Patents by Inventor Miyuki Hosoba

Miyuki Hosoba 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).

  • Publication number: 20240154056
    Abstract: Disclosed is a semiconductor device comprising a thin film transistor and wirings connected to the thin film transistor, in which the thin film transistor has a channel formation region in an oxide semiconductor layer, and a copper metal is used for at least one of a gate electrode, a source electrode, a drain electrode, a gate wiring, a source wiring, and a drain wiring. The extremely low off current of the transistor with the oxide semiconductor layer contributes to reduction in power consumption of the semiconductor device. Additionally, the use of the copper metal allows the combination of the semiconductor device with a display element to provide a display device with high display quality and negligible defects, which results from the low electrical resistance of the wirings and electrodes formed with the copper metal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2024
    Publication date: May 9, 2024
    Inventors: Shunpei YAMAZAKI, Miyuki HOSOBA, Suzunosuke HIRAISHI
  • Patent number: 11978741
    Abstract: An object is to provide a display device which operates stably with use of a transistor having stable electric characteristics. In manufacture of a display device using transistors in which an oxide semiconductor layer is used for a channel formation region, a gate electrode is further provided over at least a transistor which is applied to a driver circuit. In manufacture of a transistor in which an oxide semiconductor layer is used for a channel formation region, the oxide semiconductor layer is subjected to heat treatment so as to be dehydrated or dehydrogenated; thus, impurities such as moisture existing in an interface between the oxide semiconductor layer and the gate insulating layer provided below and in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer and an interface between the oxide semiconductor layer and a protective insulating layer provided on and in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer can be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Junichiro Sakata, Toshinari Sasaki, Miyuki Hosoba
  • Patent number: 11947228
    Abstract: An object is to provide a semiconductor device having a structure in which parasitic capacitance between wirings can be efficiently reduced. In a bottom gate thin film transistor using an oxide semiconductor layer, an oxide insulating layer used as a channel protection layer is formed above and in contact with part of the oxide semiconductor layer overlapping with a gate electrode layer, and at the same time an oxide insulating layer covering a peripheral portion (including a side surface) of the stacked oxide semiconductor layer is formed. Further, a source electrode layer and a drain electrode layer are formed in a manner such that they do not overlap with the channel protection layer. Thus, a structure in which an insulating layer over the source electrode layer and the drain electrode layer is in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Miyuki Hosoba, Junichiro Sakata, Hideaki Kuwabara
  • Patent number: 11923206
    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: November 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Junichiro Sakata, Masashi Tsubuku, Kengo Akimoto, Miyuki Hosoba, Masayuki Sakakura, Yoshiaki Oikawa
  • Patent number: 11894486
    Abstract: Disclosed is a semiconductor device comprising a thin film transistor and wirings connected to the thin film transistor, in which the thin film transistor has a channel formation region in an oxide semiconductor layer, and a copper metal is used for at least one of a gate electrode, a source electrode, a drain electrode, a gate wiring, a source wiring, and a drain wiring. The extremely low off current of the transistor with the oxide semiconductor layer contributes to reduction in power consumption of the semiconductor device. Additionally, the use of the copper metal allows the combination of the semiconductor device with a display element to provide a display device with high display quality and negligible defects, which results from the low electrical resistance of the wirings and electrodes formed with the copper metal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Miyuki Hosoba, Suzunosuke Hiraishi
  • Publication number: 20240014222
    Abstract: The semiconductor device includes a driver circuit portion including a driver circuit and a pixel portion including a pixel. The pixel includes a gate electrode layer having a light-transmitting property, a gate insulating layer, a source electrode layer and a drain electrode layer each having a light-transmitting property provided over the gate insulating layer, an oxide semiconductor layer covering top surfaces and side surfaces of the source electrode layer and the drain electrode layer and provided over the gate electrode layer with the gate insulating layer therebetween, a conductive layer provided over part of the oxide semiconductor layer and having a lower resistance than the source electrode layer and the drain electrode layer, and an oxide insulating layer in contact with part of the oxide semiconductor layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2023
    Publication date: January 11, 2024
    Inventors: Masayuki SAKAKURA, Yoshiaki OIKAWA, Shunpei YAMAZAKI, Junichiro SAKATA, Masashi TSUBUKU, Kengo AKIMOTO, Miyuki HOSOBA
  • Patent number: 11855194
    Abstract: A highly reliable semiconductor device which includes a thin film transistor having stable electric characteristics, and a manufacturing method thereof. In the manufacturing method of the semiconductor device which includes a thin film transistor where a semiconductor layer including a channel formation region is an oxide semiconductor layer, heat treatment which reduces impurities such as moisture to improve the purity of the oxide semiconductor layer and oxidize the oxide semiconductor layer (heat treatment for dehydration or dehydrogenation) is performed. Not only impurities such as moisture in the oxide semiconductor layer but also those existing in a gate insulating layer are reduced, and impurities such as moisture existing in interfaces between the oxide semiconductor layer and films provided over and under and in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer are reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Miyuki Hosoba, Kosei Noda, Hiroki Ohara, Toshinari Sasaki, Junichiro Sakata
  • Publication number: 20230268348
    Abstract: An object is to control composition and a defect of an oxide semiconductor, another object is to increase a field effect mobility of a thin film transistor and to obtain a sufficient on-off ratio with a reduced off current. A solution is to employ an oxide semiconductor whose composition is represented by InMO3(ZnO)m, where M is one or a plurality of elements selected from Ga, Fe, Ni, Mn, Co, and Al, and m is preferably a non-integer number of greater than 0 and less than 1. The concentration of Zn is lower than the concentrations of In and M. The oxide semiconductor has an amorphous structure. Oxide and nitride layers can be provided to prevent pollution and degradation of the oxide semiconductor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2023
    Publication date: August 24, 2023
    Inventors: Shunichi ITO, Toshinari SASAKI, Miyuki HOSOBA, Junichiro SAKATA
  • Publication number: 20230238387
    Abstract: An object is to provide a display device which operates stably with use of a transistor having stable electric characteristics. In manufacture of a display device using transistors in which an oxide semiconductor layer is used for a channel formation region, a gate electrode is further provided over at least a transistor which is applied to a driver circuit. In manufacture of a transistor in which an oxide semiconductor layer is used for a channel formation region, the oxide semiconductor layer is subjected to heat treatment so as to be dehydrated or dehydrogenated; thus, impurities such as moisture existing in an interface between the oxide semiconductor layer and the gate insulating layer provided below and in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer and an interface between the oxide semiconductor layer and a protective insulating layer provided on and in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer can be reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2023
    Publication date: July 27, 2023
    Inventors: Junichiro SAKATA, Toshinari SASAKI, Miyuki HOSOBA
  • Patent number: 11695019
    Abstract: The semiconductor device includes a driver circuit portion including a driver circuit and a pixel portion including a pixel. The pixel includes a gate electrode layer having a light-transmitting property, a gate insulating layer, a source electrode layer and a drain electrode layer each having a light-transmitting property provided over the gate insulating layer, an oxide semiconductor layer covering top surfaces and side surfaces of the source electrode layer and the drain electrode layer and provided over the gate electrode layer with the gate insulating layer therebetween, a conductive layer provided over part of the oxide semiconductor layer and having a lower resistance than the source electrode layer and the drain electrode layer, and an oxide insulating layer in contact with part of the oxide semiconductor layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masayuki Sakakura, Yoshiaki Oikawa, Shunpei Yamazaki, Junichiro Sakata, Masashi Tsubuku, Kengo Akimoto, Miyuki Hosoba
  • Patent number: 11637130
    Abstract: An object is to provide a display device which operates stably with use of a transistor having stable electric characteristics. In manufacture of a display device using transistors in which an oxide semiconductor layer is used for a channel formation region, a gate electrode is further provided over at least a transistor which is applied to a driver circuit. In manufacture of a transistor in which an oxide semiconductor layer is used for a channel formation region, the oxide semiconductor layer is subjected to heat treatment so as to be dehydrated or dehydrogenated; thus, impurities such as moisture existing in an interface between the oxide semiconductor layer and the gate insulating layer provided below and in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer and an interface between the oxide semiconductor layer and a protective insulating layer provided on and in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer can be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Junichiro Sakata, Toshinari Sasaki, Miyuki Hosoba
  • 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: 11594555
    Abstract: An object is to control composition and a defect of an oxide semiconductor, another object is to increase a field effect mobility of a thin film transistor and to obtain a sufficient on-off ratio with a reduced off current. A solution is to employ an oxide semiconductor whose composition is represented by InMO3(ZnO)m, where M is one or a plurality of elements selected from Ga, Fe, Ni, Mn, Co, and Al, and m is preferably a non-integer number of greater than 0 and less than 1. The concentration of Zn is lower than the concentrations of In and M. The oxide semiconductor has an amorphous structure. Oxide and nitride layers can be provided to prevent pollution and degradation of the oxide semiconductor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunichi Ito, Toshinari Sasaki, Miyuki Hosoba, Junichiro Sakata
  • Publication number: 20230057493
    Abstract: Disclosed is a semiconductor device comprising a thin film transistor and wirings connected to the thin film transistor, in which the thin film transistor has a channel formation region in an oxide semiconductor layer, and a copper metal is used for at least one of a gate electrode, a source electrode, a drain electrode, a gate wiring, a source wiring, and a drain wiring. The extremely low off current of the transistor with the oxide semiconductor layer contributes to reduction in power consumption of the semiconductor device. Additionally, the use of the copper metal allows the combination of the semiconductor device with a display element to provide a display device with high display quality and negligible defects, which results from the low electrical resistance of the wirings and electrodes formed with the copper metal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2022
    Publication date: February 23, 2023
    Inventors: Shunpei YAMAZAKI, Miyuki HOSOBA, Suzunosuke HIRAISHI
  • 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: 20220139967
    Abstract: An object is to provide a display device which operates stably with use of a transistor having stable electric characteristics. In manufacture of a display device using transistors in which an oxide semiconductor layer is used for a channel formation region, a gate electrode is further provided over at least a transistor which is applied to a driver circuit. In manufacture of a transistor in which an oxide semiconductor layer is used for a channel formation region, the oxide semiconductor layer is subjected to heat treatment so as to be dehydrated or dehydrogenated; thus, impurities such as moisture existing in an interface between the oxide semiconductor layer and the gate insulating layer provided below and in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer and an interface between the oxide semiconductor layer and a protective insulating layer provided on and in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer can be reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2022
    Publication date: May 5, 2022
    Inventors: Junichiro SAKATA, Toshinari SASAKI, Miyuki HOSOBA
  • Patent number: 11257847
    Abstract: An object is to provide a display device which operates stably with use of a transistor having stable electric characteristics. In manufacture of a display device using transistors in which an oxide semiconductor layer is used for a channel formation region, a gate electrode is further provided over at least a transistor which is applied to a driver circuit. In manufacture of a transistor in which an oxide semiconductor layer is used for a channel formation region, the oxide semiconductor layer is subjected to heat treatment so as to be dehydrated or dehydrogenated; thus, impurities such as moisture existing in an interface between the oxide semiconductor layer and the gate insulating layer provided below and in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer and an interface between the oxide semiconductor layer and a protective insulating layer provided on and in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer can be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Junichiro Sakata, Toshinari Sasaki, Miyuki Hosoba
  • Publication number: 20220043314
    Abstract: An object is to provide a semiconductor device having a structure in which parasitic capacitance between wirings can be efficiently reduced. In a bottom gate thin film transistor using an oxide semiconductor layer, an oxide insulating layer used as a channel protection layer is formed above and in contact with part of the oxide semiconductor layer overlapping with a gate electrode layer, and at the same time an oxide insulating layer covering a peripheral portion (including a side surface) of the stacked oxide semiconductor layer is formed. Further, a source electrode layer and a drain electrode layer are formed in a manner such that they do not overlap with the channel protection layer. Thus, a structure in which an insulating layer over the source electrode layer and the drain electrode layer is in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2021
    Publication date: February 10, 2022
    Inventors: Shunpei YAMAZAKI, Miyuki HOSOBA, Junichiro SAKATA, Hideaki KUWABARA
  • Publication number: 20220037153
    Abstract: A highly reliable semiconductor device which includes a thin film transistor having stable electric characteristics, and a manufacturing method thereof. In the manufacturing method of the semiconductor device which includes a thin film transistor where a semiconductor layer including a channel formation region is an oxide semiconductor layer, heat treatment which reduces impurities such as moisture to improve the purity of the oxide semiconductor layer and oxidize the oxide semiconductor layer (heat treatment for dehydration or dehydrogenation) is performed. Not only impurities such as moisture in the oxide semiconductor layer but also those existing in a gate insulating layer are reduced, and impurities such as moisture existing in interfaces between the oxide semiconductor layer and films provided over and under and in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer are reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2021
    Publication date: February 3, 2022
    Inventors: Shunpei YAMAZAKI, Miyuki HOSOBA, Kosei NODA, Hiroki OHARA, Toshinari SASAKI, Junichiro SAKATA
  • Publication number: 20210358766
    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: May 20, 2021
    Publication date: November 18, 2021
    Inventors: Shunpei YAMAZAKI, Junichiro SAKATA, Masashi TSUBUKU, Kengo AKIMOTO, Miyuki HOSOBA, Masayuki SAKAKURA, Yoshiaki OIKAWA