Active solid-state devices (e.g. – transistors – solid-state diode – Non-single crystal – or recrystallized – semiconductor... – Amorphous semiconductor material
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-25
2003-12-02
Prenty, Mark V. (Department: 2822)
Active solid-state devices (e.g., transistors, solid-state diode
Non-single crystal, or recrystallized, semiconductor...
Amorphous semiconductor material
C257S401000, C257S347000, C257S618000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06657225
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a transistor component, particularly to a technique for obtaining a transistor component using a silicon grain. The present invention especially relates to a transistor component preferable for manufacture of large-size liquid crystal displays and the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 11
is a planar view of an active matrix substrate in a conventional TFT (thin film transistor) liquid crystal display. A TFT is formed on each pixel area defined by data lines
31
and scan lines
15
on an insulating substrate
10
.
As shown in FIG.
12
(D), this TFT comprises a channel area
17
for forming a channel between a source area
14
and a drain area
16
, a gate electrode
15
arranged opposite to the channel area
17
thereby sandwiching a gate insulation film
13
, a source electrode
31
electrically connecting with the source area
14
via a contact hole
201
of a layer insulation film
20
formed on the surfaces of the channel area
17
and the source electrode
31
, and a pixel electrode
40
made of a sputter ITO (indium thin oxide) film electrically connecting with the drain area
16
via a contact hole
202
of the layer insulation film
20
. The source electrode
31
is here a portion of the data line, and the gate electrode
15
is a portion of the scan electrode. The same reference numerals have been indicated accordingly.
Conventionally, a TFT with the construction above was manufactured by the processes illustrated in FIG.
12
.
FIG. 12
is a cross-section of the conventional substrate in
FIG. 11
taken along X—X. As shown in FIG.
12
(A), a semiconductor film is formed on the surface of a base protection film
11
of an insulating substrate
10
, the semiconductor film is then patterned, formed to an island-shape, and a gate insulation film
13
is formed thereon.
Next, a thin film of aluminum or the like is formed by sputtering and patterned to form a gate electrode
15
. Scan lines are formed concurrently. The gate electrode
15
is used as the mask for introducing an impurity ion on the semiconductor film, to form a source area
14
and a drain area
16
. Thereafter, the layer insulation film
20
is formed. As shown in FIG.
12
(B), contact holes
201
,
202
are formed, and a source electrode
31
electrically connecting with the source area
14
via the contact hole
201
is formed. As shown in FIG.
12
(C), an ITO film is formed by sputtering on the surface of the source electrode
31
, and then a resist mask
701
is used as a mask to pattern the ITO film to form a mask. Then, as shown in FIG.
12
(D), the resist mask
701
is used as a mask to pattern the ITO film and form a pixel electrode
40
.
As described above, during the manufacture of an active matrix substrate for a TFT liquid crystal display, the CVD (chemical vapor deposition) or PVD (physical vapor deposition) method was used to form a semiconductor film on the substrate. Therefore, when manufacturing a TFT display having a silicon substrate of an area of 1 m
2
or more, there was the problem that the device became bulky and the manufacturing cost increased.
As an alternative, compact silicon substrates could be combined to manufacture a TFT display with a large area, but the alignment would become complex, and the manufacture difficult.
On the other hand, recent efforts have been made to coat silicon solution on an insulating substrate and form a silicon film by removing the liquid, but even with this method, it is difficult to form a large-size silicon substrate. Accordingly, the conventional technique of forming transistor components and the like on a silicon substrate was not adequate in cases where large-size silicon substrates were required.
Another recent method liquidizes conductive material used for forming wiring, coating such liquid via an inkjet printer on the face for forming the wiring pattern, and blowing the solvent to form the wiring pattern. However, this problem had the issue that the step of forming the wiring pattern would be additionally necessary, etc.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In contrast to conventional semiconductor components formed on a silicon substrate, the present invention aims at providing a transistor component functioning as a semiconductor component by being quasi placed on an insulating substrate, and the method of manufacturing such transistor component.
The present invention further aims at providing an active matrix substrate for use with a large-size TFT liquid crystal display using the transistor component above, and a method of manufacturing such substrate.
The present invention still further aims at providing a semiconductor device enabling easy patterning of the wiring.
In order to solve the aims above, the semiconductor component relating to the present invention is formed by fixing a plurality of silicon microbulks (powder, grain or piece, etc.) on an insulating substrate in array, and using the silicon grains themselves as a channel layer of the transistor.
The present invention further uses the semiconductor component as the switching component for each pixel electrode of an active matrix substrate.
Furthermore, in the present invention, fine metal wires used for wire bonding in a conventional semiconductor device are used for the wiring pattern on the semiconductor component.
Also, the present invention is a semiconductor device having a contact hole in connection with a source area and a drain area of a semiconductor component, the contact hole being formed on an insulation film and formed of a cutout made by the insulation film being selectively cut by a fine cutting means.
The embodiment of the present invention described above comprises a silicon grain with a drain area and a source area formed via the channel area, an oxidation film covering the surface of the silicon grain, a gate electrode formed above the channel area via an oxidation film, a drain electrode electrically connecting with the drain area, and a source electrode electrically connecting with the source area.
The above structure allows the transistor component according to the present invention to be fixed on an insulating substrate made of plastic and the like, and use such transistor component with the desired functions. Accordingly, the difficulty of manufacturing large-size silicon substrates can be resolved. Furthermore, as there is no need to implement the step of forming the silicon film in the gaseous conditions of a vacuum apparatus, a substrate with low thermal resistance as described above can be used for the substrate.
In a preferred embodiment of the transistor component according to the present invention, the silicon grain is preferably substantially spherical and made of a silicon monocrystal. The oxidation film is preferably a silicon dioxide film. By using a substantially spherical silicon grain, it is easy to arrange the direction of the silicon grain when placing, arranging or fixing the transistor component according to the present invention on an insulating substrate. Also, by forming the silicon grain from a silicon monocrystal, the performance of the transistor component according to the present invention is enhanced. Forming the oxidation film covering the silicon grain out of silicon dioxide enables this silicon dioxide film to function as a gate electrode. The gate electrode may be formed as a ring surrounding the silicon grain.
The active matrix substrate for a liquid crystal display according to the present invention is structured so a transistor component is provided for each of a plurality of pixel areas defined by data lines and scan lines on an insulating substrate, the transistor component comprising a source area electrically connecting with the data lines, a gate electrode electrically connecting with the scan lines, and a drain electrode electrically connecting with a pixel electrode, wherein the transistor component is a transistor component according to the present invention. By using the transistor component according to the present invention
Oliff & Berridg,e PLC
Prenty Mark V.
Seiko Epson Corporation
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