Thin film transistors

• US 4,623,908 A
• Filed: 03/31/1983
• Issued: 11/18/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/1982
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Kabushiki Kaisha (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Kabushiki Kaisha (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Oshima, Hiroyuki, Mano, Toshihiko, Kodaira, Toshimoto
• Primary Examiner(s): Edlow, Martin H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Crane, Sara W.
• Application Number:
  US06/481,087
• Time in Patent Office: 1,328 Days
• Field of Search: 357/4, 357/23 TF, 357/23 C, 357/23.6, 357/23.7, 357/23.8, 357/59, 307/304, 307/298, 307/571
• US Class Current: 257/66
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13624 having more than one switching element per pixel
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1368 in which the switching element is a three-electrode device G02F1/136277 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0809 Several active elements per pixel in active matrix panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0823 used to establish symmetry in driving, e.g. with polarity inversion
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0214 with crosstalk due to leakage current of pixel switch in active matrix panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3648 using an active matrix G09G3/367 - G09G3/3696 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3677 suitable for active matrices only
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3688 suitable for active matrices only
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 19/184 with field-effect transistors, e.g. MOS-FET
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/12 the substrate being other than a semiconductor body, e.g. an insulating body
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/78645 with multiple gate

Abstract

The thin film transistor comprises a plurality of individual thin film transistors on a common insulating substrate with the plurality of individual thin film transistors being connected together in series. The gate electrode of each individual transistor of the plurality of thin film transistors is connected to form one common gate electrode for the overall transistor. Leakage current in the OFF condition is substantially reduced. Identical performance is achieved from the transistor with interchangeability in designating source and drain terminals, when a symmetry is provided such that the i-th transistor in a series of N is physically identical to the (N-i+1)-th transistor in the overall transistor.

Claims

1. A low-leakage thin film transistor comprising:

an insulating substrate comprising a material from the group consisting of glass quartz;

a plurality of thin film transistors formed of non-monocrystalline silicon on the insulating substrate, the source-drain paths of the thin film transistors being connected in series to provide one source electrode and one drain electrode, the gate electrodes of the thin film transistors being connected to form one common date electrode wherein the leakage current of the thin film transistor does not substantially increase when negative voltage is increasingly applied to the gate.

2. A thin film transistor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the number of interconnected thin film transistors is N, N being greater than or equal to 2, and wherein the i-th thin film transistor, counting from either the source electrode or the drain electrode, is of the same physical construction as the (N-i+1)th counting in series from the same side, where i=1, 2 . . . N.

3. A thin film transistor in accordance with claim 1 wherein the material of the plurality of transistors comprises polycrystalline silicon.

4. A low-leakage thin film transistor comprising;

an insulating substrate;

a plurality of thin film polycrystalline silicon transistors on the insulating substrate, the source-drain paths of the plurality of thin film transistors connected in series to provide one source electrode and one drain electrode, the gate electrodes of the plurality of thin film transistors being connected to form one common gate electrode, wherein the leakage current of the thin film transistor does not substantially increase when negative voltage is increasingly applied to the gate.

5. The thin film transistor of claim 4, wherein the number of interconnected thin film transistors is N, N being greater than or equal to 2, and wherein the i-th thin film transistor, counting from either the source electrode or the drain electrode is of the same physical construction as the (N-i+1)th thin film transistor, counting in series from the same electrode, where i=1,2 . . . N.