Patents by Inventor Toshinari Sasaki

Toshinari Sasaki 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: 20200066918
    Abstract: A display device including a pixel having a memory. The pixel includes at least a display element, a capacitor, an inverter, and a switch. The switch is controlled with a signal held in the capacitor and a signal output from the inverter so that voltage is supplied to the display element. The inverter and the switch can be constituted by transistors with the same polarity. A semiconductor layer included in the pixel may be formed using a light-transmitting material. Moreover, a gate electrode, a drain electrode, and a capacitor electrode may be formed using a light-transmitting conductive layer. The pixel is formed using a light-transmitting material in such a manner, whereby the display device can be a transmissive display device while including a pixel having a memory.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2019
    Publication date: February 27, 2020
    Inventors: Hajime KIMURA, Kengo AKIMOTO, Masashi TSUBUKU, Toshinari SASAKI
  • Publication number: 20200052003
    Abstract: An object is to provide a semiconductor device having a structure with which parasitic capacitance between wirings can be sufficiently reduced. An oxide insulating layer serving as a channel protective layer is formed over part of an oxide semiconductor layer overlapping with a gate electrode layer. In the same step as formation of the oxide insulating layer, an oxide insulating layer covering a peripheral portion of the oxide semiconductor layer is formed. The oxide insulating layer which covers the peripheral portion of the oxide semiconductor layer is provided to increase the distance between the gate electrode layer and a wiring layer formed above or in the periphery of the gate electrode layer, whereby parasitic capacitance is reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2019
    Publication date: February 13, 2020
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Hiroki Ohara, Toshinari Sasaki, Kosei Noda, Hideaki Kuwabara
  • Publication number: 20200006393
    Abstract: It is an object to manufacture a highly reliable display device using a thin film transistor having favorable electric characteristics and high reliability as a switching element. In a bottom gate thin film transistor including an amorphous oxide semiconductor, an oxide conductive layer having a crystal region is formed between an oxide semiconductor layer which has been dehydrated or dehydrogenated by heat treatment and each of a source electrode layer and a drain electrode layer which are formed using a metal material. Accordingly, contact resistance between the oxide semiconductor layer and each of the source electrode layer and the drain electrode layer can be reduced; thus, a thin film transistor having favorable electric characteristics and a highly reliable display device using the thin film transistor can be provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2019
    Publication date: January 2, 2020
    Inventors: Shunpei YAMAZAKI, Toshinari SASAKI, Junichiro SAKATA, Masashi TSUBUKU
  • Patent number: 10522689
    Abstract: It is an object to manufacture a semiconductor device in which a transistor including an oxide semiconductor has normally-off characteristics, small fluctuation in electric characteristics, and high reliability. First, first heat treatment is performed on a substrate, a base insulating layer is formed over the substrate, an oxide semiconductor layer is formed over the base insulating layer, and the step of performing the first heat treatment to the step of forming the oxide semiconductor layer are performed without exposure to the air. Next, after the oxide semiconductor layer is formed, second heat treatment is performed. An insulating layer from which oxygen is released by heating is used as the base insulating layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshinari Sasaki, Hitomi Sato, Kosei Noda, Yuta Endo, Mizuho Ikarashi, Keitaro Imai, Atsuo Isobe, Yutaka Okazaki
  • Patent number: 10516062
    Abstract: In a semiconductor device including a transistor including a gate electrode formed over a substrate, a gate insulating film covering the gate electrode, a multilayer film overlapping with the gate electrode with the gate insulating film provided therebetween, and a pair of electrodes in contact with the multilayer film, a first oxide insulating film covering the transistor, and a second oxide insulating film formed over the first oxide insulating film, the multilayer film includes an oxide semiconductor film and an oxide film containing In or Ga, the oxide semiconductor film has an amorphous structure or a microcrystalline structure, the first oxide insulating film is an oxide insulating film through which oxygen is permeated, and the second oxide insulating film is an oxide insulating film containing more oxygen than that in the stoichiometric composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2019
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Junichi Koezuka, Yukinori Shima, Hajime Tokunaga, Toshinari Sasaki, Keisuke Murayama, Daisuke Matsubayashi
  • Publication number: 20190371824
    Abstract: An object is to control composition and a defect of an oxide semiconductor, another object is to increase a field effect mobility of a thin film transistor and to obtain a sufficient on-off ratio with a reduced off current. A solution is to employ an oxide semiconductor whose composition is represented by InMO3(ZnO)m, where M is one or a plurality of elements selected from Ga, Fe, Ni, Mn, Co, and Al, and m is preferably a non-integer number of greater than 0 and less than 1. The concentration of Zn is lower than the concentrations of In and M. The oxide semiconductor has an amorphous structure. Oxide and nitride layers can be provided to prevent pollution and degradation of the oxide semiconductor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2019
    Publication date: December 5, 2019
    Inventors: Shunichi ITO, Toshinari SASAKI, Miyuki HOSOBA, Junichiro SAKATA
  • Publication number: 20190348285
    Abstract: An object is to provide a high reliable semiconductor device including a thin film transistor having stable electric characteristics. In a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device including a thin film transistor in which an oxide semiconductor film is used for a semiconductor layer including a channel formation region, heat treatment (which is for dehydration or dehydrogenation) is performed so as to improve the purity of the oxide semiconductor film and reduce impurities such as moisture. Besides impurities such as moisture existing in the oxide semiconductor film, heat treatment causes reduction of impurities such as moisture existing in the gate insulating layer and those in interfaces between the oxide semiconductor film and films which are provided over and below the oxide semiconductor film and are in contact with the oxide semiconductor film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2019
    Publication date: November 14, 2019
    Inventors: Toshinari SASAKI, Junichiro SAKATA, Hiroki OHARA, Shunpei YAMAZAKI
  • Patent number: 10461100
    Abstract: A semiconductor device including a substrate, a first insulating layer above the substrate, a first transistor including a first oxide semiconductor layer above the first insulating layer, and a second transistor including a second oxide semiconductor layer above the first insulating layer, a composition of the second oxide semiconductor layer being different from a composition of the first oxide semiconductor layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: Japan Display Inc.
    Inventors: Toshinari Sasaki, Marina Shiokawa
  • Patent number: 10453927
    Abstract: In a transistor including an oxide semiconductor film, movement of hydrogen and nitrogen to the oxide semiconductor film is suppressed. Further, in a semiconductor device using a transistor including an oxide semiconductor film, a change in electrical characteristics is suppressed and reliability is improved. A transistor including an oxide semiconductor film and a nitride insulating film provided over the transistor are included, and an amount of hydrogen molecules released from the nitride insulating film by thermal desorption spectroscopy is less than 5×1021 molecules/cm3, preferably less than or equal to 3×1021 molecules/cm3, more preferably less than or equal to 1×1021 molecules/cm3, and an amount of ammonia molecules released from the nitride insulating film by thermal desorption spectroscopy is less than 1×1022 molecules/cm3, preferably less than or equal to 5×1021 molecules/cm3, more preferably less than or equal to 1×1021 molecules/cm3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshinari Sasaki, Takashi Hamochi, Toshiyuki Miyamoto, Masafumi Nomura, Junichi Koezuka, Kenichi Okazaki
  • Publication number: 20190312064
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a oxide semiconductor layer, a gate electrode arranged above the oxide semiconductor layer, a gate insulation layer between the oxide semiconductor layer and the gate electrode, a first insulation layer arranged above the oxide semiconductor layer and arranged with a first aperture part, wiring including an aluminum layer arranged above the first insulation layer, the wiring being electrically connected to the oxide semiconductor layer via the first aperture part, a barrier layer including aluminum oxide above the first insulation layer, above the wiring and covering a side surface of the wiring, and an organic insulation layer arranged above the barrier layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2019
    Publication date: October 10, 2019
    Inventors: Toshinari SASAKI, Hajime Watakabe, Akihiro Hanada, Marina Shiokawa
  • Publication number: 20190305117
    Abstract: It is an object to provide a highly reliable semiconductor device which includes a thin film transistor having stable electric characteristics. It is another object to manufacture a highly reliable semiconductor device at lower cost with high productivity. In a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device which includes a thin film transistor where a semiconductor layer having a channel formation region, a source region, and a drain region are formed using an oxide semiconductor layer, heat treatment (heat treatment for dehydration or dehydrogenation) is performed so as to improve the purity of the oxide semiconductor layer and reduce impurities such as moisture. Moreover, the oxide semiconductor layer subjected to the heat treatment is slowly cooled under an oxygen atmosphere.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2019
    Publication date: October 3, 2019
    Inventors: Toshinari SASAKI, Junichiro SAKATA, Hiroki OHARA, Shunpei YAMAZAKI
  • Publication number: 20190288093
    Abstract: To reduce defects in an oxide semiconductor film in a semiconductor device. To improve the electrical characteristics and the reliability of a semiconductor device including an oxide semiconductor film. In a semiconductor device including a transistor including a gate electrode formed over a substrate, a gate insulating film covering the gate electrode, a multilayer film overlapping with the gate electrode with the gate insulating film provided therebetween, and a pair of electrodes in contact with the multilayer film, a first oxide insulating film covering the transistor, and a second oxide insulating film formed over the first oxide insulating film, the multilayer film includes an oxide semiconductor film and an oxide film containing In or Ga, the first oxide insulating film is an oxide insulating film through which oxygen is permeated, and the second oxide insulating film is an oxide insulating film containing more oxygen than that in the stoichiometric composition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2019
    Publication date: September 19, 2019
    Inventors: Junichi KOEZUKA, Yukinori SHIMA, Hajime TOKUNAGA, Toshinari SASAKI, Keisuke MURAYAMA, Daisuke MATSUBAYASHI
  • Patent number: 10418384
    Abstract: It is an object to manufacture a highly reliable display device using a thin film transistor having favorable electric characteristics and high reliability as a switching element. In a bottom gate thin film transistor including an amorphous oxide semiconductor, an oxide conductive layer having a crystal region is formed between an oxide semiconductor layer which has been dehydrated or dehydrogenated by heat treatment and each of a source electrode layer and a drain electrode layer which are formed using a metal material. Accordingly, contact resistance between the oxide semiconductor layer and each of the source electrode layer and the drain electrode layer can be reduced; thus, a thin film transistor having favorable electric characteristics and a highly reliable display device using the thin film transistor can be provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Toshinari Sasaki, Junichiro Sakata, Masashi Tsubuku
  • Patent number: 10418467
    Abstract: It is an object to provide a highly reliable semiconductor device which includes a thin film transistor having stable electric characteristics. It is another object to manufacture a highly reliable semiconductor device at lower cost with high productivity. In a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device which includes a thin film transistor where a semiconductor layer having a channel formation region, a source region, and a drain region are formed using an oxide semiconductor layer, heat treatment (heat treatment for dehydration or dehydrogenation) is performed so as to improve the purity of the oxide semiconductor layer and reduce impurities such as moisture. Moreover, the oxide semiconductor layer subjected to the heat treatment is slowly cooled under an oxygen atmosphere.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshinari Sasaki, Junichiro Sakata, Hiroki Ohara, Shunpei Yamazaki
  • Publication number: 20190273163
    Abstract: A change in electrical characteristics of a semiconductor device including an interlayer insulating film over a transistor including an oxide semiconductor as a semiconductor film is suppressed. The structure includes a first insulating film which includes a void portion in a step region formed by a source electrode and a drain electrode over the semiconductor film and contains silicon oxide as a component, and a second insulating film containing silicon nitride, which is provided in contact with the first insulating film to cover the void portion in the first insulating film. The structure can prevent the void portion generated in the first insulating film from expanding outward.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2019
    Publication date: September 5, 2019
    Inventors: Junichi KOEZUKA, Toshinari SASAKI, Katsuaki TOCHIBAYASHI, Shunpei YAMAZAKI
  • Patent number: 10396097
    Abstract: An object is to provide a semiconductor device having a structure with which parasitic capacitance between wirings can be sufficiently reduced. An oxide insulating layer serving as a channel protective layer is formed over part of an oxide semiconductor layer overlapping with a gate electrode layer. In the same step as formation of the oxide insulating layer, an oxide insulating layer covering a peripheral portion of the oxide semiconductor layer is formed. The oxide insulating layer which covers the peripheral portion of the oxide semiconductor layer is provided to increase the distance between the gate electrode layer and a wiring layer formed above or in the periphery of the gate electrode layer, whereby parasitic capacitance is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Hiroki Ohara, Toshinari Sasaki, Kosei Noda, Hideaki Kuwabara
  • Patent number: 10396187
    Abstract: A semiconductor device including a first oxide insulating layer, a barrier layer above the first oxide insulating layer, the barrier layer including an opening, a second oxide insulating layer above the first oxide insulating layer at a position overlapping the opening, an oxide semiconductor layer facing the first oxide insulating layer interposed by the second oxide insulating layer at a position overlapping the opening, a gate electrode facing the oxide semiconductor layer at side opposite to the first oxide insulating layer with respect to the oxide semiconductor layer, and a gate insulating layer between the oxide semiconductor layer and the gate electrode. A contained amount of oxygen in the first oxide insulating layer is larger than a contained amount of oxygen in the second oxide insulating layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: Japan Display Inc.
    Inventors: Toshinari Sasaki, Masahiro Watabe, Masayoshi Fuchi, Isao Suzumura, Marina Shiokawa
  • Patent number: 10388799
    Abstract: Stable electric characteristics and high reliability are provided to a miniaturized and integrated semiconductor device including an oxide semiconductor. In a transistor (a semiconductor device) including an oxide semiconductor film, the oxide semiconductor film is provided along a trench (groove) formed in an insulating layer. The trench includes a lower end corner portion having a curved shape with a curvature radius of longer than or equal to 20 nm and shorter than or equal to 60 nm, and the oxide semiconductor film is provided in contact with a bottom surface, the lower end corner portion, and an inner wall surface of the trench. The oxide semiconductor film includes a crystal having a c-axis substantially perpendicular to a surface at least over the lower end corner portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsuo Isobe, Toshinari Sasaki
  • Publication number: 20190245094
    Abstract: An object is to improve field effect mobility of a thin film transistor using an oxide semiconductor. Another object is to suppress increase in off current even in a thin film transistor with improved field effect mobility. In a thin film transistor using an oxide semiconductor layer, by forming a semiconductor layer having higher electrical conductivity and a smaller thickness than the oxide semiconductor layer between the oxide semiconductor layer and a gate insulating layer, field effect mobility of the thin film transistor can be improved, and increase in off current can be suppressed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2019
    Publication date: August 8, 2019
    Inventors: Kengo AKIMOTO, Toshinari SASAKI
  • Publication number: 20190244977
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a first resin layer, one or more first wirings above the first resin layer, a second resin layer above the first wiring, the second resin layer including a first opening part, a transistor above the second resin layer, the transistor including a semiconductor layer, a gate insulation layer, and a gate electrode layer; and a second wiring above the second resin layer, the second wiring being connected to the transistor and connected to the first wiring via the first opening part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2019
    Publication date: August 8, 2019
    Inventors: Toshinari SASAKI, Shinichiro OKA, Takuma NISHINOHARA