An embodiment is to include an inverted staggered (bottom gate structure) thin film transistor in which an oxide semiconductor film containing In, Ga, and Zn is used as a semiconductor layer and a buffer layer is provided between the semiconductor layer and a source and drain electrode layers. The buffer layer having higher carrier concentration than the semiconductor layer is provided intentionally between the source and drain electrode layers and the semiconductor layer, whereby an ohmic contact is formed.

An object is to obtain a semiconductor device having a high sensitivity in detecting signals and a wide dynamic range, using a thin film transistor in which an oxide semiconductor layer is used. An analog circuit is formed with the use of a thin film transistor including an oxide semiconductor which has a function as a channel formation layer, has a hydrogen concentration of 510.sup.19 atoms/cm.sup.3 or lower, and substantially functions as an insulator in the state where no electric field is generated. Thus, a semiconductor device having a high sensitivity in detecting signals and a wide dynamic range can be obtained.

An example two transistor (2T) gain cell memory with indium-gallium-zinc-oxide (IGZO) transistors. Examples include IGZO transistors included in a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) cell. The IGZO transistors included in the DRAM cell are described as being formed or created in a back end (BE) metal process stack of an integrated circuit chip or die.

A region containing a high proportion of crystal components and a region containing a high proportion of amorphous components are formed separately in one oxide semiconductor film. The region containing a high proportion of crystal components is formed so as to serve as a channel formation region and the other region is formed so as to contain a high proportion of amorphous components. It is preferable that an oxide semiconductor film in which a region containing a high proportion of crystal components and a region containing a high proportion of amorphous components are mixed in a self-aligned manner be formed. To separately form the regions which differ in crystallinity in the oxide semiconductor film, first, an oxide semiconductor film containing a high proportion of crystal components is formed and then process for performing amorphization on part of the oxide semiconductor film is conducted.

An object is to obtain a semiconductor device having a high sensitivity in detecting signals and a wide dynamic range, using a thin film transistor in which an oxide semiconductor layer is used. An analog circuit is formed with the use of a thin film transistor including an oxide semiconductor which has a function as a channel formation layer, has a hydrogen concentration of 510.sup.19 atoms/cm.sup.3 or lower, and substantially functions as an insulator in the state where no electric field is generated. Thus, a semiconductor device having a high sensitivity in detecting signals and a wide dynamic range can be obtained.

A transistor with small parasitic capacitance can be provided. A transistor with high frequency characteristics can be provided. A semiconductor device including the transistor can be provided. Provided is a transistor including an oxide semiconductor, a first conductor, a second conductor, a third conductor, a first insulator, and a second insulator. The first conductor has a first region where the first conductor overlaps with the oxide semiconductor with the first insulator positioned therebetween; a second region where the first conductor overlaps with the second conductor with the first and second insulators positioned therebetween; and a third region where the first conductor overlaps with the third conductor with the first and second insulators positioned therebetween. The oxide semiconductor including a fourth region where the oxide semiconductor is in contact with the second conductor; and a fifth region where the oxide semiconductor is in contact with the third conductor.

A transistor includes a vertical stack containing, in order from bottom to top or from top to bottom, a gate electrode, a gate dielectric, and an active layer and located over a substrate. The active layer includes an amorphous semiconductor material. A crystalline source region including a first portion of a crystalline semiconductor material overlies, and is electrically connected to, a first end portion of the active layer. A crystalline drain region including a second portion of the crystalline semiconductor material overlies, and is electrically connected to, a second end portion of the active layer.

An object is to provide a semiconductor device with a novel structure. The semiconductor device includes a first wiring; a second wiring; a third wiring; a fourth wiring; a first transistor having a first gate electrode, a first source electrode, and a first drain electrode; and a second transistor having a second gate electrode, a second source electrode, and a second drain electrode. The first transistor is provided in a substrate including a semiconductor material. The second transistor includes an oxide semiconductor layer.

A display device including a pixel having a memory. The pixel includes at least a display element, a capacitor, an inverter, and a switch. The switch is controlled with a signal held in the capacitor and a signal output from the inverter so that voltage is supplied to the display element. The inverter and the switch can be constituted by transistors with the same polarity. A semiconductor layer included in the pixel may be formed using a light-transmitting material. Moreover, a gate electrode, a drain electrode, and a capacitor electrode may be formed using a light-transmitting conductive layer. The pixel is formed using a light-transmitting material in such a manner, whereby the display device can be a transmissive display device while including a pixel having a memory.

An example two transistor (2T) gain cell memory with indium-gallium-zinc-oxide (IGZO) transistors. Examples include IGZO transistors included in a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) cell. The IGZO transistors included in the DRAM cell are described as being formed or created in a back end (BE) metal process stack of an integrated circuit chip or die.