Patents by Inventor Tetsuo Kawakita

Tetsuo Kawakita 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).

  • Patent number: 7705536
    Abstract: A display device is provided which is capable of inhibiting a localized elevation in the temperature of a casing thereby uniformalizing the surface temperature distribution over the casing. A display device includes: a display panel having surface arrays of plural pixels for displaying an image by light radiation control on a pixel to pixel basis; an electronic component forming a control circuit configured to perform the light radiation control; a casing housing the display panel and the electronic component therein; and a flat heat-conductive sheet interposed between the display panel and the casing and between the electronic component and the casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2010
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroto Yanagawa, Tetsuo Kawakita, Taketoshi Nakao, Hiroaki Takezawa, Kiyohide Amemiya
  • Publication number: 20090253228
    Abstract: An organic thin film transistor of the present invention includes a substrate (11) and a semiconductor layer (14) made of an organic semiconductor and formed on the substrate (11). The semiconductor layer (14) is composed of crystals of the organic semiconductor, and a crystal phase of the crystals is the same as a crystal phase of energetically most stable bulk crystals of the organic semiconductor. A method for manufacturing the organic thin film transistor of the present invention includes forming the semiconductor layer (14) by depositing an organic semiconductor on the substrate (11). The organic semiconductor is deposited at a deposition rate of 0.1 to 1 nm/min while maintaining the temperature of the substrate (11) in the range of 40 to 150° C.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2009
    Publication date: October 8, 2009
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Norishige NANAI, Shinichi YAMAMOTO, Tetsuo KAWAKITA
  • Publication number: 20080239634
    Abstract: A flat panel display device is provided which is capable of reliably inhibiting the surface temperature of a relevant portion of the casing of the flat panel display device from rising too much while efficiently cooling the inside of the casing. The flat panel display device (100) of the invention includes: a flat display panel (11); a front cover (15) having an opening matching a display surface of the flat display panel (11); and a casing (18) having a first casing section (20) and a second casing section (21) and covering a rear side of the flat display panel (11), the first casing section (20) having a lower thermal conductivity than the second casing section (21), extending upwardly from the second casing section (21), and being provided with a vent hole.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2006
    Publication date: October 2, 2008
    Inventors: Taketoshi Nakao, Kiyohide Amemiya, Hiroaki Takezawa, Hiroto Yanagawa, Tetsuo Kawakita
  • Patent number: 7306980
    Abstract: A number of minuscule LDD thin film transistors with high precision are arranged on a substrate for use in a liquid crystal display apparatus or other similar devices. The gate electrode is used as a mask at the time of injecting impurities into the semiconductor layer. To realize an LDD structure, the impurities are injected in two installments. The size of the gate electrode is changed in accordance with the length of the LDD regions between the first and second injections. The size of the gate electrode is changed by means of metal oxidation or dry etching. For precision dry etching of the gate electrode, various ideas are put into forming the photo resist.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2007
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shin-itsu Takehashi, Tetsuo Kawakita, Yoshinao Taketomi, Hiroshi Tsutsu
  • Publication number: 20070216273
    Abstract: A display device is provided which is capable of inhibiting a localized elevation in the temperature of a casing thereby uniformalizing the surface temperature distribution over the casing. A display device (10) includes: a display panel (11) having surface arrays of plural pixels for displaying an image by light radiation control on a pixel to pixel basis; an electronic component (16a to 16f) forming a control circuit configured to perform the light radiation control; a casing (120) housing the display panel (11) and the electronic component (16a to 16f) therein; and a flat heat-conductive sheet (140) interposed between the display panel (11) and the casing (120) and between the electronic component (16a to 16f) and the casing (120).
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2006
    Publication date: September 20, 2007
    Inventors: Hiroto Yanagawa, Tetsuo Kawakita, Takatoshi Nakao, Hiroaki Takezawa, Kiyohide Amemiya
  • Publication number: 20060226420
    Abstract: An organic thin film transistor of the present invention includes a substrate (11) and a semiconductor layer (14) made of an organic semiconductor and formed on the substrate (11). The semiconductor layer (14) is composed of crystals of the organic semiconductor, and a crystal phase of the crystals is the same as a crystal phase of energetically most stable bulk crystals of the organic semiconductor. A method for manufacturing the organic thin film transistor of the present invention includes forming the semiconductor layer (14) by depositing an organic semiconductor on the substrate (11). The organic semiconductor is deposited at a deposition rate of 0.1 to 1 nm/min while maintaining the temperature of the substrate (11) in the range of 40 to 150° C.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2004
    Publication date: October 12, 2006
    Applicant: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Norishige Nanai, Shinichi Yamamoto, Tetsuo Kawakita
  • Publication number: 20050224799
    Abstract: A semiconductor device provided with a thin-film transistor comprising a polycrystalline semiconductor thin film (2) formed on an insulating substrate (100). The semiconductor device comprises a channel region (80), a source region (91), and a drain region (92), each disposed on both sides of the channel region (80) in the semiconductor thin film (100). The channel region (90) comprises both a first conductive impurity and a second conductive impurity, the conductive type of the second conductive impurity being opposite the conductive type of the first conductive impurity, and is structured by layering a first layer in which the first conductive impurity and the second conductive impurity are canceled and a second layer in which either of the first conductive impurity or the second conductive impurity is dominant, wherein a gate electrode (4) is formed so as to face the first layer (2a) via an insulating film (3).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2002
    Publication date: October 13, 2005
    Applicant: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shinichi Yamamoto, Nishio Mikio, Tetsuo Kawakita, Hiroshi Tsutsu
  • Publication number: 20040229415
    Abstract: A number of minuscule LDD thin film transistors with high precision are arranged on a substrate for use in a liquid crystal display apparatus or other similar devices. The gate electrode is used as a mask at the time of injecting impurities into the semiconductor layer. To realize an LDD structure, the impurities are injected in two installments. The size of the gate electrode is changed in accordance with the length of the LDD regions between the first and second injections. The size of the gate electrode is changed by means of metal oxidation or dry etching. For precision dry etching of the gate electrode, various ideas are put into forming the photo resist.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2004
    Publication date: November 18, 2004
    Applicant: Matsushita Elec. Ind. Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Shin-itsu Takehashi, Tetsuo Kawakita, Yoshinao Taketomi, Hiroshi Tsutsu
  • Patent number: 6812490
    Abstract: The present invention provide an LDD type TFT having excellent properties, particularly for a liquid crystal display unit. For this purpose, a top gate type LDDTFT gate electrode is converted into a two-stage structure by use of a chemical reaction or plating, and furthermore, into a shape in which an upper portion or a lower portion slightly protrudes on the source electrode side, or the drain electrode side relative to the other portions. Impurities are injected by using this electrode having this structure and shape as a mask. Prior to injection of impurities, the gate insulating film is removed, and a Ti film is formed for preventing hydrogen for dilution from coming in. This is also the case with the LDD-TFT on the bottom gate side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2004
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shin-itsu Takehashi, Shigeo Ikuta, Tetsuo Kawakita, Mayumi Inoue, Keizaburo Kuramasu
  • Publication number: 20040089878
    Abstract: The present invention provide an LDD type TFT having excellent properties, particularly for a liquid crystal display unit. For this purpose, a top gate type LDDTFT gate electrode is converted into a two-stage structure by use of a chemical reaction or plating, and furthermore, into a shape in which an upper portion or a lower portion slightly protrudes on the source electrode side, or the drain electrode side relative to the other portions. Impurities are injected by using this electrode having this structure and shape as a mask. Prior to injection of impurities, the gate insulating film is removed, and a Ti film is formed for preventing hydrogen for dilution from coming in. This is also the case with the LDD-TFT on the bottom gate side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2003
    Publication date: May 13, 2004
    Applicant: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shin-Itsu Takehashi, Shigeo Ikuta, Tetsuo Kawakita, Mayumi Inoue, Keizaburo Kuramasu
  • Patent number: 6624473
    Abstract: The present invention provide an LDD type TFT having excellent properties, particularly for a liquid crystal display unit. For this purpose, a top gate type LDDTFT gate electrode is converted into a two-stage structure by use of a chemical reaction or plating, and furthermore, into a shape in which an upper portion or a lower portion slightly protrudes on the source electrode side, or the drain electrode side relative to the other portions. Impurities are injected by using this electrode having this structure and shape as a mask. Prior to injection of impurities, the gate insulating film is removed, and a Ti film is formed for preventing hydrogen for dilution from coming in. This is also the case with the LDD-TFT on the bottom gate side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2003
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shin-itsu Takehashi, Shigeo Ikuta, Tetsuo Kawakita, Mayumi Inoue, Keizaburo Kuramasu
  • Patent number: 6534353
    Abstract: A method of fabricating a thin-film transistor including forming a polycrystalline semiconductor thin film on a substrate by irradiating with a laser beam an amorphous semiconductor thin film formed on the substrate. Heat treating the polycrystalline semiconductor thin film while the substrate is held by a substrate holder provided in a container containing hydrogen, and processing, prior to or after the heat treating, the polycrystalline semiconductor thin film into a specified configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2003
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Keizaburo Kuramasu, Atsushi Sasaki, Tetsuo Kawakita
  • Patent number: 6506669
    Abstract: There are reduced degradation of the performance of a transistor element, variations in the quality thereof, and the like resulting from the surface roughness of a polycrystalline silicon thin film formed by laser annealing, particularly from the presence of portions in which tramp materials are segregated produced in the rough portions. For this purpose, (1) The projections at the surface portion of the polycrystalline silicon thin film and the portions in which the tramp materials are segregated after laser annealing are chemically, mechanically graded. (2) Likewise, a heat treatment is performed to grow a crystal and planarize the rough portions, while removing the tramp materials in the surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Keizaburo Kuramasu, Atsushi Sasaki, Tetsuo Kawakita
  • Publication number: 20020016029
    Abstract: In producing a thin film transistor used for such devices as a large-sized liquid crystal display panel with a high pixel density, a leftover of an insulating film caused by insufficient etching and a loss of a semiconductor layer caused by overetching are prevented, and a reliable electrical contact between the source and drain electrodes and the semiconductor layer is achieved. These are achieved by (a) forming a contact hole region of a silicon film so that the region has a larger thickness, for example, by making the film to have a plurality of layers, and (b) providing a suicide layer between an electrode metal and the semiconductor layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2001
    Publication date: February 7, 2002
    Applicant: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tetsuo Kawakita, Keizaburo Kuramasu, Shigeo Ikuda
  • Patent number: 6331476
    Abstract: In producing a thin film transistor used for such devices as a large-sized liquid crystal display panel with a high pixel density, a leftover of an insulating film caused by insufficient etching and a loss of a semiconductor layer caused by overetching are prevented, and a reliable electrical contact between the source and drain electrodes and the semiconductor layer is achieved. These are achieved by (a) forming a contact hole region of a silicon film so that the region has a larger thickness, for example, by making the film to have a plurality of layers, and (b) providing a silicide layer between an electrode metal and the semiconductor layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2001
    Assignee: Mausushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tetsuo Kawakita, Keizaburo Kuramasu, Shigeo Ikuda
  • Patent number: 6107120
    Abstract: A method of making semiconductor devices with contacts protruding from openings in a passivation layer over an active chip area. Inside each opening, a relatively hard barrier layer is provided and a flash-plated film is applied to subsequently form a relatively soft diffusion barrier layer when a protruding contact is formed. Two semiconductor devices with electrodes are joined by embedding relatively hard electrodes of a first device into relatively soft electrodes of a second device. A reducing agent can be incorporated into an insulating resin applied between semiconductor chips at areas other than the bonded electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2000
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Indsutrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Ohtsuka, Tetsuo Kawakita, Kazuhiko Matsumura, Hiroaki Fujimoto
  • Patent number: 5952718
    Abstract: A semiconductor device having a protection layer covering the active layer of a semiconductor chip with an opening therein corresponding in location to a chip electrode located on the active surface of the semiconductor chip. Inside the opening a barrier layer covers the chip electrode, a diffusion barrier layer covers the barrier layer and a protruding contact protruding from the diffusion barrier layer. The protruding contact preferably comprises material whose hardness is lower than that of each of the barrier layer and chip electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 14, 1999
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Ohtsuka, Tetsuo Kawakita, Kazuhiko Matsumura, Hiroaki Fujimoto
  • Patent number: 5811351
    Abstract: The main surface of a first semiconductor chip having a first functional element is formed with first testing electrodes for testing the electrical characteristics of the first functional element and first connecting electrodes electrically connected to the first functional element. The main surface of a second semiconductor chip having a second functional element is formed with second testing electrodes for testing the electrical characteristics of the second functional element and second connecting electrodes electrically connected to the second functional element. The first semiconductor chip and the second semiconductor chip are integrated by using an insulating resin, with first bumps formed on the first connecting electrodes being bonded to third bumps formed on the second connecting electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 22, 1998
    Assignees: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., Matsushita Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Tetsuo Kawakita, Kazuhiko Matsumura, Ichiro Yamane
  • Patent number: 5734199
    Abstract: The main surface of a first semiconductor chip having a first functional element is formed with first testing electrodes for testing the electrical characteristics of the first functional element and first connecting electrodes electrically connected to the first functional element. The main surface of a second semiconductor chip having a second functional element is formed with second testing electrodes for testing the electrical characteristics of the second functional element and second connecting electrodes electrically connected to the second functional element. The first semiconductor chip and the second semiconductor chip are integrated by using an insulating resin, with first bumps formed on the first connecting electrodes being bonded to third bumps formed on the second connecting electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 31, 1998
    Assignees: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., Matsushita Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Tetsuo Kawakita, Kazuhiko Matsumura, Ichiro Yamane
  • Patent number: 5477087
    Abstract: The present invention relates to connecting electronic components using bump electrodes to connect electronic components such as semiconductors with the patterning electrodes of a circuit board. In order to prevent deterioration in connecting reliability due to deformation and the like of semiconductors and circuit boards, it is necessary to have some elasticity incorporated within bump electrodes. The bump electrodes disclosed by the present invention have resin bumps with numerous cavities disposed within and covered by a low melting point metal layer. According to this composition, even when there are some variations of distribution in circuit board warp and bump electrode height, it is possible to absorb the variations through the elasticity presented by the bump electrodes. It is also possible to perform a low strain connection with a resultant enhancement in connecting reliability at high temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 19, 1995
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tetsuo Kawakita, Kenzo Hatada