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.

Abstract: It is an object to manufacture a highly reliable display device using a thin film transistor having favorable electric characteristics and high reliability as a switching element. In a bottom gate thin film transistor including an amorphous oxide semiconductor, an oxide conductive layer having a crystal region is formed between an oxide semiconductor layer which has been dehydrated or dehydrogenated by heat treatment and each of a source electrode layer and a drain electrode layer which are formed using a metal material. Accordingly, contact resistance between the oxide semiconductor layer and each of the source electrode layer and the drain electrode layer can be reduced; thus, a thin film transistor having favorable electric characteristics and a highly reliable display device using the thin film transistor can be provided.

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.

Abstract: A logic circuit includes a thin film transistor having a channel formation region formed using an oxide semiconductor, and a capacitor having terminals one of which is brought into a floating state by turning off the thin film transistor. The oxide semiconductor has a hydrogen concentration of 5×1019 (atoms/cm3) or less and thus substantially serves as an insulator in a state where an electric field is not generated. Therefore, off-state current of a thin film transistor can be reduced, leadind to suppressing the leakage of electric charge stored in a capacitor, through the thin film transistor. Accordingly, a malfunction of the logic circuit can be prevented. Further, the excessive amount of current which flows in the logic circuit can be reduced through the reduction of off-state current of the thin film transistor, resulting in low power consumption of the logic circuit.

Abstract: A logic circuit includes a thin film transistor having a channel formation region formed using an oxide semiconductor, and a capacitor having terminals one of which is brought into a floating state by turning off the thin film transistor. The oxide semiconductor has a hydrogen concentration of 5×1019 (atoms/cm3) or less and thus substantially serves as an insulator in a state where an electric field is not generated. Therefore, off-state current of a thin film transistor can be reduced, leading to suppressing the leakage of electric charge stored in a capacitor, through the thin film transistor. Accordingly, a malfunction of the logic circuit can be prevented. Further, the excessive amount of current which flows in the logic circuit can be reduced through the reduction of off-state current of the thin film transistor, resulting in low power consumption of the logic circuit.

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.

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.

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.

Abstract: A metal oxide film including a crystal part and having highly stable physical properties is provided. The size of the crystal part is less than or equal to 10 nm, which allows the observation of circumferentially arranged spots in a nanobeam electron diffraction pattern of the cross section of the metal oxide film when the measurement area is greater than or equal to 5 nm? and less than or equal to 10 nm?.

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.

Abstract: One embodiment of the invention is characterized as follows. A display device comprising: a display area including a plurality of pixels, each of the pixels has a first TFT and a second TFT, the first TFT and the second TFT comprise an oxide semiconductor, the first TFT and the second TFT are covered by an interlayer insulating film, a first through hole is formed in the in the interlayer insulating film to connect a drain of the first TFT, wherein a distance d1 between a center of the first through hole and an edge of a channel of the first TFT is shorter than a distance d2 between a center of the first through hole and an edge of a channel of the second TFT, a channel length of the first TFT is shorter than a channel length of the second TFT.

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.

Abstract: It is an object to manufacture a highly reliable display device using a thin film transistor having favorable electric characteristics and high reliability as a switching element. In a bottom gate thin film transistor including an amorphous oxide semiconductor, an oxide conductive layer having a crystal region is formed between an oxide semiconductor layer which has been dehydrated or dehydrogenated by heat treatment and each of a source electrode layer and a drain electrode layer which are formed using a metal material. Accordingly, contact resistance between the oxide semiconductor layer and each of the source electrode layer and the drain electrode layer can be reduced; thus, a thin film transistor having favorable electric characteristics and a highly reliable display device using the thin film transistor can be provided.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes: a driver circuit portion; a pixel portion; a signal generation circuit for generating a control signal for driving the driver circuit portion and an image signal which is supplied to the pixel portion; a memory circuit; a comparison circuit for detecting a difference of image signals for a series of frame periods among image signals stored for respective frame periods in the memory circuit; a selection circuit which selects and outputs the image signals for the series of frame periods when the difference is detected in the comparison circuit; and a display control circuit which supplies the control signal and the image signals output from the selection circuit, to the driver circuit portion when the difference is detected in the comparison circuit, and stops supplying the control signal to the driver circuit portion when the difference is not detected in the comparison circuit.

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.

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.