Abstract: According to the present invention, a method for producing a semiconductor device in which an active region made of a crystalline silicon film is formed on an insulating surface of a substrate is provided.

Abstract: Into an amorphous silicon film, catalyst elements for accelerating the crystallization are introduced. After patterning the amorphous silicon films in which the catalyst elements have been introduced into an island pattern, a heat treatment for the crystallization is conducted. Thus, the introduced catalyst elements efficiently diffuse only inside the island-patterned amorphous silicon films. As a result, a high-quality crystalline silicon film, having the crystal growth direction aligned in one direction and having no grain boundaries, is obtained. Using the thus formed crystalline silicon film, semiconductor devices having a high performance and stable characteristics are fabricated efficiently over the entire substrate, irrespective of the size of the devices.

Abstract: The semiconductor device of invention includes: a substrate having an insulating surface; and an element region formed by crystallizing an amorphous silicon film, the element region being provided on the insulating surface of the substrate. In the semiconductor device, the element region is constituted by a laterally crystallized region formed by crystallizing the amorphous silicon film from a linearly crystallized region crystallized by a selective introduction of catalyst elements for promoting a crystallization of the amorphous silicon film to a region surrounding the linearly crystallized region by performing a heat-treatment, and a concentration of the catalyst elements in at least one of the laterally crystallized region and the linearly crystallized region is controlled by a line width of an introduction setting region having a linear planar pattern, the line width being set so as to selectively introduce the catalyst elements.

Abstract: In a substrate having an insulating surface in which an amorphous semiconductor film is deposited on the insulating surface, a predetermined under-heating portion of the amorphous semiconductor film is partially heated with a heating source emitting heating rays. While heating, the under-heating portion is shifted by moving the heating source or the substrate. Accordingly, the amorphous semiconductor film is sequentially heat-treated and polycrystallized. As the under-heating portion shifts, the polycrystallization sequentially proceeds using the already polycrystallized portion by irradiation with the heating rays, which is adjacent to the under-heating portion, as seed crystal. Thus, the growth condition of crystal grains is uniformly controlled in the shifting direction of the under-heating portion.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display device including: a display section including a liquid crystal layer; a pair of substrates interposing the liquid crystal layer; a plurality of pixel electrodes located in a matrix on one of the pair of substrates; a plurality of first thin film transistors respectively connected to the plurality of pixel electrodes; and a peripheral driving circuit located for driving the display section, the peripheral driving circuit being located on the substrate on which the first thin film transistors are located and having a second thin film transistor. Each of the first thin film transistors includes a first channel layer formed of a first crystalline silicon layer, and the second thin film transistor includes a second channel layer formed of a second crystalline silicon layer having a higher mobility than the mobility of the first crystalline silicon layer. The second crystalline silicon layer includes a catalytic element for promoting crystallization.

Abstract: The semiconductor device of the invention includes: a substrate having an insulating surface; and an active region which is formed on the insulating surface of the substrate and is constituted by a crystalline silicon film. In the semiconductor device, the active region is formed inside a crystalline silicon region formed by selective crystallization of an amorphous silicon film, and the active region is positioned by performing a mask alignment using a boundary between an amorphous silicon region of the amorphous silicon film and the crystalline silicon region.

Abstract: Into an amorphous silicon film, catalyst elements for accelerating the crystallization are introduced. After patterning the amorphous silicon films in which the catalyst elements have been introduced into an island pattern, a heat treatment for the crystallization is conducted. Thus, the introduced catalyst elements efficiently diffuse only inside the island-patterned amorphous silicon films. As a result, a high-quality crystalline silicon film, having the crystal growth direction aligned in one direction and having no grain boundaries, is obtained. Using the thus formed crystalline silicon film, semiconductor devices having a high performance and stable characteristics are fabricated efficiently over the entire substrate, irrespective of the size of the devices.

Abstract: According to the present invention, a semiconductor device and a method for producing a semiconductor device in which an active region made of a crystalline silicon film is formed on an insulating surface of a substrate is provided.

Abstract: A method for producing a semiconductor film, includes the steps of: (a) forming an amorphous semiconductor film on a substrate having a surface with an insulating property; (b) introducing a material for accelerating crystallization of the amorphous semiconductor film into at least a part of the amorphous semiconductor film; (c) crystallizing the amorphous semiconductor film by heating to obtain a crystalline semiconductor film from the amorphous semiconductor film; and (d) oxidizing a surface of the crystalline semiconductor film to form a semiconductor oxide film containing a part of the material for accelerating the crystallization on the surface of the crystalline semiconductor film.

Abstract: A suspension system includes a shock absorber body, a piston rod that projects upwardly from the upper end of the shock absorber body, and a mount that is provided on the projecting end portion of the piston rod to attach the projecting end portion to a vehicle body. The mount includes a first mounting member that is attached to the piston rod, a second mounting member that is attached to the vehicle body, and a rubber mount member that is provided between the first and second mounting members. The rubber mount member has a pair of thick- and thin-walled diametrically opposing portions. The suspension system further includes engagement members to which a retainer is disengageably attached to retain the thick-walled portion of the rubber mount member in a compressed state.

Abstract: A hydraulic damper and air spring unit of the type including a hydraulic damper main body provided with a piston rod slidingly projecting upwards therefrom, a tubular member with the lower end thereof being secured to the outer periphery of the main body and the upper end extending upwards around the main body, and a rolling rubber member being provided between the upper end of the tubular member and a shell secured to the upper end of the piston rod to define an air chamber surrounding the piston rod and the upper portion of the main body.

Abstract: A method is provided for assembling a combination shock absorber and air spring including a tubular shock absorber having an outer tube and a piston rod reciprocably projecting from one end of the outer tube, and an air spring consisting of a resilient diaphragm member having an outer wall portion connected to a cylindrical housing secured to the projecting end of the piston rod, an inner concentric wall portion secured to the outer tube, and a rolling wall portion formed between the inner and outer wall portions.

Abstract: A vehicle suspension device includes a hydraulic damper including a vertical cylinder and a piston rod slidably extending out of the cylinder through the upper end thereof, and an air spring unit including a flexible tubular wall portion member having an inner wall mounted on the cylinder, an outer wall portion mounted on a tubular support member secured to the extending end of the piston rod and a rolling wall portion. A cylindrical housing is rotatably and sealingly mounted on the upper end of the cylinder and extends along the outer circumference of the cylinder, and the free end of the inner wall portion of the flexible tubular wall is secured to the upper end of the housing.

Abstract: A vehicle height adjusting device of includes a hydraulic damper having a tubular main body and a piston rod slidably projecting from one end of the main body, and an air spring unit having a resilient tubular wall member. The wall member has an inner wall portion and an outer wall portion which are closed at one end by a rolling wall portion formed of the inner and outer wall portions on relative reciprocation therebetween. The inner wall portion is sealingly connected to and surrounding the main body of the hydraulic damper, and the outer wall portion is sealingly connected to the piston rod at the projecting end portion thereof. An axial bore is formed in the projecting end portion of the piston rod for supplying pressurized gas into the air spring unit.