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).

  • Patent number: 10373982
    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: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: Japan Display Inc.
    Inventors: Toshinari Sasaki, Hajime Watakabe, Akihiro Hanada, Marina Shiokawa
  • Patent number: 10361291
    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: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2019
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Junichi Koezuka, Yukinori Shima, Hajime Tokunaga, Toshinari Sasaki, Keisuke Murayama, Daisuke Matsubayashi
  • Patent number: 10347768
    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: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Junichi Koezuka, Toshinari Sasaki, Katsuaki Tochibayashi, Shunpei Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 10332743
    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 including a channel formation region using an oxide semiconductor layer, a source region, and a drain region are formed using an oxide semiconductor layer, heat treatment for reducing impurities such as moisture (heat treatment for dehydration or dehydrogenation) is performed so as to improve the purity of the oxide semiconductor layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshinari Sasaki, Junichiro Sakata, Hiroki Ohara, Shunpei Yamazaki
  • Publication number: 20190172849
    Abstract: An object is to provide a display device which operates stably with use of a transistor having stable electric characteristics. In manufacture of a display device using transistors in which an oxide semiconductor layer is used for a channel formation region, a gate electrode is further provided over at least a transistor which is applied to a driver circuit. In manufacture of a transistor in which an oxide semiconductor layer is used for a channel formation region, the oxide semiconductor layer is subjected to heat treatment so as to be dehydrated or dehydrogenated; thus, impurities such as moisture existing in an interface between the oxide semiconductor layer and the gate insulating layer provided below and in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer and an interface between the oxide semiconductor layer and a protective insulating layer provided on and in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer can be reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2019
    Publication date: June 6, 2019
    Inventors: Junichiro SAKATA, Toshinari SASAKI, Miyuki HOSOBA
  • Patent number: 10304863
    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: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: Japan Display Inc.
    Inventors: Toshinari Sasaki, Shinichiro Oka, Takuma Nishinohara
  • Patent number: 10283627
    Abstract: An object is to provide a highly reliable semiconductor device including a thin film transistor having stable electric characteristics. In addition, another object is to manufacture a highly reliable semiconductor device at low cost with high productivity. In a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device including a thin film transistor including an oxide semiconductor layer as a channel formation region, the oxide semiconductor layer is heated under a nitrogen atmosphere to lower its resistance, thereby forming a low-resistance oxide semiconductor layer. Further, resistance of a region of the low-resistance oxide semiconductor layer, which is overlapped with a gate electrode layer, is selectively increased, thereby forming a high-resistance oxide semiconductor layer. Resistance of the oxide semiconductor layer is increased by forming a silicon oxide film in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer by a sputtering method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshinari Sasaki, Hiroki Ohara, Junichiro Sakata
  • Patent number: 10269977
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes an n-type oxide semiconductor layer, a gate electrode above the oxide semiconductor layer, a gate insulation layer between the oxide semiconductor layer and the gate electrode, a first terminal connected to the oxide semiconductor layer, and a second terminal connected to the gate electrode, a potential applied to the second terminal being higher than a potential applied to the first terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: Japan Display Inc.
    Inventors: Toshinari Sasaki, Hiroshi Tabatake
  • Patent number: 10269978
    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: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kengo Akimoto, Toshinari Sasaki
  • Patent number: 10269941
    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: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshinari Sasaki, Junichiro Sakata, Hiroki Ohara, Shunpei Yamazaki
  • Publication number: 20190115455
    Abstract: A semiconductor device is manufactured using a transistor in which an oxide semiconductor is included in a channel region and variation in electric characteristics due to a short-channel effect is less likely to be caused. The semiconductor device includes an oxide semiconductor film having a pair of oxynitride semiconductor regions including nitrogen and an oxide semiconductor region sandwiched between the pair of oxynitride semiconductor regions, a gate insulating film, and a gate electrode provided over the oxide semiconductor region with the gate insulating film positioned therebetween. Here, the pair of oxynitride semiconductor regions serves as a source region and a drain region of the transistor, and the oxide semiconductor region serves as the channel region of the transistor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2018
    Publication date: April 18, 2019
    Inventors: Yuta ENDO, Toshinari SASAKI, Kosei NODA
  • Patent number: 10263015
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a first electrode, a first insulating layer on the first electrode, a second electrode on the first insulating layer, a second insulating layer on the second electrode, a first opening in the first insulating layer, the second electrode and the second insulating layer, the first opening reaching the first electrode, a first oxide semiconductor layer in the first opening, the first oxide semiconductor layer being connected with the first electrode and the second electrode, a first gate electrode facing the first oxide semiconductor layer, and a first gate insulating layer between the first oxide semiconductor layer and the first gate electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: Japan Display Inc.
    Inventor: Toshinari Sasaki
  • Publication number: 20190088793
    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: November 15, 2018
    Publication date: March 21, 2019
    Inventors: Hajime KIMURA, Kengo AKIMOTO, Masashi TSUBUKU, Toshinari SASAKI
  • Patent number: 10229936
    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: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Hiroki Ohara, Toshinari Sasaki, Kosei Noda, Hideaki Kuwabara
  • Publication number: 20190067486
    Abstract: To provide a semiconductor device including an oxide semiconductor in which a change in electrical characteristics is suppressed or whose reliability is improved. In a semiconductor device including an oxide semiconductor film in which a channel formation region is formed, an insulating film which suppresses entry of water and contains at least nitrogen and an insulating film which suppresses entry of nitrogen released form the insulating film are provided over the oxide semiconductor film. As water entering the oxide semiconductor film, water contained in the air, water in a film provided over the insulating film which suppresses entry of water, or the like can be given. Further, as the insulating film which suppresses entry of water, a nitride insulating film can be used, and the amount of hydrogen molecules released by heating from the nitride insulating film is smaller than 5.0×1021 molecules/cm3.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2018
    Publication date: February 28, 2019
    Inventors: Shunpei YAMAZAKI, Toshinari SASAKI, Takashi HAMOCHI, Toshiyuki MIYAMOTO, Masafumi NOMURA, Junichi KOEZUKA, Kenichi OKAZAKI
  • Patent number: 10211231
    Abstract: An object is to provide a display device which operates stably with use of a transistor having stable electric characteristics. In manufacture of a display device using transistors in which an oxide semiconductor layer is used for a channel formation region, a gate electrode is further provided over at least a transistor which is applied to a driver circuit. In manufacture of a transistor in which an oxide semiconductor layer is used for a channel formation region, the oxide semiconductor layer is subjected to heat treatment so as to be dehydrated or dehydrogenated; thus, impurities such as moisture existing in an interface between the oxide semiconductor layer and the gate insulating layer provided below and in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer and an interface between the oxide semiconductor layer and a protective insulating layer provided on and in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer can be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Junichiro Sakata, Toshinari Sasaki, Miyuki Hosoba
  • Publication number: 20190051673
    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 in is preferably a non-integer number of greater than or equal to 1 and less than 50. 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: October 16, 2018
    Publication date: February 14, 2019
    Inventors: Shunichi ITO, Toshinari SASAKI, Miyuki HOSOBA, Junichiro SAKATA
  • Publication number: 20190035641
    Abstract: An object is to manufacture a highly reliable semiconductor device including a thin film transistor with 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 (for dehydration or dehydrogenation) is performed to improve the purity of the oxide semiconductor film and reduce impurities including moisture or the like. After that, slow cooling is performed under an oxygen atmosphere. Besides impurities including moisture or the like exiting in the oxide semiconductor film, heat treatment causes reduction of impurities including moisture or the like exiting in a gate insulating layer and those in interfaces between the oxide semiconductor film and films which are provided over and below the oxide semiconductor and in contact therewith.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2018
    Publication date: January 31, 2019
    Inventors: Toshinari SASAKI, Junichiro SAKATA, Hiroki OHARA, Shunpei YAMAZAKI
  • Patent number: 10186603
    Abstract: It is an object to provide a semiconductor device including an oxide semiconductor, which has stable electric characteristics and high reliability. An oxide semiconductor film serving as a channel formation region of a transistor is formed by a sputtering method at a temperature higher than 200° C., so that the number of water molecules eliminated from the oxide semiconductor film can be 0.5/nm3 or less according to thermal desorption spectroscopy. A substance including a hydrogen atom such as hydrogen, water, a hydroxyl group, or hydride which causes variation in the electric characteristics of a transistor including an oxide semiconductor is prevented from entering the oxide semiconductor film, whereby the oxide semiconductor film can be highly purified and made to be an electrically i-type (intrinsic) semiconductor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Toshinari Sasaki, Kosei Noda
  • Publication number: 20190019894
    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: September 6, 2018
    Publication date: January 17, 2019
    Inventors: Kenichi Okazaki, Toshinari Sasaki, Shuhei Yokoyama, Takashi Hamochi