Non-single Crystal, Or Recrystallized, Material With Specified Crystal Structure (e.g., Specified Crystal Size Or Orientation) Patents (Class 257/64)
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Patent number: 7495313Abstract: Germanium circuit-type structures are facilitated. In one example embodiment, a multi-step growth and anneal process is implemented to grow Germanium (Ge) containing material, such as heteroepitaxial-Germanium, on a substrate including Silicon (Si) or Silicon-containing material. In certain applications, defects are generally confined near a Silicon/Germanium interface, with defect threading to an upper surface of the Germanium containing material generally being inhibited. These approaches are applicable to a variety of devices including Germanium MOS capacitors, pMOSFETs and optoelectronic devices.Type: GrantFiled: July 22, 2005Date of Patent: February 24, 2009Assignees: Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University, Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Ammar Munir Nayfeh, Chi On Chui, Krishna C. Saraswat, Takao Yonehara
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Patent number: 7491972Abstract: A semiconductor device and a method of manufacture thereof by forming an amorphous semiconductor film on the surface of an insulative substrate, and irradiating the amorphous semiconductor film with a laser beam to crystallize it to form a polycrystalline semiconductor thin film. A transistor is then formed in the polycrystalline semiconductor thin film. More specifically, a UV-ray is irradiated to the rear face of the insulative substrate or the amorphous semiconductor film to heat the amorphous semiconductor film to a melting temperature or lower. Then a laser beam at a suitable shape selection laser energy density Ec forms the crystal grains with the number of closest crystal grains of 6 most predominantly being irradiated to convert the amorphous semiconductor film into a polycrystalline semiconductor thin film. The thin film transistor formed in this structure has a high yield and is capable of high-speed operation.Type: GrantFiled: June 23, 2000Date of Patent: February 17, 2009Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Yoshinobu Kimura, Takahiro Kamo, Yoshiyuki Kaneko
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Patent number: 7488980Abstract: A relaying pad is formed in a predetermined portion in an insulation layer of the single-crystal thin film device, in a region where the single-crystal thin film device is formed. The relaying pad is for providing connection wiring through the insulator substrate. With this configuration it is possible to prevent an increase in an aspect ratio of a contact hole formed in an insulation layer in a region in which a transferred device is formed, the semiconductor device including a substrate on which the transferred device and a deposited device coexist.Type: GrantFiled: September 15, 2004Date of Patent: February 10, 2009Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Yutaka Takafuji, Takashi Itoga, Yasuyuki Ogawa
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Patent number: 7485552Abstract: A thin film transistor and method of fabricating the same are provided. The thin film transistor is characterized in that low angle grain boundaries formed in a channel layer in a semiconductor layer pattern is tilted ?15 to 15° with respect to a current flowing direction. The method includes: forming an amorphous silicon layer on a substrate; forming a first capping layer on the amorphous silicon layer; forming a second capping layer on the first capping layer, and patterning the second capping layer such that seeds are formed in a line shape; forming a metal catalyst layer on the patterned second capping layer; diffusing the metal catalyst; and crystallizing and patterning the amorphous silicon layer to form a semiconductor layer pattern. Thus, a channel layer having an angle nearly parallel to the current flowing direction may be formed in a low angle grain boundary by forming and crystallizing the line-shaped seeds.Type: GrantFiled: January 11, 2006Date of Patent: February 3, 2009Assignee: Samsung Mobile Display Co., Ltd.Inventors: Byoung-Keon Park, Ki-Yong Lee, Jin-Wook Seo, Tae-Hoon Yang
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Publication number: 20090026458Abstract: The present invention provides a porous semiconductive structure, characterized in that the structure has an electrical conductivity of 5·10?8 S·cm?1 to 10 S·cm?1, and an activation energy of the electrical conductivity of 0.1 to 700 meV, and a solid fraction of 30 to 60% by volume, and a pore size of 1 nm to 500 nm, the solid fraction having at least partly crystalline doped constituents which are bonded to one another via sinter necks and have sizes of 5 nm to 500 nm and a spherical and/or ellipsoidal shape, which comprise the elements silicon, germanium or an alloy of these elements, and also a process for producing a porous semiconductive structure, characterized in that A. doped semimetal particles are obtained, and then B. a dispersion is obtained from the semimetal particles obtained after step A, and then C. a substrate is coated with the dispersion obtained after step B, and then D. the layer obtained after step C is treated by means of a solution of hydrogen fluoride in water, and then E.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 21, 2008Publication date: January 29, 2009Applicant: EVONIK DEGUSSA GmbHInventors: Andre EBBERS, Martin TROCHA, Robert LECHNER, Martin S. BRANDT, Martin STUTZMANN, Hartmut WIGGERS
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Patent number: 7482274Abstract: A metal wiring suitable for a substrate of large size is provided. The present invention is characterized in that at least one layer of conductive film is formed on an insulating surface, a resist pattern is formed on the conductive film, and the conductive film having the resist pattern is etched to form a metal wiring while controlling its taper angle ? in accordance with the bias power density, the ICP power density, the temperature of lower electrode, the pressure, the total flow rate of etching gas, or the ratio of oxygen or chlorine in etching gas. The thus formed metal wiring has less fluctuation in width or length and can satisfactorily deal with an increase in size of substrate.Type: GrantFiled: April 14, 2005Date of Patent: January 27, 2009Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.Inventors: Koji Ono, Hideomi Suzawa
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Publication number: 20080290344Abstract: An image display device manufactured by using a polycrystalline semiconductor film. The polycrystalline semiconductor film is composed of crystal grains with a region free from crystal grain boundaries of at least 2 ?m in width and at least 3 ?m in length, small crystal grain boundary groups each composed of three or more crystal grain boundaries arranged substantially in parallel to each other and with an interval of not greater than 100 ?m are included in a part of the region, and the small crystal grain boundary groups are partially eliminated.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 29, 2008Publication date: November 27, 2008Inventors: Mitsuharu TAI, Mutsuko HATANO, Takeshi SATO, Seongkee PARK, Kiyoshi OUCHI
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Patent number: 7456428Abstract: A semiconductor thin film is manufactured by scanning laser light or a substrate onto an arbitrary region of the semiconductor thin film and irradiating a laser thereon. The semiconductor thin film is formed by the substantially belt-shaped crystal being crystallized such that crystalline grains grow in the scanning direction, on the substrate, on XY coordinates where value x of beam size W (?m) of the laser light measured in substantially the same direction as the scanning direction is defined as X axis, and where value y of scanning velocity Vs (m/s) is defined as Y axis, the crystallization processing is performed within a region where all of the following conditions hold: condition 1: the beam size W is larger than wavelength of the laser beam, condition 2: the scanning velocity Vs is smaller than upper-limit of crystal growth speed, and condition 3: x×(1/y)<25 ?s.Type: GrantFiled: February 28, 2007Date of Patent: November 25, 2008Assignee: Hitachi Displays, Ltd.Inventors: Mutsuko Hatano, Mikio Hongo, Akio Yazaki, Mitsuharu Tai, Takeshi Noda, Yukio Takasaki
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Patent number: 7449719Abstract: A gate insulating film is formed using a plasma on a three-dimensional silicon substrate surface having a plurality of crystal orientations. The plasma gate insulating film experiences no increase in interface state in any crystal orientations and has a uniform thickness even at corner portions of the three-dimensional structure. By forming a high-quality gate insulating film using a plasma, there can be obtained a semiconductor device having good characteristics.Type: GrantFiled: May 31, 2004Date of Patent: November 11, 2008Assignees: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Tadahiro Ohmi, Akinobu Teramoto
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Publication number: 20080265255Abstract: Novel articles and methods to fabricate the same resulting in flexible, oriented, semiconductor-based, electronic devices on {110}<100> textured substrates are disclosed. Potential applications of resulting articles are in areas of photovoltaic devices, flat-panel displays, thermophotovoltaic devices, ferroelectric devices, light emitting diode devices, computer hard disc drive devices, magnetoresistance based devices, photoluminescence based devices, non-volatile memory devices, dielectric devices, thermoelectric devices and quantum dot laser devices.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 25, 2008Publication date: October 30, 2008Inventor: Amit Goyal
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Patent number: 7442958Abstract: A thin film semiconductor device is provided which includes an insulating substrate, a Si thin film formed over the insulating substrate, and a transistor with the Si thin film as a channel thereof. The Si thin film includes a polycrystal where a plurality of narrow, rectangular crystal grains are arranged. A surface of the polycrystal is flat at grain boundaries thereof. Also, an average film thickness of the boundaries of crystals of the Si thin film ranges from 90 to 100% of an intra-grain average film thickness.Type: GrantFiled: June 26, 2007Date of Patent: October 28, 2008Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Shinya Yamaguchi, Mutsuko Hatano, Mitsuharu Tai, Sedng-Kee Park, Takeo Shiba
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Patent number: 7442594Abstract: Disclosed is a flat panel display capable of improving a white balance by making channel regions of transistors of R, G, and B unit pixels with different current mobilities. The flat panel display includes a plurality of pixels, each of the pixels including R, G and B unit pixels to embody red (R), green (G), and blue (B) colors, respectively, and each of the unit pixels including at least one transistor. Channel layers of the transistors of at least two unit pixels among the R, G, and B unit pixels have different current mobilities from one another. The R, G, B unit pixels includes transistors and the transistor of at least one unit pixel among the R, G, and B unit pixels includes the channel layer made of silicon layers of different film qualities.Type: GrantFiled: December 14, 2006Date of Patent: October 28, 2008Assignee: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.Inventors: Jae-Bon Koo, Ji-Yong Park, Sang-Il Park, Deuk-Jong Kim, Ul-Ho Lee, Jin-Soo Kim, Jin-Woung Jung, Chang-Gyu Lee
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Publication number: 20080258147Abstract: In thin film transistors (TFTs) having an active layer of crystalline silicon adapted for mass production, a catalytic element is introduced into doped regions of an amorphous silicon film by ion implantation or other means. This film is crystallized at a temperature below the strain point of the glass substrate. Further, a gate insulating film and a gate electrode are formed. Impurities are introduced by a self-aligning process. Then, the laminate is annealed below the strain point of the substrate to activate the dopant impurities. On the other hand, Neckel or other element is also used as a catalytic element for promoting crystallization of an amorphous silicon film. First, this catalytic element is applied in contact with the surface of the amorphous silicon film. The film is heated at 450 to 650° C. to create crystal nuclei. The film is further heated at a higher temperature to grow the crystal grains. In this way, a crystalline silicon film having improved crystallinity is formed.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 20, 2008Publication date: October 23, 2008Applicant: SEMICONDUCTOR ENERGY LABORATORY CO., LTD.Inventors: Hongyong ZHANG, Toru TAKAYAMA, Yasuhiko TAKEMURA, Akiharu MIYANAGA, Hisashi OHTANI
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Patent number: 7439542Abstract: The present invention provides a method of integrated semiconductor devices such that different types of devices are formed upon a specific crystallographic orientation of a hybrid substrate. In accordance with the present invention, junction capacitance of one of the devices is improved in the present invention by forming the source/drain diffusion regions of the device in an epitiaxial semiconductor material such that they are situated on a buried insulating layer that extends partially underneath the body of the second semiconductor device. The second semiconductor device, together with the first semiconductor device, is both located atop the buried insulating layer. Unlike the first semiconductor device in which the body thereof is floating, the second semiconductor device is not floating. Rather, it is in contact with an underlying first semiconducting layer.Type: GrantFiled: October 5, 2004Date of Patent: October 21, 2008Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventor: Min Yang
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Patent number: 7439110Abstract: A strained HOT MOSFET fabrication method. The MOSFET fabrication method includes providing a semiconductor structure which includes (a) a first semiconductor layer having a first crystallographic orientation, (b) a buried insulating layer on top of the first semiconductor layer, (c) a second semiconductor layer on top of the buried oxide layer. The second semiconductor layer has a second crystallographic orientation different from the first crystallographic orientation. The method further includes forming a third semiconductor layer on top of the first semiconductor layer which has the first crystallographic orientation. The method further includes forming a fourth semiconductor layer on top of the third semiconductor layer. The fourth semiconductor layer (a) comprises a different material than that of the third semiconductor layer, and (b) has the first crystallographic orientation.Type: GrantFiled: May 19, 2006Date of Patent: October 21, 2008Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Kangguo Cheng, Woo-Hyeong Lee, Huilong Zhu
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Patent number: 7432149Abstract: Methods and structures for CMOS devices with hybrid crystal orientations using double SOI substrates is provided. In accordance with preferred embodiments, a manufacturing sequence includes the steps of forming an SOI silicon epitaxy layer after the step of forming shallow trench isolation regions. The preferred sequence allows hybrid SOI CMOS fabrication without encountering problems caused by forming STI regions after epitaxy. A preferred device includes an NFET on a {100} crystal orientation and a PFET on a {110} crystal orientation. An NMOS channel may be oriented along the <100> direction, which is the direction of maximum electron mobility for a {100} substrate. A PMOS channel may be oriented along the <110> direction, which is the direction where hole mobility is maximum for a {110} substrate.Type: GrantFiled: November 30, 2005Date of Patent: October 7, 2008Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.Inventors: I-Lu Wu, Chung-Te Lin, Tan-Chen Lee
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Publication number: 20080217622Abstract: Novel articles and methods to fabricate the same resulting in flexible, large-area, triaxially textured, single-crystal or single-crystal-like, semiconductor-based, electronic devices are disclosed. Potential applications of resulting articles are in areas of photovoltaic devices, flat-panel displays, thermophotovoltaic devices, ferroelectric devices, light emitting diode devices, computer hard disc drive devices, magnetoresistance based devices, photoluminescence based devices, non-volatile memory devices, dielectric devices, thermoelectric devices and quantum dot laser devices.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 8, 2007Publication date: September 11, 2008Inventor: Amit Goyal
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Publication number: 20080197354Abstract: A thin film transistor includes first and second ohmic contacts formed on a substrate, wherein each of the first and second ohmic contacts includes polycrystalline silicon; a semiconductor formed on the first and second ohmic contacts and the substrate, the semiconductor including microcrystalline silicon; a blocking member formed on the semiconductor; an input electrode formed on the first ohmic contact; an output electrode formed on the second ohmic contact; an insulating layer formed on the blocking member, the input electrode, and the output electrode; and a control electrode formed on the insulating layer and disposed on the semiconductor.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 30, 2007Publication date: August 21, 2008Inventors: Kyu-Sik Cho, Joon-Hoo Choi
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Publication number: 20080194084Abstract: The invention relates to a method for fabricating a composite structure having heat dissipation properties greater than a bulk single crystal silicon structure having the same dimensions. The structure includes a support substrate, a top layer and an oxide layer between the support substrate and the top layer.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 6, 2007Publication date: August 14, 2008Inventors: Oleg Kononchuk, Fabrice Letertre, Robert Langer
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Publication number: 20080185667Abstract: An Mo film (6) is formed on a SiO2 film (5) by particularly using the film thickness and the deposition temperature (ambient temperature in a sputtering chamber) as the primary parameters and adjusting the film thickness to be within the range from 100 nm to 500 nm (more preferably 100 nm to 300 nm) and the deposition temperature to be within the range from 25° C. to 300° C., so as to control residual stress to have a predetermined value of 300 MPa or greater and to be oriented to increase the in-plane lattice constant. There can be thus provided a reliable CMOSTFT in which desired strain is easily and reliably imparted to polysilicon thin films (4a and 4b) to improve the mobility therein without adding an extra step of imparting the strain to the silicon thin film.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 17, 2004Publication date: August 7, 2008Inventors: Kenichi Yoshino, Akito Hara, Michiko Takei, Takuya Hirano
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Patent number: 7407840Abstract: A display device able to raise a light resistance of pixel transistors without depending upon a light shielding structure and a method of production of same, wherein an average crystal grain size of a polycrystalline silicon film 111 forming an active layer of the pixel transistors is controlled to be relatively small so as to suppress a photo-leakage current. The smaller the crystal grain size, the larger the included crystal defects. Carriers excited by light irradiation are smoothly captured by a defect level, and an increase of a photo-leakage current is suppressed. On the other hand, the average crystal grain size of the polycrystalline silicon film 111 constituting the peripheral transistors is controlled so as to become relatively large. The larger the crystal grain size, the larger the mobility of the carriers, and the higher the drivability of the peripheral transistors.Type: GrantFiled: August 19, 2005Date of Patent: August 5, 2008Assignee: Sony CorporationInventors: Shingo Makimura, Makoto Hashimoto, Yoshiro Okawa, Tomohiro Wada, Kazunori Kataoka
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Publication number: 20080111133Abstract: A thin film transistor includes a substrate; a semiconductor layer disposed on the substrate, and including polycrystalline silicon having a constant directivity and a uniformly distributed crystal grain boundary; a gate insulating layer; a gate electrode; an interlayer insulating layer; and source and drain electrodes.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 28, 2007Publication date: May 15, 2008Applicant: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.Inventor: JI-SU AHN
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Patent number: 7372073Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a substrate having an insulating film on its surface, and ac active layer made of a semiconductive thin film on the substrate surface. The thin film contains a mono-domain region formed of multiple columnar and/or needle-like crystals parallel to the substrate surface without including crystal boundaries therein, allowing the active layer to consist of the mono-domain region only. The insulating film underlying the active layer has a specific surface configuration of an intended pattern in profile, including projections or recesses. To fabricate the active layer, form a silicon oxide film by sputtering on the substrate. Pattern the silicon oxide film providing the surface configuration. Form an amorphous silicon film by low pressure CVD on the silicon oxide film. Retain in the silicon oxide film and/or the amorphous silicon film certain metallic element for acceleration of silicon film to a crystalline silicon film.Type: GrantFiled: July 19, 2006Date of Patent: May 13, 2008Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Jun Koyama, Akiharu Miyanaga, Takeshi Fukunaga
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Patent number: 7365358Abstract: A method of fabricating a single crystal thin film includes forming a non-single crystal thin film on an insulating base; subjecting the non-single crystal thin film to a first heat-treatment, thereby forming a polycrystalline thin film in which polycrystalline grains are aligned in an approximately regular pattern; and subjecting the polycrystalline thin film to a second heat-treatment, thereby forming a single crystal thin film in which the polycrystalline grains are bonded to each other. In this method, either the first heat-treatment or the second heat-treatment may be performed by irradiation of laser beams, preferably, emitted from an excimer laser. A single crystal thin film formed by this fabrication method has a performance higher than a related art polycrystalline thin film and is suitable for fabricating a device having stable characteristics. The single crystal thin film can be fabricated for a short-time by using laser irradiation as the heat-treatments.Type: GrantFiled: April 21, 2004Date of Patent: April 29, 2008Assignee: Sony CorporationInventors: Junichi Sato, Setsuo Usui, Yasuhiro Sakamoto, Yoshifumi Mori, Hideharu Nakajima
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Publication number: 20080083926Abstract: The specification and drawings present a new apparatus and method for printing transistor or diode structures using nanoparticles (e.g., silicon nanoparticles). Si-based electronic structures (e.g., transistors, diodes) can be printed in a simple low cost process and thus being a potential alternative to obtain a low cost manufacturing process for, e.g., Si-based active matrix (AM) backplanes as well as other applications.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 10, 2006Publication date: April 10, 2008Inventor: Toni Ostergard
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Publication number: 20080079003Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a substrate with a device layer having different crystal orientations in different portions or areas. One layer of material having one crystal orientation may be bonded to a substrate having another crystal orientation. Then, a portion of the layer may be amorphized and annealed to be re-crystallized to the crystal orientation of the substrate. N- and P-type devices, such as tri-gate devices, may both be formed on the substrate, with each type of device having the proper crystal orientation along the top and side surfaces of the claimed region for optimum performance. For instance, a substrate may have a portion with a <100> crystal orientation along a top and sidewalls of an NMOS tri-gate transistor and another portion having a <110> crystal orientation along parallel top and sidewall surfaces of a PMOS tri-gate transistor.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 29, 2006Publication date: April 3, 2008Inventors: Mohamad A. Shaheen, Peter Tolchinsky, Jack T. Kavalieros, Brian S. Doyle, Suman Datta, David Simon
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Publication number: 20080061297Abstract: An embodiment of the invention provides a substrate. The substrate comprises a single crystal substrate. An epitaxial buffer film is on the single crystal substrate. An epitaxial ZnGa2O4 is on the epitaxial buffer film.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 25, 2007Publication date: March 13, 2008Applicant: INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH INSTITUTEInventors: Yan-Ru Lin, Song-Yeu Tsai
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Patent number: 7339255Abstract: A semiconductor substrate encompasses a GaN substrate and a single-crystal layer formed of III-V nitride compound semiconductor epitaxially grown on the GaN substrate. The GaN substrate has a surface orientation defined by an absolute value of an off-angle of the surface from {0001} plane towards <1?100> direction lying in a range of 0.12 degree to 0.35 degree and by an absolute value of an off-angle of the surface from {0001} plane towards <11?20> direction lying in a range of 0.00 degree to 0.06 degree.Type: GrantFiled: July 21, 2005Date of Patent: March 4, 2008Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha ToshibaInventors: Koichi Tachibana, Chie Hongo, Shinya Nunoue, Masaaki Onomura
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Publication number: 20080048187Abstract: A semiconductor thin film according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a polycrystallized semiconductor thin film formed by applying laser light to an amorphous semiconductor thin film; and crystal grains arranged into a lattice shape with a size that is about ½ of an oscillation wavelength of the laser light.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 9, 2007Publication date: February 28, 2008Applicant: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATIONInventors: Toru TAKEGUCHI, Shinsuke Yura
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Patent number: 7317207Abstract: To provide TFT of improved low-temperature polycrystalline layer that has higher electron mobility and assures less fluctuation in manufacture in view of realizing a liquid-crystal display device having a large display area by utilizing a glass substrate. A TFT having higher electron mobility can be realized within the predetermined range of characteristic fluctuation by utilizing the semiconductor thin-film (called quasi single crystal thin-film) formed of poly-crystal grain joined with the {111} twin-boundary of Diamond structure as the channel region (namely, active region) of TFT.Type: GrantFiled: June 7, 2005Date of Patent: January 8, 2008Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Shinya Yamaguchi, Masanobu Miyao, Nobuyuki Sugii, Seang-kee Park, Kiyokazu Nakagawa
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Patent number: 7312471Abstract: A thin film transistor and a fabricating method of a thin film transistor for a liquid crystal display device includes forming a polycrystalline silicon film on a substrate, the polycrystalline silicon film having square shaped grains; forming an active layer by etching the polycrystalline silicon film; forming a gate electrode over the active layer, the gate electrode overlapping the active layer to form a channel region, the channel region being formed inside one of the grains; and forming source and drain electrodes connected to both sides of the active layer.Type: GrantFiled: December 29, 2003Date of Patent: December 25, 2007Assignee: LG.Philips LCD Co., Ltd.Inventor: Yun-Ho Jung
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Patent number: 7307282Abstract: The TFT has a channel-forming region formed of a crystalline semiconductor film obtained by heat-treating and crystallizing an amorphous semiconductor film containing silicon as a main component and germanium in an amount of not smaller than 0.1 atomic % but not larger than 10 atomic % while adding a metal element thereto, wherein not smaller than 20% of the lattice plane {101} has an angle of not larger than 10 degrees with respect to the surface of the semiconductor film, not larger than 3% of the lattice plane {001} has an angle of not larger than 10 degrees with respect to the surface of the semiconductor film, and not larger than 5% of the lattice plane {111} has an angle of not larger than 10 degrees with respect to the surface of the semiconductor film as detected by the electron backscatter diffraction pattern method.Type: GrantFiled: December 5, 2003Date of Patent: December 11, 2007Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Toru Mitsuki, Kenji Kasahara, Taketomi Asami, Tamae Takano, Takeshi Shichi, Chiho Kokubo, Yasuyuki Arai
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Patent number: 7297980Abstract: The present invention relates to a flat panel display device comprising a polycrystalline silicon thin film transistor and provides a flat panel display device having improved characteristics by having a different number of grain boundaries included in polycrystalline silicon thin film formed in active channel regions of a driving circuit portion and active channel regions of pixel portion. This may be achieved by having a different number of grain boundaries included in the polycrystalline silicon thin film formed in active channel regions of a switching thin film transistor and a driving thin film transistor formed in the pixel portion, and by having a different number of grain boundaries included in polycrystalline silicon thin film formed in active channel regions of a thin film transistor for driving the pixel portion for each red, green and blue of the pixel portion.Type: GrantFiled: February 18, 2004Date of Patent: November 20, 2007Assignee: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.Inventors: Ji-Yong Park, Ul-Ho Lee, Jae-Bon Koo, Ki-Yong Lee, Hye-Hyang Park
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Patent number: 7297978Abstract: After an amorphous semiconductor thin film is crystallized by utilizing a catalyst element, the catalyst element is removed by performing a heat treatment in an atmosphere containing a halogen element. A resulting crystalline semiconductor thin film exhibits {110} orientation. Since individual crystal grains have approximately equal orientation, the crystalline semiconductor thin film has substantially no grain boundaries and has such crystallinity as to be considered a single crystal or considered so substantially.Type: GrantFiled: November 9, 2004Date of Patent: November 20, 2007Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Hisashi Ohtani, Toru Mitsuki, Akiharu Miyanaga, Yasushi Ogata
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Patent number: 7288791Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide an epitaxial wafer with fewer pit defects in the epitaxial layer of a silicon monocrystalline wafer that has been doped with arsenic. Pit defects tend to occur when gas etching is performed prior to epitaxial film formation, but this tendency is reversed and a sound epitaxial layer is obtained by setting the crystal plane orientation to (100) and specifying the range of the tilt angle for the angle ? in the [001] direction or [001] direction or the angle ? in the [010] direction or [010] direction with respect to the [100] axis.Type: GrantFiled: August 15, 2003Date of Patent: October 30, 2007Assignee: Sumitomo Mitsubishi Silicon CorporationInventors: Shigeru Umeno, Satoshi Murakami, Hirotaka Fujii
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Patent number: 7288787Abstract: The present invention provides a thin-film transistor offering a higher electron (or hole) mobility, a method for manufacturing the thin-film transistor, and a display using the thin-film transistor. The present invention provides a thin-film transistor having a source region, a channel region, and a drain region in a semiconductor thin film with a crystal grown in a horizontal direction, the thin-film transistor having a gate insulating film and a gate electrode over the channel region, wherein a drain edge of the drain region which is adjacent to the channel region is formed in the vicinity of a crystal growth end position.Type: GrantFiled: July 3, 2006Date of Patent: October 30, 2007Assignee: Advanced LCD Technologies Development Center Co., Ltd.Inventors: Yoshiaki Nakazaki, Genshiro Kawachi, Terunori Warabisako, Masakiyo Matsumura
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Patent number: 7282738Abstract: A method of forming crystalline or polycrystalline layers includes providing a substrate and a patterning over the substrate. The method also includes providing nucleation material and forming the crystalline layer over the nucleation material. The crystalline material disposed over the substrate may be monocrystalline or polycrystalline.Type: GrantFiled: May 21, 2004Date of Patent: October 16, 2007Assignee: Corning IncorporatedInventors: James G. Couillard, Kishor P. Gadkaree, Youchun Shi
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Patent number: 7265385Abstract: A method of manufacturing an active matrix type display device, which is reliable and flexible, is provided. An active matrix type display device according to an aspect of the present invention includes: a first substrate, which is flexible; a thin glass layer provided on the first substrate via an adhesion layer, and having projections and depressions on a surface thereof opposing to the first substrate, the projections and depressions having rounded tips and bottoms; active elements provided on the thin glass layer, each active element corresponding to a pixel; a display provided above the thin glass layer, and driven by the active elements to display an image pixel by pixel; and a second substrate provided on the display, and having an opposing electrode formed thereon.Type: GrantFiled: August 23, 2005Date of Patent: September 4, 2007Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha ToshibaInventors: Tsuyoshi Hioki, Masahiko Akiyama, Mitsuo Nakajima, Yujiro Hara, Yutaka Onozuka
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Patent number: 7262431Abstract: A polycrystal thin film forming method comprising the step of forming a semiconductor thin film on a substrate 14, and the step of flowing a heated gas to the semiconductor thin film while an energy beam 38 is being applied to the semiconductor thin film at a region to which the gas is being applied to thereby melt the semiconductor film, and crystallizing the semiconductor thin film in its solidification. The energy beam is applied while the high-temperature gas is being flowed, whereby the melted semiconductor thin film can have low solidification rate, whereby the polycrystal thin film can have large crystal grain diameters and can have good quality of little defects in crystal grains and little twins.Type: GrantFiled: June 28, 2005Date of Patent: August 28, 2007Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Akito Hara, Nobuo Sasaki
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Patent number: 7259427Abstract: The present invention relates to a semiconductor device including a circuit composed of thin film transistors having a novel GOLD (Gate-Overlapped LDD (Lightly Doped Drain)) structure. The thin film transistor comprises a first gate electrode and a second electrode being in contact with the first gate electrode and a gate insulating film. Further, the LDD is formed by using the first gate electrode as a mask, and source and drain regions are formed by using the second gate electrode as the mask. Then, the LDD overlapping with the second gate electrode is formed. This structure provides the thin film transistor with high reliability.Type: GrantFiled: August 14, 2003Date of Patent: August 21, 2007Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Hiroki Adachi
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Publication number: 20070187668Abstract: A single crystal substrate and method of fabricating the same are provided. The single crystal substrate includes an insulator having a window exposing a portion of a substrate, a selective epitaxial growth layer formed on the portion of the substrate exposed through the window and a single crystalline layer formed on the insulator and the selective epitaxial growth layer using the selective epitaxial growth layer as an epitaxial seed layer.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 13, 2006Publication date: August 16, 2007Inventors: Takashi Noguchi, Hans S. Cho, Wenxu Xianyu, Huaxiang Yin
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Patent number: 7256423Abstract: A thin film semiconductor device which includes an insulating substrate, a semiconductor polycrystal thin film formed over the substrate and a transistor with the thin film as a channel. The polycrystal includes a plurality of crystal grains, with grain boundaries between the crystal grains being recessed. The grain boundaries with the recessed surfaces are the most predominant of all grain boundaries within the channel. With this structure, the polycrystal can be a low temperature polycrystal that can be formed at a temperature of 150° C. or less, thereby achieving a low-cost device with high carrier mobility.Type: GrantFiled: July 22, 2005Date of Patent: August 14, 2007Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Shinya Yamaguchi, Mutsuko Hatano, Mitsuharu Tai, Sedng-Kee Park, Takeo Shiba
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Patent number: 7250375Abstract: A method of processing a for an electronic device, comprising, at least: a nitridation step (a) of supplying nitrogen radicals on the surface of the electronic device substrate, to thereby form a nitride film on the surface thereof; and a hydrogenation step (b) of supplying hydrogen radicals to the surface of the electronic device substrate. By use of this method, it is possible to recover the degradation in the electric property of an insulating film due to a turnaround phenomenon which can occur at the time of nitriding an Si substrate, etc.Type: GrantFiled: August 2, 2002Date of Patent: July 31, 2007Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Toshio Nakanishi, Takuya Sugawara, Seiji Matsuyama, Masaru Sasaki
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Patent number: 7247880Abstract: A thin film transistor includes a substrate, a semiconductor layer pattern on the substrate, a gate insulating layer on the semiconductor layer pattern, and a gate electrode on a gate insulating layer. Low angle grain boundaries of polysilicon formed in a channel layer in the semiconductor layer pattern are tilted ?15 to 15° with respect to a current flowing direction.Type: GrantFiled: December 22, 2004Date of Patent: July 24, 2007Assignee: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.Inventors: Byoung-Keon Park, Ki-Yong Lee, Jin-Wook Seo, Tae-Hoon Yang
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Patent number: 7235811Abstract: A system and method are provided for reducing film surface protrusions in the fabrication of LILAC films. The method comprises: forming an amorphous film with a first thickness; annealing the film using a LILAC process, with beamlets having a width in the range of 3 to 10 microns; in response to annealing, forming protrusions on the film surface; optionally oxidizing the film surface; thinning the film; and, in response to thinning the film, smoothing the film surface. Typically, the film surface is smoothed to a surface flatness of 300 ?, or less. In some aspects of the method, oxidizing the film surface includes oxidizing the film surface to a depth. Then, thinning the film includes thinning the film to a third thickness equal to the first thickness minus the depth.Type: GrantFiled: January 12, 2004Date of Patent: June 26, 2007Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.Inventors: Mark A. Crowder, Apostolos T. Voutsas, Masahiro Adachi
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Patent number: 7227186Abstract: An amorphous silicon film is laser irradiated a plural number of times to make the film composed of a plurality of crystal grains while suppressing the formation of protrusions at the boundaries of the adjoining grains to realize a polycrystalline silicon thin film transistor having at least partly therein the clusters of grains, or the aggregates of at least two crystal grains, with preferred orientation in the plane (111), and having high electron mobility of 200 cm2/Vs or above.Type: GrantFiled: May 4, 2005Date of Patent: June 5, 2007Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Takuo Tamura, Kiyoshi Ogata, Yoichi Takahara, Kazuhiko Horikoshi, Hironaru Yamaguchi, Makoto Ohkura, Hironobu Abe, Masakazu Saitou, Yoshinobu Kimura, Toshihiko Itoga
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Patent number: 7227187Abstract: To obtain a semiconductor device containing TFTs of different, suitable properties as display pixel TFTs and high-voltage, driver-circuit TFTs, the semiconductor device of the present invention includes: first and second islands-shaped polycrystalline silicon (p-Si) layers provided above an insulating substrate and having relatively large grain sizes; a third islands-shaped p-Si layer having relatively small grain sizes; a first gate insulating film provided on the first p-Si layer and having a first thickness; second and third gate insulating films provided on the second and third p-Si layers having second and third thicknesses which are not less than the first thickness; gate electrodes provided on the gate insulating films; n-type high-concentration source/drain regions formed by adding an n-type impurity to a high concentration outside channel regions; and second and third n-type low-concentration source/drain regions provided between the channel regions and the n-type high-concentration source/drain regiType: GrantFiled: October 17, 2005Date of Patent: June 5, 2007Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Kazushige Hotta
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Patent number: 7217952Abstract: A technique for manufacturing TFTs having little dispersion in their electrical characteristics is provided. Contamination of a semiconductor film is reduced by performing oxidation processing having an organic matter removing effect, forming a clean oxide film, after removing a natural oxide film formed on a semiconductor film surface. TFTs having little dispersion in their electrical characteristics can be obtained by using the semiconductor film thus obtained in active layers of the TFTs, and the electrical properties can be improved. In addition, deterioration in productivity and throughput can be reduced to a minimum by using a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus of the present invention.Type: GrantFiled: September 9, 2005Date of Patent: May 15, 2007Assignees: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd., Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Setsuo Nakajima, Aiko Shiga, Naoki Makita, Takuya Matsuo
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Patent number: 7205203Abstract: A method of forming a crystalline silicon layer that includes forming a semiconductor layer of amorphous silicon on a substrate having a first region and a second region at a periphery of the first region; forming at least one concave-shaped alignment key by irradiating a laser beam onto the semiconductor layer in the second region; and crystallizing the semiconductor layer in the first region using the at least one alignment key.Type: GrantFiled: June 29, 2004Date of Patent: April 17, 2007Assignee: LG.Philips LCD Co., Ltd.Inventor: Young-Joo Kim
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Patent number: 7202499Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a TFT of new structure in which the gate electrode overlaps with the LDD region and a TFT of such structure in which the gate electrode does not overlap with the LDD region. The TFT is made from crystalline semiconductor film and is highly reliable. The TFT of crystalline semiconductor film has the gate electrode formed from a first gate electrode 113 and a second gate electrode in close contact with said first gate electrode and gate insulating film. The LDD is formed by ion doping using said first gate electrode as a mask, and the source-drain region is formed using said second gate electrode as a mask. After that the second gate electrode in the desired region is selectively removed. In this way it is possible to form LDD region which overlaps with the second gate electrode.Type: GrantFiled: September 21, 2004Date of Patent: April 10, 2007Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.Inventor: Setsuo Nakajima