Semiconductor device and display device

US2016341997A1 · US · A1

Patent metadata
FieldValue
Publication numberUS-2016341997-A1
Application numberUS-201415107897-A
CountryUS
Kind codeA1
Filing dateSep 8, 2014
Priority dateDec 27, 2013
Publication dateNov 24, 2016
Grant date

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  1. Title

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  2. Abstract

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  3. Assignees and inventors

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  4. Key dates

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  5. First independent claim

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  6. CPC / IPC classifications

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  7. Citations and related patents

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Abstract

Official abstract text for this publication.

An aim of the present invention is to reduce manufacturing costs and lower the electrical resistance of composite metal electrodes while lowering the contact resistance of the composite metal electrodes with respect to an organic semiconductor film. A TFT (semiconductor device) of the present invention includes an organic semiconductor film formed from an organic semiconductor material, and a source electrode and a drain electrode that are composite metal electrodes that contact the organic semiconductor film. The source electrode and the drain electrode are configured such that a low-resistance metal material that makes ohmic contact with the organic semiconductor film, the contact resistance thereof being lower than that of a base metal material formed of a metal material, is mixed with the base metal material, and the low-resistance metal material is disposed so as to be exposed at least at a contact surface with the organic semiconductor film.

First claim

Opening claim text (preview).

1 . A semiconductor device, comprising: an organic semiconductor film formed of an organic semiconductor material; and composite metal electrodes that contact the organic semiconductor film, wherein the composite metal electrodes are each made of a low-resistance metal material mixed with a base metal material, the low-resistance metal material making ohmic contact with the organic semiconductor film and having a contact resistance lower than that of said base metal material, the low-resistance metal material being exposed at least at a contact surface with the organic semiconductor film. 2 . The semiconductor device according to claim 1 , wherein the base metal material has a film shape, and at least an end face along a thickness direction thereof is said contact surface, and wherein the low-resistance metal material is formed of a plurality of flat metal pieces contained within the base metal material, and said metal pieces are disposed such that a flat surface thereof is orthogonal to said end face. 3 . The semiconductor device according to claim 1 , wherein the composite metal electrodes are each configured such that the low-resistance metal material is also exposed at a non-contact surface that does not contact the organic semiconductor film. 4 . The semiconductor device according to claim 1 , wherein the composite metal electrodes are each formed by forming a low-resistance metal-based layer in which a relatively large amount of the low-resistance metal material is disposed, and a base metal-based layer in which a relatively large amount of the base metal material is disposed. 5 . The semiconductor device according to claim 4 , wherein at least a portion of the organic semiconductor film is formed on an underlying surface on which the composite metal electrodes are formed, a film thickness thereof being thinner than a thickness of the composite metal electrodes, and wherein the composite metal electrodes are each configured such that the low-resistance metal-based layer is disposed along said underlying surface in a film thickness direction of the organic semiconductor film. 6 . The semiconductor device according to claim 1 , wherein the composite metal electrodes are each configured such that a content ratio of the low-resistance metal material is within a range of 1% to 30%. 7 . The semiconductor device according to claim 1 , further comprising: a substrate; a gate electrode formed on the substrate; and an insulating film formed on a side of the gate electrode opposite to said substrate, wherein the organic semiconductor film is formed on a side of the insulating film opposite to the substrate, and is disposed so as to coincide in position with the gate electrode, and wherein the composite metal electrodes comprise a source electrode and a drain electrode that are disposed with a gap therebetween and that are formed on the side of the insulating film opposite to the substrate. 8 . The semiconductor device according to claim 1 , further comprising: a substrate on which the organic semiconductor film and the composite metal electrodes are formed; an insulating film formed on a side of the organic semiconductor film and the composite metal electrodes opposite to the substrate; and a gate electrode formed on a side of the insulating film opposite to the substrate, wherein the organic semiconductor film is disposed so as to coincide in position with the gate electrode, and wherein the composite metal electrodes comprise a source electrode and a drain electrode that are disposed with a gap therebetween. 9 . The semiconductor device according to claim 1 , further comprising adhesive films respectively interposed between the composite metal electrodes and an underlying surface upon which the composite metal electrodes are formed, said adhesive films respectively adhering the composite metal electrodes to said underlying surface. 10 . The semiconductor device according to claim 1 , wherein the organic semiconductor film comprises a portion formed on an underlying surface on which the composite metal electrodes are formed, and portions respectively formed on a side of each of the composite metal electrodes opposite to the underlying surface, and wherein the semiconductor device further comprises a protective film formed on a side of the organic semiconductor film opposite to the underlying surface. 11 . The semiconductor device according to claim 1 , wherein the low-resistance metal material is any one of silver, gold, platinum, and palladium. 12 . The semiconductor device according to claim 1 , wherein the metal material forming the base metal material is any one of copper, aluminum, tungsten, molybdenum, cobalt, and nickel. 13 . A display device, comprising: A device substrate having as a switching element the semiconductor device according to claim 1 . 14 . The display device according to claim 13 , further comprising: an opposite substrate facing the device substrate; and a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the device substrate and the opposite substrate.

Assignees

Inventors

Classifications

  • Electricity · mapped topic

  • Electricity · mapped topic

  • Electricity · mapped topic

  • G02F1/1368Primary

    in which the switching element is a three-electrode device {(G02F1/136277 takes precedence)} · CPC title

  • Electricity · mapped topic

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Frequently asked questions

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What does patent US2016341997A1 cover?
An aim of the present invention is to reduce manufacturing costs and lower the electrical resistance of composite metal electrodes while lowering the contact resistance of the composite metal electrodes with respect to an organic semiconductor film. A TFT (semiconductor device) of the present invention includes an organic semiconductor film formed from an organic semiconductor material, and a s…
Who is the assignee on this patent?
Sharp Kk
What technology area does this patent fall under?
Primary CPC classification G02F1/1368. Mapped technology areas include Physics.
When was this patent published?
Publication date Thu Nov 24 2016 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time) (A1). Legal status and post-grant events are not shown on this page.
What related patents are in patentsdb?
We list 8 related publications on this page (citations in our corpus or others sharing the same primary CPC).