Patents by Inventor Masayuki Sakakura

Masayuki Sakakura 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: 10418491
    Abstract: It is an object to provide a highly reliable semiconductor device with good electrical characteristics and a display device including the semiconductor device as a switching element. In a transistor including an oxide semiconductor layer, a needle crystal group provided on at least one surface side of the oxide semiconductor layer grows in a c-axis direction perpendicular to the surface and includes an a-b plane parallel to the surface, and a portion except for the needle crystal group is an amorphous region or a region in which amorphousness and microcrystals are mixed. Accordingly, a highly reliable semiconductor device with good electrical characteristics can be formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Masayuki Sakakura, Ryosuke Watanabe, Junichiro Sakata, Kengo Akimoto, Akiharu Miyanaga, Takuya Hirohashi, Hideyuki Kishida
  • Publication number: 20190280020
    Abstract: The stability of a step of processing a wiring formed using copper, aluminum, gold, silver, molybdenum, or the like is increased. Moreover, the concentration of impurities in a semiconductor film is reduced. Moreover, the electrical characteristics of a semiconductor device are improved. In a transistor including an oxide semiconductor film, an oxide film in contact with the oxide semiconductor film, and a pair of conductive films being in contact with the oxide film and including copper, aluminum, gold, silver, molybdenum, or the like, the oxide film has a plurality of crystal parts and has c-axis alignment in the crystal parts, and the c-axes are aligned in a direction parallel to a normal vector of a top surface of the oxide semiconductor film or the oxide film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2019
    Publication date: September 12, 2019
    Inventors: Shunpei YAMAZAKI, Junichi KOEZUKA, Yasutaka NAKAZAWA, Yukinori SHIMA, Masami JINTYOU, Masayuki SAKAKURA, Motoki NAKASHIMA
  • Patent number: 10411136
    Abstract: A semiconductor device having a structure which can prevent a decrease in electrical characteristics due to miniaturization is provided. The semiconductor device includes, over an insulating surface, a stack in which a first oxide semiconductor layer and a second oxide semiconductor layer are sequentially formed, and a third oxide semiconductor layer covering part of a surface of the stack. The third oxide semiconductor layer includes a first layer in contact with the stack and a second layer over the first layer. The first layer includes a microcrystalline layer, and the second layer includes a crystalline layer in which c-axes are aligned in a direction perpendicular to a surface of the first layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Masayuki Sakakura, Hideomi Suzawa
  • Patent number: 10381385
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to decrease substantial resistance of an electrode such as a transparent electrode or a wiring, and furthermore, to provide a display device for which is possible to apply same voltage to light-emitting elements. In the invention, a auxiliary wiring that is formed in one layer in which a conductive film of a semiconductor element such as an electrode, wiring, a signal line, a scanning line, or a power supply line is connected to an electrode typified by a second electrode, and a wiring. It is preferable that the auxiliary wiring is formed into a conductive film to include low resistive material, especially, formed to include lower resistive material than the resistance of an electrode and a wiring that is required to reduce the resistance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Noriko Miyagi, Masayuki Sakakura, Tatsuya Arao, Ritsuko Nagao, Yoshifumi Tanada
  • Patent number: 10373843
    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: July 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Junichiro Sakata, Masashi Tsubuku, Kengo Akimoto, Miyuki Hosoba, Masayuki Sakakura, Yoshiaki Oikawa
  • Patent number: 10367124
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide such a sealing structure that a material to be a deterioration factor such as water or oxygen is prevented from entering from external and sufficient reliability is obtained in a display using an organic or inorganic electroluminescent element. In view of the above object, focusing on permeability of an interlayer insulating film, deterioration of an electroluminescent element is suppressed and sufficient reliability is obtained by preventing water entry from an interlayer insulating film according to the present invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2019
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kaoru Tsuchiya, Aya Anzai, Masayuki Sakakura, Masaharu Nagai, Yutaka Matsuda
  • Publication number: 20190214505
    Abstract: A transistor with small parasitic capacitance can be provided. A transistor with high frequency characteristics can be provided. A semiconductor device including the transistor can be provided. Provided is a transistor including an oxide semiconductor, a first conductor, a second conductor, a third conductor, a first insulator, and a second insulator. The first conductor has a first region where the first conductor overlaps with the oxide semiconductor with the first insulator positioned therebetween; a second region where the first conductor overlaps with the second conductor with the first and second insulators positioned therebetween; and a third region where the first conductor overlaps with the third conductor with the first and second insulators positioned therebetween. The oxide semiconductor including a fourth region where the oxide semiconductor is in contact with the second conductor; and a fifth region where the oxide semiconductor is in contact with the third conductor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2019
    Publication date: July 11, 2019
    Inventors: Shunpei YAMAZAKI, Masayuki SAKAKURA
  • Patent number: 10333003
    Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for manufacturing a display device in which unevenness generated under a light-emitting element does not impart an adverse effect on the light-emitting element. It is another object of the invention to provide a method for manufacturing a display device in which penetration of water into the inside of the display device through a film having high moisture permeability can be suppressed without increasing processing steps considerably. A display device of the present invention comprises a thin film transistor and a light-emitting element, the light-emitting element including a light-emitting laminated body interposed between a first electrode and a second electrode; wherein the first electrode is formed over an insulating film formed over the thin film transistor; and wherein a planarizing film is formed in response to the first electrode between the first electrode and the insulating film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masayuki Sakakura, Shunpei Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 10304859
    Abstract: The stability of a step of processing a wiring formed using copper, aluminum, gold, silver, molybdenum, or the like is increased. Moreover, the concentration of impurities in a semiconductor film is reduced. Moreover, the electrical characteristics of a semiconductor device are improved. In a transistor including an oxide semiconductor film, an oxide film in contact with the oxide semiconductor film, and a pair of conductive films being in contact with the oxide film and including copper, aluminum, gold, silver, molybdenum, or the like, the oxide film has a plurality of crystal parts and has c-axis alignment in the crystal parts, and the c-axes are aligned in a direction parallel to a normal vector of a top surface of the oxide semiconductor film or the oxide film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Junichi Koezuka, Yasutaka Nakazawa, Yukinori Shima, Masami Jintyou, Masayuki Sakakura, Motoki Nakashima
  • Patent number: 10270056
    Abstract: A novel display device with higher reliability having a structure of blocking moisture and oxygen, which deteriorate the characteristics of the display device, from penetrating through a sealing region and a method of manufacturing thereof is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masayuki Sakakura, Hiromichi Godo, Kaoru Tsuchiya
  • Publication number: 20190115477
    Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to connect a wiring, an electrode, or the like formed with two incompatible films (an ITO film and an aluminum film) without increasing the cross-sectional area of the wiring and to achieve lower power consumption even when the screen size becomes larger. The present invention provides a two-layer structure including an upper layer and a lower layer having a larger width than the upper layer. A first conductive layer is formed with Ti or Mo, and a second conductive layer is formed with aluminum (pure aluminum) having low electric resistance over the first conductive layer. A part of the lower layer projected from the end section of the upper layer is bonded with ITO.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2018
    Publication date: April 18, 2019
    Applicant: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshinari Higaki, Masayuki Sakakura, Shunpei Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 10243005
    Abstract: An object is to improve reliability of a semiconductor device. A semiconductor device including a driver circuit portion and a display portion (also referred to as a pixel portion) over the same substrate is provided. The driver circuit portion and the display portion include thin film transistors in which a semiconductor layer includes an oxide semiconductor; a first wiring; and a second wiring. The thin film transistors each include a source electrode layer and a drain electrode layer which each have a shape whose end portions are located on an inner side than end portions of the semiconductor layer. In the thin film transistor in the driver circuit portion, the semiconductor layer is provided between a gate electrode layer and a conductive layer. The first wiring and the second wiring are electrically connected in an opening provided in a gate insulating layer through an oxide conductive layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Junichiro Sakata, Masayuki Sakakura, Yoshiaki Oikawa, Kenichi Okazaki, Hotaka Maruyama
  • Publication number: 20190088687
    Abstract: It is an object to manufacture and provide a highly reliable display device including a thin film transistor with a high aperture ratio which has stable electric characteristics. In a manufacturing method of a semiconductor device having a thin film transistor in which a semiconductor layer including a channel formation region is formed using an oxide semiconductor film, a heat treatment for reducing moisture and the like which are impurities and for improving the purity of the oxide semiconductor film (a heat treatment for dehydration or dehydrogenation) is performed. Further, an aperture ratio is improved by forming a gate electrode layer, a source electrode layer, and a drain electrode layer using conductive films having light transmitting properties.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2018
    Publication date: March 21, 2019
    Inventors: Shunpei YAMAZAKI, Masayuki SAKAKURA
  • Patent number: 10236392
    Abstract: A transistor with small parasitic capacitance can be provided. A transistor with high frequency characteristics can be provided. A semiconductor device including the transistor can be provided. Provided is a transistor including an oxide semiconductor, a first conductor, a second conductor, a third conductor, a first insulator, and a second insulator. The first conductor has a first region where the first conductor overlaps with the oxide semiconductor with the first insulator positioned therebetween; a second region where the first conductor overlaps with the second conductor with the first and second insulators positioned therebetween; and a third region where the first conductor overlaps with the third conductor with the first and second insulators positioned therebetween. The oxide semiconductor including a fourth region where the oxide semiconductor is in contact with the second conductor; and a fifth region where the oxide semiconductor is in contact with the third conductor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Masayuki Sakakura
  • Publication number: 20190027614
    Abstract: A semiconductor device having a structure which can prevent a decrease in electrical characteristics due to miniaturization is provided. The semiconductor device includes, over an insulating surface, a stack in which a first oxide semiconductor layer and a second oxide semiconductor layer are sequentially formed, and a third oxide semiconductor layer covering part of a surface of the stack. The third oxide semiconductor layer includes a first layer in contact with the stack and a second layer over the first layer. The first layer includes a microcrystalline layer, and the second layer includes a crystalline layer in which c-axes are aligned in a direction perpendicular to a surface of the first layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2018
    Publication date: January 24, 2019
    Inventors: Shunpei YAMAZAKI, Masayuki SAKAKURA, Hideomi SUZAWA
  • Patent number: 10157936
    Abstract: It is an object to manufacture and provide a highly reliable display device including a thin film transistor with a high aperture ratio which has stable electric characteristics. In a manufacturing method of a semiconductor device having a thin film transistor in which a semiconductor layer including a channel formation region is formed using an oxide semiconductor film, a heat treatment for reducing moisture and the like which are impurities and for improving the purity of the oxide semiconductor film (a heat treatment for dehydration or dehydrogenation) is performed. Further, an aperture ratio is improved by forming a gate electrode layer, a source electrode layer, and a drain electrode layer using conductive films having light transmitting properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2018
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Masayuki Sakakura
  • Patent number: 10141450
    Abstract: An object is to provide a thin film transistor having favorable electric characteristics and a semiconductor device including the thin film transistor as a switching element. The thin film transistor includes a gate electrode formed over an insulating surface, a gate insulating film over the gate electrode, an oxide semiconductor film which overlaps with the gate electrode over the gate insulating film and which includes a layer where the concentration of one or a plurality of metals contained in the oxide semiconductor is higher than that in other regions, a pair of metal oxide films formed over the oxide semiconductor film and in contact with the layer, and a source electrode and a drain electrode in contact with the metal oxide films. The metal oxide films are formed by oxidation of a metal contained in the source electrode and the drain electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akiharu Miyanaga, Junichiro Sakata, Masayuki Sakakura, Masahiro Takahashi, Hideyuki Kishida, Shunpei Yamazaki
  • Publication number: 20180326800
    Abstract: To provide a circuit with low power consumption, a semiconductor device with low power consumption, a highly reliable semiconductor device, a tire whose performance is controlled, a moving object whose performance is controlled, or a moving object with a high degree of safety. A tire provided with a semiconductor device is provided. The semiconductor device includes a circuit portion, an antenna, and a sensor element. The circuit portion includes a transistor. The transistor includes an oxide semiconductor. The sensor element is configured to measure the air pressure of the tire.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2018
    Publication date: November 15, 2018
    Inventors: Tomoaki ATSUMI, Masayuki SAKAKURA, Kazuaki OHSHIMA
  • Patent number: 10128384
    Abstract: A semiconductor device having a structure which can prevent a decrease in electrical characteristics due to miniaturization is provided. The semiconductor device includes, over an insulating surface, a stack in which a first oxide semiconductor layer and a second oxide semiconductor layer are sequentially formed, and a third oxide semiconductor layer covering part of a surface of the stack. The third oxide semiconductor layer includes a first layer in contact with the stack and a second layer over the first layer. The first layer includes a microcrystalline layer, and the second layer includes a crystalline layer in which c-axes are aligned in a direction perpendicular to a surface of the first layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Masayuki Sakakura, Hideomi Suzawa
  • Patent number: 10115741
    Abstract: To provide a semiconductor device capable of retaining data for a long period. The semiconductor device includes a memory circuit and a retention circuit. The memory circuit includes a first transistor, and the retention circuit includes a second transistor. The memory circuit is configured to write data by turning on the first transistor and to retain the data by turning off the first transistor. The retention circuit is configured to supply a first potential at which the first transistor is turned off to a back gate of the first transistor by turning on the second transistor and to retain the first potential by turning off the second transistor. Transistors having different electrical characteristics are used as the first transistor and the second transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinpei Matsuda, Masayuki Sakakura, Shunpei Yamazaki