Patents by Inventor Takashi HAMOCHI

Takashi HAMOCHI 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: 20170162716
    Abstract: A novel semiconductor device including an oxide semiconductor is provided. In particular, a planar semiconductor device including an oxide semiconductor is provided. A semiconductor device including an oxide semiconductor and having large on-state current is provided. The semiconductor device includes an oxide insulating film, an oxide semiconductor film over the oxide insulating film, a source electrode and a drain electrode in contact with the oxide semiconductor film, a gate insulating film between the source electrode and the drain electrode, and a gate electrode overlapping the oxide semiconductor film with the gate insulating film. The oxide semiconductor film includes a first region overlapped with the gate electrode and a second region not overlapped with the gate electrode, the source electrode, and the drain electrode. The first region and the second region have different impurity element concentrations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2017
    Publication date: June 8, 2017
    Inventors: Junichi KOEZUKA, Masami JINTYOU, Yukinori SHIMA, Takashi HAMOCHI, Yasutaka NAKAZAWA, Shunpei YAMAZAKI
  • Patent number: 9647128
    Abstract: To suppress a change in electrical characteristics and to improve reliability in a semiconductor device using a transistor including an oxide semiconductor. The semiconductor device includes a gate electrode over an insulating surface, an oxide semiconductor film overlapping with the gate electrode, a gate insulating film which is between the gate electrode and the oxide semiconductor film and is in contact with a surface of the oxide semiconductor film, a protective film in contact with an opposite surface of the surface of the oxide semiconductor film, and a pair of electrodes in contact with the oxide semiconductor film. In the gate insulating film or the protective film, the amount of gas having a mass-to-charge ratio m/z of 17 released by heat treatment is greater than the amount of nitrogen oxide released by heat treatment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Yasuharu Hosaka, Toshimitsu Obonai, Junichi Koezuka, Yukinori Shima, Masahiko Hayakawa, Takashi Hamochi, Suzunosuke Hiraishi
  • Publication number: 20170125601
    Abstract: In a semiconductor device including a transistor including an oxide semiconductor film and a protective film over the transistor, an oxide insulating film containing oxygen in excess of the stoichiometric composition is formed as the protective film under the following conditions: a substrate placed in a treatment chamber evacuated to a vacuum level is held at a temperature higher than or equal to 180° C. and lower than or equal to 260° C.; a source gas is introduced into the treatment chamber so that the pressure in the treatment chamber is set to be higher than or equal to 100 Pa and lower than or equal to 250 Pa; and a high-frequency power higher than or equal to 0.17 W/cm2 and lower than or equal to 0.5 W/cm2 is supplied to an electrode provided in the treatment chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2017
    Publication date: May 4, 2017
    Inventors: Kenichi OKAZAKI, Toshinari SASAKI, Shuhei YOKOYAMA, Takashi HAMOCHI
  • Patent number: 9627413
    Abstract: The semiconductor device includes a transistor including an oxide semiconductor film, a first gate electrode overlapping with the oxide semiconductor film, a gate insulating film between the oxide semiconductor film and the first gate electrode, a first insulating film over the oxide semiconductor film, a pair of electrodes that are over the first insulating film and electrically connected to the oxide semiconductor film, a second insulating film over the first insulating film and the pair of electrodes, and a second gate electrode that is over the second insulating film and overlaps with the oxide semiconductor film. The first insulating film includes a region having a thickness of 1 nm or more and 50 nm or less, and the pair of electrodes includes a region in which a distance between the electrodes is 1 ?m or more and 6 ?m or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenichi Okazaki, Takashi Hamochi, Yukinori Shima, Shunpei Yamazaki
  • Publication number: 20170104090
    Abstract: Variation in electrical characteristics of a semiconductor device including an oxide semiconductor is inhibited and the reliability thereof is improved. The oxide semiconductor is formed over a substrate. An insulator is formed over the oxide semiconductor. A metal oxide is formed over the insulator. A conductor is formed over the metal oxide. The conductor, the metal oxide, and the insulator over the oxide semiconductor are removed to expose a portion of the oxide semiconductor. Plasma treatment is performed on a surface of the exposed portion of the oxide semiconductor. A nitride insulator is formed over the exposed portion of the oxide semiconductor and the conductor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2016
    Publication date: April 13, 2017
    Inventors: Junichi KOEZUKA, Masami JINTYOU, Yukinori SHIMA, Yasuharu HOSAKA, Yasutaka NAKAZAWA, Takashi HAMOCHI, Takahiro SATO, Shunpei YAMAZAKI
  • Publication number: 20170104089
    Abstract: A change in electrical characteristics of a semiconductor device including an oxide semiconductor is prevented, and the reliability of the semiconductor device is improved. An oxide semiconductor is formed over a substrate; an insulator is formed over the oxide semiconductor; a metal oxide is formed over the insulator; a conductor is formed over the metal oxide; a portion of the oxide semiconductor is exposed by removing the conductor, the metal oxide, and the insulator over the oxide semiconductor; plasma treatment is performed on a surface of the exposed portion of the oxide semiconductor; and a nitride insulator is formed over the exposed portion of the oxide semiconductor and over the conductor. The plasma treatment is performed in a mixed atmosphere of an argon gas and a nitrogen gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2016
    Publication date: April 13, 2017
    Inventors: Junichi KOEZUKA, Masami JINTYOU, Yukinori SHIMA, Yasuharu HOSAKA, Yasutaka NAKAZAWA, Takashi HAMOCHI, Takahiro SATO, Shunpei YAMAZAKI
  • Patent number: 9577110
    Abstract: A novel semiconductor device including an oxide semiconductor is provided. In particular, a planar semiconductor device including an oxide semiconductor is provided. A semiconductor device including an oxide semiconductor and having large on-state current is provided. The semiconductor device includes an oxide insulating film, an oxide semiconductor film over the oxide insulating film, a source electrode and a drain electrode in contact with the oxide semiconductor film, a gate insulating film between the source electrode and the drain electrode, and a gate electrode overlapping the oxide semiconductor film with the gate insulating film. The oxide semiconductor film includes a first region overlapped with the gate electrode and a second region not overlapped with the gate electrode, the source electrode, and the drain electrode. The first region and the second region have different impurity element concentrations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Junichi Koezuka, Masami Jintyou, Yukinori Shima, Takashi Hamochi, Yasutaka Nakazawa, Shunpei Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 9570626
    Abstract: In a semiconductor device including a transistor including an oxide semiconductor film and a protective film over the transistor, an oxide insulating film containing oxygen in excess of the stoichiometric composition is formed as the protective film under the following conditions: a substrate placed in a treatment chamber evacuated to a vacuum level is held at a temperature higher than or equal to 180° C. and lower than or equal to 260° C.; a source gas is introduced into the treatment chamber so that the pressure in the treatment chamber is set to be higher than or equal to 100 Pa and lower than or equal to 250 Pa; and a high-frequency power higher than or equal to 0.17 W/cm2 and lower than or equal to 0.5 W/cm2 is supplied to an electrode provided in the treatment chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenichi Okazaki, Toshinari Sasaki, Shuhei Yokoyama, Takashi Hamochi
  • Publication number: 20160372492
    Abstract: A nitride insulating film which prevents diffusion of hydrogen into an oxide semiconductor film in a transistor including an oxide semiconductor is provided. Further, a semiconductor device which has favorable electrical characteristics by using a transistor including a silicon semiconductor and a transistor including an oxide semiconductor is provided. Two nitride insulating films having different functions are provided between the transistor including a silicon semiconductor and the transistor including an oxide semiconductor. Specifically, a first nitride insulating film which contains hydrogen is provided over the transistor including a silicon semiconductor, and a second nitride insulating film which has a lower hydrogen content than the first nitride insulating film and functions as a barrier film against hydrogen is provided between the first nitride insulating film and the transistor including an oxide semiconductor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2016
    Publication date: December 22, 2016
    Inventors: Shunpei YAMAZAKI, Tetsuhiro TANAKA, Yoshinori IEDA, Toshiyuki MIYAMOTO, Masafumi NOMURA, Takashi HAMOCHI, Kenichi OKAZAKI, Mitsuhiro ICHIJO, Toshiya ENDO
  • Publication number: 20160315178
    Abstract: A highly reliable semiconductor device the yield of which can be prevented from decreasing due to electrostatic discharge damage is provided. A semiconductor device is provided which includes a gate electrode layer, a first gate insulating layer over the gate electrode layer, a second gate insulating layer being over the first gate insulating layer and having a smaller thickness than the first gate insulating layer, an oxide semiconductor layer over the second gate insulating layer, and a source electrode layer and a drain electrode layer electrically connected to the oxide semiconductor layer. The first gate insulating layer contains nitrogen and has a spin density of 1×1017 spins/cm3 or less corresponding to a signal that appears at a g-factor of 2.003 in electron spin resonance spectroscopy. The second gate insulating layer contains nitrogen and has a lower hydrogen concentration than the first gate insulating layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2016
    Publication date: October 27, 2016
    Inventors: Toshiyuki MIYAMOTO, Masafumi NOMURA, Takashi HAMOCHI, Kenichi OKAZAKI
  • Publication number: 20160268441
    Abstract: To provide a semiconductor device including a transistor in which an oxide semiconductor is used and on-state current is high. In a semiconductor device including a first transistor provided in a driver circuit portion and a second transistor provided in a pixel portion, the first transistor and the second transistor have different structures. Furthermore, the first transistor and the second transistor are transistors having a top-gate structure in which conductive films serving as a gate electrode, a source electrode, and a drain electrode do not overlap. Furthermore, in an oxide semiconductor film, an impurity element is contained in a region which does not overlap with the gate electrode, the source electrode, and the drain electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2016
    Publication date: September 15, 2016
    Inventors: Shunpei YAMAZAKI, Junichi KOEZUKA, Masami JINTYOU, Yukinori SHIMA, Takashi HAMOCHI, Yasutaka NAKAZAWA
  • Patent number: 9437594
    Abstract: A nitride insulating film which prevents diffusion of hydrogen into an oxide semiconductor film in a transistor including an oxide semiconductor is provided. Further, a semiconductor device which has favorable electrical characteristics by using a transistor including a silicon semiconductor and a transistor including an oxide semiconductor is provided. Two nitride insulating films having different functions are provided between the transistor including a silicon semiconductor and the transistor including an oxide semiconductor. Specifically, a first nitride insulating film which contains hydrogen is provided over the transistor including a silicon semiconductor, and a second nitride insulating film which has a lower hydrogen content than the first nitride insulating film and functions as a barrier film against hydrogen is provided between the first nitride insulating film and the transistor including an oxide semiconductor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Tetsuhiro Tanaka, Yoshinori Ieda, Toshiyuki Miyamoto, Masafumi Nomura, Takashi Hamochi, Kenichi Okazaki, Mitsuhiro Ichijo, Toshiya Endo
  • Publication number: 20160247903
    Abstract: In a semiconductor device including an oxide semiconductor, the amount of oxygen vacancies is reduced. Moreover, electrical characteristics of a semiconductor device including an oxide semiconductor are improved. The semiconductor device includes a transistor including a gate electrode over a substrate, a gate insulating film covering the gate electrode, an oxide semiconductor film overlapping with the gate electrode with the gate insulating film provided therebetween, and a pair of electrodes in contact with the oxide semiconductor film; and over the transistor, a first insulating film covering the gate insulating film, the oxide semiconductor film, and the pair of electrodes; and a second insulating film covering the first insulating film. An etching rate of the first insulating film is lower than or equal to 10 nm/min and lower than an etching rate of the second insulating film when etching is performed at 25° C. with 0.5 weight % of hydrofluoric acid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2016
    Publication date: August 25, 2016
    Inventors: Kenichi OKAZAKI, Toshiyuki MIYAMOTO, Masafumi NOMURA, Takashi HAMOCHI, Shunpei YAMAZAKI, Toshinari SASAKI
  • Patent number: 9412874
    Abstract: A highly reliable semiconductor device the yield of which can be prevented from decreasing due to electrostatic discharge damage is provided. A semiconductor device is provided which includes a gate electrode layer, a first gate insulating layer over the gate electrode layer, a second gate insulating layer being over the first gate insulating layer and having a smaller thickness than the first gate insulating layer, an oxide semiconductor layer over the second gate insulating layer, and a source electrode layer and a drain electrode layer electrically connected to the oxide semiconductor layer. The first gate insulating layer contains nitrogen and has a spin density of 1×1017 spins/cm3 or less corresponding to a signal that appears at a g-factor of 2.003 in electron spin resonance spectroscopy. The second gate insulating layer contains nitrogen and has a lower hydrogen concentration than the first gate insulating layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Miyamoto, Masafumi Nomura, Takashi Hamochi, Kenichi Okazaki
  • Publication number: 20160197194
    Abstract: In a semiconductor device including a transistor including an oxide semiconductor film and a protective film over the transistor, an oxide insulating film containing oxygen in excess of the stoichiometric composition is formed as the protective film under the following conditions: a substrate placed in a treatment chamber evacuated to a vacuum level is held at a temperature higher than or equal to 180° C. and lower than or equal to 260° C.; a source gas is introduced into the treatment chamber so that the pressure in the treatment chamber is set to be higher than or equal to 100 Pa and lower than or equal to 250 Pa; and a high-frequency power higher than or equal to 0.17 W/cm2 and lower than or equal to 0.5 W/cm2 is supplied to an electrode provided in the treatment chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2016
    Publication date: July 7, 2016
    Inventors: Kenichi OKAZAKI, Toshinari SASAKI, Shuhei YOKOYAMA, Takashi HAMOCHI
  • Patent number: 9356098
    Abstract: To provide a semiconductor device including a transistor in which an oxide semiconductor is used and on-state current is high. In a semiconductor device including a first transistor provided in a driver circuit portion and a second transistor provided in a pixel portion, the first transistor and the second transistor have different structures. Furthermore, the first transistor and the second transistor are transistors having a top-gate structure in which conductive films serving as a gate electrode, a source electrode, and a drain electrode do not overlap. Furthermore, in an oxide semiconductor film, an impurity element is contained in a region which does not overlap with the gate electrode, the source electrode, and the drain electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., LTD.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Junichi Koezuka, Masami Jintyou, Yukinori Shima, Takashi Hamochi, Yasutaka Nakazawa
  • Patent number: 9337342
    Abstract: In a semiconductor device including an oxide semiconductor, the amount of oxygen vacancies is reduced. Moreover, electrical characteristics of a semiconductor device including an oxide semiconductor are improved. The semiconductor device includes a transistor including a gate electrode over a substrate, a gate insulating film covering the gate electrode, an oxide semiconductor film overlapping with the gate electrode with the gate insulating film provided therebetween, and a pair of electrodes in contact with the oxide semiconductor film; and over the transistor, a first insulating film covering the gate insulating film, the oxide semiconductor film, and the pair of electrodes; and a second insulating film covering the first insulating film. An etching rate of the first insulating film is lower than or equal to 10 nm/min and lower than an etching rate of the second insulating film when etching is performed at 25° C. with 0.5 weight % of hydrofluoric acid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR ENERGY LABORATORY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kenichi Okazaki, Toshiyuki Miyamoto, Masafumi Nomura, Takashi Hamochi, Shunpei Yamazaki, Toshinari Sasaki
  • Patent number: 9320111
    Abstract: A light-emitting device that is less influenced by variations in threshold voltage of a transistor is provided. Further, a light-emitting device in which variations in luminance due to variations in threshold voltage of a transistor can be reduced is provided. Further, influences due to variations in threshold voltage of a transistor are corrected in a short time. A light-emitting element, a transistor functioning as a switch supplying current to the light-emitting element, and a circuit in which threshold voltage of the transistor is obtained and voltage between a gate and a source (gate voltage) of the transistor is corrected in accordance with the obtained threshold voltage are included. An n-channel transistor in which threshold voltage changes in a positive direction and the amount of the change is small is used. When the threshold voltage of the transistor is obtained, the gate voltage of the transistor is adjusted as appropriate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Miyake, Kenichi Okazaki, Toshiyuki Miyamoto, Masafumi Nomura, Takashi Hamochi, Shunpei Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 9318317
    Abstract: In a semiconductor device including a transistor including an oxide semiconductor film and a protective film over the transistor, an oxide insulating film containing oxygen in excess of the stoichiometric composition is formed as the protective film under the following conditions: a substrate placed in a treatment chamber evacuated to a vacuum level is held at a temperature higher than or equal to 180° C. and lower than or equal to 260° C.; a source gas is introduced into the treatment chamber so that the pressure in the treatment chamber is set to be higher than or equal to 100 Pa and lower than or equal to 250 Pa; and a high-frequency power higher than or equal to 0.17 W/cm2 and lower than or equal to 0.5 W/cm2 is supplied to an electrode provided in the treatment chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenichi Okazaki, Toshinari Sasaki, Shuhei Yokoyama, Takashi Hamochi
  • Publication number: 20160027926
    Abstract: A highly reliable semiconductor device the yield of which can be prevented from decreasing due to electrostatic discharge damage is provided. A semiconductor device is provided which includes a gate electrode layer, a gate insulating layer over the gate electrode layer, an oxide insulating layer over the gate insulating layer, an oxide semiconductor layer being above and in contact with the oxide insulating layer and overlapping with the gate electrode layer, and a source electrode layer and a drain electrode layer electrically connected to the oxide semiconductor layer. The gate insulating layer includes a silicon film containing nitrogen. The oxide insulating layer contains one or more metal elements selected from the constituent elements of the oxide semiconductor layer. The thickness of the gate insulating layer is larger than that of the oxide insulating layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2015
    Publication date: January 28, 2016
    Inventors: Shunpei YAMAZAKI, Toshiyuki MIYAMOTO, Masafumi NOMURA, Takashi HAMOCHI, Kenichi OKAZAKI