An article composed of sintered particles is produced by depositing ligand-containing particles on a substrate, then scanning the substrate with an electron beam that generates sufficient surface and subsurface heating to substantially eliminate the ligands and melt or sinter the particles into a cohesive film with superior charge carrier properties. The particles are sintered or melted together to form a polycrystalline layer that is substantially ligand-free to form, for example, a film such as a continuous polycrystalline film. The scanning operation is conducted so as to heat treat a controllably localized region at and below a surface of the particles by selecting a rate of deposited energy at the region to exceed a rate of conduction away from the substrate.

This disclosure provides apparatuses and methods of manufacturing apparatuses including thin film transistors (TFTs) and storage capacitors. An apparatus can include a substrate, a TFT, a storage capacitor adjacent to the TFT, and a common electrode. The storage capacitor can be substantially transparent to increase aperture ratio of a display device. The storage capacitor can include an insulating layer between a first transparent electrode and a second transparent electrode. The TFT can include a gate electrode, a gate insulating layer, an oxide semiconductor, source and drain electrodes, and a dielectric layer. The oxide semiconductor can be formed out of the same layer as the first transparent electrode, and the common electrode can be formed out of the same layer as the oxide semiconductor or the source and drain electrodes.

This disclosure provides apparatuses and methods of manufacturing apparatuses including thin film transistors (TFTs) and storage capacitors. An apparatus can include a substrate, a TFT, a storage capacitor adjacent to the TFT, and a common electrode. The storage capacitor can be substantially transparent to increase aperture ratio of a display device. The storage capacitor can include an insulating layer between a first transparent electrode and a second transparent electrode. The TFT can include a gate electrode, a gate insulating layer, an oxide semiconductor, source and drain electrodes, and a dielectric layer. The oxide semiconductor can be formed out of the same layer as the first transparent electrode, and the common electrode can be formed out of the same layer as the oxide semiconductor or the source and drain electrodes.

To improve the electrical characteristics of a semiconductor device including an oxide semiconductor, and to provide a highly reliable semiconductor device with a small variation in electrical characteristics. The semiconductor device includes a first insulating film, a first barrier film over the first insulating film, a second insulating film over the first barrier film, and a first transistor including a first oxide semiconductor film over the second insulating film. The amount of hydrogen molecules released from the first insulating film at a given temperature higher than or equal to 400° C., which is measured by thermal desorption spectroscopy, is less than or equal to 130% of the amount of released hydrogen molecules at 300° C. The second insulating film includes a region containing oxygen at a higher proportion than oxygen in the stoichiometric composition.

To improve the electrical characteristics of a semiconductor device including an oxide semiconductor, and to provide a highly reliable semiconductor device with a small variation in electrical characteristics. The semiconductor device includes a first insulating film, a first barrier film over the first insulating film, a second insulating film over the first barrier film, and a first transistor including a first oxide semiconductor film over the second insulating film. The amount of hydrogen molecules released from the first insulating film at a given temperature higher than or equal to 400° C., which is measured by thermal desorption spectroscopy, is less than or equal to 130% of the amount of released hydrogen molecules at 300° C. The second insulating film includes a region containing oxygen at a higher proportion than oxygen in the stoichiometric composition.

Ion implantation or deposition can be used to modify the bulk electrical properties of topological insulators. More particularly, ion implantation or deposition can be used to compensate for the non-zero bulk conductivity due to extrinsic charge carriers. The direct implantation of deposition/annealing of dopants allows better control over carrier concentrations for the purposes of achieving low bulk conductivity. Ion implantation or deposition enables the fabrication of inhomogeneously doped structures, enabling new types of device designs.

Ion implantation or deposition can be used to modify the bulk electrical properties of topological insulators. More particularly, ion implantation or deposition can be used to compensate for the non-zero bulk conductivity due to extrinsic charge carriers. The direct implantation of deposition/annealing of dopants allows better control over carrier concentrations for the purposes of achieving low bulk conductivity. Ion implantation or deposition enables the fabrication of inhomogeneously doped structures, enabling new types of device designs.

A method of manufacturing a thin-film transistor substrate which includes a thin-film transistor includes: forming a planarization layer comprising polyimide material above the thin-film transistor; and heating the thin-film transistor at a temperature of 240° C. or lower after the planarization layer is formed.

A method of manufacturing a thin-film transistor substrate which includes a thin-film transistor includes: forming a planarization layer comprising polyimide material above the thin-film transistor; and heating the thin-film transistor at a temperature of 240° C. or lower after the planarization layer is formed.

A highly reliable semiconductor device which includes a thin film transistor having stable electric characteristics, and a manufacturing method thereof. In the manufacturing method of the semiconductor device which includes a thin film transistor where a semiconductor layer including a channel formation region is an oxide semiconductor layer, heat treatment which reduces impurities such as moisture to improve the purity of the oxide semiconductor layer and oxidize the oxide semiconductor layer (heat treatment for dehydration or dehydrogenation) is performed. Not only impurities such as moisture in the oxide semiconductor layer but also those existing in a gate insulating layer are reduced, and impurities such as moisture existing in interfaces between the oxide semiconductor layer and films provided over and under and in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer are reduced.