For Thin Film Transistors With Insulated Gate (epo) Patents (Class 257/E29.117)
  • Patent number: 8471259
    Abstract: Disclosed is a display device and an electronic apparatus incorporating the display device. The display device includes a transistor and a planarization film over the transistor. The planarization film has an opening where an edge portion is rounded. The display device further includes a first electrode over the planarization film and an organic resin film over the first electrode. The organic resin film also has an opening where an edge portion is rounded. The organic resin film is located in the opening of the planarization film. The first electrode and the transistor are electrically connected to each other through a conductive film. The first electrode is in contact with a top surface of the conductive film. Over the first electrode, a light-emitting member and a second electrode are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Satoshi Murakami, Mitsuaki Osame
  • Patent number: 8471255
    Abstract: Provided is a thin film transistor, wherein the on-off ratio thereof is increased by decreasing the OFF current thereof. A bottom-gate TFT (10) is provided with a channel layer (40) obtained by forming a second silicon layer (35) on a first silicon layer (30). Since amorphous silicon regions (32), which surround multiple grains (31) contained in the first silicon layer (30), contain hydrogen in an amount sufficient to enable termination of dangling bonds, most of dangling bonds in the amorphous silicon region (32) are terminated by hydrogen. For this reason, it becomes less likely to have defect levels formed in the amorphous silicon regions (32), and an OFF current that flows through defect levels is therefore decreased. A high number of the grains (31) are retained in the first silicon layer (30), and cause a large ON current to flow. Consequently, the on-off ratio of the TFT (10) is increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tohru Okabe
  • Patent number: 8471256
    Abstract: Disclosed is a semiconductor device comprising a thin film transistor and wirings connected to the thin film transistor, in which the thin film transistor has a channel formation region in an oxide semiconductor layer, and a copper metal is used for at least one of a gate electrode, a source electrode, a drain electrode, a gate wiring, a source wiring, and a drain wiring. The extremely low off current of the transistor with the oxide semiconductor layer contributes to reduction in power consumption of the semiconductor device. Additionally, the use of the copper metal allows the combination of the semiconductor device with a display element to provide a display device with high display quality and negligible defects, which results from the low electrical resistance of the wirings and electrodes formed with the copper metal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Miyuki Hosoba, Suzunosuke Hiraishi
  • Patent number: 8466465
    Abstract: Disclosed is a thin film transistor which has an oxide semiconductor as an activation layer, a method of manufacturing the same and a flat panel display device having the same. The thin film transistor includes an oxide semiconductor layer formed on a substrate and including a channel region, a source region and a drain region, a gate electrode insulated from the oxide semiconductor layer by a gate insulating film, and source electrode and drain electrode which are coupled to the source region and the drain region, respectively. The oxide semiconductor layer includes a first layer portion and a second layer portion. The first layer portion has a first thickness and a first carrier concentration, and the second layer portion has a second thickness and a second carrier concentration. The second carrier concentration is lower than the first carrier concentration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2013
    Assignee: Samsung Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jong-Han Jeong, Tae-Kyung Ahn, Jae-Kyeong Jeong, Jin-Sung Park, Hun-Jung Lee, Hyun-Soo Shin, Yeon-Gon Mo
  • Patent number: 8461591
    Abstract: An organic light emitting display device with a simplified manufacturing process and improved electrical characteristics, along with a method of manufacturing the device, are disclosed. The device includes: a substrate having a display area and a non-display area; a thin film transistor (TFT) in the display area; a wiring portion in the non-display area; an intermediate layer electrically connected to the TFT and including an organic light emitting layer; and a counter electrode on the intermediate layer. The TFT includes an active layer, a gate electrode, and source/drain electrodes electrically connected to the active layer. The source/drain electrodes include a first conductive layer, a second conductive layer, and a third conductive layer that are sequentially stacked. The wiring portion includes the same material as the first conductive layer. One of the source/drain electrodes is longer than the other, to function as a pixel electrode, and is electrically connected to the intermediate layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: Samsung Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yul-Kyu Lee, Chun-Gi You, Sun Park, Jong-Hyun Park, Jin-Hee Kang
  • Patent number: 8461596
    Abstract: The present invention has an object to provide an active-matrix liquid crystal display device that realizes the improvement in productivity as well as in yield. In the present invention, a laminate film comprising the conductive film comprising metallic material and the second amorphous semiconductor film containing an impurity element of one conductivity type and the amorphous semiconductor film is selectively etched with the same etching gas to form a side edge of the first amorphous semiconductor film 1001 into a taper shape. Thereby, a coverage problem of a pixel electrode 1003 can be solved and an inverse stagger type TFT can be completed with three photomask.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideomi Suzawa, Yoshihiro Kusuyama, Shunpei Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 8445902
    Abstract: Provided are a coplanar structure thin film transistor that allows a threshold voltage to change only a little under electric stress, and a method of manufacturing the same. The thin film transistor includes on a substrate at least: a gate electrode; a gate insulating layer; an oxide semiconductor layer including a source electrode, a drain electrode, and a channel region; a channel protection layer; and an interlayer insulating layer. The channel protection layer includes one or more layers, the layer in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer among the one or more layers being made of an insulating material containing oxygen, ends of the channel protection layer are thinner than a central part of the channel protection layer, the interlayer insulating layer contains hydrogen, and regions of the oxide semiconductor layer that are in direct contact with the interlayer insulating layer form the source electrode and the drain electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ayumu Sato, Ryo Hayashi, Hisato Yabuta, Masafumi Sano
  • Patent number: 8441012
    Abstract: The present invention provides an array substrate, a method for manufacturing an array substrate, and a display device which are such that reflow failure of a resist mask does not occur readily at the time of manufacture of the array substrate, so the array substrate can be manufactured reliably. At the time of forming a TFT, third wiring 37 between source wiring 13 and the source electrode 22 of the TFT is provided with a narrow portion 38 that is formed with a narrow width by narrowing a midpoint at a portion of the wiring in planar shape, and the resist film on the source electrode 22 and a drain electrode 23 is reflowed so as to cover the surface of a channel region Q, thus forming a reflowed resist film 42. A semiconductor film 20 is etched using this as the etching mask in a state in which the area between the source and the drain is protected, thus making the semiconductor film 20 into an island shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Makoto Juhmonji
  • Patent number: 8421135
    Abstract: In a display device such as a liquid crystal display device, a large-sized display screen is realized under low power consumption. A surface of a source wiring line of a pixel portion employed in an active matrix type liquid crystal display device is processed by way of a plating process operation so as to lower a resistance value of this source wiring line. The source wiring line of the pixel portion is manufactured at a step different from a step for manufacturing a source wiring line of a drive circuit portion. Further, electrodes of a terminal portion are processed by a plating process operation so as to reduce a resistance value thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Jun Koyama, Hideaki Kuwabara, Saishi Fujikawa
  • Patent number: 8415667
    Abstract: One object is to provide a p-channel transistor including an oxide semiconductor. Another object is to provide a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) structure of an n-channel transistor including an oxide semiconductor and a p-channel transistor including an oxide semiconductor. A p-channel transistor including an oxide semiconductor includes a gate electrode layer, a gate insulating layer, an oxide semiconductor layer, and a source and drain electrode layers in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer. When the electron affinity and the band gap of an oxide semiconductor used for the oxide semiconductor layer in the semiconductor device, respectively, are ? (eV) and Eg (eV), the work function (?m) of the conductor used for the source electrode layer and the drain electrode layer satisfies ?m>?+Eg/2 and the barrier for holes (?Bp) represented by (?+Eg??m) is less than 0.25 eV.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Daisuke Kawae, Hiromichi Godo
  • Patent number: 8405081
    Abstract: An organic thin field transistor is disclosed. The organic thin field transistor includes a first and a second insulting layers, a metal structure and an organic layer serving as an active layer. Materials of the first and the second insulting layers are different, and by performing an etching process, a surface of the metal structure and a surface of the second insulting layer are effectively aligned. Because of the high flatness of the surface of the metal structure and the second insulting layer, a continuous film-forming property and crystallinity of the active layer of the organic thin field transistor are improved, so as to achieve a better the electrical characteristic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: National Taiwan University of Science and Technology
    Inventors: Ching-Lin Fan, Yu-Zuo Lin, Chao-Hung Huang
  • Patent number: 8405085
    Abstract: A thin film transistor includes a gate, a pair of electrodes, a first semiconductor layer disposed between the gate and the pair of electrodes, and a semiconductor stacked layer disposed between the first semiconductor layer and the pair of the electrodes. The semiconductor stacked layer includes a second semiconductor layer disposed adjacent to the pair of electrodes and at least one pair of semiconductor layers including a third semiconductor layer and a fourth semiconductor layer, the third semiconductor layer being sandwiched between the second semiconductor layer and the fourth semiconductor layer. In particular, the electric conductivity of the third semiconductor layer is substantially smaller than the electric conductivity of the second semiconductor layer and the electric conductivity of the fourth semiconductor layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: Au Optronics Corporation
    Inventors: Wen-Shin Wu, Chun-Yao Huang, Hsin-Hua Lin
  • Patent number: 8399313
    Abstract: A gate electrode is formed by forming a first conductive layer containing aluminum as its main component over a substrate, forming a second conductive layer made from a material different from that used for forming the first conductive layer over the first conductive layer; and patterning the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer. Further, the first conductive layer includes one or more selected from carbon, chromium, tantalum, tungsten, molybdenum, titanium, silicon, and nickel. And the second conductive layer includes one or more selected from chromium, tantalum, tungsten, molybdenum, titanium, silicon, and nickel, or nitride of these materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kengo Akimoto, Hotaka Maruyama
  • Patent number: 8383470
    Abstract: One of factors that increase the contact resistance at the interface between a first semiconductor layer where a channel is formed and source and drain electrode layers is a film with high electric resistance formed by dust or impurity contamination of a surface of a metal material serving as the source and drain electrode layers. As a solution, a first protective layer and a second protective layer including a second semiconductor having a conductivity that is less than or equal to that of the first semiconductor layer is stacked successively over source and drain electrode layers without exposed to air, the stack of films is used for the source and drain electrode layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kengo Akimoto, Masashi Tsubuku
  • Patent number: 8373173
    Abstract: The object of the present invention is to form a low-concentration impurity region with good accuracy in a top gate type TFT. Phosphorus is added to a semiconductor layer by using a pattern made of a conductive film as a mask to form an N-type impurity region in a self-alignment manner. A positive photoresist is applied to a substrate so as to cover the pattern and then is exposed to light applied to the back of the substrate and then is developed, whereby a photoresist 110 is formed. The pattern is etched by using the photoresist pattern as an etching mask to form a gate electrode. A channel forming region, a source region, a drain region, and low-concentration impurity regions, are formed in the semiconductor layer in a self-alignment manner by using the gate electrode as a doping mask.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hisashi Ohtani
  • Patent number: 8368142
    Abstract: A semiconductor device having performance comparable with a MOSFET is provided. An active layer of the semiconductor device is formed by a crystalline silicon film crystallized by using a metal element for promoting crystallization, and further by carrying out a heat treatment in an atmosphere containing a halogen element to carry out gettering of the metal element. The active layer after this process is constituted by an aggregation of a plurality of needle-shaped or column-shaped crystals. A semiconductor device manufactured by using this crystalline structure has extremely high performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Hisashi Ohtani, Jun Koyama, Takeshi Fukunaga
  • Patent number: 8357570
    Abstract: A method for fabricating a pixel structure includes providing a substrate having a pixel area. A first metal layer, a gate insulator and a semiconductor layer are formed on the substrate and patterned by using a first half-tone mask or a gray-tone mask to form a transistor pattern, a lower capacitance pattern and a lower circuit pattern. Next, a dielectric layer and an electrode layer both covering the three patterns are sequentially formed and patterned to expose a part of the lower circuit pattern, a part of the lower capacitance pattern and a source/drain region of the transistor pattern. A second metal layer formed on the electrode layer and the electrode layer are patterned by using a second half-tone mask or the gray-tone mask to form an upper circuit pattern, a source/drain pattern and an upper capacitance pattern. A portion of the electrode layer constructs a pixel electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2013
    Assignee: Au Optronics Corporation
    Inventor: Yu-Cheng Chen
  • Patent number: 8357977
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, which includes the steps of: forming a mask layer (20) on a gate insulating film (18), the mask layer (20) having openings over the portions of first and second semiconductor layers that are destined to become low-concentration impurity regions and source and drain regions; forming first conductivity type implantation regions (24b, 24c) in the first and second semiconductor layers respectively by implanting a first conductivity type impurity (22) to the first and second semiconductor layers through the openings in the mask layer (20); forming first and second gate electrodes (26b, 26c) to cover a portion of the first conductivity type implantation regions and portions of the first and second semiconductor layers that are destined to become channel regions; forming another mask layer (28) which has openings over portions of the first conductivity type implantation region (24b) of the first semiconductor layer, said portions being located at both ends of the fi
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2013
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Kaigawa
  • Patent number: 8338256
    Abstract: A multi-gate transistor having a plurality of sidewall contacts and a fabrication method that includes forming a semiconductor fin on a semiconductor substrate and etching a trench within the semiconductor fin, depositing an oxide material within the etched trench, and etching the oxide material to form a dummy oxide layer along exposed walls within the etched trench; and forming a spacer dielectric layer along vertical sidewalls of the dummy oxide layer. The method further includes removing exposed dummy oxide layer in a channel region in the semiconductor fin and beneath the spacer dielectric layer, forming a high-k material liner along sidewalls of the channel region in the semiconductor fin, forming a metal gate stack within the etched trench, and forming a plurality of sidewall contacts within the semiconductor fin along adjacent sidewalls of the dummy oxide layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Josephine B. Chang, Dechao Guo, Shu-Jen Han, Chung-Hsun Lin
  • Patent number: 8330162
    Abstract: A pixel structure includes a drain extension portion disposed on an islanding semiconductor layer, wherein the islanding semiconductor layer is formed together with a thin-film transistor channel layer. Therefore, the total thickness of the islanding semiconductor layer and the drain extension portion is increased, such that the distance between the gate line and the drain extension portion is enlarged, and the coupling capacitance between the gate line and the drain extension portion can be lowered. Therefore, the display panel with the pixel structure of the present invention can have low coupling capacitance so as to improve the flicker phenomena obviously.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Chunghwa Picture Tubes, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ssu-Lin Yen, Chia-Ming Chiang
  • Patent number: 8309959
    Abstract: A display device which surely allows the black-spot-forming correction at the time of forming an opening portion in a portion of a scanning signal line where a scanning signal line and a video signal line intersects each other and forming a semiconductor layer and a conductor layer by a resist flow method is provided. A scanning signal line which forms an opening portion in a portion thereof which intersects a video signal line, an insulation film, a semiconductor layer which covers a region which spreads larger than a conductor layer, and the conductor layer are sequentially stacked. The conductor layer includes the video signal line, a drain electrode and a source electrode of a thin film transistor, and a connecting line which connects the video signal line and the drain electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Liquid Crystal Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jun Matsumoto, Kazushi Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 8304780
    Abstract: A method for making an electronic device, such as a MOS transistor, including the steps of forming a plurality of semiconductor islands on an electrically functional substrate, printing a first dielectric layer on or over a first subset of the semiconductor islands and optionally a second dielectric layer on or over a second subset of the semiconductor islands, and annealing. The first dielectric layer contains a first dopant, and the (optional) second dielectric layer contains a second dopant different from the first dopant. The dielectric layer(s), semiconductor islands and substrate are annealed sufficiently to diffuse the first dopant into the first subset of semiconductor islands and, when present, the second dopant into the second subset of semiconductor islands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Kovio, Inc.
    Inventors: Arvind Kamath, James Montague Cleeves, Joerg Rockenberger, Patrick Smith, Fabio Zürcher
  • Patent number: 8294158
    Abstract: A thin film transistor (TFT) includes a substrate, a semiconductor layer disposed on the substrate and including source and drain regions, each having a first metal catalyst crystallization region and a second metal catalyst crystallization region, and a channel region having the second metal catalyst crystallization region, a gate electrode disposed in a position corresponding to the channel region of the semiconductor layer, a gate insulating layer interposed between the semiconductor layer and the gate electrode to electrically insulate the semiconductor layer from the gate electrode, and source and drain electrodes electrically insulated from the gate electrode and electrically connected to the source and drain regions, respectively. An OLED display device includes the thin film transistor and a first electrode, an organic layer, and a second electrode electrically connected to the source and drain electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Samsung Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Byoung-Keon Park, Jin-Wook Seo, Tae-Hoon Yang, Kil-Won Lee, Dong-Hyun Lee, Maxim Lisachenko, Ki-Yong Lee
  • Patent number: 8288194
    Abstract: A method of fabricating a thin film transistor (TFT) is provided. The method comprises the steps of providing a substrate with a gate electrode formed thereon; forming an insulating layer on the substrate and covering the gate electrode; forming an intrinsic amorphous silicon layer (intrinsic a-Si layer) on the insulating layer; forming an etch-stop layer on the intrinsic amorphous silicon layer, and the etch-stop layer positioned correspondingly to the gate electrode; treating the etch-stop layer to form an oxide layer, and the oxide layer covering the etch-stop layer; forming a n+ a-Si layer above the intrinsic amorphous silicon layer, and the n+ a-Si layer covering partial surface of the etch-stop layer and the oxide layer separating a sidewall of the etch-stop layer and the n+ a-Si layer; and forming a conductive layer on the n+ a-Si layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Au Optronics Corp.
    Inventor: Tung Yu Chen
  • Patent number: 8288774
    Abstract: A dual gate layout of a thin film transistor of liquid crystal display to alleviate dark current leakage is disclosed. The layout includes (1) a polysilicon on a substrate having a shaped of L- or of snake from top-view, having a heavily doped source region, a first lightly doped region, a first gate channel, a second lightly doped region, a second gate channel, a third lightly doped region and a heavily doped drain region formed in order therein; (2) a gate oxide layer formed on the poly-Si layer and the substrate, (3) a gate metal layer then formed on the gate oxide layer having a scanning line and an extension portion with a L-shaped or an I-shaped. The gate metal intersects with the poly-Si layer thereto define the forgoing gate channels. Among of gate channels, at least one is along the signal line through a source contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Au Optronics Corp.
    Inventors: Wein-Town Sun, Chun-Sheng Li, Jian-Shen Yu
  • Patent number: 8278161
    Abstract: A thin film transistor array substrate and a fabricating method are disclosed. A gate line and a data line cross each other and a thin film transistor (TFT) is provided at the intersection between the gate and data lines. A protective film covers the data line and the thin film transistor and has a contact hole exposing a drain electrode of the TFT. A pixel electrode is connected, via the contact hole, to the drain electrode of the TFT. A storage capacitor includes a gate insulating film between the pixel electrode and the gate line and/or a common line. Some or all of the protective film within the storage capacitor is removed such that the storage capacitor contains no protective film or a layer of protective film that is thinner than the portion covering the TFT.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sung Jin Kim, Woo Young Choi
  • Patent number: 8269221
    Abstract: Provided is a thin film device and an associated method of making a thin film device. For example, a thin film transistor with nano-gaps in the gate electrode. The method involves providing a substrate. Upon the substrate are then provided a plurality of parallel spaced electrically conductive strips. A plurality of thin film device layers are then deposited upon the conductive strips. A 3D structure is provided upon the plurality of thin film device layers, the structure having a plurality of different heights. The 3D structure and the plurality of thin film device layers are then etched to define a thin film device, such as for example a thin film transistor that is disposed above at least a portion of the conductive strips.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Ping Mei, Albert Jeans, Carl Taussig
  • Patent number: 8263978
    Abstract: A thin film transistor (TFT) and a method of manufacturing the same are provided, the TFT including a gate insulating layer on a gate. A channel may be formed on a portion of the gate insulating layer corresponding to the gate. A metal material may be formed on a surface of the channel. The metal material crystallizes the channel. A source and a drain may contact side surfaces of the channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Byung-wook Yoo, Sang-yoon Lee, Myung-kwan Ryu, Tae-sang Kim, Jang-yeon Kwon, Kyung-bae Park, Kyung-seok Son, Ji-sim Jung
  • Patent number: 8237169
    Abstract: The object of the present invention is to form a low-concentration impurity region with good accuracy in a top gate type TFT. Phosphorus is added to a semiconductor layer by using a pattern made of a conductive film as a mask to form an N-type impurity region in a self-alignment manner. A positive photoresist is applied to a substrate so as to cover the pattern and then is exposed to light applied to the back of the substrate and then is developed, whereby a photoresist 110 is formed. The pattern is etched by using the photoresist pattern as an etching mask to form a gate electrode. A channel forming region, a source region, a drain region, and low-concentration impurity regions, are formed in the semiconductor layer in a self-alignment manner by using the gate electrode as a doping mask.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hisashi Ohtani
  • Patent number: 8227803
    Abstract: An organic electroluminescent display device includes at least one switching transistor and driving transistor formed on an array substrate, wherein the array substrate includes a gate pad and a date pad formed thereon; a contact electrode, a gate pad top electrode of the gate pad and a data pad top electrode of the data pad formed on a passivation layer, a contact electrode, a top gate pad electrode and a top data pad electrode electrically connected to the exposed portion of a drain electrode of the driving transistor, a gate pad bottom electrode and a data pad bottom electrode respectively; a light-emitting cell including a cathode electrode, an anode electrode and an organic layer interposed therebetween formed on the planarization layer; wherein the cathode electrode is electrically connected to the contact electrode via one of the contact hole; wherein the contact electrode has acid-resistance with respect to an etchant used in patterning the cathode electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Dong-Sik Park
  • Patent number: 8212256
    Abstract: A pixel structure disposed on a substrate including a thin film transistor (TFT), a bottom capacitor electrode, a dielectric layer, an upper capacitor electrode, a passivation layer, and a pixel electrode is provided. The TFT having a source/drain and the bottom capacitor electrode are disposed on the substrate. The dielectric layer is disposed on the bottom capacitor electrode. The upper capacitor electrode has a semiconductor layer, a barrier layer, and a metal layer. The semiconductor layer is disposed on the dielectric layer above the bottom capacitor electrode. The barrier layer is disposed on the semiconductor layer. The metal layer whose material includes copper, a copper alloy, or a combination thereof is disposed on the barrier layer. The passivation layer covers the TFT and the upper capacitor electrode and has a first opening exposing the source/drain. The pixel electrode is electrically connected to the TFT through the first opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: Au Optronics Corporation
    Inventors: Po-Lin Chen, Chun-Nan Lin, Shu-Feng Wu, Wen-Ching Tsai
  • Patent number: 8207537
    Abstract: A display device according to the present invention includes a barrier layer formed over the transistor and a planarization layer formed over the barrier layer. The planarization layer has an opening and an edge portion of the planarization layer formed at the opening of the planarization layer is rounded. Further, a resin film is formed over the planarization layer and in the opening of the planarization layer, and the resin film also has an opening and an edge portion of the resin film formed at the opening of the resin film is rounded. A light emitting member is formed over the resin film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Satoshi Murakami, Mitsuaki Osame
  • Patent number: 8198110
    Abstract: This invention is related to a thin film transistor (TFT) array and method of making same, for use in an active matrix liquid crystal display (AMLCD) having a high pixel aperture ratio. The TFT array and corresponding display are made by forming the TFTs and corresponding address lines on a substrate, coating the address lines and TFTs with a photo-imageable insulating layer which acts as a negative resist, exposing portions of the insulating layer with UV light which are to remain on the substrate, removing non-exposed areas of the insulating layer so as to form contact vias, and depositing pixel electrodes on the substrate over the insulating layer so that the pixel electrodes contact respective TFT source electrodes through the contact vias. The resulting display has an increased pixel aperture ratio because the pixel electrodes are formed over the insulating layer so as to overlap portions of the array address lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Willem Den Boer, John Z. Z. Zhong, Tieer Gu
  • Patent number: 8188472
    Abstract: A thin film transistor (TFT), a method of manufacturing the TFT, and a flat panel display comprising the TFT are provided. The TFT includes a gate, a gate insulating layer that contacts the gate, a channel layer that contacts the gate insulating layer and faces the gate with the gate insulating layer therebetween, a source that contacts an end of the channel layer; and a drain that contacts an other end of the channel layer, wherein the channel layer is an amorphous oxide semiconductor layer, and each of the source and the drain is a conductive oxide layer comprising an oxide semiconductor layer having a conductive impurity in the oxide semiconductor layer. A low resistance metal layer can further be included on the source and drain. A driving circuit of a unit pixel of a flat panel display includes the TFT.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jae-chul Park, Chang-jung Kim, Sun-il Kim, I-hun Song, Young-soo Park
  • Patent number: 8183097
    Abstract: A thin-film transistor (TFT) substrate includes a semiconductor pattern, a conductive pattern, a first wiring pattern, an insulation pattern and a second wiring pattern. The semiconductor pattern is formed on a substrate. The conductive pattern is formed as a layer identical to the semiconductor pattern on the substrate. The first wiring pattern is formed on the semiconductor pattern. The first wiring pattern includes a source electrode and a drain electrode spaced apart from the source electrode. The insulation pattern is formed on the substrate having the first wiring pattern to cover the first wiring pattern. The second wiring pattern is formed on the insulation pattern. The second wiring pattern includes a gate electrode formed on the source and drain electrodes. Therefore, a TFT substrate is manufactured using two or three masks, so that manufacturing costs may be decreased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sang-Ki Kwak, Hyang-Shik Kong, Sun-Il Kim
  • Patent number: 8148727
    Abstract: A display device including an oxide thin film transistor (TFT) is disclosed. A nitride-based gate insulating layer of a gate pad area is etched when an oxide semiconductor layer of a pixel area is etched by using a half-tone mask, a metal layer is formed at a contact hole of the etched gate insulting layer, and then a passivation layer formed thereon is etched. Thus, an overhang of the passivation layer can be prevented from being generated when the gate insulating layer is etched, and accordingly, the fabrication process can be simplified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Im-Kuk Kang, Dae-Won Kim
  • Patent number: 8143706
    Abstract: Embodiments of methods, apparatuses, devices, and/or systems for forming a component having dielectric sub-layers are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Peter Mardilovich, Laura Kramer, Gregory S Herman, Randy Hoffman, David Punsalan
  • Patent number: 8120029
    Abstract: Disclosed is a thin film transistor (TFT). The TFT may include an intermediate layer between a channel and a source and drain. An increased off current, which may occur to a drain area of the TFT, is reduced due to the intermediate layer. Accordingly, the TFT may be stably driven.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kyung-bae Park, Myung-kwan Ryu, Byung-wook Yoo, Sang-yoon Lee, Tae-sang Kim, Jang-yeon Kwon, Kyung-seok Son, Ji-sim Jung
  • Patent number: 8115209
    Abstract: A dual gate layout of a thin film transistor of liquid crystal display to alleviate dark current leakage is disclosed. The layout includes (1) a polysilicon on a substrate having a L-shaped or a snake shaped from top-view, which has a heavily doped source region, a first lightly doped region, a first gate channel, a second lightly doped region, a second gate channel, a third lightly doped region and a heavily doped drain region formed in order therein; (2) a gate oxide layer formed on the polysilicon layer and the substrate, (3) a gate metal layer then formed on the gate oxide layer having a scanning line and an extension portion with a L-shaped or an I-shaped. The gate metal intersects with the polysilicon layer thereto define the forgoing gate channels. Among of gate channels, at least one is along the signal line, which is connected to the source region through a source contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: Au Optronics Corp.
    Inventors: Wein-Town Sun, Chun-Sheng Li, Jian-Shen Yu
  • Patent number: 8097882
    Abstract: An organic electroluminescent device includes first and second substrates facing and spaced apart from each other; a gate line on the first substrate; a data line intersecting the gate line to define a pixel region; a switching element connected to the gate line and the data line; an organic electroluminescent diode on the second substrate; and a driving element connected to the switching element and the organic electroluminescent diode, the driving element including a plurality of driving negative-type polycrystalline silicon thin film transistors connected to the organic electroluminescent diode in parallel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jae-Yong Park
  • Patent number: 8093585
    Abstract: Each TFT for driving each of a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix-like configuration is configured using a stagger-type polycrystalline-Si TFT. A gate electrode, which is composed of a high-heat-resistant material capable of resisting high temperature at the time of polycrystalline-Si film formation, is disposed at a lower layer as compared with the polycrystalline-Si layer that forms a channel of each TFT. A gate line, which is composed of a low-resistance material, is disposed at an upper layer as compared with the polycrystalline-Si layer. The gate electrode and the gate line are connected to each other via a through-hole bored in a gate insulation film. Respective configuration components of each organic electro-luminescent element are partially co-used at the time of the line formation, thereby suppressing an increase in the steps, processes, and configuration components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Etsuko Nishimura, Masatoshi Wakagi, Kenichi Onisawa, Mieko Matsumura
  • Patent number: 8093601
    Abstract: In an active matrix substrate (100) of the present invention, a gate bus line (105) and a gate electrode (166) extend in the first direction (the x direction). At a contact portion (168) for electrically connecting the gate bus line (105) with the drain regions of a first-conductivity-type transistor section (162) and a second-conductivity-type transistor section (164), the direction of the straight line (L1) of the shortest distance (d1) between one of a plurality of first-conductivity-type drain connecting portions (168c) that is closest to the gate bus line (105) and the gate bus line (105) is inclined with respect to the second direction (the y direction).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tadayoshi Miyamoto, Mitsuhiro Tanaka
  • Patent number: 8089575
    Abstract: A display device includes a sequentially stacked body formed of a gate signal line, an insulation film, a semiconductor layer and a conductor layer on a substrate. The conductive layer forms a drain electrode and a source electrode of a thin film transistor which are arranged with a channel region of the semiconductor layer therebetween, and one of the drain and source electrode is formed in an approximately U shape having an open-ended one end side and a connecting portion on another end side so that the one electrode surrounds a distal end portion of another electrode as viewed in a plan view, and a projecting portion is formed on a side of the connecting portion opposite to the another electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignees: Hitachi Displays, Ltd., Panasonic Liquid Crystal Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Miyo Ishii, Junichi Uehara, Kunihiko Watanabe
  • Patent number: 8076704
    Abstract: An organic light emitting device according to an embodiment includes a thin film transistor substrate including a plurality of thin film transistors and an over-coating film formed on the thin film transistors. The over-coating film includes a curved surface on at least two pixels among pixels of different colors and the slope angles of depressed portions forming the curved surface are respectively different from each other depending on the colors of the pixels. A plurality of first electrodes formed on the over-coating film includes a surface formed according to the curved surface, an organic light emitting member formed on the first electrodes includes a surface formed according to the curved surface, and a second electrode formed on the organic light emitting member includes a surface formed according to the curved surface. Slope angles of the depressed portions increase according to a decrease of wavelengths of the colors of the pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Baek-Woon Lee, Young-In Hwang
  • Patent number: 8058651
    Abstract: A thin film transistor array substrate and a method for manufacturing the thin film transistor array substrate are disclosed. Specifically, a thin film transistor array may be formed using a reduced number of masks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2011
    Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yong In Park, Jae Young Oh, Soo Pool Kim
  • Patent number: 8053839
    Abstract: A semiconductor structure includes of a plurality of semiconductor fins overlying an insulator layer, a gate dielectric overlying a portion of said semiconductor fin, and a gate electrode overlying the gate dielectric. Each of the semiconductor fins has a top surface, a first sidewall surface, and a second sidewall surface. Dopant ions are implanted at a first angle (e.g., greater than about 7°) with respect to the normal of the top surface of the semiconductor fin to dope the first sidewall surface and the top surface. Further dopant ions are implanted with respect to the normal of the top surface of the semiconductor fin to dope the second sidewall surface and the top surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yee-Chia Yeo, Ping-Wei Wang, Hao-Yu Chen, Fu-Liang Yang, Chenming Hu
  • Patent number: 8049218
    Abstract: A TFT LCD array substrate and a manufacturing method thereof. The TFT LCD array substrate comprises a substrate. A gate line and a gate electrode that is formed integrally with the gate line are formed on the substrate. A first insulating layer and a semiconductor layer are formed sequentially on the gate line and the gate electrode. A second insulting layer covers sidewalls of the gate line and the gate electrode, the first insulating layer, and the semiconductor layer. An etching stop layer is formed on the semiconductor layer and exposes a part of the semiconductor layer on both sides of the etching stop layer. The TFT LCD of the present invention can be manufactured with a four-mask process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Assignee: Beijing Boe Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Zhangtao Wang, Haijun Qiu, Tae Yup Min, Seung Moo Rim
  • Patent number: 8049255
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes an insulating substrate and a TFT element disposed on the substrate. The TFT element includes a gate electrode, a gate insulating film, a semiconductor layer, and a source electrode and a drain electrode arranged in that order on the insulating substrate. The semiconductor layer includes an active layer composed of polycrystalline semiconductor and a contact layer segment interposed between the active layer and the source electrode and another contact layer segment interposed between the active layer and the drain electrode. The source and drain electrodes each have a first face facing the opposite face of the active layer from the interface with the gate insulating layer and a second face facing an etched side face of the active layer. Each contact layer segment is disposed between the active layer and each of the first and second faces of the source or drain electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi Displays, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Sakai, Toshio Miyazawa, Takuo Kaitoh, Hidekazu Miyake
  • Patent number: 8044399
    Abstract: A display has a glass substrate provided with a transparent conducting film, thin-film transistors, and an aluminum alloy wiring film electrically connecting the thin-film transistors to the transparent conducting film. The aluminum alloy wiring film is a layered structure having a first layer (X) of an aluminum alloy comprising at least one element selected from the specific element group Q including Ni and Ag, and at least one element selected from the specific element group R including rare-earth elements and Mg in a content in the specific range, and a second layer (Y) of an aluminum alloy containing having a resistivity lower than that of the first layer (X). The first layer (X) is in direct contact with the transparent conducting film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Aya Hino, Hiroshi Gotou, Hiroyuki Okuno, Junichi Nakai
  • Patent number: 8039844
    Abstract: This invention provides a top-gate microcrystalline thin film transistor and a method for manufacturing the same. An inversion layer channel is formed in a top interface of a microcrystalline active layer, and being separated from an incubation layer in a bottom interface of the microcrystalline active layer. The inversion layer channel is formed in the crystallized layer of the top interface of the microcrystalline active layer. As such, the present microcrystalline thin film transistor has better electrical performance and reliability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Cheng-Ju Tsai, Bo-Chu Chen, Ding-Kang Shih, Jung-Jie Huang, Yung-Hui Yeh