Abstract: An electron emission device can be driven with a low voltage and has an excellent mass production capability. A display device, such as a color flat panel or the like, which uses such electron emission devices has an excellent display quality. The electron emission device includes a first electrode, on which a plurality of fine particles of an electron emission body obtained by terminating carbon bodies formed on metal fine particles, serving as nuclei, with a low-work-function material via oxygen are partially arranged, on a first substrate, and a second electrode where a voltage for drawing electrons from the electron emission body into a vacuum is applied. A metal of the metal fine particles is a catalytic metal. The catalytic metal is an iron-family element, such as Ni, Co, Fe or the like, or a platinum-family element, such as Pd, Ir or Pt. The carbon bodies are made of graphite. The low-work-function material is an alkaline metal or an alkaline earth metal.

Abstract: A photoelectric conversion device includes a plurality of photoelectric conversion units and a signal output unit. The signal output unit has at least one storage device for storing electrical signals generated by the photoelectric conversion device. A scanning device scans the electrical signals generated by the electric conversion units, and a reading device reads out electrical signals generated by the photoelectric conversion units. Each of the photoelectric conversion units includes a light absorption layer and a multiplication layer. The multiplication layer includes at least one step-back structure which multiplies carriers produced by absorption of light, and in which a forbidden band width changes continuously from a minimum to a maximum width.

Abstract: In a manufacture method of an electron-emitting device in which an electro-conductive film having an electron-emitting region is provided between electrodes disposed on a substrate, a step of forming the electron-emitting region comprises a step of forming a structural latent image in the electro-conductive film, and a step of developing the structural latent image. An electron source comprising a plurality of electron-emitting devices arrayed on a substrate, and an image-forming apparatus in combination of the electron source and an image-forming member are manufactured by using the electron-emitting devices manufactured by the above method. The position and shape of an electron-emitting region of each electron-emitting device can be controlled so as to achieve uniform device characteristics, resulting less variations in the amount of emitted electrons between the electron-emitting devices and in the brightness of pictures.

Abstract: An electron-emitting device comprises an electroconductive film including an electron-emitting region disposed between a pair of electrodes arranged on a substrate. The electron-emitting region is formed close to the step portion formed by one of the electrodes and the substrate.

Abstract: A photoelectric conversion apparatus of this invention has a high sensitivity and low noise, and can be formed to have a large area at a relatively low temperature since it has a light absorption layer (310), formed of a non-monocrystalline material, for absorbing light and generating photocarriers, and a multiplication layer (301, 303, 305, 307, 309) for multiplying the photocarriers generated by the light absorption layer.

Abstract: A thin film semiconductor device includes a gate electrode, a gate insulating electrode, a thin film semiconductor layer, an ohmic layer, source and drain electrodes, and a protective layer. The protective layer contains an impurity for controlling conductivity.

Abstract: There is disclosed a photoelectric conversion element having a photoelectric conversion portion, at least comprising an insulating layer, a photoconductive semiconductor layer provided in contact with said insulating layer, and made of a non-single crystal material containing hydrogen atoms with the base of silicon, first and second electrodes provided in contact with the photoconductive semiconductor layer, and a third electrode provided in contact with the insulating layer. The amount of hydrogen atoms contained in said photoconductive semiconductor layer is made nonuniform in a thickness direction of said layer so that an energy band gap width of said layer changes.

Abstract: An electron-emitting device comprises a pair of oppositely disposed electrodes and an electroconductive film inclusive of an electron-emitting region arranged between the electrodes. The electric resistance of the electroconductive film is reduced after forming the electron-emitting region in the course of manufacturing the electron-emitting device.

Abstract: An electron source emits electrons as a function of input signals. The electron source includes a substrate, a matrix of wires having m row wires and n column wires laid on the substrate with an insulator layer interposed therebetween, and a plurality of surface-conduction electron-emitting devices each having a pair of electrodes and a thin film including an electron emitting region and arranged between the electrodes. The electron-emitting devices are so arranged as to form a matrix with the electrodes connected to the respective row and column wires. The electron source further includes a selector for selecting a row of the plurality of surface-conduction electron-emitting devices, and a modulator for generating modulation signals according to input signals and applying them to the surface-conduction electron-emitting devices selected by the selector.

Abstract: An electron-emitting device comprising a pair of device electrodes and an electroconductive film including an electron-emitting region is manufactured by a method comprising a process of forming an electroconductive film including steps of forming a pattern on a thin film containing a metal element on the basis of a difference of chemical state, and removing part of the thin film on the basis of the difference of chemical state.

Abstract: An electron-emitting device has a pair of device electrodes and an electroconductive thin film including an electron emitting region arranged between the electrodes. The device is manufactured via an activation process for increasing the emission current of the device. The activation process includes steps of a) applying a voltage (Vact) to the electroconductive thin film having a gap section under initial conditions, b) detecting the electric performance of the electroconductive thin film and c) modifying, if necessary, the initial conditions as a function of the detected electric performance of the electroconductive thin film.

Abstract: A thin film semiconductor device includes a gate electrode, a gate insulating electrode, a thin film semiconductor layer, an ohmic layer, source and drain electrodes, and a protective layer. The protective layer contains an impurity for controlling conductivity.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus including a photoelectric conversion element having a photoelectric conversion section. The photoelectric conversion section has an insulating layer with first and second opposed surfaces, and a photoconductive semiconductor layer with first and second opposed surfaces and an intermediate region disposed therebetween, the second surface of the semiconductor layer being adjacent to the first surface of the insulating layer. The photoconductive semiconductor layer has a non-monocrystalline matrix of silicon atoms and including hydrogen atoms distributed nonuniformly. A concentration of the hydrogen atoms is greater near the first and second surfaces of the photoconductive semiconductor layer than in the intermediate region, so that an energy band gap width of the photoconductive semiconductor layer varies between the first and second surfaces of said photoconductive semiconductor layer.

Abstract: A solid-state image sensing apparatus including: a substrate having a charge storage portion capable of storing charges and an output circuit for outputting a signal in accordance with the charges stored in the storage portion; an insulating film formed on the surface of the substrate and having an opening formed above the charge storage portion; and a photosensitive layer formed on the insulating film and electrically connected to the charge storage portion via the opening, wherein an embedded region is formed within the opening and the surface of the insulating film and that of the embedded region are substantially flattened.

Abstract: A photoelectric conversion device includes a plurality of photoelectric conversion units and a signal output unit. The signal output unit has at least one storage device for storing electrical signals generated by the photoelectric conversion device. A scanning device scans the electrical signals generated by the electric conversion units, and a reading device reads out electrical signals generated by the photoelectric conversion units. Each of the photoelectric conversion units includes a light absorption layer and a multiplication layer. The multiplication layer includes at least one step-back structure which multiplies carriers produced by absorption of light, and in which a forbidden band width changes continuously from a minimum to a maximum width.

Abstract: A semiconductor device comprises, at least, an insulative layer; a semiconductor layer provided in contact with the insulative layer; first and second electrodes provided in contact with the semiconductor layer; and a third electrode provided through the insulative layer. The semiconductor layer has a crystallite layer whose average grain diameter lies within a range from 50 to 350 .ANG. and an amorphous layer.

Abstract: A photoelectric transfer device comprises a light-absorbing layer which absorbs incident light to generate carriers a multiplying layer which multiplies the carriers and a light-shielding layer provided between the photoabsorbing layer and the multiplying layer.

Abstract: A semiconductor device comprises, at least, an insulative layer; a semiconductor layer provided in contact with the insulative layer; first and second electrodes provided in contact with the semiconductor layer; and a third electrode provided through the insulative layer. The semiconductor layer has a crystallite layer whose average grain diameter lies within a range from 50 to 350 .ANG. and an amorphous layer.

Abstract: A photoelectric transfer device comprises a light-absorbing layer which absorbs incident light to generate carriers a multiplying layer which multiplies the carriers and a light-shielding layer provided between the photoabsorbing layer and the multiplying layer.

Abstract: A film semiconductor device comprises at least active semiconductor layer, inactive semiconductor layer, ohmic layer and metal layer respectively laminated sequentially one after another on the substrate. Electrodes are formed by the ohmic layer and the metal layer.