Abstract: It is an object to provide a low-cost oxide semiconductor material which is excellent in controllability of the carrier concentration and stability, and to provide a field effect transistor including the oxide semiconductor material. An oxide including indium, silicon, and zinc is used as the oxide semiconductor material. Here, the content of silicon in the oxide semiconductor film is greater than or equal to 4 mol % and less than or equal to 8 mol %. The field effect transistor including such an In—Si—Zn—O film can withstand heat treatment at a high temperature and is effective against ?BT stress.

Abstract: In a thin film photoelectric conversion deice fabricated by addition of a catalyst element with the use of a solid phase growth method, defects such as a short circuit or leakage of current are suppressed. A catalyst material which promotes crystallization of silicon is selectively added to a second silicon semiconductor layer formed over a first silicon semiconductor layer having one conductivity type, the second silicon semiconductor layer is partly crystallized by a heat treatment, a third silicon semiconductor layer having a conductivity type opposite to the one conductivity type is stacked, and element isolation is performed at a region in the second silicon semiconductor layer to which a catalyst material is not added, so that a left catalyst material is prevented from being diffused again, and defects such as a short circuit or leakage of current are suppressed.

Abstract: To provide a thin film transistor which has high operation speed and in which a large amount of current can flow when the thin film transistor is on and off-state current at the time when the thin film transistor is off is extremely reduced. The thin film transistor is a vertical thin film transistor in which a channel formation region is formed using an oxide semiconductor film in which hydrogen or an OH group contained in the oxide semiconductor is removed so that hydrogen is contained in the oxide semiconductor at a concentration of lower than or equal to 5×1019/cm3, preferably lower than or equal to 5×1018/cm3, more preferably lower than or equal to 5×1017/cm3, and the carrier concentration is lower than or equal to 5×1014/cm3, preferably lower than or equal to 5×1012/cm3.

Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor device is provided, including a step of forming a layer which absorbs light over one face of a first substrate, a step of providing a second substrate over the layer which absorbs light, a step of providing a mask to oppose the other face of the first substrate, and a step of transferring the part of the layer which absorbs light to the second substrate by irradiating the layer which absorbs light with a laser beam through the mask.

Abstract: An object of one embodiment of the present invention is to provide a display device and a driving method of a display device in each of which power consumption can be sufficiently reduced even in the case of displaying a moving image. In the display device and the driving method of a display device, a display screen is divided into a plurality of sub-screens in a row direction (a direction of a gate line) and image data in sequential frame periods is compared for each of the sub-screens. Whether or not the image data is rewritten is controlled on the basis of results of the comparison. In other words, writing is performed only in a region of the screen where rewriting is needed.

Abstract: The present invention improves the aperture ratio of a pixel of a reflection-type display device or a reflection type display device without increasing the number of masks and without using a blackmask. A pixel electrode (167) is arranged so as to partially overlap a source wiring (137) for shielding the gap between pixels from light, and a thin film transistor is arranged so as to partially overlap a gate wiring (166) for shielding a channel region of the thin film transistor from light, thereby realizing a high pixel aperture ratio.

Abstract: Disclosed is a light emission element including, on a substrate having an insulative surface, a first electrode connected with a thin film transistor and an insulator covering the end of the first electrode, a layer containing, an organic compound in contact with the first electrode, a second electrode in contact with the layer containing the organic compound. The first electrode has an inclined surface and the inclined surface reflects emitted light from the layer containing the organic compound. Further, a light absorbing multi-layered film absorbing external light is disposed on the portion of the first electrode covered with the insulator. The light absorbing multi-layered film comprising at least has a three-layered structure comprising a light transmitting film, a film partially absorbing light and a light transmitting film.

Abstract: When image data is displayed on the display portion of a conventional mobile telephone, characters cannot be displayed thereon, and thus the image data and the characters cannot be simultaneously displayed. In a portable electronic device according to the present invention, a cover member having a first display device (101) for displaying an image (digital still image or the like) and a second display device (102) having a touch input operational portion (for displaying characters, symbols, or the like) are attached to each other so as to allow opening and closing.

Abstract: A semiconductor layer of a transistor is formed of an oxide semiconductor film including a crystal part. An organic resin film covering the transistor is formed. By treatment such as drying treatment on the organic resin film in a cell process, variations in the threshold voltage of the oxide semiconductor transistor due to moisture can be suppressed. A common electrode faces a pixel electrode. The common electrode and the pixel electrode are formed over the organic resin film with an insulating film provided therebetween. Therefore, a capacitor can be provided to a liquid crystal element if a pixel does not include a wiring for a storage capacitor. An antistatic electrode is provided on the outer side of a color filter substrate and the capacitance between the antistatic electrode and the common electrode is utilized, so that the liquid crystal display device can be used as a touch panel.

Abstract: A microcontroller which operates in a low power consumption mode is provided. A microcontroller includes a CPU, a memory, and a peripheral circuit such as a timer circuit. A register in the peripheral circuit is provided in an interface with a bus line. A power gate for controlling supply control is provided. The microcontroller can operate not only in a normal operation mode where all circuits are active, but also in a low power consumption mode where some of the circuits are active. A volatile memory and nonvolatile memory are provided in a register, such as a register of the CPU. Data in the volatile memory is backed up in the nonvolatile memory before the power supply is stopped. In the case where the operation mode returns to the normal mode, when power supply is started again, data in the nonvolatile memory is written back into the volatile memory.

Abstract: Stable electrical characteristics of a transistor including an oxide semiconductor layer are achieved. A highly reliable semiconductor device including the transistor is provided. The semiconductor device includes a multilayer film formed of an oxide layer and an oxide semiconductor layer, a gate insulating film in contact with the oxide layer, and a gate electrode overlapping with the multilayer film with the gate insulating film interposed therebetween. The oxide layer contains a common element to the oxide semiconductor layer and has a large energy gap than the oxide semiconductor layer. The composition between the oxide layer and the oxide semiconductor layer gradually changes.

Abstract: A semiconductor device in which an increase in oxygen vacancies in an oxide semiconductor layer can be suppressed is provided. A semiconductor device with favorable electrical characteristics is provided. A highly reliable semiconductor device is provided. A semiconductor device includes an oxide semiconductor layer in a channel formation region, and by the use of an oxide insulating film below and in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer and a gate insulating film over and in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer, oxygen of the oxide insulating film or the gate insulating film is supplied to the oxide semiconductor layer. Further, a conductive nitride is used for a metal film of a source electrode layer and a drain electrode layer, whereby diffusion of oxygen to the metal film is suppressed.

Abstract: A semiconductor device in which an increase in oxygen vacancies in an oxide semiconductor layer can be suppressed is provided. A semiconductor device with favorable electrical characteristics is provided. A highly reliable semiconductor device is provided. A semiconductor device includes an oxide semiconductor layer in a channel formation region, and by the use of an oxide insulating film below and in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer and a gate insulating film over and in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer, oxygen of the oxide insulating film or the gate insulating film is supplied to the oxide semiconductor layer. Further, a conductive nitride is used for metal films of a source electrode layer, a drain electrode layer, and a gate electrode layer, whereby diffusion of oxygen to the metal films is suppressed.

Abstract: A plasma space containing an ionized inert gas is formed in contact with a deposition surface and a surface of a sputtering target containing a polycrystalline oxide including a plurality of crystal grains with randomly oriented c-axes. A flat-plate-like sputtered particle is separated from a cleavage plane corresponding to a-b planes of the plurality of crystal grains by collision of the ionized inert gas with the surface of the sputtering target. The flat-plate-like sputtered particle is transferred to the deposition surface through the plasma space with its flat-plate-like shape substantially maintained. The flat-plate-like sputtered particle and another flat-plate-like sputtered particle charged with the same polarity repel each other and are deposited on the deposition surface so as to be adjacent to each other on a plane such that the c-axes are substantially perpendicular to the deposition surface.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes an oxide semiconductor layer including a crystalline region over an insulating surface, a source electrode layer and a drain electrode layer in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer, a gate insulating layer covering the oxide semiconductor layer, the source electrode layer, and the drain electrode layer, and a gate electrode layer over the gate insulating layer in a region overlapping with the crystalline region. The crystalline region includes a crystal whose c-axis is aligned in a direction substantially perpendicular to a surface of the oxide semiconductor layer.

Abstract: A semiconductor device formed using an oxide semiconductor layer and having small electrical characteristic variation is provided. A highly reliable semiconductor device including an oxide semiconductor layer and exhibiting stable electric characteristics is provided. Further, a method for manufacturing the semiconductor device is provided. In the semiconductor device, an oxide semiconductor layer is used for a channel formation region, a multilayer film which includes an oxide layer in which the oxide semiconductor layer is wrapped is provided, and an edge of the multilayer film has a curvature in a cross section.

Abstract: To provide a highly reliable liquid crystal display device including flexible substrates and a crystalline oxide semiconductor film for a backplane. The device includes a flexible first substrate, a flexible second substrate facing the first substrate, and a liquid crystal layer sealed between the substrates with a sealing member. The first substrate is provided with a layer including a transistor, an organic resin film over the transistor, a pixel electrode and a common electrode over the organic resin film, which partly overlap with each other with an insulating film provided therebetween, and an alignment film thereover. The transistor includes a crystalline oxide semiconductor film as a semiconductor layer where a channel is formed. Drying treatment is performed on the layer before the liquid crystal layer is sealed between the substrates, and steps from the drying treatment to sealing of the liquid crystal layer are performed without exposure to the air.

Abstract: To provide a semiconductor device in which an increase in oxygen vacancies is suppressed. To provide a semiconductor device with favorable electrical characteristics. To provide a highly reliable semiconductor device. In a semiconductor device in which a channel formation region is included in an oxide semiconductor layer, an oxide insulating film below and in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer and a gate insulating film over and in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer are used to supply oxygen of the gate insulating film, which is introduced by an ion implantation method, to the oxide semiconductor layer.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display device which has higher definition and reduced power consumption while its image quality is maintained is provided. A switching transistor of an active matrix liquid crystal display device is formed using a transistor having an extremely low off-state current to reduce the area of a capacitor; the capacitance value of parasitic capacitance formed by the left end of a pixel electrode and a first source line is made to be approximately the same as that of parasitic capacitance formed by the right end of the pixel electrode and a second source line; and video signals having one polarity are input to the first source line, and video signals having the other polarity are input to the second source line.

Abstract: To obtain a PLD that achieves high-speed configuration capable of dynamic configuration, consumes less power, and has a short startup time and a PLD that has a smaller number of transistors or a smaller circuit area than a PLD using an SRAM as a configuration memory, a plurality of logic elements arranged in an array and a switch for selecting electrical connection between the logic elements are provided. The switch includes a first transistor including a multilayer film including an oxide layer and an oxide semiconductor layer, a node that becomes floating when the first transistor is turned off, and a second transistor in which electrical continuity between a source and a drain is determined based on configuration data held at the node.