As an aspect of an embodiment, a crystal contains a metal oxide containing Ga and Mn and having a corundum structure.

Various articles and devices can be manufactured to take advantage of a what is believed to be a novel thermodynamic cycle in which spontaneity is due to an intrinsic entropy equilibration. The novel thermodynamic cycle exploits the quantum phase transition between quantum thermalization and quantum localization. Preferred devices include a phonovoltaic cell, a rectifier and a conductor for use in an integrated circuit.

Methods of forming indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) films by vapor deposition are provided. The IGZO films may, for example, serve as a channel layer in a transistor device. In some embodiments atomic layer deposition processes for depositing IGZO films comprise an IGZO deposition cycle comprising alternately and sequentially contacting a substrate in a reaction space with a vapor phase indium precursor, a vapor phase gallium precursor, a vapor phase zinc precursor and an oxygen reactant. In some embodiments the ALD deposition cycle additionally comprises contacting the substrate with an additional reactant comprising one or more of NH.sub.3, N.sub.2O, NO.sub.2 and H.sub.2O.sub.2.

In a first aspect of a present inventive subject matter, a semiconductor device includes an n-type semiconductor layer, an i-type semiconductor layer and a p-type semiconductor layer. The i-type semiconductor layer includes an oxide semiconductor as a major component. The oxide semiconductor that is included as the major component of the i-type semiconductor layer includes at least one metal selected from among aluminum, indium, and gallium.

In a first aspect of a present inventive subject matter, a semiconductor device includes an n-type semiconductor layer including a first semiconductor as a major component, an i-type semiconductor layer including a second semiconductor as a major component and a p-type semiconductor layer including a third semiconductor as a major component. The second semiconductor contains a corundum-structured oxide semiconductor.

In a first aspect of a present inventive subject matter, a layered structure includes a first semiconductor layer including an -phase crystalline oxide semiconductor with a first composition, and a second semiconductor layer including an -phase crystalline oxide semiconductor with a second composition that is different from the first composition of the first semiconductor layer, and the second semiconductor layer is layered on the first semiconductor layer.

A display device that is suitable for increasing in size is achieved. Three or more source lines are provided for each pixel column. Video signals having the same polarity are input to adjacent source lines during one frame period. Dot inversion driving is used to reduce a flicker, crosstalk, or the like.

The characteristic of Fe-doped HEMTs is improved. The invention provides a nitride semiconductor substrate having a substrate, a buffer layer made of nitride semiconductors on the substrate, and an active layer composed of nitride semiconductor layers on the buffer layer; the buffer layer containing Fe, the Fe having a concentration profile in which the Fe concentration increases monotonically and gradually in the thickness direction of the buffer layer from an interface between the substrate and the buffer layer, has a maximum value within 210.sup.17 to 1.110.sup.20 atoms/cm.sup.3 inclusive, and decreases monotonically and gradually toward an interface between the buffer layer and the active layer, and the point of the maximum value being within 50 nm from the midpoint in the thickness direction of the buffer layer, and being 500 nm or more away from the interface between the buffer layer and the active layer.

A display device that is suitable for increasing in size is achieved. Three or more source lines are provided for each pixel column. Video signals having the same polarity are input to adjacent source lines during one frame period. Dot inversion driving is used to reduce a flicker, crosstalk, or the like.

A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor part; an electrode selectively provided on the semiconductor part, the electrode being electrically connected to the semiconductor part; and multiple metal layers provided on the electrode. A method of manufacturing the semiconductor device includes selectively forming a first metal layer on the electrode; forming a palladium layer on the first metal layer, the palladium layer covering the first metal layer; forming a second metal layer on the palladium layer, the second metal layer covering the palladium layer; and forming a gold layer directly on the palladium layer by replacing the second metal layer with the gold layer.