Patents by Inventor Mikio Katayama

Mikio Katayama 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: 5910829
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes: first and second substrates opposing each other; a liquid crystal layer interposed between the first and second substrates; a plurality of scanning lines and a plurality of signal lines formed on the first substrate so as to cross each other, the scanning lines and the signal lines defining a plurality of pixel regions arranged in a matrix; a plurality of switching elements each provided in one of the pixel regions in a vicinity of an intersection of the scanning lines and the signal lines; a color filter provided on the second substrate, the color filter including a plurality of colored portions; and a light blocking layer provided on the second substrate, the light blocking layer being formed of at least one of materials that are used for the plurality of colored portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 8, 1999
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takayuki Shimada, Yuzuru Kanemori, Mikio Katayama, Shinya Tanaka, Masumi Kubo
  • Patent number: 5870157
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device of the present invention includes: a active matrix substrate; a liquid crystal layer; and a counter substrate opposing the active matrix substrate with the liquid crystal layer interposed therebetween. The active matrix substrate includes a plurality of scanning lines, a plurality of signal lines crossing the scanning lines, a plurality of switching elements each provided near a crossing of each scanning line and each signal line, an insulating film, and a plurality of pixel electrodes at least partially overlapping the scanning lines and the signal lines with the insulating film interposed therebetween. The counter substrate includes a plurality of color filters. Adjoining color filters of different colors on the counter substrate at least partially overlap each other at a position corresponding to a boundary between adjoining pixel electrodes on the active matrix substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 9, 1999
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takayuki Shimada, Yuzuru Kanemori, Mikio Katayama
  • Patent number: 5867139
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device is formed by arranging a plurality of scanning lines 3.sub.1, 3.sub.2, . . . to which scanning signals are successively applied and a plurality of signal lines 4.sub.1, 4.sub.2, . . . to which data signals are successively applied to intersect at right angles. Mounted in the vicinity of each of the intersections of the scanning lines 3.sub.1, 3.sub.2, . . . and signal lines 4.sub.1, 4.sub.2, . . . are a TFT 5 electrically connected to both of the lines, and a pixel electrode 6 connected to the TFT 5. A common electrode is placed to face the pixel electrode 6 with liquid crystals 2 therebetween. One of electrodes of a pixel capacitance formed by the pixel electrode 6 is connected to a common line 9 for supplying a common signal to the common electrode 7. A dummy scanning line 3.sub.0 for forming a capacitance is arranged outside of the scanning line 3.sub.1 located at the outermost position on a scanning start side of scanning signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 2, 1999
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shinya Tanaka, Takayuki Shimada, Takashi Ochi, Yuzuru Kanemori, Mikio Katayama
  • Patent number: 5859683
    Abstract: A transmissive liquid crystal display apparatus includes a liquid crystal layer interposed between a first substrate and a second substrate. The first substrate includes gate lines, source lines and switching devices provided in a vicinity of intersectional portions of the gate lines and the source lines. The switching devices include gate electrodes connected to the gate lines, source electrodes connected to the source lines and drain electrodes connected to pixel electrodes for applying a voltage to the liquid crystal layer. An interlayer insulating film having high transparency is provided above the switching devices, the gate lines and the source lines. The interlayer insulating film has roughness on its surface. A height difference of the roughness is 50 nm or less. The pixel electrode formed of a transparent conductive material is provided on the interlayer insulating film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 12, 1999
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasunobu Tagusa, Takayuki Shimada, Yuzuru Kanemori, Mikio Katayama
  • Patent number: 5822027
    Abstract: The liquid crystal display device includes an active matrix substrate, a counter substrate having a counter electrode, and a liquid crystal layer interposed between the active matrix substrate and the counter substrate. The liquid crystal display device further includes a plurality of scanning lines, a plurality of signal lines formed perpendicular to the plurality of scanning lines, switching elements formed in the vicinity of crossings of the plurality of scanning lines and the plurality of signal lines, a plurality of pixel electrodes connected to the corresponding signal lines via the switching elements, and a plurality of supplemental capacitance lines formed in parallel with the corresponding scanning lines, wherein the pixel electrodes are formed over the corresponding scanning lines, and divisions of the adjacent pixel electrodes along the signal lines are located above the corresponding supplemental capacitance lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 13, 1998
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takayuki Shimada, Miyuki Tsuruya, Masumi Kubo, Kazuyori Mitsumoto, Naofumi Kondo, Mikio Katayama
  • Patent number: 5821133
    Abstract: A simplified method of manufacturing an active matrix substrate is disclosed. Gate wires, gate electrodes, gate insulating films, an etching stopper layer, semiconductor layers and contact layers are formed on an electrically insulating substrate. Pixel electrode material films, second electrical conductor films and second insulating films are formed successively on the substrate. The second insulating film and the second electrical conductor film are simultaneously patterned, so that source wires, source electrodes and drain electrodes are formed from the second electrical conductor film, and a protective film from the second insulating film. Then, the pixel electrode material film is patterned thereby to form pixel electrodes in a plurality of regions defined by the gate wires and the source wires.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 13, 1998
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Katsuhiro Kawai, Mikio Katayama, Satoshi Yabuta, Masaru Kajitani
  • Patent number: 5808712
    Abstract: A transparent liquid crystal display device has an interlayer insulating film formed of a highly transparent, organic thin film having light condensing ability provided over a switching element, a gate signal line and a data signal line. As light condensing ability is provided within the interlayer insulating film with a pixel electrode formed of a transparent conductive film provided on said interlayer insulating film, the interlayer insulating film is not readily scarred and a polarizer can be readily stuck to the interlayer insulating film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 15, 1998
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tadanori Hishida, Tetsurou Koyama, Takayuki Shimada, Mikio Katayama
  • Patent number: 5798812
    Abstract: An active matrix substrate of the present invention, includes a substrate; a plurality of switching elements and a plurality of pixel electrodes formed in a matrix on the substrate; scanning lines for supplying a scanning signal and for controlling the plurality of switching elements; signal lines for supplying a data signal to the plurality of switching elements formed so as to cross each other; a terminal electrically connected to either each scanning line or each signal line, the terminal being connected to an external terminal. An organic film is formed between adjacent terminals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 25, 1998
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hirohiko Nishiki, Takayuki Shimada, Mikio Katayama
  • Patent number: 5783494
    Abstract: In a method for selectively etching a second silicon layer of a multilayer structure which includes a first silicon layer and the second silicon layer formed on the first silicon layer and doped with impurities according to the present invention, the second silicon layer is selectively etched by using an etching gas including freon-14 gas and a gas selected from a group composed of hydrogen chloride gas and chlorine gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 21, 1998
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takehisa Sakurai, Hitoshi Ujimasa, Katsuhiro Kawai, Atsushi Ban, Masaru Kajitani, Mikio Katayama
  • Patent number: 5538905
    Abstract: A method for forming a transparent conductive film includes the steps of: forming an ITO film on a substrate by sputtering a target including oxygen atoms, indium atoms, and tin atoms under an inert gas atmosphere; patterning the ITO film by selectively removing a prescribed portion of the ITO film using an etching method; and doping the patterned ITO film with oxygen using an ion shower doping method, thereby forming the transparent conductive film from the ITO film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 1993
    Date of Patent: July 23, 1996
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yukiya Nishioka, Yukinobu Nakata, Hidenori Negoto, Yoshinori Shimada, Takehisa Sakurai, Mikio Katayama
  • Patent number: 5532615
    Abstract: This invention provides an inspecting method, an inspecting apparatus, and a defect correcting method, for an active matrix substrate including: a gate bus line; a source bus line; a pixel electrode; a switching element for driving the pixel electrode; and a pair of electrodes constituting an auxiliary capacitance. The inspecting method includes: a step of disposing a counter substrate having a face on which a counter electrode is formed so that the face faces the active matrix substrate with a liquid crystal layer interposed therebetween, and connecting signal supplying terminals to gate bus lines and source bus lines and the counter electrode; and a detection step of detecting a defect on the active matrix substrate by performing at least one of a first signal generating step, a second signal generating step, and a third signal generating step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 1993
    Date of Patent: July 2, 1996
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Naofumi Kondo, Mikio Katayama, Masaya Okamoto, Makoto Miyago, Kiyoshi Nakazawa, Yuzuru Kanemori, Makoto Tachibana
  • Patent number: 5508591
    Abstract: An active display device, comprising: a plurality of source buses and a plurality of gate buses; a plurality of pixel electrodes, said pixel electrodes each having associated therewith a switching element for delivering a drive signal to said pixel electrode from at least one of said source buses as a function of a signal provided by at least one of said gate buses; and means other than said switching elements for selectively electrically connecting at least one of said pixel electrodes to a corresponding one of said source buses in the event said at least one pixel electrode is considered to be defective.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 1993
    Date of Patent: April 16, 1996
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuzuru Kanemori, Mikio Katayama, Kiyoshi Nakazawa, Naofumi Kondo, Masaya Okamoto, Hiroaki Kato, Kozo Yano, Katsumi Irie, Kumiko Otsu, Hiroshi Fujiki, Toshiaki Fujihara, Hideji Marumoto, Hidenori Negoto, Kazuyori Mitsumoto
  • Patent number: 5473168
    Abstract: The thin film transistor of the invention includes a substrate; a gate electrode formed on the substrate; a semiconductor layer insulated from the gate electrode, the semiconductor layer being formed on the substrate to cover the gate electrode; a first contact layer and a second contact layer which are made of n-type microcrystalline silicon having a resistivity of 10 .OMEGA.cm or less, the first and second contact layers being in contact with the semiconductor layer so as cover part of the gate electrode; a source electrode which is in contact with part of the first contact layer; and a drain electrode which is in contact with part of the second contact layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 5, 1995
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Katsuhiro Kawai, Mikio Katayama
  • Patent number: 5471070
    Abstract: A thin-film transistor circuit for a logic gate circuit includes: an amorphous silicon layer; a driver transistor having a source region, a drain region, and a channel region, the source, drain, and channel regions being formed in the amorphous silicon layer; and a load device formed in the amorphous silicon layer and made of n.sup.- amorphous silicon, the load device being connected to the driver transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 28, 1995
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshinori Shimada, Naofumi Kondo, Takehisa Sakurai, Yoshiharu Kataoka, Manabu Takahama, Mikio Katayama
  • Patent number: 5469025
    Abstract: An active matrix display device which includes a first and a second insulating substrates, a gate bus an adjacent gate bus, and a source bus arranged on the first substrate, a pixel electrode in a segment enclosed by the gate and the source buses, a switching element connected to the pixel electrode, the gate bus and the source bus, wherein the source bus comprises a projection extending toward the pixel electrode so as to be electrically disconnected therefrom, and the adjacent gate bus comprises a projection extending toward the pixel electrode, the source bus being overlaid on the adjacent gate bus projection with an insulating layer sandwiched therebetween, the adjacent gate bus projection being provided with an electroconductive member at the top thereof with an insulating layer sandwiched therebetween, the electroconductive member being electrically connected to the pixel electrode, and electrically disconnected from the source bus projection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 21, 1995
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuzuru Kanemori, Mikio Katayama, Kiyoshi Nakazawa, Naofumi Kondo, Masaya Okamoto, Hiroaki Kato, Kozo Yano, Katsumi Irie, Kumiko Otsu, Hiroshi Fujiki, Toshiaki Fujihara, Hideji Marumoto, Hidenori Negoto, Kazuyori Mitsumoto
  • Patent number: 5465168
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display includes a liquid crystal cell including a pair of substrates opposite to each other, each substrate having an electrode film and an orientation control layer thereon, and a ferroelectric liquid crystal filled between the substrates; and a pair of polarizing plates which are provided opposite to each other in the state of "cross nicol" on both sides of the liquid crystal cell; the ferroelectric liquid crystal being bistable in the liquid crystal cell, the polarizing plates being oriented in such a manner that one of their polarizing directions conforms to one of extinction positions of the ferroelectric liquid crystal under no electric field, the liquid crystal cell being applied with an alternating voltage for changing which has a positive portion which gives an apparent tilt angle from one stable state, and a negative portion which gives an apparent tilt angle relative to the other stable state, resulting in display with gray scale.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 1993
    Date of Patent: November 7, 1995
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Mitsuhiro Koden, Akira Tagawa, Hitoshi Takeda, Hirofumi Katsuse, Makoto Shiomi, Takaji Numao, Hiroshi Gouda, Masayuki Katakami, Naofumi Kondo, Mikio Katayama
  • Patent number: 5463230
    Abstract: An active matrix board comprising pixel electrodes arranged in a matrix fashion on an insulating substrate, and scan lines each having an addition capacity electrode placed in a superposed relation with a portion of a corresponding one of the pixel electrodes, said scan lines each comprising a first scan line formed in an area other than the area in which said addition capacity electrode is held in a superposed relation with said pixel electrode, and a second scan line formed to cover said first scan line and having said addition capacity electrode as its part, whereby the possibility of pixel defect occurrence is reduced and the production yield of display apparatuses is improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 31, 1995
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hidenori Negoto, Mikio Katayama, Kiyoshi Nakazawa, Hiroaki Kato, Yuzuru Kanemori, Takayoshi Nagayasu
  • Patent number: 5446568
    Abstract: An active matrix display apparatus comprising pixel electrodes arranged in a matrix fashion on an insulating substrate, storage capacity electrodes arranged opposite to said pixel electrodes, storage capacity lines connected individually to said storage capacity electrodes, a common main line connected to said storage capacity lines, at least one branch line branched from said common main line, and a branch terminal formed at the leading end of said branch line, whereby a signal delay can be minimized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 29, 1995
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Nakazawa, Mikio Katayama, Hiroaki Kato, Akihiko Imaya
  • Patent number: 5410164
    Abstract: A display elect:rode substrate comprising at least two, first and second, TFTs connected in series to each picture element, wherein the first and second thin film transistors are Juxtaposed on the same one of the gate bus lines, part of the gate bus line functions as gate electrodes of the first and second thin film transistors, a source electrode of the first thin film transistor is connected to the source bus line, a drain electrode of the first thin film transistor is connected to a source electrode of the second thin film transistor, and a drain electrode of the second thin film transistor is connected to the picture element electrode, whereby a picture element defect caused by a short-circuit defect of the TFTs can be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 1992
    Date of Patent: April 25, 1995
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushimi Kaisha
    Inventors: Mikio Katayama, Yuzuru Kanemori, Hirohisa Tanaka, Hiroshi Morimoto, Hidenori Negoto
  • Patent number: 5343216
    Abstract: An active matrix substrate comprising picture element electrodes disposed in a matrix on a substrate, each of which is composed of divided electrodes, and an electrically conductive film on which two of said divided electrodes adjacent to each other are superposed in a manner to sandwich an insulating film therebetween so as to form a connection. The connection is irradiated with laser beams from the outside of the display apparatus when one of the divided electrodes brings about a picture element defect, so that both the divided electrodes can be electrically connected to each other, thereby attaining a correction of the picture element defect. A display apparatus using the active matrix substrate is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 1993
    Date of Patent: August 30, 1994
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Mikio Katayama, Hiroaki Kato, Takayoshi Nagayasu, Akihiko Imaya, Hidenori Negoto, Yuzuru Kanemori, Toshihiko Hirobe