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: 11637015
    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: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Masashi Tsubuku, Masashi Oota, Yoichi Kurosawa, Noritaka Ishihara
  • Publication number: 20230108412
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a semiconductor layer including a source area, a drain area and a channel area, a first insulating layer, an etching stopper layer located immediately above the channel area and being thinner than the first insulating layer, a second insulating layer provided on the etching stopper layer and being thicker than the first insulating layer, a gate electrode, a third insulating layer which covers the etching stopper layer, the second insulating layer and the gate electrode and covers the first insulating layer immediately above the source area and immediately above the drain area, a source electrode in contact with the source area, and a drain electrode in contact with the drain area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2022
    Publication date: April 6, 2023
    Applicant: Japan Display Inc.
    Inventors: Hajime WATAKABE, Masashi TSUBUKU, Kentaro MIURA, Akihiro HANADA, Takaya TAMARU
  • Publication number: 20230085495
    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: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2022
    Publication date: March 16, 2023
    Inventors: Shunpei YAMAZAKI, Junichiro SAKATA, Masashi TSUBUKU, Kengo AKIMOTO, Miyuki HOSOBA, Masayuki SAKAKURA, Yoshiaki OIKAWA
  • Patent number: 11600705
    Abstract: A semiconductor device in which a transistor has the characteristic of low off-state current is provided. The transistor comprises an oxide semiconductor layer having a channel region whose channel width is smaller than 70 nm. A temporal change in off-state current of the transistor over time can be represented by Formula (a2). In Formula (a2), IOFF represents the off-state current, t represents time during which the transistor is off, ? and ? are constants, ? is a constant that satisfies 0<??1, and CS is a constant that represents load capacitance of a source or a drain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR ENERGY LABORATORY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masashi Tsubuku, Shunpei Yamazaki, Hidetomo Kobayashi, Kazuaki Ohshima, Masashi Fujita, Toshihiko Takeuchi
  • Publication number: 20230068478
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a substrate, a first insulating layer disposed on the substrate, an oxide semiconductor disposed on the first insulating layer and formed in an island shape, a second insulating layer covering the oxide semiconductor, a gate electrode disposed on the second insulating layer, and a source electrode and a drain electrode in contact with the oxide semiconductor. The oxide semiconductor includes a plurality of first openings located between the gate electrode and the source electrode, and a plurality of second openings located between the gate electrode and the drain electrode, in planar view.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2022
    Publication date: March 2, 2023
    Applicant: Japan Display Inc.
    Inventors: Ryo ONODERA, Masashi TSUBUKU, Hajime WATAKABE
  • Publication number: 20230064813
    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: November 4, 2022
    Publication date: March 2, 2023
    Inventors: Shunpei YAMAZAKI, Jun KOYAMA, Masashi TSUBUKU, Kosei NODA
  • Patent number: 11594641
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a gate electrode on a substrate, a gate insulating film on the gate electrode, an oxide semiconductor film via the gate insulating film on the gate electrode, a source electrode and a drain electrode on the oxide semiconductor film, a protective film provided on the source electrode and the drain electrode; and a conductive layer provided on the protective film and overlapped on the oxide semiconductor layer. The protective film includes a first silicon oxide film and a first silicon nitride film. The first oxide film is in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer. The gate insulating film includes a second silicon nitride film and a second silicon oxide film. The second silicon oxide film is in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer. The oxide semiconductor layer has a first region located between the source electrode and the drain electrode in a plan view.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: Japan Display Inc.
    Inventors: Masashi Tsubuku, Michiaki Sakamoto, Takashi Okada, Toshiki Kaneko, Tatsuya Toda
  • Patent number: 11581358
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, an optical sensor device includes an insulating substrate, a first conductive layer and an optical sensor element disposed between the insulating substrate and the first conductive layer. The optical sensor element is electrically connected to the first conductive layer and covered by the first conductive layer. The optical sensor element includes a first semiconductor layer formed of an oxide semiconductor and controls an amount of charge flowing to the first conductive layer according to an amount of incident light to the first semiconductor layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Japan Display Inc.
    Inventors: Takanori Tsunashima, Masashi Tsubuku, Makoto Uchida
  • Patent number: 11575062
    Abstract: A photo sensor circuit includes: a photo transistor; a first switching transistor; a second switching transistor; and a capacitance element. The photo transistor includes: a gate connected to a first wiring; a source connected to a second wiring; and a drain. The first switching transistor includes: a gate connected to a third wiring; a source connected to a fourth wiring; and a drain connected to the drain of the photo transistor. The capacitance element includes: a first terminal connected to the drain of the photo transistor; and a second terminal connected to the source of the first switching transistor. The second switching transistor includes: a gate connected to a gate line; a source connected to a signal line; and a drain connected to the first terminal of the capacitance element. The photo transistor, first switching transistor, and second transistor each include an oxide semiconductor layer as a channel layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: JAPAN DISPLAY INC.
    Inventors: Masashi Tsubuku, Takanori Tsunashima, Marina Mochizuki
  • Publication number: 20220416061
    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: September 2, 2022
    Publication date: December 29, 2022
    Inventors: Shunpei YAMAZAKI, Hideomi SUZAWA, Shinya SASAGAWA, Motomu KURATA, Masashi TSUBUKU
  • Patent number: 11532488
    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: May 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Junichiro Sakata, Masashi Tsubuku, Kengo Akimoto, Miyuki Hosoba, Masayuki Sakakura, Yoshiaki Oikawa
  • Publication number: 20220393035
    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: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2022
    Publication date: December 8, 2022
    Inventors: Hajime KIMURA, Kengo AKIMOTO, Masashi TSUBUKU, Toshinari SASAKI
  • Publication number: 20220367691
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, includes forming a first insulating layer, an oxide semiconductor layer, a second insulating layer, a buffer layer and a metal layer sequentially on a base, forming a patterned resist on the metal layer, etching the buffer layer and the metal layer using the resist as a mask to expose an upper surface of the second insulating layer, reducing a volume of the resist to expose an upper surface along a side surface of the metal layer, etching the metal layer using the resist as a mask, to form a gate electrode and to expose an upper surface of the buffer layer, and carrying out ion implantation on the oxide semiconductor layer using the gate electrode as a mask.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2022
    Publication date: November 17, 2022
    Applicant: Japan Display Inc.
    Inventors: Hajime WATAKABE, Masashi TSUBUKU, Kentaro MIURA, Akihiro HANADA, Takaya TAMARU
  • Publication number: 20220328693
    Abstract: It is an object to provide a highly reliable thin film transistor with stable electric characteristics, which includes an oxide semiconductor film. The channel length of the thin film transistor including the oxide semiconductor film is in the range of 1.5 ?m to 100 ?m inclusive, preferably 3 ?m to 10 ?m inclusive; when the amount of change in threshold voltage is less than or equal to 3 V, preferably less than or equal to 1.5 V in an operation temperature range of room temperature to 180° C. inclusive or ?25° C. to 150° C. inclusive, a semiconductor device with stable electric characteristics can be manufactured. In particular, in a display device which is an embodiment of the semiconductor device, display unevenness due to variation in threshold voltage can be reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2022
    Publication date: October 13, 2022
    Inventors: Shunpei YAMAZAKI, Masashi TSUBUKU, Hiromichi GODO
  • Publication number: 20220310855
    Abstract: The optical sensor includes a substrate, a first transistor for functioning as a light-receiving element and a second transistor for writing/reading in a pixel region provided on the substrate. The first transistor is formed by a transistor using polycrystalline silicon, the second transistor is formed by a transistor using an oxide semiconductor. A light-shielding layer is provided on the back side of the oxide semiconductor of the second transistor. Thus, it is possible to irradiate light to the optical sensor fora long time, and in addition to increasing the amount of light received by the first transistor, it is possible to suppress variations in the characteristics of the second transistor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2022
    Publication date: September 29, 2022
    Applicant: Japan Display Inc.
    Inventor: Masashi TSUBUKU
  • Publication number: 20220310965
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a display device comprises a first area including a pixel and a second area different from the first area, wherein the pixel comprises a pixel electrode, an organic material layer including a light-emitting layer, a common electrode, a first insulating layer, a second insulating layer having a refractive index lower than that of the first insulating layer, and a third insulating layer, the second area is an area not overlapping the light-emitting layer in plan view, the second area is a transparent area, and the second area comprises the first insulating layer provided therein, the second area does not comprise the second insulating layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2022
    Publication date: September 29, 2022
    Inventors: Hayata AOKI, Masashi TSUBUKU, Toshinari SASAKI
  • Publication number: 20220310713
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a display device includes a first area including a pixel and a second area different from the first area, wherein the pixel includes a pixel electrode, an organic material layer including a light-emitting layer, a first common electrode, and a second common electrode having transmittance higher than that of the first insulating layer, the second area is an area not overlapping the light-emitting layer in plan view, the second area is a transparent area, and the second area does not comprise the first common electrode provided therein.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2022
    Publication date: September 29, 2022
    Inventors: Hayata AOKI, Masashi TSUBUKU, Toshinari SASAKI
  • Patent number: 11437500
    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: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Hideomi Suzawa, Shinya Sasagawa, Motomu Kurata, Masashi Tsubuku
  • Patent number: 11430899
    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: July 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hajime Kimura, Kengo Akimoto, Masashi Tsubuku, Toshinari Sasaki
  • Publication number: 20220259716
    Abstract: A metal oxide film containing a crystal part is provided. Alternatively, a metal oxide film with highly stable physical properties is provided. Alternatively, a metal oxide film with improved electrical characteristics is provided. Alternatively, a metal oxide film with which field-effect mobility can be increased is provided. A metal oxide film including In, M (M is Al, Ga, Y, or Sn), and Zn includes a first crystal part and a second crystal part; the first crystal part has c-axis alignment; the second crystal part has no c-axis alignment; and the existing proportion of the second crystal part is higher than the existing proportion of the first crystal part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2022
    Publication date: August 18, 2022
    Applicant: SEMICONDUCTOR ENERGY LABORATORY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shunpei YAMAZAKI, Junichi KOEZUKA, Kenichi OKAZAKI, Masashi TSUBUKU