Active solid-state devices (e.g. – transistors – solid-state diode – Non-single crystal – or recrystallized – semiconductor... – Amorphous semiconductor material
Reexamination Certificate
2003-03-12
2004-08-24
Lee, Eddie (Department: 2811)
Active solid-state devices (e.g., transistors, solid-state diode
Non-single crystal, or recrystallized, semiconductor...
Amorphous semiconductor material
C257S072000, C349S038000, C349S039000, C349S048000, C349S139000, C349S140000, C349S141000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06781154
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor apparatus, particularly to the structure of a thin film transistor (abbreviated as “TFT”) by which liquid crystal of an active matrix display unit is driven.
2. Description of the Related Art
A liquid crystal display unit of an active matrix driving type using a TFT as a driving element included in a thin semiconductor apparatus enabling low power to be consumed has high performance like advanced contrast and high speed response. Consequently, a liquid crystal display unit is mainly used as a display unit of a personal computer or the like or mounted on a portable television receiving apparatus or the like. The scale of the market for such a liquid crystal display unit has largely expanded in recent years.
FIG. 6
is a plan view showing a conventional liquid crystal panel
1
.
FIG. 7
is a cross sectional view viewed from a cross sectional line VII—VII in FIG.
6
. The liquid crystal panel
1
comprises a light transmitting substrate
3
, semiconductor pieces
2
each having a source region
4
, a channel region
5
and a drain region
6
, a gate insulating film
7
, scanning lines
8
, auxiliary capacitor electrodes
9
, a first interlayer insulating film
10
, signal lines
11
, drain electrodes
12
, a second interlayer insulating film
13
and pixel electrodes
14
. The channel region
5
of the semiconductor piece
2
is a semiconductor. The source region
4
and the drain region
6
are electrically conductive because of impurity injected into the semiconductor.
Furthermore, signal line contact holes
15
, drain electrode contact holes
16
and pixel electrode contact holes
17
are formed in the liquid crystal panel
1
. The signal line
11
is electrically connected to the source region
4
of the semiconductor piece
2
via the signal line contact hole
15
. Furthermore, the drain electrode
12
is electrically connected to the drain region
6
of the semiconductor piece
2
via the drain electrode contact hole
16
. In addition, the pixel electrode
14
is electrically connected to the drain electrode
12
of the semiconductor piece
2
via the pixel electrode contact hole
17
. As to such a liquid crystal panel
1
, the TFT has a structure at least including the semiconductor piece
2
having the source region
4
electrically connected to the signal line
11
, the channel region
5
electrically connected to the scanning line
8
and the drain region
6
electrically connected to the pixel electrode
14
.
In such a conventional liquid crystal panel
1
, one signal line contact hole
15
is usually formed for one semiconductor piece
2
. As an example of a defective of the signal line contact hole
15
, there are a resist defective and a so-called opening defective of a contact hole which means that no signal line contact hole
15
is formed in spite of performing etching because of dust contamination during manufacturing. When there is occurrence of opening defective on the opening of the signal line contact hole
15
for some reason, the signal line
11
can not be electrically connected to the source region
4
of the TFT
2
, and thereby signal voltage can not be applied to the TFT facing the signal line contact hole with occurrence of the defective. Thereby, the TFT comprising the semiconductor piece
2
can not apply driving voltage from the drain region
4
to the pixel electrode
14
by applying the signal voltage from the signal line
11
to the source region
4
and from the scanning line
8
to the channel region
5
.
Such a pixel without capability of liquid crystal driving is called a point defect and is displayed in black or white on a liquid crystal panel. This point defect can be easily recognized by the eyes of human and therefore no point defect should exist on a liquid crystal panel. With existence of any point defect on the liquid crystal panel, the whole of the liquid crystal panel becomes defective and the panel can not be used for a liquid crystal display unit. Accordingly, eliminating point defect is an important countermeasure item leading to quality improvement of a liquid crystal panel and furthermore reduction of production cost of the panel.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Consequently, an object of the invention is to provide a semiconductor apparatus which simplifies a structure and reduces a possibility of occurrence of manufacture defect.
The invention provides a semiconductor apparatus comprising:
a plurality of signal lines extending in one direction and arranged substantially in parallel each other;
a plurality of scanning lines extending in the other direction intersecting in one direction and arranged substantially in parallel each other;
a plurality of driving electrodes arranged in the form of a matrix; and
switching elements having a source region electrically connected to the signal line, a channel region electrically connected to the scanning line and a drain region electrically connected to a driving electrode, for applying driving voltage from the drain region to the driving electrode by applying signal voltage from the signal line to the source region and from the scanning line to the channel region, the switching elements being formed so that every two of the plurality of switching elements which are adjoined in one direction are integrated in one semiconductor piece.
According to the invention, two switching elements which are adjoined in one direction are integrated in one semiconductor piece, therefore, a number of semiconductor pieces required for forming a predetermined number of switching elements can be reduced half and the structure of the semiconductor apparatus can be simplified, in comparison with such a conventional semiconductor apparatus that one switching element can be formed for one semiconductor piece. When the semiconductor apparatus is manufactured, it is necessary to manufacture the semiconductor apparatus so that all the switching elements can perform such a predetermined operation that driving voltage is applied from the drain region to the driving electrode by applying signal voltage from the signal line to the source region and from the scanning line to the channel region. For this purpose, all the semiconductor pieces should be formed at least in a predetermined shape when the semiconductor apparatus is manufactured. The less a number of semiconductor pieces to be formed becomes, the easier all the semiconductor pieces can be formed into the predetermined shape. In the semiconductor apparatus according to the invention, therefore, a degree of forming all the semiconductor pieces into the predetermined shape becomes twice in comparison with the conventional semiconductor apparatus. In other words, a degree that all the switching elements can perform the predetermined operation becomes twice. Consequently, the semiconductor apparatus according to the invention can halve a possibility of occurrence of manufacturing failure in comparison with the conventional semiconductor apparatus.
According to the invention, in comparison with such a conventional semiconductor apparatus that one switching element is formed for one semiconductor piece, the structure of the semiconductor apparatus can be simplified and the possibility of occurrence of manufacturing failure can be reduced half.
In addition, in the invention it is preferable that the two switching elements share the source region.
According to the invention, the two switching elements integrated in one semiconductor piece share the source region electrically connected to the signal line. A number of source regions electrically connected to the signal line, therefore, is reduced half and the structure of the semiconductor apparatus can be simplified, in comparison with such a conventional semiconductor apparatus that one switching element can be formed for one semiconductor piece. When the semiconductor apparatus is manufactured, it is necessary to manufacture the semiconductor apparatus so that all the switching elements can perform such a predetermined
Lee Eddie
Magee Thomas
Nixon & Vanderhye P.C.
Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
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