An object is to provide a semiconductor device of which a manufacturing process is not complicated and by which cost can be suppressed, by forming a thin film transistor using an oxide semiconductor film typified by zinc oxide, and a manufacturing method thereof. For the semiconductor device, a gate electrode is formed over a substrate; a gate insulating film is formed covering the gate electrode; an oxide semiconductor film is formed over the gate insulating film; and a first conductive film and a second conductive film are formed over the oxide semiconductor film. The oxide semiconductor film has at least a crystallized region in a channel region.

Semiconductor device, and manufacturing method thereof

Maximized multi-state compaction and more tolerance in memory state behavior is achieved through a flexible, self-consistent and self-adapting mode of detection, covering a wide dynamic range. For high density multi-state encoding, this approach borders on full analog treatment, dictating analog techniques including A to D type conversion to reconstruct and process the data. In accordance with the teachings of this invention, the memory array is read with high fidelity, not to provide actual final digital data, but rather to provide raw data accurately reflecting the analog storage state, which information is sent to a memory controller for analysis and detection of the actual final digital data.

Multi-state memory

Novel memory cells utilize source-side injection, allowing very small programming currents. If desired, to-be-programmed cells are programmed simultaneously while not requiring an unacceptably large programming current for any given programming operation. In one embodiment, memory arrays are organized in sectors with each sector being formed of a single column or a group of columns having their control gates connected in common. In one embodiment, a high speed shift register is used in place of a row decoder to serially shift in data for the word lines, with all data for each word line of a sector being contained in the shift register on completion of its serial loading. In one embodiment, speed is improved by utilizing a parallel loaded buffer register which receives parallel data from the high speed shift register and holds that data during the write operation, allowing the shift register to receive serial loaded data during the write operation for use in a subsequent write operation. In one embodiment, a verification is performed in parallel on all to-be-programmed cells in a column and the bit line current monitored. If all of the to-be-programmed cells have been properly programmed, the bit line current will be substantially zero. If bit line current is detected, another write operation is performed on all cells of the sector, and another verify operation is performed. This write/verify procedure is repeated until verification is successful, as detected or substantially zero, bit line current.

Eeprom with split gate source side injection

A system, may include, at least one of audio, image, and a video comprising a plurality of frames. A usage preferences description, describing preferences of a user with respect to the use of at least one of the audio, image, and video, where the description normally includes multiple preferences. In one aspect, a protection attribute with respect to at least one of the preferences indicates whether one of the preferences is considered public or private. Other aspects of the user preferences description include other attributes, alone or in combination.

Audiovisual information management system

A method is provided for modifying an image. The method comprises displaying an image, the image comprising a portion of an object; and determining if an edge of the object is in a location within the portion. The method further comprises detecting movement, in a member direction, of an operating member with respect to the edge. The method still further comprises moving, if the edge is not in the location, the object in an object direction corresponding to the detected movement; and modifying, if the edge is in the location, the image in response to the detected movement, the modified image comprising the edge in the location.

Information processing apparatus, information processing method and program

A high-performance 600 V smart power technology has been developed in which novel lateral double-diffused MOS transistors (LDMOS) are merged with a BiCMOS process flow for the construction of power integrated circuits on bonded silicon-on-insulator (BSOI) substrates. All active and passive device structures have been optimized for fabrication on BSOI layers which are less than 1.5 /spl mu/m-thick, with buried oxide layers in the range of 2.0 to 3.0 /spl mu/m-thick. Complete dielectric isolation processing is straightforward due to the use of a thin SOI active device layer. A dual field plate design of the high-voltage devices results in at least a factor-of-two reduction in specific on-resistance over conventional LDMOS structures for a given breakdown voltage.

High performance 600 V smart power technology based on thin layer silicon-on-insulator

A video retrieval system is presented that allows a user to quickly and easily select and receive stories of interest from a video stream. The video retrieval system classifies stories and delivers samples of selected stories that match each user's current preference. The user's preferences may include particular broadcast networks, persons, story topics, keywords, and the like. Key frames of each selected story are sequentially displayed; when the user views a frame of interest, the user selects the story that is associated with the key frame for more detailed viewing. This invention is particularly well suited for targeted news retrieval. In a preferred embodiment, news stories are stored, and the selection of a news story for detailed viewing based on the associated key frames effects a playback of the selected news story. The principles of this invention also allows a user to effect a directed search of other types of broadcasts as well. For example, the user may initiate an automated scan that presents samples of broadcasts that conform to the user's current preferences, akin to directed channel-surfing.

Personalized news retrieval system

A lateral thin-film Silicon-On-Insulator (SOI) device includes a semiconductor substrate, a buried insulating layer on the substrate and a lateral transistor device in an SOI layer on the buried insulating layer and having a source region of a first conductivity type formed in a body region of a second conductivity type opposite to that of the first. A lateral drift region of a first conductivity type is provided adjacent the body region, and a drain region of the first conductivity type is provided laterally spaced apart from the body region by the drift region. A gate electrode is provided over a part of the body region in which a channel region is formed during operation and extending over a part of the lateral drift region adjacent the body region, with the gate electrode being at least substantially insulated from the body region and drift region by an insulation region. In order to provide improved breakdown voltage characteristics, a dielectric layer is provided over at least a part of the insulation region and the gate electrode, and a field plate electrode is provided over at least a part of the dielectric layer which is in direct contact with the insulation region, with the field plate electrode being connected to an electrode of the lateral transistor device.

Laterial thin-film silicon-on-insulator (SOI) device having a gate electrode and a field plate electrode

The present invention is directed to an SOI LDMOS device having improved current handling capability, particularly in the source-follower mode, while maintaining an improved breakdown voltage capability. The improvement in current handling capability is achieved in a first embodiment by introducing an offset region between the source and thin drift regions. The offset region achieves an offset between the onset of the linear doping profile and the thinning of the SOI layer that results in the thin drift region. In a second embodiment a further increase in the current handling capability of an SOI device is achieved by fabricating an oxide layer over the offset region, with the thickness of the oxide layer varying up to about half the thickness of the oxide layer fabricated over the thin drift region.

A high voltage thin film transistor with improved on-state characteristics and method for making same

A lateral thin-film Silicon-On-Insulator (SOI) device includes a semiconductor substrate, a buried insulating layer on the substrate and a lateral transistor device in an SOI layer on the buried insulating layer and having a source region of a first conductivity type formed in a body region of a second conductivity type opposite to that of the first. A lateral drift region of a first conductivity type is provided adjacent the body region and forms a lightly-doped drain region, and a drain contact region of the first conductivity type is provided laterally spaced apart from the body region by the drift region. A gate electrode is provided over a part of the body region in which a channel region is formed during operation and extending over a part of the lateral drift region adjacent the body region, with the gate electrode being at least substantially insulated from the body region and drift region by a surface insulation region. In order to increase breakdown voltage and/or reduce “on” resistance, the lateral drift region is provided with at least a portion with a retrograde doping profile. This may advantageously be done by doping the semiconductor substrate, oxidizing the substrate to form the buried insulating layer, forming the SOI layer on the buried insulating layer, and thermally diffusing dopant from the buried insulating layer into the SOI layer.

Mark Simpson

Papers

High performance 600 V smart power technology based on thin layer silicon-on-insulator

Personalized news retrieval system

Laterial thin-film silicon-on-insulator (SOI) device having a gate electrode and a field plate electrode

A high voltage thin film transistor with improved on-state characteristics and method for making same

Lateral thin-film silicon-on-insulator (SOI) device having a lateral drift region with a retrograde doping profile, and method of making such a device