IP Library › Granted Patent US 8,255,842
Granted Patent B2
US 8,255,842 · App. 12/246,831 · Granted Aug 28, 2012

Thin-film transistor circuit, design method for thin-film transistor, design program for thin-film transistor circuit, design program recording medium, design library database, and display device

Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,255,842
App. No.
12/246,831
Granted
Aug 28, 2012
Kind
B2
Abstract

A thin-film transistor circuit includes a crystallized semiconductor thin film two-dimensionally partitioned into crystal-grain-defining areas each of which accommodates a crystal grain larger than a predetermined size, thin-film transistors each of which has a channel region placed at the center position of a corresponding one of the crystal-grain-defining areas, and wirings which interconnect the thin-film transistors.

Claims (13)

1. A computer program product for designing a thin-film transistor circuit using a crystallized semiconductor thin film, which contains crystal grains regularly grown in a lateral direction by crystallization and larger than a predetermined transistor channel size, the product comprising:

a computer-readable storage device comprising:

an instruction for causing at least one processor to define a crystallization array-pattern representing the arrangement of crystal-grain-defining areas which are arrayed for two-dimensional partitioning of the crystallized semiconductor thin film and each of which accommodates one of the crystal grains;

an instruction for causing at least one processor to create, on the basis of the crystallization array-pattern, a device pattern of thin-film transistors each of which has a channel region placed at a position fixed in a corresponding one of the crystal-grain-defining areas and a wiring pattern of wirings which interconnect the thin-film transistors; and

an instruction for causing at least one processor to determine a phase-shifting mask pattern according to the crystallization array-pattern to define the crystal-grain-defining areas.

2. The computer program product according to claim 1 ,

wherein the phase-shifting mask pattern includes a portion for crystallizing a part of the semiconductor thin film as an alignment mark of a specified shape.

3. A computer-readable storage device, which stores a design program for a thin-film transistor circuit using a crystallized semiconductor thin film, which contains crystal grains regularly grown in a lateral direction by crystallization and larger than a predetermined transistor channel size, the device comprising executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause one or more processors to:

define a crystallization array-pattern representing the arrangement of crystal-grain-defining areas which are arrayed for two-dimensional partitioning of the crystallized semiconductor thin film and each of which accommodates a crystal grain larger than a predetermined size;

on the basis of the crystallization array-pattern, create a device pattern of thin-film transistors, each of which has a channel region placed at a position fixed in a corresponding one of the crystal-grain-defining areas and a wiring pattern of wirings which interconnect the thin-film transistors; and

determine a phase-shifting mask pattern according to the crystallization array-pattern to define the crystal-grain-defining areas.

4. The device program according to claim 3 ,

wherein the phase-shifting mask pattern includes a portion for crystallizing a part of the semiconductor thin film as an alignment mark of a specified shape.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 6, 2011
From: ADVANCED LCD TECHNOLOGIES DEVELOPMENT CENTER CO., LTD.
To: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 026858/0705 →
Priority Claims (2)
JP 2004-172647 · Jun 10, 2004 · national
JP 2005-138732 · May 11, 2005 · national
Continuity (2)
Division 11133321 · May 20, 2005
Related Publication 20090044161A1 · Feb 12, 2009