality of source bus lines and a plurality of gate bus lines and a plurality of oxide semiconductor TFTs that have a plurality of pixel TFTs, each of which is associated with one of the plurality of pixel regions, and a plurality of circuit TFTs constituting a peripheral circuit, in which each of oxide semiconductor TFTs has an oxide semiconductor layer and a gate electrode disposed on a channel region of the oxide semiconductor layer via a gate insulating layer, the plurality of oxide semiconductor TFTs have a plurality of first TFTs, a plurality of second TFTs, and/or a plurality of third TFTs, and the plurality of first TFTs have the plurality of pixel TFTs, and the plurality of second TFTs and/or the plurality of third TFTs have at least a portion of the plurality of circuit TFTs.Type: GrantFiled: April 7, 2021Date of Patent: April 18, 2023Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Kengo Hara, Tohru Daitoh, Tetsuo Kikuchi, Masahiko Suzuki, Setsuji Nishimiya, Hitoshi Takahata
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Publication number: 20230100273Abstract: 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: December 7, 2022Publication date: March 30, 2023Inventors: Tetsuo KIKUCHI, Hideki KITAGAWA, Hajime IMAI, Toshikatsu ITOH, Masahiko SUZUKI, Teruyuki UEDA, Kengo HARA, Setsuji NISHIMIYA, Tohru DAITOH
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Publication number: 20230075289Abstract: An active matrix substrate includes: a first oxide semiconductor layer including a first channel region; a first gate electrode disposed on the substrate side of the first oxide semiconductor layer; a channel protection layer disposed on a side of the first oxide semiconductor layer opposite to the substrate and covering the first channel region; a first TFT having a first source electrode and a first drain electrode in an upper layer of the channel protection layer; a second oxide semiconductor layer; a second gate electrode disposed on a side of the second oxide semiconductor layer opposite to the substrate; and the second TFT having a second source electrode and a second drain electrode disposed on an interlayer insulating layer that covers the second gate electrode, wherein the first oxide semiconductor layer and the second oxide semiconductor layer are formed of the same layered oxide semiconductor film, the layered oxide semiconductor film has a layered structure including a high mobility oxide semicondType: ApplicationFiled: August 25, 2022Publication date: March 9, 2023Inventors: Kengo HARA, Tohru DAITOH, Tetsuo KIKUCHI, Masahiko SUZUKI, Setsuji NISHIMIYA, Hitoshi TAKAHATA
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Patent number: 11581340Abstract: An active matrix substrate is provided with a plurality of oxide semiconductor TFTs including a plurality of first TFTs. An oxide semiconductor layer of each oxide semiconductor TFT includes a channel region, a source contact region, and a drain contact region. In a view from a normal direction of the substrate, the channel region is a region located between the source contact region and the drain contact region and overlapping a gate electrode, and the channel region includes a first end portion and a second end portion that oppose each other and extend in a first direction from the source contact region side toward the drain contact region side, a source side end portion that is located on the source contact region side of the first and second end portions and extends in a second direction that intersects the first direction, and a drain side end portion that is located on the drain contact region side of the first and second end portions and extends in the second direction.Type: GrantFiled: December 9, 2021Date of Patent: February 14, 2023Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Kengo Hara, Tohru Daitoh, Tetsuo Kikuchi, Masahiko Suzuki, Setsuji Nishimiya, Hitoshi Takahata
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Patent number: 11557679Abstract: An active matrix substrate has pixel regions, and includes a substrate, pixel TFTs disposed to respectively correspond to the pixel regions, and pixel electrodes electrically connected to the pixel TFTs. The pixel TFTs are each a top gate structure TFT that has an oxide semiconductor layer, a gate insulating layer on the oxide semiconductor layer, and a gate electrode opposing the oxide semiconductor layer with the gate insulating layer therebetween. The gate insulating layer is formed of silicon oxide and includes a lower layer contacting the oxide semiconductor layer, and an upper layer on the lower layer. The lower layer H/N ratio of hydrogen atoms to nitrogen atoms in the lower layer is 1.5 to 5.0. The upper layer H/N ratio of hydrogen atoms to nitrogen atoms in the upper layer is 0.9 to 2.0. The lower layer H/N ratio is larger than the upper layer H/N ratio.Type: GrantFiled: February 24, 2021Date of Patent: January 17, 2023Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Tetsuo Kikuchi, Tohru Daitoh, Masahiko Suzuki, Setsuji Nishimiya, Kengo Hara, Hitoshi Takahata
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Patent number: 11551629Abstract: 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: April 20, 2022Date of Patent: January 10, 2023Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Tetsuo Kikuchi, Hideki Kitagawa, Hajime Imai, Toshikatsu Itoh, Masahiko Suzuki, Teruyuki Ueda, Kengo Hara, Setsuji Nishimiya, Tohru Daitoh