Abstract: The invention relates to a tunnel erasing device for a non-volatile semiconductor memory device comprising a source region and a drain region, a floating gate electrode having a part superposed on at least one of them through a gate insulating layer, and a control gate electrode disposed over the floating gate electrode through an interlayer insulating layer and is characterized as having a preliminary erasing operation in which a voltage is so applied to at least one of the source or drain region, with the control gate electrode grounded, that a relatively lower voltage than a predetermined voltage is applied preliminarily prior to applying thereto the predetermined voltage.

Abstract: A thin film transistor is disclosed, which comprises a gate electrode, a gate insulating layer, a semiconductor layer, a source electrode, and a drain electrode, which are disposed on a predetermined substrate, and which is so constructed that the semiconductor layer doesn't exist in any regions, to which strong electric field parallel to said substrate is applied. Besides this thin film transistor a liquid crystal display device using it is disclosed. The thin film transistor according to the present invention has a small increase in the off level current due to photo-current and it is suitable for driving pixels in the liquid crystal display device.

Abstract: An EEPROM in which a memory cell is constituted by a floating gate electrode, a control gate electrode, a first semiconductor region provided in a main surface portion of the semiconductor substrate on an end side of the gate electrodes to which the data line is connected, and a second semiconductor region provided in a different main surface portion of the semiconductor substrate on an opposing end side of the gate electrodes to which the grounding line is connected. The drain is used differently depending upon the operations for writing the data, reading the data and erasing the data. The impurity concentration in the first semiconductor region is selected to be lower than that of the second semiconductor region, in order to improve writing and erasing characteristics as well as to increase the reading speed.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display panel and a method of driving the display panel are disclosed. The display panel and the driving method can reduce the leakage of a gate driving voltage to a first pixel electrode due to the parasitic capacitance of a thin film transistor, and can lessen an adverse effect of noise which is generated at a second pixel electrode by cancelling out the capacitive coupling to the first pixel electrode, on an image displayed by the display panel.

Abstract: An active matrix liquid crystal display is disclosed in which a better image quality is obtained by specifying a relation between voltages applied to the liquid crystal display. Also, a better holding characteristic is obtained by selecting the channel resistance R.sub.OFF of a thin film transistor in its OFF state to be not smaller than 10.sup.12 .OMEGA..

Abstract: A photosensor comprises an insulating substrate, an electrode, a photoconductor layer composed of a hydrogenated amorphous silicon semiconductor layer obtained by the glow discharge decomposition of monosilane gas, a junction stabilizing layer composed of a boron-containing hydrogenated amorphous silicon semiconductor which is obtained by the glow discharge decomposition of a mixed gas of monosilane and diborane, a transparent electrode and a transparent protective layer, these elements being laminated in that order. The insertion of the junction stabilizing layer between the photoconductor layer and the transparent electrode greatly improves the dark current characteristic. The electrode, the photoconductor layer and the junction stabilizing layer can be divided in correspondence with each picture element, thereby improving the resolution of the photosensor.

Abstract: A semiconductor device such as a solar cell, photodiode and solid state imaging device comprises a semiconductor layer made of amorphous silicon formed on a given substrate, and a transparent conductive layer formed by an interfacial reaction between the amorphous silicon and a metallic film directly formed on the amorphous silicon. This transparent conductive layer is used as a transparent electrode of the device and if necessary the remainder after having partially removed the metallic film for the transparent conductive layer is used as a conductive layer and right shielding film.

Abstract: A collector lead-out portion and a base lead-out portion are formed so as to oppose to each other in such a manner that active regions including a collector, a base and an emitter are sandwiched therebetween. The collector lead-out portion and the base lead-out portion are formed by ion implantation or selective epitaxial growth. Thus, a planar type heterojunction bipolar transistor capable of a high density of integration is formed.

Abstract: In a thin film device having a hydrogenated amorphous silicon film, a metal layer is formed on the hydrogenated amorphous silicon film and then the metal layer is removed. A resulting reaction layer formed on the hydrogenated amorphous silicon film is used as a resistor.

Abstract: A photosensor comprises a first conductive layer formed on a given substrate, a one-dimensional array of a plurality of unit picture elements formed on the first conductive layer to extend in the longitudinal direction thereof, each unit picture element having a photodiode and a blocking diode connected in series with the photodiode in a relationship of reversed rectifying direction therewith, a second conductive layer for connecting together, at one end, respective unit picture elements belonging to each of at least two unit picture element groups having each at least two of adjacent unit picture elements, and a third conductive layer for connecting together, at the other end, corresponding unit picture elements in the respective groups, the set of the photodiode and blocking diode in the respective groups being made of the same semiconductor material. Dispersion of outputs from the respective unit picture elements can be minimized.

Abstract: An optical image sensor apparatus in which a plurality of photosensors arrayed in a primary scanning direction are scanned to produce readout signals. The plurality of photosensors are classified into a number of groups each including a predetermined number of the photosensors, wherein those photosensors occupying equivalently the same position in the different groups are combined in common. The outputs of the photosensors are sequentially and selectively scanned on a group basis to produce readout signal for each of the groups. To provide a scanning readout operation at an increased speed, an integrating circuit is provided for each of the photosensors exchangeably for each group. The outputs of all the photosensors belonging to a given one of the group are simultaneously supplied to the respective integrating circuits. The readout signal output is obtained by scanning sequentially the outputs of the integrating circuits.

Abstract: In a photoelectric conversion element including at least a first electrode and a photoconductive layer having an amorphous material whose indispensable constituent is silicon and which contains hydrogen as an essential constituent element on a predetermined substrate, the present invention discloses a photoelectric conversion element wherein said layer of the amorphous material is disposed on said first electrode via a light transmitting or light semi-transmitting metallic layer for adhesion with respect to said amorphous material. As said metallic layer for adhesion, preferred is a layer consisting of at least one metal selected from the group consisting of Ta, Cr, W, Nd, Mo, V and Ti. Thus, adhesion between said substrate and said amorphous material can be improved.

Abstract: The present invention consists in providing a CCD type color solid-state imager in which color signals respectively separated in time can be derived from picture elements for respective colors arrayed in the shape of a matrix and which permits interlacing without degrading a resolution and without causing image lag. Concretely, pairs of CCD shift registers which are electrically insulated and separated and which run in the vertical direction are arrayed in the horizontal direction, signal charges stored in adjacent picture elements are sent into the individual opposing CCD registers through transfer gates arrayed in a checkerboard pattern, and signal charges transferred in time sequence are distributed to a plurality of CCD shift registers which run in the horizontal direction, whereby a CCD type color solid-state imager having a high resolution and exhibiting no image lag is obtained.

Abstract: A photosensor comprising an array of a plurality of unit picture elements each of which is constituted by a serial connection of a photoconductor film and a diode or a combination of a photodiode and a diode connected in series to the photodiode in the opposite rectifying direction, wherein the plurality of unit picture elements being divided into at least two groups, the unit picture elements belonging to the respective groups being connected to corresponding first group of wiring conductors provided in association with the groups, respectively, while the unit picture elements belonging to the different groups and located at same positions in the different groups relative to one another are connected together to respective second group of wiring conductors, including a first biasing controller for applying a voltage to the first group of wiring conductor connected to the picture element from which a signal is to be read out, the voltage serving for biasing forward the diode of the picture element to be read

Abstract: A hydrogen-containing amorphous silicon layer is formed on a substrate held below 200.degree. C., in a plasma atmosphere, whereupon the plasma is stopped and the layer is heated in a temperature range of 200.degree. C.-400.degree. C. without cooling the substrate. The saturation field for photocurrent of electrons or holes can be made low. In case of using electrons as major carriers, preferably the heating temperature is set in a temperature range of 200.degree. C.-240.degree. C., and in case of using holes as major carriers, preferably it is set in a range of 270.degree. C.-400.degree. C.

Abstract: In the method of producing photoelectric transducers having processes for forming a photoconductive layer on a predetermined substrate with an irregular surface by a method of depositing the photoconductive layer in the atmosphere including at least plasma, the predetermined substrate with irregular surface is disposed above a first electrode to which an electrode is opposed, and said photoconductive layer is formed while a negative potential is being applied to the first electrode. This enables the photoconductive layer to be formed without breaks at steps, pinholes and so on due to the irregular surface, and therefore, it is possible to provide good photoelectric transducers with small dark current.

Abstract: In a photosensor having a metal electrode, at least one photoelectric conversion layer which overlies the metal electrode, and a transparent or partly transparent conductive layer which overlies the photoelectric conversion layer, a recombination layer for recombining electrons and holes is disposed between the metal electrode and the photoelectric conversion layer. By disposing the recombination layer, the metal electrode having an insulating oxide film on its surface can be handled as if the insulating oxide film were not existent. The dark current is suppressed, and the photo-response is made good. As the materials of the recombination layer, Sb.sub.2 S.sub.3, As.sub.2 Se.sub.3, As.sub.2 S.sub.3, Sb.sub.2 Se.sub.3 etc. are typical.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing photosensors is disclosed which comprises the steps of forming a photo-conductor film made chiefly of silicon and containing hydrogen on a desired substrate, forming a transparent conductive film on the photo-conductor film by sputtering, and heating the photosensor having the sputtered transparent conductive film at least at 140.degree. C. and not higher than 280.degree. C. The heat treatment is performed preferably at a temperature between 170.degree. to 250.degree. C., at which greater effect will be provided. This heat treatment remarkably improves the photo-response speed.

Abstract: A solid state image pickup device having a plurality of solid state elements in a two-dimensional array so as to form picture cells. Each solid state element includes a photoelectric converting element and a switching field effect transistor to permit scanning of the elements by scanners. To counteract noise and blooming, a second field effect transistor acting as an amplifier is connected between the photoelectric converting element and the switching field effect transistor. A third field effect transistor is coupled to the photoelectric converting element for resetting the same.

Abstract: Disclosed is a solid-state imaging device having a semiconductor integrated circuit in which a plurality of switching elements for selecting positions of picture elements and scanners for turning "on" and "off" the switching elements in time sequence are disposed on an identical substrate, a photoconductive film which is disposed on the integrated circuit and which is connected to one end of each of the switching elements, and a light transmitting electrode which is disposed on the photoconductive film, characterized at least in that a breakdown voltage of a junction formed between the semiconductor substrate and an impurity region which has a conductivity type opposite to that of the semiconductor substrate and which stores therein carriers attendant upon incidence of light is made smaller than a breakdown voltage between the storing first impurity region of said each switching element and a second impurity region thereof which forms a signal leading-out portion.