IP Library Granted Patent US 7,038,278
Granted Patent B2
US 7,038,278 · App. 10/638,499 · Granted May 2, 2006

Thin film transistor, image display device, and image display apparatus

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,038,278
App. No.
10/638,499
Granted
May 2, 2006
Kind
B2
Abstract

A thin film transistor is circular when viewed from top. A first source/drain region is disposed at the center, a semiconductor layer surrounds the first source/drain region and overlaps with an external periphery of the first source/drain region, and a second source/drain region surrounds the semiconductor layer and overlaps the external periphery of the semiconductor layer. The potential of the second source/drain region is set higher than the potential of the first source/drain region. The external periphery of the first source/drain region and the internal periphery of the second source/drain region have concentric circular shapes.

Claims (48)

1. A thin film transistor comprising:

a first source/drain electrode;

a first source/drain region that is connected to the first source/drain electrode, wherein the first source/drain region has a first potential, wherein the first source/drain region has an external periphery;

a second source/drain electrode;

a second source/drain region that is connected to the second source/drain electrode, wherein the second source/drain region has an internal periphery that surrounds the external periphery of the first source/drain region, wherein at least during the operation the second source/drain region has a second potential that is higher than the first potential;

a semiconductor layer that is disposed between the first source/drain region and the second source/drain region; and

a gate electrode that induces a channel in the semiconductor layer

wherein the semiconductor layer is disposed between the gate electrode and the first and second source/drain electrodes.

2. The thin film transistor according to claim 1 , wherein

the external periphery of the first source/drain region and the internal periphery of the second source/drain region are concentric circles.

3. The thin film transistor according to claim 1 , wherein

the external periphery of the first source/drain region and the internal periphery of the second source/drain region are substantially elliptical.

4. The thin film transistor according to claim 1 , wherein

the semiconductor layer is made of non-monocrystalline silicon.

5. An image display device comprising:

a light-emitting device;

a first thin film transistor that controls a light emission state of the light-emitting device, wherein the first thin film transistor includes

a first source/drain electrode;

a first source/drain region that is connected to the first source/drain electrode, wherein the first source/drain region has a first potential, wherein the first source/drain region has an external periphery;

a second source/drain electrode;

a second source/drain region that is connected to the second source/drain electrode, wherein the second source/drain region has an internal periphery that surrounds the external periphery of the first source/drain region, wherein at least during the operation the second source/drain region has a second potential that is higher than the first potential;

a semiconductor layer that is disposed between the first source/drain region and the second source/drain region; and

a gate electrode that induces a channel in the semiconductor layer;

a second thin film transistor that controls a gate potential of the first thin film transistor; and

a capacitor that holds the gate potential of the first thin film transistor controlled by the first thin film transistor.

6. The image display device according to claim 5 , wherein

the light-emitting device is an organic light emitting diode, and any one of the first source/drain electrode and the second source/drain electrode of the first thin film transistor is connected to the organic light emitting diode, and the first thin film transistor controls flow of a current to the organic light emitting diode.

7. The image display device according to claim 5 , further comprising:

a scan line that supplies a scan signal, and a data line that supplies a display signal, wherein

the gate electrode of the second thin film transistor is connected to the scan line, and the second thin film transistor has a source/drain electrode that is connected to the data line.

8. An image display apparatus comprising:

a plurality of scan lines and a plurality of data lines that are disposed in a matrix form and are connected to driving circuits respectively;

light-emitting devices that are disposed corresponding to display pixels;

power source lines that supply a current to the light-emitting devices;

a first thin film transistor that is disposed between each light-emitting device and each power source line and that controls a light emission state of the light-emitting device, wherein the first thin film transistor includes

a first source/drain electrode;

a first source/drain region that is connected to the first source/drain electrode, wherein the first source/drain region has a first potential, wherein the first source/drain region has an external periphery;

a second source/drain electrode;

a second source/drain region that is connected to the second source/dram electrode, wherein the second source/drain region has an internal periphery that surrounds the external periphery of the first source/drain region, wherein at least during the operation the second source/drain region has a second potential that is higher than the first potential;

a semiconductor layer that is disposed between the first source/drain region and the second source/drain region; and

a gate electrode that induces a channel in the semiconductor layer; and

a second thin film transistor that is disposed between the gate electrode of the first thin film transistor and a predetermined data line, and that controls a gate potential of the first thin film transistor.

9. The image display apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein

the light-emitting device is an organic light emitting diode, and

any one of the first source/drain electrode and the second source/drain electrode of the first thin film transistor is connected to the light-emitting device.

10. The thin film transistor of claim 1 , wherein the semiconductor layer is disposed between the gate electrode and the first and second source/drain electrodes in a cross-sectional view of the thin film transistor, the cross-sectional view being perpendicular to a plan view of the thin film transistor.

11. The thin film transistor of claim 1 , wherein the internal periphery of the second source/drain region surrounds the external periphery of the first source/drain region in a plan view of the thin film transistor.

12. The thin film transistor of claim 1 , wherein the semiconductor layer is disposed between the first source/drain region and the second source/drain region in a plan view of the thin film transistor.

Assignments (5)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 17, 2015
From: KYOCERA CORPORATION
To: INNOLUX CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 035934/0794 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Apr 3, 2014
From: CHIMEI INNOLUX CORPORATION
To: INNOLUX CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 032604/0487 →
MERGER Recorded May 10, 2010
From: CHI MEI OPTOELECTRONICS CORP.
To: CHIMEI INNOLUX CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 024358/0221 →
ASSIGNMENT (ONE-HALF INTEREST) Recorded Jan 20, 2004
From: CHI MEI OPTOELECTRONICS CORP.
To: KYOCERA CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 014906/0506 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 12, 2003
From: TSUJIMURA, TAKATOSHI; MOROOKA, MITSUO; TSUJIMURA, TAKATOSHI; MOROOKA, MITSUO
To: CHI MEI OPTOELECTRONICS CORP.
Reel/Frame 014390/0397 →