Thin-film device

Claim 2

A thin-film device comprising a substrate, a gate electrode formed on said substrate, a gate insulator formed on said gate electrode, a channel region consisting of a semiconductor layer formed on said gate insulator, and a source electrode and a drain electrode formed on said semiconductor layer, wherein said substrate is an insulating substrate, and wherein said gate electrode has a first gate electrode and a second gate electrode which are electrically insulated from each other, said first gate electrode being provided on said second gate electrode such that a coupling capacitance can be provided between the first and second gate electrodes, and a signal is applied to the second gate electrode so as to apply the signal to the first gate electrode via the coupling capacitance, the coupling capacitance being formed at least at a location away from the channel region.

Claim 3

A thin-film device according to claim 1, wherein a capacitance is formed between an extension of said second gate electrode and an extension of said first gate electrode at a location away from the channel region of the device.

Claim 4

A thin-film device according to claim 1, wherein said channel region is composed of amorphous silicon.

Claim 5

A thin-film device according to claim 2, wherein said channel region is composed by amorphous silicon.

Claim 6

A thin-film device according to claim 1, further comprising an insulator which enables the coupling capacitance to be achieved, said insulator being positioned between the first and second gate electrodes, and wherein the insulator is in common with an insulator that insulates said two gate electrodes from each other.

Claim 7

A thin-film device according to claim 2, further comprising an insulator which enables the coupling capacitance to be achieved, said insulator being positioned between the first and second gate electrodes, and wherein the insulator is in common with an insulator that insulates said two gate electrodes from each other.

Claim 8

A thin-film device comprising a substrate, a gate electrode formed on said substrate, a gate insulator formed on said gate electrode, a semiconductor layer that forms a channel region on said gate insulator, a source electrode and a drain electrode formed on said semiconductor layer, and a gate signal line that applies signals to said gate electrode, wherein said substrate is an insulating substrate, and wherein said gate electrode and said gate signal line are electrically insulated from each other, a coupling capacitance is provided between said gate electrode and said gate signal line at a location away from said channel region, and a signal is applied to the gate signal line, such that a voltage is applied to said gate electrode via said coupling capacitance.

Claim 9

A thin-film device comprising a substrate, a gate electrode formed on said substrate, a gate insulator formed on said gate electrode, a semiconductor layer that forms a channel region on said gate insulator, a source electrode and a drain electrode formed on said semiconductor layer, and a gate signal line that applies signals to said gate electrode, wherein said substrate is an insulating substrate, and wherein said gate electrode and said gate signal line are electrically insulated from each other, a coupling capacitance is provided between said gate electrode and said gate signal line at a location away from said channel region, and a signal is applied to the gate signal line, such that a voltage is applied to said gate electrode via said coupling capacitance.

Claim 10

A thin-film device according to claim 7, wherein said semiconductor layer is composed of amorphous silicon.

Claim 11

A thin-film device according to claim 7, wherein provision is further made of a plurality of video signal lines, said gate signal line is provided in a plural number, said plurality of video signal lines and the plural number of gate signal lines are arranged in the form of a matrix, a video signal is input to either the source electrode or the drain electrode, and a pixel electrode is electrically connected to the other one of either the source electrode or the drain electrode, thereby to constitute a display panel.

Claim 12

A thin-film device according to claim 7, wherein said coupling capacitance has an insulator composed of Al 2 O 3 .

Claim 13

A thin-film device according to claim 7, wherein said coupling capacitance has an insulator composed of Ta 2 O 5 .

Claim 14

A thin-film device according to claim 9, wherein said semiconductor layer is composed of amorphous silicon.

Claim 15

A thin-film device according to claim 9, wherein said coupling capacitance has an insulator composed of Ta 2 O 5 .

Claim 16

A thin-film device according to claim 9, wherein said coupling capacitance has an insulator composed of Al 2 O 3 .

Claim 17

A thin-film device according to claim 1, further comprising an insulator which enables the coupling capacitance to be achieved, the insulator being positioned between the first and second gate electrodes.

Claim 18

A thin-film device according to claim 15, wherein the second gate electrode is made of aluminum, and the insulator is made of a aluminum oxide formed by oxidation of aluminum of the second gate electrode.

Claim 19

A thin-film device according to claim 16, wherein the gate insulator is formed of silicon nitride.

Claim 20

A thin-film device according to claim 15, wherein the insulator which enables the coupling capacitance to be achieved is smaller in thickness than the thickness of the gate insulator.

Claim 21

A thin-film device according to claim 15, wherein the coupling capacitance is greater than a capacitance of the gate insulator.

Claim 22

A thin-film device according to claim 1, wherein the source and drain electrodes do not overlap the first gate electrode but do not overlap the second gate electrode.

Claim 23

A thin-film device according to claim 20, wherein the second gate electrode is provided on the substrate and the first gate electrode is provided overlying the second gate electrode.

Claim 24

A thin-film device according to claim 1, wherein the second gate electrode is formed of aluminum and the first gate electrode is formed of doped amorphous silicon.

Claim 25

A thin-film device according to claim 22, further comprising an insulator which enables the coupling capacitance to be achieved, between the first and second gate electrodes, and wherein the insulator which enables the coupling capacitance to be achieved is formed of aluminum oxide.

Claim 26

A thin-film device comprising a substrate, a gate electrode formed on said substrate, a gate insulator formed on said gate electrode, a channel region consisting of a semiconductor layer formed on said gate insulator, and a source electrode and a drain electrode formed on said semiconductor layer, wherein said channel region is composed of amorphous silicon, and wherein said gate electrode has a first gate electrode and a second gate electrode which are electrically insulated from each other, said first gate electrode being provided on said second gate electrode such that a coupling capacitance can be provided between the first and second gate electrodes, and a signal is applied to the second gate electrode so as to apply the signal to the first gate electrode via the coupling capacitance, the coupling capacitance being formed at least at a location away from the channel region.

Claim 27

A thin-film device comprising a substrate, a gate electrode formed on said substrate, a gate insulator formed on said gate electrode, a channel region consisting of a semiconductor layer formed on said gate insulator, and a source electrode and a drain electrode formed on said semiconductor layer, wherein said channel region is composed of amorphous silicon, and wherein said gate electrode has a first gate electrode and a second gate electrode which are electrically insulated from each other, said first gate electrode being provided on said second gate electrode such that a coupling capacitance can be provided between the first and second gate electrodes, and a signal is applied to the second gate electrode so as to apply the signal to the first gate electrode via the coupling capacitance, the coupling capacitance being formed at least at a location away from the channel region.

Claim 28

A thin-film device comprising a substrate, a gate electrode formed on said substrate, a gate insulator formed on said gate electrode, a semiconductor layer that forms a channel region on said gate insulator, a source electrode and a drain electrode formed on said semiconductor layer, and a gate signal line that applies signals to said gate electrode, wherein said semiconductor layer is composed of amorphous silicon, and wherein said gate electrode and said gate signal line are electrically insulated from each other, a coupling capacitance is provided between said gate electrode and said gate signal line at a location away from said channel region, and a signal is applied to the gate signal line, such that a voltage is applied to said gate electrode via said coupling capacitance.

Claim 29

A thin-film device comprising a substrate, a gate electrode formed on said substrate, a gate insulator formed on said gate electrode, a semiconductor layer that forms a channel region on said gate insulator, a source electrode and a drain electrode formed on said semiconductor layer, and a gate signal line that applies signals to said gate electrode, wherein said semiconductor layer is composed of amorphous silicon, and wherein said gate electrode and said gate signal line are electrically insulated from each other, a coupling capacitance is provided between said gate electrode and said gate signal line at a location away from said channel region, and a signal is applied to the gate signal line, such that a voltage is applied to said gate electrode via said coupling capacitance.

Claim 30

A thin-film device comprising a substrate, a gate electrode formed on said substrate, a gate insulator formed on said gate electrode, a semiconductor layer that forms a channel region on said gate insulator, a source electrode and a drain electrode formed on said semiconductor layer, and a gate signal line that applies signals to said gate electrode, wherein said gate electrode and said gate signal line are electrically insulated from each other, a coupling capacitance is provided between said gate electrode and said gate signal line at a location away from said channel region, and a signal is applied to the gate signal line, such that a voltage is applied to said gate electrode via said coupling capacitance, and wherein provision is further made of a plurality of video signal lines, said gate signal line is provided in a plural number, said plurality of video signal lines and the plural number of gate signal lines are arranged in the form of a matrix, a video signal is input to either the source electrode or the drain electrode, and a pixel electrode is electrically connected to the other one of either the source electrode or the drain electrode, thereby to constitute a display panel.

Claim 31

A thin-film device comprising a substrate, a gate electrode formed on said substrate, a gate insulator formed on said gate electrode, a semiconductor layer that forms a channel region on said gate insulator, a source electrode and a drain electrode formed on said semiconductor layer, and a gate signal line that applies signals to said gate electrode, wherein said gate electrode and said gate signal line are electrically insulated from each other, a coupling capacitance is provided between said gate electrode and said gate signal line at a location away from said channel region, and a signal is applied to the gate signal line, such that a voltage is applied to said gate electrode via said coupling capacitance, and wherein provision is further made of a plurality of video signal lines, said gate signal line is provided in a plural number, said plurality of video signal lines and the plural number of gate signal lines are arranged in the form of a matrix, a video signal is input to either the source electrode or the drain electrode, and a pixel electrode is electrically connected to the other one of either the source electrode or the drain electrode, thereby to constitute a display panel.