Display device

• US 9,703,157 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2015
• Issued: 07/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Yamazaki, Shunpei, Akimoto, Kengo, Uochi, Hideki, Komori, Shigeki, Futamura, Tomoya, Kasahara, Takahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Dulka, John P
• Application Number:
  US14/837,599
• Publication Number:
  US 20150362806A1
• Time in Patent Office: 684 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/136204 Arrangements to prevent high voltage or static electricity failures
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/0248 for electrical or thermal protection, e.g. electrostatic discharge [ESD] protection
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1225 with semiconductor materials not belonging to the group IV of the periodic table, e.g. InGaZnO
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/124 with a particular composition, shape or layout of the wiring layers specially adapted to the circuit arrangement, e.g. scanning lines in LCD pixel circuits wiring structures per se H01L23/52
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/0041 characterised by field-effect operation

Abstract

In order to take advantage of the properties of a display device including an oxide semiconductor, a protective circuit and the like having appropriate structures and a small occupied area are necessary. The protective circuit is formed using a non-linear element which includes a gate insulating film covering a gate electrode; a first oxide semiconductor layer over the gate insulating film; a channel protective layer covering a region which overlaps with a channel formation region of the first oxide semiconductor layer; and a first wiring layer and a second wiring layer each of which is formed by stacking a conductive layer and a second oxide semiconductor layer and over the first oxide semiconductor layer. The gate electrode is connected to a scan line or a signal line, the first wiring layer or the second wiring layer is directly connected to the gate electrode.

Claims

1. A semiconductor device comprising:

a protective circuit comprising;

a first non-linear element comprising a first oxide semiconductor layer;

a second non-linear element comprising a second oxide semiconductor layer; and

a third non-linear element comprising a third oxide semiconductor layer,

wherein a first conductive layer comprises a gate electrode of the first non-linear element,

wherein a second conductive layer comprises a gate electrode of the second non-linear element,

wherein a third conductive layer comprises a gate electrode of the third non-linear element,

wherein a fourth conductive layer comprises one of a source electrode and a drain electrode of the first non-linear element and one of a source electrode and a drain electrode of the third non-linear element and is in direct contact with the first conductive layer,

wherein a fifth conductive layer comprises one of a source electrode and a drain electrode of the second non-linear element and the other of the source electrode and the drain electrode of the third non-linear element, and is in direct contact with the second conductive layer, and

wherein a sixth conductive layer comprises the other of the source electrode and the drain electrode of the first non-linear element, and the other of the source electrode and the drain electrode of the second non-linear element and is in direct contact with the third conductive layer.

2. The semiconductor device according to claim 1,

wherein the first conductive layer and the fourth conductive layer overlap with each other,

wherein the second conductive layer and the fifth conductive layer overlap with each other, and

wherein the third conductive layer and the sixth conductive layer overlap with each other.

3. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a liquid crystal layer over the first non-linear element, the second non-linear element, and the third non-linear element.

4. A semiconductor device comprising:

a substrate; and

a protective circuit over the substrate, the protective circuit comprising;

a first non-linear element comprising a first oxide semiconductor layer;

a second non-linear element comprising a second oxide semiconductor layer; and

a third non-linear element comprising a third oxide semiconductor layer,

wherein a first conductive layer comprises a gate electrode of the first non-linear element,

wherein a second conductive layer comprises a gate electrode of the second non-linear element,

wherein a third conductive layer comprises a gate electrode of the third non-linear element,

wherein a fourth conductive layer comprises one of a source electrode and a drain electrode of the first non-linear element and one of a source electrode and a drain electrode of the third non-linear element and is in direct contact with the first conductive layer,

wherein a fifth conductive layer comprises one of a source electrode and a drain electrode of the second non-linear element and the other of the source electrode and the drain electrode of the third non-linear element and is in direct contact with the second conductive layer, and

wherein a sixth conductive layer comprises the other of the source electrode and the drain electrode of the first non-linear element and the other of the source electrode and the drain electrode of the second non-linear element and is in direct contact with the third conductive layer.

5. The semiconductor device according to claim 4,

wherein the first conductive layer and the fourth conductive layer overlap with each other,

wherein the second conductive layer and the fifth conductive layer overlap with each other, and

wherein the third conductive layer and the sixth conductive layer overlap with each other.

6. The semiconductor device according to claim 4, further comprising:

a liquid crystal layer over the first non-linear element, the second non-linear element, and the third non-linear element.

7. A semiconductor device comprising:

a protective circuit comprising;

an insulating layer;

a first non-linear element comprising a first oxide semiconductor layer;

a second non-linear element comprising a second oxide semiconductor layer; and

a third non-linear element comprising a third oxide semiconductor layer,

wherein a first conductive layer comprises a gate electrode of the first non-linear element,

wherein a second conductive layer comprises a gate electrode of the second non-linear element,

wherein a third conductive layer comprises a gate electrode of the third non-linear element,

wherein a fourth conductive layer comprises one of a source electrode and a drain electrode of the first non-linear element and one of a source electrode and a drain electrode of the third non-linear element, and is in direct contact with the first conductive layer,

wherein a fifth conductive layer comprises one of a source electrode and a drain electrode of the second non-linear element and the other of the source electrode and the drain electrode of the third non-linear element and is in direct contact with the second conductive layer,

wherein a sixth conductive layer comprises the other of the source electrode and the drain electrode of the first non-linear element and the other of the source electrode and the drain electrode of the second non-linear element and is in direct contact with the third conductive layer, and

wherein the insulating layer is positioned between the first conductive layer and the fourth conductive layer.

8. The semiconductor device according to claim 7,

wherein the first conductive layer and the fourth conductive layer overlap with each other,

wherein the second conductive layer and the fifth conductive layer overlap with each other, and

wherein the third conductive layer and the sixth conductive layer overlap with each other.

9. The semiconductor device according to claim 7, further comprising:

a liquid crystal layer over the first non-linear element, the second non-linear element, and the third non-linear element.

10. A semiconductor device comprising:

a substrate; and

a protective circuit over the substrate, the protective circuit comprising;

an insulating layer;

a first non-linear element comprising a first oxide semiconductor layer;

a second non-linear element comprising a second oxide semiconductor layer; and

a third non-linear element comprising a third oxide semiconductor layer,

wherein a first conductive layer comprises the first conductive layer including a gate electrode of the first non-linear element,

wherein a second conductive layer comprises a gate electrode of the second non-linear element,

wherein a third conductive layer comprises a gate electrode of the third non-linear element,

wherein a fourth conductive layer comprises one of a source electrode and a drain electrode of the first non-linear element and one of a source electrode and a drain electrode of the third non-linear element, and is in direct contact with the first conductive layer,

wherein a fifth conductive layer comprises one of a source electrode and a drain electrode of the second non-linear element and the other of the source electrode and the drain electrode of the third non-linear element, and is in direct contact with the second conductive layer,

wherein a sixth conductive layer comprises the other of the source electrode and the drain electrode of the first non-linear element and the other of the source electrode and the drain electrode of the second non-linear element, and is in direct contact with the third conductive layer, and

wherein the insulating layer is positioned between the first conductive layer and the fourth conductive layer.

11. The semiconductor device according to claim 10,

wherein the first conductive layer and the fourth conductive layer overlap with each other,

wherein the second conductive layer and the fifth conductive layer overlap with each other, and

wherein the third conductive layer and the sixth conductive layer overlap with each other.

12. The semiconductor device according to claim 10, further comprising:

a liquid crystal layer over the first non-linear element, the second non-linear element, and the third non-linear element.