Abstract: First semiconductor integrated circuits and second semiconductor integrated circuits arranged over a first substrate so that each of the second semiconductor integrated circuits is adjacent to one of the first semiconductor integrated circuits are transferred to additional substrates through multiple transfer operations. After the first semiconductor integrated circuits and the second semiconductor integrated circuits formed over the first substrate are transferred to the additional substrates (a fourth substrate and a fifth substrate) respectively, the circuits are divided into a semiconductor device corresponding to each semiconductor integrated circuit. The first semiconductor integrated circuits are arranged while keeping a distance from each other over the fourth substrate, and the second semiconductor integrated circuits are arranged while keeping a distance from each other over the fifth substrate. Thus, a large division margin of each of the fourth substrate and the fifth substrate can be obtained.

Abstract: A fragile layer is formed in a region at a depth of less than 1000 nm from one surface of a single crystal semiconductor substrate, and a first impurity semiconductor layer and a first electrode are formed at the one surface side. After bonding the first electrode and a supporting substrate, the single crystal semiconductor substrate is separated using the fragile layer or the vicinity as a separation plane, thereby forming a first single crystal semiconductor layer over the supporting substrate. An amorphous semiconductor layer is formed on the first single crystal semiconductor layer, and a second single crystal semiconductor layer is formed by heat treatment for solid phase growth of the amorphous semiconductor layer. A second impurity semiconductor layer having a conductivity type opposite to that of the first impurity semiconductor layer and a second electrode are formed over the second single crystal semiconductor layer.

Abstract: It is an object of the invention to provide semiconductor devices which can protect privacy of consumers or holders of commercial products and control the communication range according to use, even when the semiconductor device which can exchange data without contact is mounted on the commercial products. A semiconductor device of the invention includes an element group including a plurality of transistors over a substrate; a first conductive film functioning as an antenna over the element group; a second conductive film surrounding the first conductive film; an insulating film covering the first and second end portions; and a third conductive film over the insulating film. The first conductive film is provided in the shape of a coil, and each end portion of the first conductive film is connected to the element group. First and second end portions of the second conductive film are not connected to each other.

Abstract: An object is to provide a manufacturing method of a microcrystalline semiconductor film with favorable quality over a large-area substrate. After forming a gate insulating film over a gate electrode, in order to improve quality of a microcrystalline semiconductor film formed in an initial stage, glow discharge plasma is generated by supplying high-frequency powers with different frequencies, and a lower part of the film near an interface with the gate insulating film is formed under a first film formation condition, which is low in film formation rate but results in a good quality film. Thereafter, an upper part of the film is deposited under a second film formation condition with higher film formation rate, and further, a buffer layer is stacked on the microcrystalline semiconductor film.

Abstract: A display device including a thin film transistor with high electric characteristics and high reliability, and a method for manufacturing the display device with high mass-productivity. In a display device including an inverted-staggered channel-stop-type thin film transistor, the inverted-staggered channel-stop-type thin film transistor includes a microcrystalline semiconductor film including a channel formation region, and an impurity region containing an impurity element of one conductivity type is selectively provided in a region which is not overlapped with source and drain electrodes, in the channel formation region of the microcrystalline semiconductor film.

Abstract: An object is to provide a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device which suppresses an influence on a semiconductor element due to entry of an impurity element, moisture, or the like from outside even in the case of thinning or removing a substrate after forming a semiconductor element over the substrate. A feature is to form an insulating film functioning as a protective film on at least one side of the substrate by performing surface treatment on the substrate, to form a semiconductor element such as a thin film transistor over the insulating film, and to thin the substrate. As the surface treatment, addition of an impurity element or plasma treatment is performed on the substrate. As a means for thinning the substrate, the substrate can be partially removed by performing grinding treatment, polishing treatment, or the like on the other side of the substrate.

Abstract: A thin-film transistor in which problems with ON-state current and OFF-state current are solved, and a thin-film transistor capable of high-speed operation. The thin-film transistor includes a pair of impurity semiconductor layers in which an impurity element imparting one conductivity type is added to form a source and drain regions, provided with a space therebetween so as to be overlapped with a gate electrode with a gate insulating layer interposed between the gate electrode and the impurity semiconductor layers; a pair of semiconductor layers in which an impurity element which serves as an acceptor is added, overlapped over the gate insulating layers with the gate electrode and the impurity semiconductor layers, and disposed with a space therebetween in a channel length direction; and an amorphous semiconductor layer being in contact with the gate insulating layer and the pair of semiconductor layers and extended between the pair of semiconductor layers.

Abstract: A thin-film transistor includes a pair of impurity semiconductor layers in which an impurity element imparting one conductivity type is added to form a source and drain regions so as to be overlapped at least partly with a gate electrode with a gate insulating layer interposed between the gate electrode and the impurity semiconductor layers; a pair of conductive layers which is overlapped over the gate insulating layers at least partly with the gate electrode and the impurity semiconductor layers, and is disposed with a space therebetween in a channel length direction; and an amorphous semiconductor layer which is in contact with the gate insulating layer and the pair of conductive layers and is extended between the pair of conductive layers.

Abstract: A display device including a thin film transistor with high electric characteristics and high reliability, and a method for manufacturing the display device with high mass-productivity. In a display device including an inverted-staggered channel-stop-type thin film transistor, the inverted-staggered channel-stop-type thin film transistor includes a microcrystalline semiconductor film including a channel formation region, and an impurity region containing an impurity element of one conductivity type is selectively provided in a region which is not overlapped with source and drain electrodes, in the channel formation region of the microcrystalline semiconductor film.

Abstract: The present invention is to provide a semiconductor device that achieves high mechanical strength without reducing the circuit scale and that can prevent the data from being forged and altered illegally while suppressing the cost. The present invention discloses a semiconductor device typified by an ID chip that is formed from a semiconductor thin film including a first region with high crystallinity and a second region with the crystallinity inferior to the first region. Specifically, a TFT (thin film transistor) of a circuit requiring high-speed operation is formed by using the first region and a memory element for an identifying ROM is formed by using the second region.

Abstract: To provide a method for manufacturing a thin film transistor and a display device using a small number of masks, a thin film transistor is manufactured in such a manner that a first conductive film, an insulating film, a semiconductor film, an impurity semiconductor film, and a second conductive film are stacked; then, a resist mask is formed thereover; first etching is performed to form a thin-film stack body; second etching in which the first conductive film is side-etched is performed by dry-etching to form a gate electrode layer; and a source electrode, a drain electrode, and the like are formed. Before the dry etching, it is preferred that at least a side surface of the etched semiconductor film be oxidized.

Abstract: A laser beam irradiation method that achieves uniform crystallization, even if a film thickness of an a-Si film or the like fluctuates, is provided. The present invention provides a laser beam irradiation method in which a non-single crystal semiconductor film is formed on a substrate having an insulating surface and a laser beam having a wavelength longer than 350 nm is irradiated to the non-single crystal semiconductor film, thus crystallizing the non-single crystal silicon film. The non-single crystal semiconductor film has a film thickness distribution within the surface of the substrate, and a differential coefficient of a laser beam absorptivity with respect to the film thickness of the non-single crystal semiconductor film is positive.

Abstract: The present invention is to provide a semiconductor device that achieves high mechanical strength without reducing the circuit scale and that can prevent the data from being forged and altered illegally while suppressing the cost. The present invention discloses a semiconductor device typified by an ID chip that is formed from a semiconductor thin film including a first region with high crystallinity and a second region with the crystallinity inferior to the first region. Specifically, a TFT (thin film transistor) of a circuit requiring high-speed operation is formed by using the first region and a memory element for an identifying ROM is formed by using the second region.

Abstract: The thin film transistor includes, over a substrate having an insulating surface, a gate insulating layer covering a gate electrode, an amorphous semiconductor layer over the gate insulating layer, a semiconductor layer including an impurity element imparting one conductivity type over the amorphous semiconductor layer. The amorphous semiconductor layer comprises an NH radical. Defects of the amorphous semiconductor layer are reduced by cross-linking dangling bonds with the NH radical in the amorphous semiconductor layer.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, capable of keeping a peeling layer from being peeled from a substrate in the phase before the completion of a semiconductor element and peeling a semiconductor element rapidly. It is considered that a peeling layer tends to be peeled from a substrate because the stress is applied to a peeling layer due to the difference in thermal expansion coefficient between a substrate and a peeling layer, or because the volume of a peeling layer is reduced and thus the stress is applied thereto by crystallization of the peeling layer due to heat treatment. Therefore, according to one feature of the invention, the adhesion of a substrate and a peeling layer is enhanced by forming an insulating film (buffer film) for relieving the stress on the peeling layer between the substrate and the peeling layer before forming the peeling layer over the substrate.

Abstract: A thin film transistor includes, over a substrate having an insulating surface, a gate insulating layer covering a gate electrode; a semiconductor layer which includes a plurality of crystalline regions in an amorphous structure and which forms a channel formation region, in contact with the gate insulating layer; a semiconductor layer including an impurity element imparting one conductivity type, which forms source and drain regions; and a buffer layer including an amorphous semiconductor between the semiconductor layer and the semiconductor layer including an impurity element imparting one conductivity type. The crystalline regions have an inverted conical or inverted pyramidal crystal particle which grows approximately radially in a direction in which the semiconductor layer is deposited, from a position away from an interface between the gate insulating layer and the semiconductor layer.

Abstract: Application form of and demand for an IC chip formed with a silicon wafer are expected to increase, and further reduction in cost is required. An object of the invention is to provide a structure of an IC chip and a process capable of producing at a lower cost. In view of the above described object, one feature of the invention is to provide the steps of forming a separation layer over an insulating substrate and forming a thin film integrated circuit having a semiconductor film as an active region over the separation layer, wherein the thin film integrated circuit is not separated. There is less limitation on the shape of a mother substrate in the case of using the insulating substrate, when compared with the case of taking a chip out of a circular silicon wafer. Accordingly, reduction in cost of an IC chip can be achieved.

Abstract: A heat treatment apparatus which enables a heating process for a short time with high reproducibility in a manufacturing process of a MOS transistor manufactured using a semiconductor substrate, and a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device using the heat treatment apparatus are provided. The heat treatment apparatus of the present invention which enables the above heat treatment method is characterized by comprising: a light source; a power supply for turning the light source on and off in a pulse shape; a processing chamber in which the substrate can be irradiated with light from the light source; and a unit for supplying a coolant to the processing chamber and also increasing and decreasing the supply amount.

Abstract: A semiconductor device production system using a laser crystallization method is provided which can avoid forming grain boundaries in a channel formation region of a TFT, thereby preventing grain boundaries from lowering the mobility of the TFT greatly, from lowering ON current, and from increasing OFF current. Rectangular or stripe pattern depression and projection portions are formed on an insulating film. A semiconductor film is formed on the insulating film. The semiconductor film is irradiated with continuous wave laser light by running the laser light along the stripe pattern depression and projection portions of the insulating film or along the major or minor axis direction of the rectangle. Although continuous wave laser light is most preferred among laser light, it is also possible to use pulse oscillation laser light in irradiating the semiconductor film.

Abstract: An insulating film having depressions and projections are formed on a substrate. A semiconductor film is formed on the insulating film. Thus, for crystallization by using laser light, a part where stress concentrates is selectively formed in the semiconductor film. More specifically, stripe or rectangular depressions and projections are provided in the semiconductor film. Then, continuous-wave laser light is irradiated along the stripe depressions and projections formed in the semiconductor film or in a direction of a major axis or minor axis of the rectangle.