Display device including protective circuit

Abstract

A protective circuit includes a non-linear element, which includes a gate electrode, a gate insulating layer covering the gate electrode, a pair of first and second wiring layers whose end portions overlap with the gate electrode over the gate insulating layer and in which a second oxide semiconductor layer and a conductive layer are stacked, and a first oxide semiconductor layer which overlaps with at least the gate electrode and which is in contact with the gate insulating layer, side face portions and part of top face portions of the conductive layer and side face portions of the second oxide semiconductor layer in the first wiring layer and the second wiring layer. Over the gate insulating layer, oxide semiconductor layers with different properties are bonded to each other, whereby stable operation can be performed as compared with Schottky junction. Thus, the junction leakage can be decreased and the characteristics of the non-linear element can be improved.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD[0001]The present invention relates to a display device including an oxide semiconductor.BACKGROUND ART[0002]A thin film transistor formed over a flat plate such as a glass substrate is manufactured using amorphous silicon or polycrystalline silicon, as typically seen in a liquid crystal display device. A thin film transistor manufactured using amorphous silicon has low field effect mobility, but such a transistor can be formed over a glass substrate with a larger area. On the other hand, a thin film transistor manufactured using polycrystalline silicon has high field effect mobility, but a crystallization step such as laser annealing is necessary and such a transistor is not always suitable for a larger glass substrate.[0003]In view of the foregoing, attention has been drawn to a technique by which a thin film transistor is manufactured using an oxide semiconductor, and such a transistor is applied to an electronic device or an optical device. For example, Patent Doc...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0006]A thin film transistor in which a channel formation region is formed using an oxide semiconductor has characteristics as follows: the operation speed is higher than that of a thin film transistor including amorphous silicon and the manufacturing process is simpler than that of a thin film transistor including polycrystalline silicon. That is, the use of an oxide semiconductor makes it possible to manufacture a thin film transistor with high field effect mobility even at low temperatures of 300° C. or lower.

[0009]In a display device intended for a variety of purposes manufactured by stacking, in addition to an oxide semiconductor, an insulating film and a conductive film, an object of an embodiment of the present invention is to prevent a defect due to peeling of a thin film.

[0016]According to an embodiment of the present invention, a display device having a structure suitable as a protective circuit can be provided by forming the protective circuit with use of a non-linear element including an oxide semiconductor. When the non-linear element has a stacked structure where the gate insulating layer and the oxide semiconductor layer are in contact with each other, a defect of a protective circuit which is caused by peeling of a thin film can be prevented.

Problems solved by technology

On the other hand, a thin film transistor manufactured using polycrystalline silicon has high field effect mobility, but a crystallization step such as laser annealing is necessary and such a transistor is not always suitable for a larger glass substrate.