Patents by Inventor Masashi Tsubuku

Masashi Tsubuku 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: 9748401
    Abstract: Manufactured is a transistor including an oxide semiconductor layer, a source electrode layer and a drain electrode layer overlapping with part of the oxide semiconductor layer, a gate insulating layer overlapping with the oxide semiconductor layer, the source electrode layer, and the drain electrode layer, and a gate electrode overlapping with part of the oxide semiconductor layer with the gate insulating layer provided therebetween, wherein, after the oxide semiconductor layer which is to be a channel formation region is irradiated with light and the light irradiation is stopped, a relaxation time of carriers in photoresponse characteristics of the oxide semiconductor layer has at least two kinds of modes: ?1 and ?2, ?1<?2 is satisfied, and ?2 is 300 seconds or less. In addition, a semiconductor device including the transistor is manufactured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masashi Tsubuku, Takayuki Inoue, Suzunosuke Hiraishi, Erumu Kikuchi, Hiromichi Godo, Shuhei Yoshitomi, Koki Inoue, Akiharu Miyanaga, Shunpei Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 9748328
    Abstract: A highly reliable semiconductor device including an oxide semiconductor is provided. Provided is a semiconductor device including an oxide semiconductor layer, an insulating layer in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer, a gate electrode layer overlapping with the oxide semiconductor layer, and a source electrode layer and a drain electrode layer electrically connected to the oxide semiconductor layer. The oxide semiconductor layer includes a first region having a crystal whose size is less than or equal to 10 nm and a second region which overlaps with the insulating layer with the first region provided therebetween and which includes a crystal part whose c-axis is aligned in a direction parallel to a normal vector of the surface of the oxide semiconductor layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Masahiro Takahashi, Takuya Hirohashi, Masashi Tsubuku, Masashi Oota
  • Patent number: 9741860
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a gate electrode, a gate insulating film which includes oxidized material containing silicon and covers the gate electrode, an oxide semiconductor film provided to be in contact with the gate insulating film and overlap with at least the gate electrode, and a source electrode and a drain electrode electrically connected to the oxide semiconductor film. In the oxide semiconductor film, a first region which is provided to be in contact with the gate insulating film and have a thickness less than or equal to 5 nm has a silicon concentration lower than or equal to 1.0 at. %, and a region in the oxide semiconductor film other than the first region has lower silicon concentration than the first region. At least the first region includes a crystal portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tatsuya Honda, Masashi Tsubuku, Yusuke Nonaka, Takashi Shimazu, Shunpei Yamazaki
  • Publication number: 20170236949
    Abstract: A semiconductor device with improved electrical characteristics is provided. A semiconductor device with improved field effect mobility is provided. A semiconductor device in which the field-effect mobility is not lowered even at high temperatures is provided. A semiconductor device which can be formed at low temperatures is provided. A semiconductor device with improved productivity can be provided. In the semiconductor device, there is a range of a gate voltage where the field-effect mobility increases as the temperature increases within a range of the gate voltage from 0 V to 10 V. For example, such a range of a gate voltage exists at temperatures ranging from a room temperature (25° C.) to 120° C. In the semiconductor device, the off-state current is kept extremely low (lower than or equal to the detection limit of a measurement device) within the above temperature range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2017
    Publication date: August 17, 2017
    Inventors: Shunpei YAMAZAKI, Kenichi OKAZAKI, Masashi TSUBUKU, Satoru SAITO, Noritaka ISHIHARA
  • Publication number: 20170236844
    Abstract: In a transistor including an oxide semiconductor, a variation in electrical characteristics is suppressed and reliability is improved. A semiconductor device includes a transistor. The transistor includes a first gate electrode, a first insulating film over the first gate electrode, an oxide semiconductor film over the first insulating film, a second insulating film over the oxide semiconductor film, a second gate electrode over the second insulating film, and a third insulating film over the oxide semiconductor film and the second gate electrode. The oxide semiconductor film includes a channel region overlapping with the second gate electrode, a source region in contact with the third insulating film, and a drain region in contact with the third insulating film. The first gate electrode and the second gate electrode are electrically connected to each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2017
    Publication date: August 17, 2017
    Inventors: Shunpei YAMAZAKI, Kenichi OKAZAKI, Masashi TSUBUKU, Haruyuki BABA, Sachie SHIGENOBU, Emi KOEZUKA
  • Patent number: 9735285
    Abstract: An object is to provide a memory device including a memory element that can be operated without problems by a thin film transistor with a low off-state current. Provided is a memory device in which a memory element including at least one thin film transistor that includes an oxide semiconductor layer is arranged as a matrix. The thin film transistor including an oxide semiconductor layer has a high field effect mobility and low off-state current, and thus can be operated favorably without problems. In addition, the power consumption can be reduced. Such a memory device is particularly effective in the case where the thin film transistor including an oxide semiconductor layer is provided in a pixel of a display device because the memory device and the pixel can be formed over one substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Masashi Tsubuku, Kosei Noda, Kouhei Toyotaka, Kazunori Watanabe, Hikaru Harada
  • Publication number: 20170229563
    Abstract: When a transistor having bottom gate bottom contact structure is manufactured, for example, a conductive layer constituting a source and a drain has a three-layer structure and two-step etching is performed. In the first etching process, an etching method in which the etching rates for at least the second film and the third film are high is employed, and the first etching process is performed until at least the first film is exposed. In the second etching process, an etching method in which the etching rate for the first film is higher than that in the first etching process and the etching rate for a “layer provided below and in contact with the first film” is lower than that in the first etching process is employed. The side wall of the second film is slightly etched when a resist mask is removed after the second etching process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2017
    Publication date: August 10, 2017
    Inventors: Shinya SASAGAWA, Hitoshi NAKAYAMA, Masashi TSUBUKU, Daigo SHIMADA
  • Patent number: 9722056
    Abstract: A change in electrical characteristics is suppressed and reliability in a semiconductor device using a transistor including an oxide semiconductor is improved. Oxygen is introduced into a surface of an insulating film, and then, an oxide semiconductor, a layer which is capable of blocking oxygen, a gate insulating film, and other films which composes a transistor are formed. For at least one of the first gate insulating film and the insulating film, three signals in Electron Spin Resonance Measurement are each observed in a certain range of g-factor. Reducing the sum of the spin densities of the signals will improve reliability of the semiconductor device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Akihisa Shimomura, Yasumasa Yamane, Yuhei Sato, Tetsuhiro Tanaka, Masashi Tsubuku, Toshihiko Takeuchi, Ryo Tokumaru, Mitsuhiro Ichijo, Satoshi Toriumi, Takashi Ohtsuki, Toshiya Endo
  • Patent number: 9716109
    Abstract: An object is to obtain a semiconductor device having a high sensitivity in detecting signals and a wide dynamic range, using a thin film transistor in which an oxide semiconductor layer is used. An analog circuit is formed with the use of a thin film transistor including an oxide semiconductor which has a function as a channel formation layer, has a hydrogen concentration of 5×1019 atoms/cm3 or lower, and substantially functions as an insulator in the state where no electric field is generated. Thus, a semiconductor device having a high sensitivity in detecting signals and a wide dynamic range can be obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2017
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Jun Koyama, Atsushi Hirose, Masashi Tsubuku, Kosei Noda
  • Patent number: 9711655
    Abstract: A semiconductor device comprising a first metal oxide film, an oxide semiconductor film, a second metal oxide film, a gate insulating film, and a gate electrode is provided. The oxide semiconductor film comprises an In—Ga—Zn—O-based metal oxide. The second metal oxide film comprises a Ga—Zn—O-based metal oxide. An amount of substance of zinc oxide with respect to gallium oxide is lower than 50% in the Ga—Zn—O-based metal oxide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    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
  • Publication number: 20170200748
    Abstract: To reduce a leakage current of a transistor so that malfunction of a logic circuit can be suppressed. The logic circuit includes a transistor which includes an oxide semiconductor layer having a function of a channel formation layer and in which an off current is 1×10?13 A or less per micrometer in channel width. A first signal, a second signal, and a third signal that is a clock signal are input as input signals. A fourth signal and a fifth signal whose voltage states are set in accordance with the first to third signals which have been input are output as output signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2017
    Publication date: July 13, 2017
    Inventors: Shunpei YAMAZAKI, Jun KOYAMA, Masashi TSUBUKU, Kosei NODA
  • Publication number: 20170186858
    Abstract: The on-state characteristics of a transistor are improved and thus, a semiconductor device capable of high-speed response and high-speed operation is provided. A highly reliable semiconductor device showing stable electric characteristics is made. The semiconductor device includes a transistor including a first oxide layer; an oxide semiconductor layer over the first oxide layer; a source electrode layer and a drain electrode layer in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer; a second oxide layer over the oxide semiconductor layer; a gate insulating layer over the second oxide layer; and a gate electrode layer over the gate insulating layer. An end portion of the second oxide layer and an end portion of the gate insulating layer overlap with the source electrode layer and the drain electrode layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2017
    Publication date: June 29, 2017
    Inventors: Shunpei YAMAZAKI, Hideomi SUZAWA, Shinya SASAGAWA, Motomu KURATA, Masashi TSUBUKU
  • Publication number: 20170186774
    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-transimitting 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: March 16, 2017
    Publication date: June 29, 2017
    Inventors: Masayuki SAKAKURA, Yoshiaki OIKAWA, Shunpei YAMAZAKI, Junichiro SAKATA, Masashi TSUBUKU, Kengo AKIMOTO, Miyuki HOSOBA
  • Publication number: 20170178904
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a sputtering target with which an oxide semiconductor film with a small amount of defects can be formed is provided. Alternatively, an oxide semiconductor film with a small amount of defects is formed. A method for manufacturing a sputtering target is provided, which includes the steps of: forming a polycrystalline In-M-Zn oxide (M represents a metal chosen among aluminum, titanium, gallium, yttrium, zirconium, lanthanum, cesium, neodymium, and hafnium) powder by mixing, sintering, and grinding indium oxide, an oxide of the metal, and zinc oxide; forming a mixture by mixing the polycrystalline In-M-Zn oxide powder and a zinc oxide powder; forming a compact by compacting the mixture; and sintering the compact.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2017
    Publication date: June 22, 2017
    Inventors: Shunpei YAMAZAKI, Masashi TSUBUKU, Masashi OOTA, Yoichi KUROSAWA, Noritaka ISHIHARA
  • Publication number: 20170178728
    Abstract: Provided is a highly reliable semiconductor device, a semiconductor device with a reduced circuit area, a memory element having favorable characteristics, a highly reliable memory element, or a memory element with increased storage capacity per unit volume. A semiconductor device includes a capacitor and a switching element. The capacitor includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and a dielectric. The dielectric is positioned between the first electrode and the second electrode. The switching element includes a first terminal and a second terminal. The first terminal is electrically connected to the first electrode. The following steps are sequentially performed: a first step of turning on the switching element in a first period, a second step of turning off the switching element in a second period, and a third step of turning on the switching element in a third period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2017
    Publication date: June 22, 2017
    Inventors: Masashi TSUBUKU, Masashi FUJITA
  • Patent number: 9685563
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a first oxide semiconductor film, a second oxide semiconductor film over the first oxide semiconductor film, a source electrode in contact with the second oxide semiconductor film, a drain electrode in contact with the second oxide semiconductor film, a metal oxide film over the second oxide semiconductor film, the source electrode, and the drain electrode, a gate insulating film over the metal oxide film, and a gate electrode over the gate insulating film. The metal oxide film contains M (M represents Ti, Ga, Y, Zr, La, Ce, Nd, or Hf) and Zn. The metal oxide film includes a portion where x/(x+y) is greater than 0.67 and less than or equal to 0.99 when a target has an atomic ratio of M:Zn=x:y.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masashi Tsubuku, Toshihiko Takeuchi, Yasumasa Yamane, Masashi Oota
  • Publication number: 20170170326
    Abstract: A transistor in which a change in characteristics is small is provided. A circuit, a semiconductor device, a display device, or an electronic device in which a change in characteristics of the transistor is small is provided. The transistor includes an oxide semiconductor; a channel region is formed in the oxide semiconductor; the channel region contains indium, an element M, and zinc; the element M is one or more selected from aluminum, gallium, yttrium, tin, boron, silicon, titanium, iron, nickel, germanium, zirconium, molybdenum, lanthanum, cerium, neodymium, hafnium, tantalum, tungsten, and magnesium; a gate insulator contains silicon and oxygen whose atomic number is 1.5 times or more as large as the atomic number of silicon; the carrier density of the channel region is higher than or equal to 1×109 cm?3 and lower than or equal to 5×1016 cm?3; and the energy gap of the channel region is higher than or equal to 2.7 eV and lower than or equal to 3.1 eV.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2016
    Publication date: June 15, 2017
    Applicant: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masashi TSUBUKU, Kazuya SUGIMOTO, Tsutomu MURAKAWA, Motoki NAKASHIMA, Shinpei MATSUDA, Noritaka ISHIHARA, Daisuke KUROSAKI, Toshimitsu OBONAI, Hiroshi KANEMURA, Junichi KOEZUKA
  • Patent number: 9680028
    Abstract: The concentration of impurity elements included in an oxide semiconductor film in the vicinity of a gate insulating film is reduced. Further, crystallinity of the oxide semiconductor film in the vicinity of the gate insulating film is improved. A semiconductor device includes an oxide semiconductor film over a substrate, a source electrode and a drain electrode over the oxide semiconductor film, a gate insulating film which includes an oxide containing silicon and is formed over the oxide semiconductor film, and a gate electrode over the gate insulating film. The oxide semiconductor film includes a region in which the concentration of silicon is lower than or equal to 1.0 at. %, and at least the region includes a crystal portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tatsuya Honda, Masashi Tsubuku, Yusuke Nonaka, Takashi Shimazu, Shunpei Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 9673337
    Abstract: An object is to reduce leakage current and parasitic capacitance of a transistor used for an LSI, a CPU, or a memory. A semiconductor integrated circuit included in an LSI, a CPU, or a memory is manufactured using the transistor which is formed using an oxide semiconductor which is an intrinsic or substantially intrinsic semiconductor obtained by removal of impurities which serve as electron donors (donors) from the oxide semiconductor and has larger energy gap than a silicon semiconductor, and is formed over a semiconductor substrate. With the transistor which is formed over the semiconductor substrate and includes the highly purified oxide semiconductor layer with sufficiently reduced hydrogen concentration, a semiconductor device whose power consumption due to leakage current is low can be realized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Jun Koyama, Hiroyuki Miyake, Kei Takahashi, Kouhei Toyotaka, Masashi Tsubuku, Kosei Noda, Hideaki Kuwabara
  • Patent number: 9666678
    Abstract: An object is to reduce leakage current and parasitic capacitance of a transistor used for an LSI, a CPU, or a memory. A semiconductor integrated circuit such as an LSI, a CPU, or a memory is manufactured using a thin film transistor in which a channel formation region is formed using an oxide semiconductor which becomes an intrinsic or substantially intrinsic semiconductor by removing impurities which serve as electron donors (donors) from the oxide semiconductor and has larger energy gap than that of a silicon semiconductor. With use of a thin film transistor using a highly purified oxide semiconductor layer with sufficiently reduced hydrogen concentration, a semiconductor device with low power consumption due to leakage current can be realized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Jun Koyama, Hiroyuki Miyake, Kei Takahashi, Kouhei Toyotaka, Masashi Tsubuku, Kosei Noda, Hideaki Kuwabara