Patents by Inventor Naoto Kusumoto

Naoto Kusumoto 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: 20110033988
    Abstract: A TFT having a high threshold voltage is connected to the source electrode of each TFT that constitutes a CMOS circuit. In another aspect, pixel thin-film transistors are constructed such that a thin-film transistor more distant from a gate line drive circuit has a lower threshold voltage. In a further aspect, a control film that is removable in a later step is formed on the surface of the channel forming region of a TFT, and doping is performed from above the control film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2010
    Publication date: February 10, 2011
    Applicant: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Naoto Kusumoto, Hideto Ohnuma, Koichiro Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20110033987
    Abstract: An object is to provide a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device which suppresses an influence on a semiconductor element due to entry of an impurity element, moisture, or the like from outside even in the case of thinning or removing a substrate after forming a semiconductor element over the substrate. A feature is to form an insulating film functioning as a protective film on at least one side of the substrate by performing surface treatment on the substrate, to form a semiconductor element such as a thin film transistor over the insulating film, and to thin the substrate. As the surface treatment, addition of an impurity element or plasma treatment is performed on the substrate. As a means for thinning the substrate, the substrate can be partially removed by performing grinding treatment, polishing treatment, or the like on the other side of the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2010
    Publication date: February 10, 2011
    Applicant: SEMICONDUCTOR ENERGY LABORATORY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Koji DAIRIKI, Naoto KUSUMOTO, Takuya TSURUME
  • Patent number: 7879654
    Abstract: Paper embedded with a semiconductor device capable of communicating wirelessly is realized, whose unevenness of a portion including the semiconductor device does not stand out and the paper is thin with a thickness of less than or equal to 130 ?m. A semiconductor device is provided with a circuit portion and an antenna, and the circuit portion includes a thin film transistor. The circuit portion and the antenna are separated from a substrate used during manufacturing, and are interposed between a flexible base and a sealing layer and protected. The semiconductor device can be bent, and the thickness of the semiconductor device itself is less than or equal to 30 ?m. The semiconductor device is embedded in a paper in a papermaking process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Dozen, Tomoyuki Aoki, Hidekazu Takahashi, Daiki Yamada, Kaori Ogita, Naoto Kusumoto
  • Publication number: 20110000545
    Abstract: A stack including a first electrode, a first impurity semiconductor layer having one conductivity type, an intrinsic semiconductor layer, a second impurity semiconductor layer having an opposite conductivity type to the one conductivity type, and a light-transmitting second electrode is formed over an insulator. The light-transmitting second electrode and the second impurity semiconductor layer have one or more openings. The shortest distance between one portion of the wall of one opening and an opposite portion of the wall of the same opening at the level of the interface between the second impurity semiconductor layer and the intrinsic semiconductor layer is made smaller than the diffusion length of holes in the intrinsic semiconductor layer. Thus, recombination is suppressed, so that more photocarriers are generated due to the openings and taken out as current, whereby conversion efficiency is increased.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2010
    Publication date: January 6, 2011
    Inventors: Kazuo Nishi, Naoto Kusumoto
  • Publication number: 20100330729
    Abstract: The present invention provides a photoelectric conversion device in which a leakage current is suppressed. A photoelectric conversion device of the present invention comprises: a first electrode over a substrate; a photoelectric conversion layer including a first conductive layer having one conductivity, a second semiconductor layer, and a third semiconductor layer having a conductivity opposite to the one conductivity of the second semiconductor layer over the first electrode, wherein an end portion of the first electrode is covered with the first semiconductor layer; an insulating film, and a second electrode electrically connected to the third semiconductor film with the insulating film therebetween, over the insulating film, are formed over the third semiconductor film, and wherein a part of the second semiconductor layer and a part of the third semiconductor layer is removed in a region of the photoelectric conversion layer, which is not covered with the insulating film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2010
    Publication date: December 30, 2010
    Applicant: SEMICONDUCTOR ENERGY LABORATORY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuusuke Sugawara, Kazuo Nishi, Tatsuya Arao, Daiki Yamada, Hidekazu Takahashi, Naoto Kusumoto
  • Patent number: 7851886
    Abstract: The present invention provides a thin and bendable semiconductor device utilizing an advantage of a flexible substrate used in the semiconductor device, and a method of manufacturing the semiconductor device. The semiconductor device has at least one surface covered by an insulating layer which serves as a substrate for protection. In the semiconductor device, the insulating layer is formed over a conductive layer serving as an antenna such that the value in the thickness ratio of the insulating layer in a portion not covering the conductive layer to the conductive layer is at least 1.2, and the value in the thickness ratio of the insulating layer formed over the conductive layer to the conductive layer is at least 0.2. Further, not the conductive layer but the insulating layer is exposed in the side face of the semiconductor device, and the insulating layer covers a TFT and the conductive layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Dozen, Tomoyuki Aoki, Hidekazu Takahashi, Daiki Yamada, Eiji Sugiyama, Kaori Ogita, Naoto Kusumoto
  • Patent number: 7851278
    Abstract: The present invention provides a semiconductor device formed over an insulating substrate, typically a semiconductor device having a structure in which mounting strength to a wiring board can be increased in an optical sensor, a solar battery, or a circuit using a TFT, and which can make it mount on a wiring board with high density, and further a method for manufacturing the same. According to the present invention, in a semiconductor device, a semiconductor element is formed on an insulating substrate, a concave portion is formed on a side face of the semiconductor device, and a conductive film electrically connected to the semiconductor element is formed in the concave portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuo Nishi, Hiroki Adachi, Junya Maruyama, Naoto Kusumoto, Yuusuke Sugawara, Tomoyuki Aoki, Eiji Sugiyama, Hironobu Takahashi
  • Patent number: 7838812
    Abstract: The present invention provides a photoelectric conversion device capable of detecting light from weak light to strong light and relates to a photoelectric conversion device having a photodiode having a photoelectric conversion layer; an amplifier circuit including a transistor; and a switch, where the photodiode and the amplifier circuit are electrically connected to each other by the switch when intensity of entering light is lower than predetermined intensity so that a photoelectric current is amplified by the amplifier circuit to be outputted, and the photodiode and part or all of the amplifier circuits are electrically disconnected by the switch so that a photoelectric current is reduced in an amplification factor to be outputted. According to such a photoelectric conversion device, light from weak light to strong light can be detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2010
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuo Nishi, Tatsuya Arao, Atsushi Hirose, Yuusuke Sugawara, Naoto Kusumoto, Daiki Yamada, Hidekazu Takahashi
  • Patent number: 7820495
    Abstract: An object is to provide a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device which suppresses an influence on a semiconductor element due to entry of an impurity element, moisture, or the like from outside even in the case of thinning or removing a substrate after forming a semiconductor element over the substrate. A feature is to form an insulating film functioning as a protective film on at least one side of the substrate by performing surface treatment on the substrate, to form a semiconductor element such as a thin film transistor over the insulating film, and to thin the substrate. As the surface treatment, addition of an impurity element or plasma treatment is performed on the substrate. As a means for thinning the substrate, the substrate can be partially removed by performing grinding treatment, polishing treatment, or the like on the other side of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2010
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Koji Dairiki, Naoto Kusumoto, Takuya Tsurume
  • Patent number: 7816195
    Abstract: A TFT having a high threshold voltage is connected to the source electrode of each TFT that constitutes a CMOS circuit. In another aspect, pixel thin-film transistors are constructed such that a thin-film transistor more distant from a gate line drive circuit has a lower threshold voltage. In a further aspect, a control film that is removable in a later step is formed on the surface of the channel forming region of a TFT, and doping is performed from above the control film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2010
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Naoto Kusumoto, Hideto Ohnuma, Koichiro Tanaka
  • Patent number: 7791153
    Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, which is flexible and superiority in physical strength. As a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, an element layer including a plurality of integrated circuits is formed over one surface of a substrate; a hole having curvature is formed in part of one surface side of the substrate; the substrate is thinned (for example, the other surface of the substrate is ground and polished); and the substrate is cut off so that a cross section of the substrate has curvature corresponding to a portion where the hole is formed; whereby a laminated body including an integrated circuit is formed. Further, a thickness of the substrate, which is polished, is 2 ?m or more and 50 ?m or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2010
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takuya Tsurume, Naoto Kusumoto
  • Patent number: 7772675
    Abstract: The present invention provides a thin and bendable semiconductor device utilizing an advantage of a flexible substrate used in the semiconductor device, and a method of manufacturing the semiconductor device. The semiconductor device has at least one surface covered by an insulating layer which serves as a substrate for protection. In the semiconductor device, the insulating layer is formed over a conductive layer serving as an antenna such that the value in the thickness ratio of the insulating layer in a portion not covering the conductive layer to the conductive layer is at least 1.2, and the value in the thickness ratio of the insulating layer formed over the conductive layer to the conductive layer is at least 0.2. Further, not the conductive layer but the insulating layer is exposed in the side face of the semiconductor device, and the insulating layer covers a TFT and the conductive layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2010
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Dozen, Tomoyuki Aoki, Hidekazu Takahashi, Daiki Yamada, Eiji Sugiyama, Kaori Ogita, Naoto Kusumoto
  • Patent number: 7772667
    Abstract: The present invention provides a photoelectric conversion device in which a leakage current is suppressed. A photoelectric conversion device of the present invention comprises: a first electrode over a substrate; a photoelectric conversion layer including a first conductive layer having one conductivity, a second semiconductor layer, and a third semiconductor layer having a conductivity opposite to the one conductivity of the second semiconductor layer over the first electrode, wherein an end portion of the first electrode is covered with the first semiconductor layer; an insulating film, and a second electrode electrically connected to the third semiconductor film with the insulating film therebetween, over the insulating film, are formed over the third semiconductor film, and wherein a part of the second semiconductor layer and a part of the third semiconductor layer is removed in a region of the photoelectric conversion layer, which is not covered with the insulating film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2010
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuusuke Sugawara, Kazuo Nishi, Tatsuya Arao, Daiki Yamada, Hidekazu Takahashi, Naoto Kusumoto
  • Publication number: 20100190312
    Abstract: To provide a semiconductor device which is higher functional and reliable and a technique capable of manufacturing the semiconductor device with a high yield at low cost without complexing the apparatus or process. At least one of a first conductive layer and a second conductive layer is formed containing one kind or plural kinds of indium, tin, lead, bismuth, calcium, manganese, or zinc; or oxidation treatment is performed at least one of interfaces between an organic compound layer and the first conductive layer and between the organic compound layer and the second conductive layer. The first conductive layer, the organic compound layer, and the second conductive layer which are formed over a first substrate with a peeling layer interposed therebetween can be peeled from the first substrate with the peeling layer, and transposed to a second substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2010
    Publication date: July 29, 2010
    Applicant: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoto Kusumoto, Nobuharu Ohsawa, Mikio Yukawa, Yoshitaka Dozen
  • Publication number: 20100187534
    Abstract: An object of the present invention to provide a semiconductor device manufactured in short time by performing the step of forming the thin film transistor and the step of forming the photoelectric conversion layer in parallel, and to provide a manufacturing process thereof. According to the present invention, a semiconductor device is manufactured in such a way that a thin film transistor is formed over a first substrate, a photoelectric conversion element is formed over a second substrate, and the thin film transistor and the photoelectric conversion element are connected electrically by sandwiching a conductive layer between the first and second substrates opposed to each other so that the thin film transistor and the photoelectric conversion element are located between the first and second substrates. Thus, a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device which suppresses the increase in the number of steps and which increases the throughput can be provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2010
    Publication date: July 29, 2010
    Applicant: SEMICONDUCTOR ENERGY LABORATORY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuo NISHI, Junya MARUYAMA, Naoto KUSUMOTO, Yuusuke SUGAWARA
  • Patent number: 7728383
    Abstract: To provide a thin film integrated circuit at low cost and with thin thickness, which is applicable to mass production unlike the conventional glass substrate or the single crystalline silicon substrate, and a structure and a process of a thin film integrated circuit device or an IC chip having the thin film integrated circuit. A manufacturing method of a semiconductor device includes the steps of forming a first insulating film over one surface of a silicon substrate, forming a layer having at least two thin film integrated circuits over the first insulating film, forming a resin layer so as to cover the layer having the thin film integrated circuit, forming a film so as to cover the resin layer, grinding a backside of one surface of the silicon substrate which is formed with the layer having the thin film integrated circuit, and polishing the ground surface of the silicon substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2010
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoto Kusumoto, Takuya Tsurume
  • Publication number: 20100126681
    Abstract: Paper embedded with a semiconductor device capable of communicating wirelessly is realized, whose unevenness of a portion including the semiconductor device does not stand out and the paper is thin with a thickness of less than or equal to 130 ?m. A semiconductor device is provided with a circuit portion and an antenna, and the circuit portion includes a thin film transistor. The circuit portion and the antenna are separated from a substrate used during manufacturing, and are interposed between a flexible base and a sealing layer and protected. The semiconductor device can be bent, and the thickness of the semiconductor device itself is less than or equal to 30 ?m. The semiconductor device is embedded in a paper in a papermaking process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2010
    Publication date: May 27, 2010
    Applicant: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshitaka DOZEN, Tomoyuki AOKI, Hidekazu TAKAHASHI, Daiki YAMADA, Kaori OGITA, Naoto KUSUMOTO
  • Patent number: 7723842
    Abstract: To solve the problems caused by accumulation of heat generated from an integrated circuit. The integrated circuit device of the invention includes a substrate over one surface of which an integrated circuit is formed. The other surface of the substrate (a surface over which the integrated circuit is not formed) includes a depressed portion and has a larger surface area than the one surface. The depressed portion formed on the other surface of the substrate is filled with a heat sink material, or a film containing a heat sink material is formed at least over the surface of the depressed portion. Such integrated circuit devices may be provided in a multilayer structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2010
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Takuya Tsurume, Naoto Kusumoto
  • Patent number: 7713800
    Abstract: To provide a semiconductor device which is higher functional and reliable and a technique capable of manufacturing the semiconductor device with a high yield at low cost without complexing the apparatus or process. At least one of a first conductive layer and a second conductive layer is formed containing one kind or plural kinds of indium, tin, lead, bismuth, calcium, manganese, or zinc; or oxidation treatment is performed at least one of interfaces between an organic compound layer and the first conductive layer and between the organic compound layer and the second conductive layer. The first conductive layer, the organic compound layer, and the second conductive layer which are formed over a first substrate with a peeling layer interposed therebetween can be peeled from the first substrate with the peeling layer, and transposed to a second substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2010
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoto Kusumoto, Nobuharu Ohsawa, Mikio Yukawa, Yoshitaka Dozen
  • Patent number: 7691686
    Abstract: An object of the present invention to provide a semiconductor device manufactured in short time by performing the step of forming the thin film transistor and the step of forming the photoelectric conversion layer in parallel, and to provide a manufacturing process thereof. According to the present invention, a semiconductor device is manufactured in such a way that a thin film transistor is formed over a first substrate, a photoelectric conversion element is formed over a second substrate, and the thin film transistor and the photoelectric conversion element are connected electrically by sandwiching a conductive layer between the first and second substrates opposed to each other so that the thin film transistor and the photoelectric conversion element are located between the first and second substrates. Thus, a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device which suppresses the increase in the number of steps and which increases the throughput can be provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2010
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuo Nishi, Junya Maruyama, Naoto Kusumoto, Yuusuke Sugawara