Patents by Inventor Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.

Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd. 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: 20130193874
    Abstract: A power supply circuit with high power efficiency is provided. Alternatively, a power supply circuit with high power efficiency that is suitable for driving a light-emitting device is provided. The power supply circuit can switch current control in which driving is controlled based on information on current flowing through a load and voltage control in which driving is controlled based on information on voltage applied to a load. In a period during which voltage control is performed, a current detector for detecting current flowing through the load is deactivated so that current does not flow through the current detector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2013
    Publication date: August 1, 2013
    Applicant: SEMICONDUCTOR ENERGY LABORATORY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: SEMICONDUCTOR ENERGY LABORATORY CO., LTD.
  • Publication number: 20130193424
    Abstract: A light emitting device and an element substrate which are capable of suppressing variations in the luminance intensity of a light emitting element among pixels due to characteristic variations of a driving transistor without suppressing off-current of a switching transistor low and increasing storage capacity of a capacitor. According to the invention, a depletion mode transistor is used as a driving transistor. The gate of the driving transistor is fixed in its potential or connected to the source or drain thereof to operate in a saturation region with a constant current flow. A current controlling transistor which operates in a linear region is connected in series to the driving transistor, and a video signal for transmitting a light emission or non-emission of a pixel is inputted to the gate of the current controlling transistor through a switching transistor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Publication date: August 1, 2013
    Applicant: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
  • Publication number: 20130196054
    Abstract: A device having three evaporation sources and a unit for moving the respective evaporation sources in one chamber is used, whereby it becomes possible to increase efficiency of use of an evaporation material. Consequently, manufacturing cost can be reduced, and a uniform thickness can be obtained over an entire surface of a substrate even in the case in which a large area substrate is used.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Publication date: August 1, 2013
    Applicant: SEMICONDUCTOR ENERGY LABORATORY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: SEMICONDUCTOR ENERGY LABORATORY CO., LTD.
  • Publication number: 20130194526
    Abstract: A driver circuit includes first to third transistors, a first circuit, and a second circuit. In the first transistor, a first terminal is electrically connected to a second wiring, a second terminal is electrically connected to a first wiring, and a gate is electrically connected to the second circuit and a first terminal of the third transistor. In the second transistor, a first terminal is electrically connected to the first wiring, a second terminal is electrically connected to a sixth wiring, a gate is electrically connected to the first circuit and a gate of the third transistor. A second terminal of the third transistor is electrically connected to the sixth wiring. The first circuit is electrically connected to a third wiring, a fourth wiring, a fifth wiring, and the sixth wiring. The second circuit is electrically connected to the first wiring, the second wiring, and the sixth wiring.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2013
    Publication date: August 1, 2013
    Applicant: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
  • Publication number: 20130193916
    Abstract: The present invention provides a power supply circuit provided with a battery as a power source for supplying power to an RFID, and the battery of the power supply circuit is charged with a wireless signal. Then, a switching circuit is provided in the power supply circuit that supplies power to a signal control circuit which transmits and receives individual information to and from the outside to intermittently control supply of power to the signal control circuit by a signal from a low-frequency signal generation circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Publication date: August 1, 2013
    Applicant: SEMICONDUCTOR ENERGY LABORATORY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: SEMICONDUCTOR ENERGY LABORATORY CO., LTD.
  • Publication number: 20130193433
    Abstract: A semiconductor device having high electric characteristics and in which a capacitor is efficiently formed even if the semiconductor device has a miniaturized structure. In a top-gate (also referred to as staggered) transistor using an oxide semiconductor film as its active layer, a source electrode and a drain electrode has a two-layer structure (a first electrode film and a second electrode film). Then, a capacitor is formed using a film formed using a material and a step similar to those of the first electrode film, a gate insulating film, and a gate electrode. Accordingly, the transistor and the capacitor can be formed through the same process efficiently. Further, the second electrode is connected onto the oxide semiconductor film between a first electrode and a channel formation region of the transistor. Accordingly, resistance between source and drain electrodes can be reduced; therefore, electric characteristics of the semiconductor device can be improved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2013
    Publication date: August 1, 2013
    Applicant: SEMICONDUCTOR ENERGY LABORATORY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: SEMICONDUCTOR ENERGY LABORATORY CO., LTD.
  • Publication number: 20130194858
    Abstract: A semiconductor device which stores data by using a transistor whose leakage current between source and drain in an off state is small as a writing transistor. In a matrix including a plurality of memory cells in which a drain of the writing transistor is connected to a gate of a reading transistor and the drain of the writing transistor is connected to one electrode of a capacitor, a gate of the writing transistor is connected to a writing word line; a source of the writing transistor is connected to a writing bit line; and a source and a drain of the reading transistor are connected to a reading bit line and a bias line. In order to reduce the number of wirings, the writing bit line or the bias line is substituted for the reading bit line in another column.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2013
    Publication date: August 1, 2013
    Applicant: SEMICONDUCTOR ENERGY LABORATORY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
  • Publication number: 20130193434
    Abstract: An object is to reduce leakage current and parasitic capacitance of a transistor used for an LSI, a CPU, or a memory. A semiconductor integrated circuit such as an LSI, a CPU, or a memory is manufactured using a thin film transistor in which a channel formation region is formed using an oxide semiconductor which becomes an intrinsic or substantially intrinsic semiconductor by removing impurities which serve as electron donors (donors) from the oxide semiconductor and has larger energy gap than that of a silicon semiconductor. With use of a thin film transistor using a highly purified oxide semiconductor layer with sufficiently reduced hydrogen concentration, a semiconductor device with low power consumption due to leakage current can be realized.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Publication date: August 1, 2013
    Applicant: SEMICONDUCTOR ENERGY LABORATORY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
  • Publication number: 20130193493
    Abstract: In a semiconductor device including a transistor using an oxide semiconductor film, stable electric characteristics can be provided and high reliability can be achieved. A structure of the semiconductor device, which achieves high-speed response and high-speed operation, is provided. In a semiconductor device including a transistor in which an oxide semiconductor film, a gate insulating film, and a gate electrode layer are stacked in order and a sidewall insulating layer is provided on the side surface of the gate electrode layer, the sidewall insulating layer has an oxygen-excess regions, which is formed in such a manner that a first insulating film is formed and then is subjected to oxygen doping treatment, a second insulating is formed over the first insulating film, and a stacked layer of the first insulating film and the second insulating film are etched.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2013
    Publication date: August 1, 2013
    Applicant: SEMICONDUCTOR ENERGY LABORATORY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
  • Publication number: 20130193431
    Abstract: A region containing a high proportion of crystal components and a region containing a high proportion of amorphous components are formed separately in one oxide semiconductor film. The region containing a high proportion of crystal components is formed so as to serve as a channel formation region and the other region is formed so as to contain a high proportion of amorphous components. It is preferable that an oxide semiconductor film in which a region containing a high proportion of crystal components and a region containing a high proportion of amorphous components are mixed in a self-aligned manner be formed. To separately form the regions which differ in crystallinity in the oxide semiconductor film, first, an oxide semiconductor film containing a high proportion of crystal components is formed and then process for performing amorphization on part of the oxide semiconductor film is conducted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2013
    Publication date: August 1, 2013
    Applicant: SEMICONDUCTOR ENERGY LABORATORY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
  • Publication number: 20130196468
    Abstract: To improve productivity of a transistor that includes an oxide semiconductor and has good electrical characteristics. In a top-gate transistor including a gate insulating film and a gate electrode over an oxide semiconductor film, a metal film is formed over the oxide semiconductor film, oxygen is added to the metal film to form a metal oxide film, and the metal oxide film is used as a gate insulating film. After an oxide insulating film is formed over the oxide semiconductor film, a metal film may be formed over the oxide insulating film. Oxygen is added to the metal film to form a metal oxide film and added also to the oxide semiconductor film or the oxide insulating film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2013
    Publication date: August 1, 2013
    Applicant: SEMICONDUCTOR ENERGY LABORATORY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: SEMICONDUCTOR ENERGY LABORATORY CO., LTD.
  • Publication number: 20130187701
    Abstract: In the case of reducing an effect of variations in current characteristics of transistors by inputting a signal current to a transistor in a pixel, a potential of a wiring is detected by using a precharge circuit. In the case where there is a difference between a predetermined potential and the potential of the wiring, a charge is supplied to the wiring to perform a precharge by charging rapidly. When the potential of the wiring reaches the predetermined potential, the supply of charge is stopped and a signal current only is supplied. Thus, a precharge is performed only in a period until the potential of the wiring reaches the predetermined potential, therefore, a precharge can be performed for an optimal period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 3, 2013
    Publication date: July 25, 2013
    Applicant: SEMICONDUCTOR ENERGY LABORATORY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd
  • Publication number: 20130187165
    Abstract: In a display device such as a liquid crystal display device, a large-sized display screen is realized under low power consumption. A surface of a source wiring line of a pixel portion employed in an active matrix type liquid crystal display device is processed by way of a plating process operation so as to lower a resistance value of this source wiring line. The source wiring line of the pixel portion is manufactured at a step different from a step for manufacturing a source wiring line of a drive circuit portion. Further, electrodes of a terminal portion are processed by a plating process operation so as to reduce a resistance value thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Publication date: July 25, 2013
    Applicant: SEMICONDUCTOR ENERGY LABORATORY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
  • Publication number: 20130187152
    Abstract: A metal element of a metal film is introduced into the oxide semiconductor film by performing heat treatment in the state where the oxide semiconductor film is in contact with the metal film, so that a low-resistance region having resistance lower than that of a channel formation region is formed. A region of the metal film, which is in contact with the oxide semiconductor film, becomes a metal oxide insulating film by the heat treatment. After that, an unnecessary metal film is removed. Thus, the metal oxide insulating film can be formed over the low-resistance region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2013
    Publication date: July 25, 2013
    Applicant: SEMICONDUCTOR ENERGY LABORATORY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
  • Publication number: 20130187153
    Abstract: A highly reliable semiconductor device including a transistor using an oxide semiconductor is provided. In a semiconductor device including a bottom-gate transistor including an oxide semiconductor layer, a first insulating layer is formed in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer, and an oxygen doping treatment is performed thereon, whereby the first insulating layer is made to contain oxygen in excess of the stoichiometric composition. The formation of the second insulating layer over the first insulating layer enables excess oxygen included in the first insulating layer to be supplied efficiently to the oxide semiconductor layer. Accordingly, the highly reliable semiconductor device with stable electric characteristics can be provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2013
    Publication date: July 25, 2013
    Applicant: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
  • Publication number: 20130187536
    Abstract: It is an object to provide a light-emitting element which can reduce power consumption. A light-emitting element is provided, which includes a pair of electrodes and a light-emitting layer interposed between the pair of electrodes. The light-emitting layer includes at least a first layer and a second layer, each of the first layer and the second layer includes an emission center and a host material, the emission center is dispersed in the host material, a thickness of each of the first layer and the second layer is 1 nm or more and 10 nm or less, and the first layer is not in contact with the second layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Publication date: July 25, 2013
    Applicant: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
  • Publication number: 20130187142
    Abstract: The present invention is intended to suppress power consumption of an EL display. In accordance with the brightness of an image to be displayed in a pixel portion, the contrast of the image is determined whether to be inverted or not, and the number of bits of the digital video signal to be input into the pixel portion is reduced, and the magnitude of a current to flow through the EL element is allowed to be maintained at a constant level even when a temperature of an EL layer changes by providing the EL display with another EL element to be used for monitoring a temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Publication date: July 25, 2013
    Applicant: SEMICONDUCTOR ENERGY LABORATORY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
  • Publication number: 20130187161
    Abstract: A photolithography process for forming an island-shaped semiconductor layer is omitted, and a transistor is formed by at least two photolithography processes: a photolithography process for forming a gate electrode (including a wiring or the like formed from the same layer as the gate electrode) and a photolithography process for forming a source electrode and a drain electrode (including a wiring or the like formed from the same layer as the source electrode and the drain electrode). By using electron beam exposure, a transistor in which a distance between the source electrode and the drain electrode (channel length) is short can be formed. For example, a transistor whose channel length is less than 50 nm can be obtained.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 10, 2013
    Publication date: July 25, 2013
    Applicant: SEMICONDUCTOR ENERGY LABORATORY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: SEMICONDUCTOR ENERGY LABORATORY CO. LTD.
  • Publication number: 20130187150
    Abstract: A transistor in which a short-channel effect is not substantially caused and which has switching characteristics even in the case where the channel length is short is provided. Further, a highly integrated semiconductor device including the transistor is provided. A short-channel effect which is caused in a transistor including silicon is not substantially caused in the transistor including an oxide semiconductor film. The channel length of the transistor including the oxide semiconductor film is greater than or equal to 5 nm and less than 60 nm, and the channel width thereof is greater than or equal to 5 nm and less than 200 nm. At this time, the channel width is made 0.5 to 10 times as large as the channel length.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2013
    Publication date: July 25, 2013
    Applicant: SEMICONDUCTOR ENERGY LABORATORY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: SEMICONDUCTOR ENERGY LABORATORY CO., LTD.
  • Publication number: 20130187166
    Abstract: According to present invention, system on panel without complicating the process of TFT can be realized, and a light-emitting device that can be formed by lower cost than that of the conventional light-emitting device can be provided. A light-emitting device is provided in which a pixel portion is provided with a pixel including a light-emitting element and a TFT for controlling supply of current to the light-emitting element; a TFT included in a drive circuit and a TFT for controlling supply of current to the light-emitting element include a gate electrode, a gate insulating film formed over the gate electrode, a first semiconductor film, which overlaps with the gate electrode via the gate insulating film, a pair of second semiconductor films formed over the first semiconductor film; the pair of second semiconductor films are doped with an impurity to have one conductivity type; and the first semiconductor film is formed by semiamorphous semiconductor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2013
    Publication date: July 25, 2013
    Applicant: SEMICONDUCTOR ENERGY LABORATORY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.