Patents by Inventor Teruyuki UEDA

Teruyuki UEDA 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: 20210384276
    Abstract: An active matrix substrate includes a first TFT and a second TFT, in which the first TFT includes a first oxide semiconductor layer and a first gate electrode arranged on a part of the first oxide semiconductor layer with a first gate insulating layer interposed therebetween, the first gate insulating layer has a layered structure including a first insulating film and a second insulating film arranged on the first insulating film, the second TFT includes a second oxide semiconductor layer having a higher mobility than the first oxide semiconductor layer and a second gate electrode arranged on a part of the second oxide semiconductor layer with a second gate insulating layer interposed therebetween, and the second gate insulating layer includes the second insulating film and does not include the first insulating film, and the second TFT further includes a lower insulating layer including the first insulating film arranged between the second oxide semiconductor layer and a substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2021
    Publication date: December 9, 2021
    Inventors: Hajime IMAI, Tohru DAITOH, Teruyuki UEDA, Yoshihito HARA, Masaki MAEDA, Tatsuya KAWASAKI, Yoshiharu HIRATA
  • Patent number: 11189645
    Abstract: There is provided a high-definition active matrix substrate while suppressing an occurrence of pixel defects. The active matrix substrate includes a first semiconductor film corresponding to one of two sub-pixels adjacent to each other in a row direction, a second semiconductor film corresponding to the other of two sub-pixels, a transistor using part of the first semiconductor film as a channel in the row direction, and a pixel electrode connected to a drain electrode of the transistor through a contact hole. In a plan view, a distance (dc) in the row direction from a drain electrode-side edge of the channel to a bottom surface of the contact hole is 0.15 or more times a sub-pixel pitch (dp) in the row direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hideki Kitagawa, Hajime Imai, Toshikatsu Itoh, Tetsuo Kikuchi, Masahiko Suzuki, Teruyuki Ueda, Kengo Hara, Setsuji Nishimiya, Tohru Daitoh
  • Patent number: 11145679
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing an active matrix board includes (E) a step of forming a source contact hole and a drain contact hole in an interlayer insulating layer such that a portion of a source contact region of an oxide semiconductor layer and a portion of a drain contact region thereof are exposed and forming a connecting portion contact hole in the interlayer insulating layer and a lower insulating layer such that a portion of a lower conductive layer is exposed; and (F) a step of forming a source electrode, a drain electrode, and an upper conductive layer on the interlayer insulating layer; and the step (E) includes (e-1) a step of forming a photoresist film on the interlayer insulating layer and (e-2) a step of forming a photoresist layer in such a manner that the photoresist film is exposed to light using a multi-tone mask and is then developed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kengo Hara, Tohru Daitoh, Hajime Imai, Tetsuo Kikuchi, Masahiko Suzuki, Setsuji Nishimiya, Masamitsu Yamanaka, Teruyuki Ueda, Hitoshi Takahata
  • Publication number: 20210305280
    Abstract: There is provided a high-definition active matrix substrate while suppressing an occurrence of pixel defects. The active matrix substrate includes a first semiconductor film corresponding to one of two sub-pixels adjacent to each other in a row direction, a second semiconductor film corresponding to the other of two sub-pixels, a transistor using part of the first semiconductor film as a channel in the row direction, and a pixel electrode connected to a drain electrode of the transistor through a contact hole. In a plan view, a distance (dc) in the row direction from a drain electrode-side edge of the channel to a bottom surface of the contact hole is 0.15 or more times a sub-pixel pitch (dp) in the row direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2018
    Publication date: September 30, 2021
    Inventors: Hideki KITAGAWA, Hajime IMAI, Toshikatsu ITOH, Tetsuo KIKUCHI, Masahiko SUZUKI, Teruyuki UEDA, Kengo HARA, Setsuji NISHIMIYA, Tohru DAITOH
  • Publication number: 20210294138
    Abstract: A pixel area in the active matrix substrate 100 includes a thin film transistor 101 that has an oxide semiconductor layer 7, an inorganic insulating layer 11 and an organic insulating layer 12 that cover a thin film transistor, a common electrode 15, a dielectric layer 17 that primarily contains silicon nitride, and a pixel electrode 19. The inorganic insulating layer has a multi-layered structure that includes a silicon oxide layer and a silicon nitride layer. A pixel electrode 10 is brought into contact with a drain electrode 9 within a pixel contact hole. The pixel contact hole is configured with a first opening portion, a second opening portion, and a third opening portion that are formed in the inorganic insulating layer 11, the organic insulating layer 12, and the dielectric layer 17, respectively. A flank surface of the first opening portion and a flank surface of the second opening portion are aligned.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2017
    Publication date: September 23, 2021
    Inventors: Hideki KITAGAWA, Tohru DAITOH, Hajime IMAI, Tetsuo KIKUCHI, Masahiko SUZUKI, Toshikatsu ITOH, Teruyuki UEDA, Setsuji NISHIMIYA, Kengo HARA
  • Patent number: 11107429
    Abstract: According to an embodiment of the present invention, an active matrix substrate (100) includes a display region (DR) defined by a plurality of pixel regions (P) arranged in a matrix and a peripheral region (FR) located around the display region. The active matrix substrate includes a substrate (1), a first TFT (10), and a second TFT (20). The first TFT is supported by the substrate and disposed in the peripheral region. The second TFT is supported by the substrate and disposed in the display region. The first TFT includes a crystalline silicon semiconductor layer (11), which is an active layer. The second TFT includes an oxide semiconductor layer (21), which is an active layer. The first TFT and the second TFT each have a top-gate structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tetsuo Kikuchi, Hideki Kitagawa, Hajime Imai, Toshikatsu Itoh, Masahiko Suzuki, Teruyuki Ueda, Kengo Hara, Setsuji Nishimiya, Tohru Daitoh
  • Patent number: 11079643
    Abstract: An active matrix substrate includes: a source metal layer including a plurality of source bus lines; a lower insulating layer covering the source metal layer; a oxide semiconductor TFT including an oxide semiconductor layer provided on the lower insulating layer; an inter-layer insulating layer covering the oxide semiconductor TFT; a pixel electrode provided on the inter-layer insulating layer; a common electrode including a plurality of sub common electrodes each of which is capable of functioning as a touch sensor electrode; a gate metal layer including a plurality of gate bus lines and a gate electrode; a drain metal layer including the drain electrode; and a plurality of touch sensor lines included in the drain metal layer and each electrically connected to any one of the sub common electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masaki Maeda, Tohru Daitoh, Hajime Imai, Yoshihito Hara, Hideki Kitagawa, Tatsuya Kawasaki, Teruyuki Ueda, Yoshiharu Hirata
  • Patent number: 11079636
    Abstract: An active matrix substrate includes TFTs, an interlayer insulating layer, a common electrode, a first dielectric layer, pixel electrodes, a second dielectric layer, and touch wirings, in which each of the pixel electrodes at least partially overlaps the common electrode via the first dielectric layer, so that an auxiliary capacitance including each of the pixel electrodes, the common electrode, and the first dielectric layer is formed, the touch sensor electrodes include a first electrode, the touch wirings include a first wiring and a second wiring in the touch sensor electrodes, the second wiring extends to the other electrode across the first electrode when viewed from a normal direction, and a portion of the second wiring overlaps the first electrode via the first and the second dielectric layers, so that a touch wiring capacitance including the second wiring, the first electrode, the first and the second dielectric layers is formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshiharu Hirata, Yoshihito Hara, Hideki Kitagawa, Tatsuya Kawasaki, Masaki Maeda, Teruyuki Ueda, Yoshimasa Chikama, Hajime Imai, Tohru Daitoh
  • Patent number: 11043599
    Abstract: A semiconductor device (100) includes a TFT (10) supported on a substrate (11), wherein the TFT (10) includes a gate electrode (12g), a gate insulating layer (14) that covers the gate electrode (12g), and an oxide semiconductor layer (16) that is formed on the gate insulating layer (14). The oxide semiconductor layer 16 has a layered structure including a first oxide semiconductor layer (16a) in contact with the gate insulating layer (14) and a second oxide semiconductor layer (16b) layered on the first oxide semiconductor layer (16a). The first oxide semiconductor layer (16a) and the second oxide semiconductor layer (16b) both include In, Ga and Zn; an In atomic ratio of the first oxide semiconductor layer (16a) is greater than a Zn atomic ratio thereof, and an In atomic ratio of the second oxide semiconductor layer (16b) is smaller than a Zn atomic ratio thereof; and the oxide semiconductor layer (16) has a side surface of a forward tapered shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Setsuji Nishimiya, Tohru Daitoh, Masahiko Suzuki, Kengo Hara, Hajime Imai, Toshikatsu Itoh, Hideki Kitagawa, Tetsuo Kikuchi, Teruyuki Ueda
  • Publication number: 20210183899
    Abstract: An active matrix substrate includes a plurality of source bus lines, a lower insulating layer covering the source bus lines, a plurality of gate bus lines formed above the lower insulating layer, and an oxide semiconductor TFT disposed to correspond to each pixel area. The oxide semiconductor TFT includes an oxide semiconductor layer disposed on the lower insulating layer, and a gate electrode disposed above the oxide semiconductor layer. The gate electrode is formed in a different layer from the gate bus lines, and is disposed to be separated from another gate electrode disposed in an adjacent pixel area. The gate electrode is covered by an interlayer insulating layer. The gate bus line is disposed on the interlayer insulating layer and in a gate contact hole formed in the interlayer insulating layer, and is connected to the gate electrode in the gate contact hole.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2020
    Publication date: June 17, 2021
    Inventors: Hajime IMAI, Tohru DAITOH, Teruyuki UEDA, Yoshihito HARA, Masaki MAEDA, Tatsuya KAWASAKI, Yoshiharu HIRATA, Tetsuo KIKUCHI
  • Patent number: 11038001
    Abstract: An oxide semiconductor TFT (201) of an active matrix substrate includes an oxide semiconductor layer (107), an upper gate electrode (112) disposed on a part of the oxide semiconductor layer via a gate insulating layer, and a source electrode (113) and a drain electrode (114). As viewed from a normal direction of the substrate, the oxide semiconductor layer (107) includes a first portion (p1) that overlaps the upper gate electrode, and a second portion (p2) that is located between the first portion and the source contact region or drain contact region, such that the gate insulating layer does not cover the second portion. The upper gate electrode (112) has a multilayer structure including an alloy layer (112L) that is in contact with the gate insulating layer and a metal layer (112U) that is disposed on the alloy layer. The metal layer is made of a first metallic element M; the alloy layer is made of an alloy containing the first metallic element M; and the first metallic element M is Cu, Mo, or Cr.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Teruyuki Ueda, Hideki Kitagawa, Tohru Daitoh, Hajime Imai, Masahiko Suzuki, Setsuji Nishimiya, Tetsuo Kikuchi, Toshikatsu Itoh, Kengo Hara
  • Publication number: 20210124220
    Abstract: An active matrix substrate includes TFTs, an interlayer insulating layer, a common electrode, a first dielectric layer, pixel electrodes, a second dielectric layer, and touch wirings, in which each of the pixel electrodes at least partially overlaps the common electrode via the first dielectric layer, so that an auxiliary capacitance including each of the pixel electrodes, the common electrode, and the first dielectric layer is formed, the touch sensor electrodes include a first electrode, the touch wirings include a first wiring and a second wiring in the touch sensor electrodes, the second wiring extends to the other electrode across the first electrode when viewed from a normal direction, and a portion of the second wiring overlaps the first electrode via the first and the second dielectric layers, so that a touch wiring capacitance including the second wiring, the first electrode, the first and the second dielectric layers is formed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2020
    Publication date: April 29, 2021
    Inventors: Yoshiharu HIRATA, Yoshihito HARA, Hideki KITAGAWA, Tatsuya KAWASAKI, Masaki MAEDA, Teruyuki UEDA, Yoshimasa CHIKAMA, Hajime IMAI, Tohru DAITOH
  • Patent number: 10928691
    Abstract: An active matrix substrate 10 includes: switching elements 120 that are connected with gate lines and data lines provided on a substrate; pixel electrodes 130 that are connected with the switching elements 120; counter electrodes 140 that overlap with the pixel electrodes 130 when viewed in a plan view; a flattening film 154; and lines 142. The flattening film 154 covers the switching elements 120, and first contact holes CH1 that pass through the flattening film 154 are formed at positions that overlap with the lines 142 when viewed in a plan view. The pixel electrodes 130 and the counter electrodes 140 are arranged so that each of the same partially covers the flattening film 154. The line 142 and the counter electrode 140 are connected with each other in the first contact hole CH1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Setsuji Nishimiya, Tohru Daitoh, Hajime Imai, Tetsuo Kikuchi, Masahiko Suzuki, Teruyuki Ueda, Masamitsu Yamanaka, Kengo Hara, Hitoshi Takahata
  • Publication number: 20210036158
    Abstract: A semiconductor device (100) includes a TFT (10) supported on a substrate (11), wherein the TFT (10) includes a gate electrode (12g), a gate insulating layer (14) that covers the gate electrode (12g), and an oxide semiconductor layer (16) that is formed on the gate insulating layer (14). The oxide semiconductor layer 16 has a layered structure including a first oxide semiconductor layer (16a) in contact with the gate insulating layer (14) and a second oxide semiconductor layer (16b) layered on the first oxide semiconductor layer (16a). The first oxide semiconductor layer (16a) and the second oxide semiconductor layer (16b) both include In, Ga and Zn; an In atomic ratio of the first oxide semiconductor layer (16a) is greater than a Zn atomic ratio thereof, and an In atomic ratio of the second oxide semi-conductor layer (16b) is smaller than a Zn atomic ratio thereof; and the oxide semiconductor layer (16) has a side surface of a forward tapered shape.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2018
    Publication date: February 4, 2021
    Inventors: Setsuji NISHIMIYA, Tohru DAITOH, Masahiko SUZUKI, Kengo HARA, Hajime IMAI, Toshikatsu ITOH, Hideki KITAGAWA, Tetsuo KIKUCHI, Teruyuki UEDA
  • Publication number: 20200387019
    Abstract: An active matrix substrate includes: a source metal layer including a plurality of source bus lines; a lower insulating layer covering the source metal layer; a oxide semiconductor TFT including an oxide semiconductor layer provided on the lower insulating layer; an inter-layer insulating layer covering the oxide semiconductor TFT; a pixel electrode provided on the inter-layer insulating layer; a common electrode including a plurality of sub common electrodes each of which is capable of functioning as a touch sensor electrode; a gate metal layer including a plurality of gate bus lines and a gate electrode; a drain metal layer including the drain electrode; and a plurality of touch sensor lines included in the drain metal layer and each electrically connected to any one of the sub common electrodes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2020
    Publication date: December 10, 2020
    Inventors: Masaki MAEDA, Tohru DAITOH, Hajime IMAI, Yoshihito HARA, Hideki KITAGAWA, Tatsuya KAWASAKI, Teruyuki UEDA, Yoshiharu HIRATA
  • Publication number: 20200381463
    Abstract: The present invention has an object to reduce the number of necessary masks to reduce manufacturing cost. A method of manufacturing a display device includes: forming electrodes or first lines; forming a first insulating film covering the electrodes or the first lines; forming a second insulating film covering the first insulating film; collectively forming first contact holes through the first insulating film and the second insulating film so as to expose parts of the electrodes or parts of the first lines; planarizing a surface of the second insulating film; and forming a first conductive layer to be connected from the surface of the second insulating film to the exposed parts of the electrodes or the exposed parts of the first lines via the first contact holes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2020
    Publication date: December 3, 2020
    Inventors: TATSUYA KAWASAKI, TOHRU DAITOH, HAJIME IMAI, HIDEKI KITAGAWA, YOSHIHITO HARA, MASAKI MAEDA, YOSHIHARU HIRATA, TERUYUKI UEDA
  • Publication number: 20200371401
    Abstract: An active matrix substrate includes: a substrate; lower bus lines and upper bus lines; a lower insulating layer positioned between the lower bus lines and the upper bus lines; an oxide semiconductor TFT that are disposed in each pixel region and have an oxide semiconductor layer disposed on the lower insulating layer; pixel electrodes disposed in each pixel region; and wiring connection units arranged in a non-display region. Each wiring connection unit includes: a lower conductive layer formed using the same conductive film as the lower bus lines; an insulating layer that extends on the lower conductive layer and includes the lower insulating layer. The lower bus lines and the lower conductive layer have a first laminated structure including a metal layer and a transparent conductive layer that covers an upper surface and a side surface of the metal layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2020
    Publication date: November 26, 2020
    Inventors: HIDEKI KITAGAWA, YOSHIHITO HARA, MASAKI MAEDA, YOSHIHARU HIRATA, TATSUYA KAWASAKI, TERUYUKI UEDA, HAJIME IMAI, TOHRU DAITOH
  • Patent number: 10825843
    Abstract: Provided is an active matrix substrate (100A) including: a gate metal layer (15) that has a two-layer structure composed of a Cu layer (15b) and a Ti layer (15a); a first insulating layer (16) on the gate metal layer (15); a source metal layer (18) that is formed on the first insulating layer (16) and has a two-layer structure composed of a Cu layer (18b) and a Ti layer (18a); a second insulating layer (19) on the source metal layer (18); a conductive layer (25) that is formed on the second insulating layer (19), and is in contact with the gate metal layer (15) within a first opening (16a1) formed in the first insulating layer (16) and is in contact with the source metal layer (18) within a second opening (19a2) formed in the second insulating layer (19); and a first transparent conductive layer (21) that is formed on the conductive layer (25) and includes any of a pixel electrode, a common electrode and an auxiliary capacitor electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Teruyuki Ueda, Hideki Kitagawa, Tohru Daitoh, Hajime Imai, Masahiko Suzuki, Setsuji Nishimiya, Tetsuo Kikuchi, Toshikatsu Itoh, Kengo Hara
  • Patent number: 10816865
    Abstract: Provided is an active matrix substrate provided with a substrate (1), a peripheral circuit that includes a first oxide semiconductor thin-film transistor (TFT) (101), a plurality of second oxide semiconductor TFTs (102) disposed in a display area, and a first inorganic insulating layer (11) covering the plurality of second oxide semiconductor TFTs (102), the first oxide semiconductor TFT (101) having a lower gate electrode (3A), a gate insulating layer (4), an oxide semiconductor (5A) disposed so as to face the lower gate electrode with the gate insulating layer interposed therebetween, a source electrode (7A) and a drain electrode (8A), and an upper gate electrode (BG) disposed on the oxide semiconductor (5A) with an insulating layer that includes the first inorganic insulating layer (11) interposed therebetween, and furthermore having, on the upper gate electrode (BG), a second inorganic insulating layer (17) covering the first oxide semiconductor TFT (101).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tetsuo Kikuchi, Tohru Daitoh, Hajime Imai, Toshikatsu Itoh, Hisao Ochi, Hideki Kitagawa, Masahiko Suzuki, Teruyuki Ueda, Ryosuke Gunji, Kengo Hara, Setsuji Nishimiya
  • Patent number: 10818766
    Abstract: An active matrix substrate according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of thin film transistors supported on a substrate and an inorganic insulating layer covering the plurality of thin film transistors. Each thin film transistor includes a gate electrode, an oxide semiconductor layer, a gate insulating layer, a source electrode, and a drain electrode. At least one of the gate insulating layer and the inorganic insulating layer is an insulating layer stack having a multilayer structure including a silicon oxide layer and a silicon nitride layer. The insulating layer stack further includes an intermediate layer disposed between the silicon oxide layer and the silicon nitride layer, the intermediate layer having a refractive index nC higher than a refractive index nA of the silicon oxide layer and lower than a refractive index nB of the silicon nitride layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masahiko Suzuki, Hideki Kitagawa, Tetsuo Kikuchi, Toshikatsu Itoh, Setsuji Nishimiya, Teruyuki Ueda, Kengo Hara, Hajime Imai, Tohru Daitoh