Semiconductor element driving circuit, semiconductor device driving circuit, and semiconductor device

Abstract

Provided are a semiconductor element driving circuit, a semiconductor device driving circuit, and a semiconductor device that are further miniaturized in a semiconductor device including a plurality of semiconductor elements. A semiconductor element driving circuit comprising a plurality of semiconductor elements connected in series in a single row between a power supply electrode and a ground electrode, and current supply control transistors respectively connected in parallel to the plurality of semiconductor elements, wherein: each of the current supply control transistors functions as a switch that controls, on the basis of a first external signal, the flow of current to the semiconductor element connected in parallel thereto; when the current supply control transistor is turned off by the first external signal, current flows through the semiconductor element connected in parallel to the current supply control transistor; and when the current supply control transistor is turned on by the first external signal, the flow of current to the semiconductor element connected in parallel to the current supply control transistor is stopped.

Description

Semiconductor Element Driving Circuit, Semiconductor Device Driving Circuit, and Semiconductor Device

[0001] The present invention relates to a semiconductor element driving circuit, a semiconductor device driving circuit, and a semiconductor device. More specifically, the present invention relates to a semiconductor element driving circuit that drives a plurality of semiconductor elements, a semiconductor device driving circuit that drives a semiconductor device including a plurality of semiconductor elements by the semiconductor element driving circuit, and a semiconductor device including the semiconductor device driving circuit.

[0002] In recent years, in accordance with the progress of technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), augmented reality (AR), and virtual reality (VR), various semiconductor devices incorporating many semiconductor elements have been provided.

[0003] Specific semiconductor devices include, for example, tablets, smartphones, head-up displays (HUDs), endoscopes, etc., that use semiconductor light-emitting diodes (LEDs). In order to further expand the application fields, various studies have been conducted on further miniaturization of semiconductor devices (for example, Patent Documents 1 to 3).

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-234683 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-60076 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-210393

[0005] However, in these semiconductor devices, miniaturization of the semiconductor element driving circuit that drives each semiconductor element and the semiconductor device driving circuit that drives the entire semiconductor device is not yet sufficient.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor element driving circuit, a semiconductor device driving circuit, and a semiconductor device in which miniaturization is achieved in a semiconductor device including a plurality of semiconductor elements.

[0007] As a result of intensive studies, the present inventor has found that the above problems can be solved by the invention described below, and has completed the present invention.

[0008] The invention described in claim 1 is a semiconductor element driving circuit comprising: a plurality of semiconductor elements connected in series between a power electrode and a ground electrode; and a current supply control transistor connected in parallel to each of the plurality of semiconductor elements, wherein each of the current supply control transistors functions as a switch that controls the flow of current to the parallel-connected semiconductor elements based on a first external signal; when the current supply control transistor is turned off by the first external signal, current flows to the semiconductor elements connected in parallel to the current supply control transistor; and when the current supply control transistor is turned on by the first external signal, the flow of current to the semiconductor elements connected in parallel to the current supply control transistor is stopped.

[0009] The invention described in claim 2 is a semiconductor element driving circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that each of the current supply control transistors has a gate electrode, each of the current supply control transistors is in an off state when no voltage from the first external signal is applied to the gate electrode of the current supply control transistor, and each of the current supply control transistors is in an on state when a voltage from the first external signal is applied to the gate electrode of the current supply control transistor.

[0010] The invention described in claim 3 is a semiconductor element driving circuit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, among the plurality of semiconductor elements, mutually adjacent semiconductor elements are connected in series via a tunnel junction.

[0011] The invention described in claim 4 is a semiconductor element driving circuit according to claim 1 or claim 2, further comprising: a plurality of semiconductor elements; a current control transistor connected in series between the power supply electrode or the ground electrode; an on / off control transistor for applying a voltage to the gate electrode of the current control transistor; and a holding capacitor having one electrode connected to the drain electrode of the on / off control transistor and the gate electrode of the current control transistor, and the other electrode connected to the ground electrode, wherein the current control transistor has a function to control the amount of current flowing between the power supply electrode and the ground electrode according to the magnitude of the voltage applied to the gate electrode; the on / off control transistor has a function to apply a predetermined voltage to the gate electrode of the current control transistor based on a second external signal and a third external signal; the holding capacitor has a function to control the magnitude of the voltage applied to the gate electrode of the current control transistor; and the on / off control transistor applies a voltage corresponding to the third external signal applied to the source electrode to the current control transistor based on the second external signal applied to the gate electrode.

[0012] The invention described in claim 5 is a semiconductor device driving circuit in which a plurality of semiconductor element driving circuits described in claim 4 are arranged in a matrix at the intersection of rows and columns of a matrix formed by a plurality of scanning signal lines as rows and a plurality of data signal lines as columns, wherein each scanning signal line is connected to the gate electrode of the on / off control transistor of a plurality of semiconductor element driving circuits constituting one row of the matrix, and a second external signal is applied to the on / off control transistor; each data signal line is connected to the source electrode of the on / off control transistor of a plurality of semiconductor element driving circuits constituting one column of the matrix, and a third external signal is applied to the on / off control transistor; and for each row, a plurality of control signal lines are arranged corresponding to each current supply control transistor connected in parallel to each of the plurality of semiconductor elements of each semiconductor element driving circuit, and a first external signal is applied to the gate electrode of the corresponding current supply control transistor.

[0013] The invention described in claim 6 is a semiconductor device drive circuit according to claim 5, characterized in that the scanning signal line is controlled by a scanning signal line control circuit, the data signal line is controlled by a data signal line control circuit, and the control signal line is controlled by a control signal line control circuit.

[0014] The invention described in claim 7 is a semiconductor device driving circuit according to claim 5, characterized in that the plurality of semiconductor elements are formed to be driven in a time-division manner.

[0015] The invention described in claim 8 is a semiconductor device drive circuit according to claim 5, characterized in that it is formed in a multilayer wiring structure.

[0016] The invention described in claim 9 is a semiconductor device drive circuit according to claim 5, characterized in that the output from the semiconductor element can be graded by changing the magnitude of the pulse signal supplied as the third external signal from the data signal line to the source electrode of the on / off control transistor.

[0017] The invention described in claim 10 is a semiconductor device characterized by being provided with the semiconductor device driving circuit described in claim 5.

[0018] The invention described in claim 11 is a semiconductor device characterized in that it is provided with the semiconductor device driving circuit described in claim 7, and the plurality of semiconductor elements are driven in a time-division manner.

[0019] The invention described in claim 12 is a semiconductor device according to claim 10, characterized in that the plurality of semiconductor elements are a display device equipped with three types of light-emitting diodes consisting of a red light-emitting diode, a blue light-emitting diode, and a green light-emitting diode.

[0020] The invention described in claim 13 is a semiconductor device according to claim 12, characterized in that the red light-emitting diode, the blue light-emitting diode, and the green light-emitting diode are stacked.

[0021] The invention described in claim 14 is a semiconductor device according to claim 12, characterized in that the red light-emitting diode, the blue light-emitting diode, and the green light-emitting diode are formed to be driven in a time-division manner.

[0022] The invention described in claim 15 is a semiconductor device according to claim 14, characterized in that the time intervals for driving each of the three types of light-emitting diodes in the time division are such that each of the three types of light-emitting diodes cannot be individually viewed, and the three types of light-emitting diodes that emit light according to the time intervals are configured to make a desired color visible.

[0023] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a semiconductor element driving circuit, a semiconductor device driving circuit, and a semiconductor device that are more miniaturized in a semiconductor device equipped with multiple semiconductor elements.

[0024] This figure illustrates the equivalent circuit of a semiconductor element drive circuit according to one embodiment of the present invention. This figure illustrates the equivalent circuit of a semiconductor element drive circuit according to another embodiment of the present invention. This figure illustrates the circuit configuration for full-screen display in a microLED display (display device) using a semiconductor device drive circuit according to one embodiment of the present invention. This figure illustrates time-division display using a semiconductor device drive circuit according to one embodiment of the present invention. This figure shows a timing chart for displaying "Up" in red on 5x5 (5 rows and 5 columns) pixels in a microLED display (display device) using a semiconductor device drive circuit according to one embodiment of the present invention. This is a top view (a) of the layout of one pixel in a microLED display (display device) using a semiconductor device drive circuit according to one embodiment of the present invention, and a side view (b) of the side view from the opposite side of the side where electrodes are installed by a stepped structure. This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a microLED display (display device) having a multilayer wiring structure incorporating a semiconductor device drive circuit according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] [1] Basic Concept of the Invention First, the basic concept of the present invention will be explained.

[0026] As mentioned above, further miniaturization of semiconductor devices requires miniaturization of the semiconductor device drive circuits that drive the semiconductor elements, as well as the semiconductor device drive circuits that drive the entire semiconductor device.

[0027] The inventors of the present invention have focused on the fact that in conventional semiconductor devices, a semiconductor device driving circuit is usually provided for each semiconductor device, using at least two transistors and one holding capacitor, in order to drive and control the output of the semiconductor device, and that the entire semiconductor device driving circuit is formed by connecting these in parallel.

[0028] Furthermore, we considered that if multiple semiconductor elements could be connected in series in a single line, and the driving and output of each semiconductor element could be handled by a single drive circuit, the configuration of the semiconductor element drive circuit could be simplified and the semiconductor element drive circuit could be miniaturized. As a result of diligent research, we have completed the present invention.

[0029] In other words, the present invention is a semiconductor element driving circuit comprising a plurality of semiconductor elements connected in series between a power electrode and a ground electrode, and a current supply control transistor connected in parallel to each of the plurality of semiconductor elements. Each of the current supply control transistors functions as a switch that controls the flow of current to the parallel-connected semiconductor elements based on a first external signal. Specifically, when no voltage due to the first external signal is applied to the gate electrode of the current supply control transistor, current flows to the semiconductor elements connected in parallel to the current supply control transistor, and when a voltage due to the first external signal is applied to the gate electrode of the current supply control transistor, the flow of current to the semiconductor elements connected in parallel to the current supply control transistor is stopped.

[0030] As a result, as will be described later, it is possible to provide a semiconductor element driving circuit, a semiconductor device driving circuit, and a semiconductor device that are more miniaturized in a semiconductor device equipped with multiple semiconductor elements.

[0031] [2] Embodiments of the present invention The present invention will be described in detail below based on specific embodiments.

[0032] 1. First Embodiment The semiconductor element driving circuit of this embodiment allows for the selection and driving of a specific semiconductor element from among multiple semiconductor elements when it is necessary to drive multiple semiconductor elements in parallel, that is, it allows each of the multiple semiconductor elements to be turned on / off individually.

[0033] Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating the equivalent circuit of the semiconductor element driving circuit of this embodiment. In Figure 1, there are three semiconductor elements, A, B, and C. As shown in Figure 1, in this embodiment, semiconductor elements A, B, and C are arranged in a line and are electrically connected in series between the power supply electrode VDD and the ground electrode GND. Each of the semiconductor elements A, B, and C has a current supply control transistor, Tra, Trb, and Trc connected in parallel to control the current supply to each semiconductor element, and the semiconductor element driving circuit is formed to drive each semiconductor element based on the current supply to each semiconductor element. In Figure 1, CNTA, CNTB, and CNTC are control signal lines connected to the gate electrodes of the current supply control transistors Tra, Trb, and Trc, and carry a first external signal to control the on / off state of the current supply control transistors Tra, Trb, and Trc.

[0034] In this case, by turning on (conducting) each current supply control transistor, the current that would otherwise flow into each semiconductor element is diverted to the current supply control transistor, preventing it from flowing into the semiconductor element and thus preventing that semiconductor element from being driven.

[0035] Specifically, by keeping the current supply control transistor connected in parallel to the semiconductor element that needs to be driven in the off (non-conductive) state, preventing current from flowing into the current supply control transistor, and by keeping the current supply control transistor connected in parallel to the semiconductor element that does not need to be driven in the on (conductive) state, current can be allowed to flow into the current supply control transistor, thereby allowing current to flow only to the semiconductor element that needs to be driven and enabling it to be driven.

[0036] Furthermore, the drain electrode of each current supply control transistor is connected to the power supply electrode VDD side of the parallel-connected semiconductor element, and the source electrode is connected to the ground electrode GND side of the parallel-connected semiconductor element. This allows the current supply control transistor to be turned off (non-conducting) by not applying voltage to the gate electrode, and on (conducting) by applying voltage to the gate electrode.

[0037] As a result, by applying a voltage to the gate electrode of a specific current supply control transistor among the multiple current supply control transistors Tra, Trb, and Trc, and not applying a voltage to the gate electrodes of the other current supply control transistors, only the semiconductor elements in which the current supply control transistors without voltage applied to their gate electrodes are connected in parallel are energized and driven between the power electrode VDD and the ground electrode GND.

[0038] In this case, it is preferable that adjacent semiconductor elements (semiconductor element A and semiconductor element B, and semiconductor element B and semiconductor element C) are connected in series via a tunnel junction in the semiconductor element driving circuit. This makes it possible to share electrodes between adjacent semiconductor elements, instead of providing two electrodes for each semiconductor element in the past for parallel connection. This further simplifies the circuit configuration and allows for further miniaturization of the semiconductor device driving circuit.

[0039] In this embodiment, specific semiconductor elements can include, for example, light-emitting elements such as light-emitting diodes and light-receiving elements such as optical sensors.

[0040] 2. Figure 2 of the second embodiment illustrates the equivalent circuit of the semiconductor element driving circuit of this embodiment. As shown in Figure 2, the semiconductor element driving circuit of this embodiment further includes a current control transistor Tr2 connected in series with the semiconductor element driving circuit of the first embodiment described above, which controls the amount of current supplied to the semiconductor element to be driven. In Figure 2, this current control transistor Tr2 is connected in series between the multiple semiconductor elements A, B, and C and the ground electrode GND, but it may also be connected in series between the power electrode VDD and the multiple semiconductor elements A, B, and C.

[0041] The current control transistor Tr2 is connected to the on-off control transistor Tr1 and the holding capacitor CP. Here, the on-off control transistor Tr1 has its gate electrode connected to the scanning signal line SCN through which the second external signal flows, its source electrode connected to the data signal line DAT through which the third external signal flows, and its drain electrode connected to the gate electrode of the current control transistor Tr2, and controls the on-off of the semiconductor element drive circuit. On the other hand, the holding capacitor CP is arranged to hold the charge for applying a voltage to the gate electrode of the current control transistor Tr2. One electrode of the holding capacitor CP is connected to both the drain electrode of the on-off control transistor Tr1 and the gate electrode of the current control transistor Tr2, and the other electrode is connected to the ground electrode GND.

[0042] Based on the signal (second external signal) from the scanning signal line SCN, when a voltage is applied to the gate electrode of the on-off control transistor Tr1, the on-off control transistor Tr1 becomes on (conducting). Then, by applying the signal (third external signal) from the data signal line DAT to the gate electrode of the current control transistor Tr2 and the holding capacitor CP, the on-off of the current control transistor Tr2 can be controlled.

[0043] On the other hand, when a voltage is applied to the gate electrode of the current control transistor Tr2 by the on-off control transistor Tr1, the current control transistor Tr2 becomes on (conducting), enabling conduction between the power supply electrode VDD and the ground electrode GND, and current can be supplied to the selected semiconductor element drive circuit.

[0044] At this time, the amount of current flowing between the power supply electrode VDD and the ground electrode GND can be adjusted by using the charge stored in the retaining capacitance CP to control the voltage applied to the gate electrode of the current control transistor Tr2. The voltage applied to the gate electrode of the current control transistor Tr2 by the on / off control transistor Tr1 is controlled by the magnitude (voltage) of the pulse signal (third external signal) supplied from the data signal line DAT to the source electrode of the on / off control transistor Tr1, thereby enabling gradation of the output from semiconductor elements A, B, and C.

[0045] 3. Third Embodiment The third embodiment is a semiconductor device drive circuit in which the semiconductor device drive circuit of the second embodiment is arranged at the intersection of rows and columns of a matrix formed by multiple scan signal lines as rows and multiple data signal lines as columns. In the following description, a semiconductor device drive circuit in a display device using light-emitting diodes as semiconductor devices will be used as an example.

[0046] Figure 3 illustrates the circuit configuration for displaying the entire screen in a micro-LED display (display device) using the semiconductor device drive circuit of this embodiment. As shown in Figure 3, in this embodiment, the semiconductor device (display device) is formed by a matrix where a plurality of scanning signal lines SCN1, SCN2, ..., SCNn provide signals (second external signals) for turning drive units (pixel RGB) on and off as rows, and data signal lines DAT1, DAT2, ..., DATn provide brightness information (third external signal) for drive units (pixel RGB) as columns. Each drive unit is arranged at the intersection of rows and columns of this matrix. Here, a drive unit refers to a single pixel RGB formed by stacking red light-emitting diodes, blue light-emitting diodes, and green light-emitting diodes, and each drive unit is provided with the semiconductor element drive circuit shown in Figure 2.

[0047] As described above, each drive unit (pixel RGB) includes an on-off control transistor Tr1 and a current amount control transistor Tr2. The on-off control transistor Tr1 is controlled by a second external signal (write pulse signal) applied from the scan signal line to the gate electrode, and writes a third external signal (light emission pulse signal) given from the data signal line to the source electrode as luminance information (information regarding the current amount flowing through the light emitting element) to the gate electrode of the current amount control transistor Tr2. Then, the current amount control transistor Tr2 has a function of controlling the current amount supplied to the drive unit (pixel RGB) according to the luminance information written by the on-off control transistor Tr1.

[0048] Here, the writing of the luminance information to the current amount control transistor Tr2 can be performed by applying an electrical signal (light emission pulse signal) corresponding to the luminance information given from the data signal line to the source electrode while a voltage is applied to the gate electrode of the on-off control transistor by the scan signal line.

[0049] In this embodiment, each drive unit (pixel RGB) includes the above-described current supply control transistors Tra, Trb, and Trc, and among a plurality of semiconductor elements (light emitting elements) connected in series that constitute each drive unit (pixel RGB), a semiconductor element (light emitting element) that needs to be driven can be selected and driven (caused to emit light). Further, it is preferable that each semiconductor element (each light emitting element constituting a pixel) constituting the drive unit is driven in a time division manner and caused to emit light in a time division manner by the current supply control transistors Tra, Trb, and Trc.

[0050] Furthermore, when the semiconductor element is a light-emitting element, it is preferable to use three types of light-emitting elements—red, blue, and green—whose emitted light corresponds to the three primary colors of light, and to set the time division interval (field) to a length that makes it impossible to individually perceive the colors of the three types of light-emitting elements, so that the light emitted by the three types of light-emitting elements during that time interval is perceived as a single color. The time interval of one field is preferably 1 / 24 second or less, and more preferably 1 / 60 second or less. There is no particular limit to the lower limit.

[0051] [3] Specific Embodiments Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to a specific embodiment: an example of its use as a semiconductor device driving circuit for a display device (micro LED display).

[0052] 1. Pixel Structure of Display Device Including Driving Circuit As described above, in each pixel (RGB) of the display device including the semiconductor element driving circuit of this embodiment, three light-emitting LEDs (green LED (G), blue LED (B), and red LED (R)) are connected in series (see Figure 2). In this case, semiconductor element A in Figure 2 is the green LED (G), semiconductor element B is the blue LED (B), and semiconductor element C is the red LED (R).

[0053] Then, among the current supply control transistors (Tra, Trb, Trc) connected in parallel to each light-emitting LED, the current supply control transistor connected in parallel to the light-emitting LED that is to be made to light up is controlled to an off (non-conductive) state, while the current supply control transistors connected in parallel to the other light-emitting LEDs that are not to be made to light up are controlled to an on (conductive) state. As a result, current is supplied to the light-emitting layer of the light-emitting LED that is to be made to light up, and only the light-emitting layer to which current is supplied will emit light.

[0054] Each current supply control transistor (Tra, Trb, Trc) is normally in the off state and turns on when a voltage is applied to its gate electrode. By individually applying a voltage to the gate electrode of each current supply control transistor (Tra, Trb, Trc) as needed, screen display using time division, as described later, becomes possible. The gate electrodes of each current supply control transistor (Tra, Trb, Trc) are connected to control signal lines A (CNTA), B (CNTB), and C (CNTC) (see Figure 2), which are included in the four common lines described later, and are controlled by the first external signals from each control signal line.

[0055] In this embodiment, the brightness (luminescence intensity) of each light-emitting LED can be adjusted by controlling the amount of current flowing into each light-emitting layer. As explained in Figure 3, the current flowing into the light-emitting layer is controlled by a third external signal (brightness information) supplied from the data signal line (DAT) to the on / off control transistor Tr1. That is, the on / off control transistor Tr1 applies a voltage corresponding to the brightness information supplied from the data signal line (DAT) to the gate electrode of the current amount control transistor Tr2, thereby controlling the amount of current flowing between the power supply electrode VDD and the ground electrode GND, and thus controlling the amount of current flowing into each light-emitting layer.

[0056] 2. Circuit Configuration of the Entire Display Screen As described above, in the circuit configuration of this embodiment, a matrix is ​​formed on the display screen with multiple scan signal lines (SCN1, SCN2...SCNn) as rows and multiple data signal lines (DAT1, DAT2...DATn) as columns. Semiconductor element driving circuits (RGB) are arranged at the intersections of rows and columns of this matrix (see Figure 3).

[0057] Each scan signal line is controlled by a scan signal line drive circuit, and each data signal line is controlled by a data signal line drive circuit. The scan signal lines (SCN1, SCN2...SCNn) are each connected to the gate electrode of the on / off control transistor Tr1 of each pixel that constitutes each row of pixel lines on the display screen, and the data signal lines (DAT1, DAT2...DATn) are each connected to the source electrode of the on / off control transistor Tr1 of each pixel that constitutes each column of pixel lines on the display screen.

[0058] In Figure 3, the "four common lines" refer to the three control signal lines (CNTA, CNTB, CNTC) connected to the current supply control transistors (Tra, Trb, Trc) that control the on / off switching of the three types of light-emitting LEDs (G, B, R) that make up each pixel, and the one VDD line (power electrode line) that supplies power to the light-emitting LEDs, for a total of four lines.

[0059] As described above, while any of the three current supply control transistors (Tra, Trb, Trc) is in the off state, current from VDD flows into the light-emitting LED to which the off current supply control transistor is connected in parallel, causing the light-emitting LED to emit light.

[0060] On the other hand, while any of the three current supply control transistors (Tra, Trb, Trc) is in the ON state, the current from VDD flows into the ON transistor and does not flow into the light-emitting LED to which the ON current supply control transistor is connected in parallel, so the light-emitting LED does not emit light.

[0061] For example, to make a red LED (R) emit light, current supply control transistors Tra and Trb are turned on, and current supply control transistor Trc is turned off. As a result, the current supplied from VDD flows in the following order: drain electrode, source electrode of current supply control transistor Tra, drain electrode, source electrode of current supply control transistor Trb. On the other hand, since current supply control transistor Trc remains off, the current that flows out from the source electrode of current supply control transistor Trb does not flow into current supply control transistor Trc, but flows into the red LED (R), causing the red LED (R) to emit light.

[0062] Similarly, to make the blue LED (B) light up, the current supply control transistors Tra and Trc are turned ON (conducting), and the current supply control transistor Trb is turned OFF (non-conducting). As a result, the current flowing out from the source electrode of the current supply control transistor Tra flows into the blue LED (B) without flowing into the drain electrode of the current supply control transistor Trb, causing the blue LED (B) to light up. The current flowing out from the blue LED (B) flows into the drain electrode of the current supply control transistor Trc, but does not flow into the red LED (R).

[0063] Furthermore, in order to make the green LED (G) light up, the current supply control transistors Trb and Trc are turned ON (conducting), and the current supply control transistor Tra is turned OFF (non-conducting). As a result, the current supplied from VDD flows into the green LED (G) without flowing into the drain electrode of the current supply control transistor Tra, causing the green LED (G) to light up. The current flowing out of the green LED (G) flows in the order of the drain electrode and source electrode of the current supply control transistor Trb, and the drain electrode and source electrode of the current supply control transistor Trc, and does not flow into the blue LED (B) or the red LED (R).

[0064] Here, the on / off switching of current flow from VDD to GND via three types of light-emitting LEDs (R, B, G) and three current supply control transistors (Tra, Trb, Trc) is controlled by switching the current quantity control transistor Tr2, which is connected in series between VDD and the three types of light-emitting LEDs, or between the three types of light-emitting LEDs and GND, on and off.

[0065] Specifically, the on / off control transistor Tr1 is controlled by a second external signal from the scanning signal line (SCN) connected to the gate electrode, and has the function of writing brightness information provided by a third external signal from the data signal line (DAT) connected to the source electrode to the retention capacitor CP for each pixel.

[0066] On the other hand, the current control transistor Tr2 has the function of controlling the amount of current supplied to the light-emitting element according to the brightness information that has been written to it. The retaining capacitor CP has a charge / discharge function, and the voltage applied to the gate electrode of the current control transistor Tr2 is controlled according to the operation of the on / off control transistor Tr1.

[0067] Specifically, a second external signal from the scan signal line (SCN) controls the on / off control transistor Tr1, which functions as a switch, while a third external signal from the data signal line (DAT) adjusts the amount of charge accumulated in the retaining capacitor CP. The amount of charge accumulated in the retaining capacitor CP controls the voltage applied to the gate electrode of the current control transistor Tr2, thereby adjusting the amount of current flowing from VDD to GND and controlling the amount of current flowing through the light-emitting LEDs (R, B, G).

[0068] The drain electrode of the on / off control transistor Tr1 is connected to the gate electrode of the current control transistor Tr2. By applying a predetermined voltage to the gate electrode of the current control transistor Tr2 in response to brightness information (a third external signal), the amount of current flowing from VDD to GND is adjusted, thereby controlling the amount of current supplied to each light-emitting LED (R, B, G). The brightness (luminescence intensity) of each light-emitting LED (R, B, G) changes depending on the amount of current supplied.

[0069] In other words, the on / off control transistor Tr1 and current control transistor Tr2 that constitute each pixel allow for the control of the illumination, extinguishing, and brightness of each light-emitting LED (R, B, G) that constitutes each pixel (RGB) by adjusting the amount of current from VDD to GND in accordance with a second external signal from the scan signal line and a third external signal (luminance information) from the data signal line.

[0070] Then, the writing of brightness (luminescence intensity) information to each pixel (application of current to the light-emitting LED) is performed by applying an electrical signal corresponding to the brightness (luminescence intensity) information (third external signal) from the data signal line while the scan signal line is selected (a voltage is applied to the gate electrode of the on / off control transistor Tr1). At this time, the amount of current applied to each light-emitting LED due to the brightness information written to each pixel (voltage applied to the gate electrode of the current control transistor Tr2) is retained in each pixel by the retaining capacitance CP even after the scan signal line is deselected (after the voltage is no longer applied to the gate electrode of the on / off control transistor Tr1), so that the light-emitting LED of each pixel can emit light while maintaining the brightness (luminescence intensity) corresponding to the retained brightness information.

[0071] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the display device has control means for forcibly turning off each pixel connected to the same scanning signal line, at least on a per-scan signal line basis, so that each light-emitting element changes from an emitting state to a non-emitting state during one scanning cycle in which brightness (luminescence intensity) information is written to each pixel and then new brightness (luminescence intensity) information is written to it.

[0072] Specifically, the application of voltage from the drain electrode of the on / off control transistor Tr1 to the gate electrode of the current control transistor Tr2 (the application of light emission pulses for data writing) is performed by a first pulse (write pulse) for the start of light emission (on) and a second pulse (erase pulse) for the start of non-light emission (erase), which are applied from each SCN to the gate electrode of each on / off control transistor Tr1. At this time, the source electrode of each on / off control transistor is supplied with a light emission pulse of a predetermined voltage from DATn in synchronization with the write pulse, and with a light emission pulse of zero voltage in synchronization with the erase pulse.

[0073] 3. Time-division screen display According to this embodiment, as described above, by causing each light-emitting LED constituting one pixel (RGB) to emit light in a time-division manner, it is possible to emit and display the desired color.

[0074] Figure 4 illustrates a time-division display using a semiconductor device drive circuit according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 4, the time required to display one image screen of the display device is defined as one field, and is divided into three time periods (sub-fields) in which each of the RGB (red LED (R), green LED (G), and blue LED (B)) emits light. In each sub-field R, G, and B, one color of RGB is emitted. By controlling the emission intensity of each RGB in each sub-field and displaying it in one field, each light-emitting element can emit and display the desired color as one pixel. By making one field less than the shortest emission time at which the colors of light can be distinguished and visually perceived, the colors of light emitted in each sub-field are not individually recognized, but are perceived as one color of light emitted in one field. Furthermore, the color recognized as the color of that field can be appropriately changed by controlling the brightness of the light emitted in each sub-field, or by the time difference between each sub-field.

[0075] Specifically, in the display device of this embodiment, as shown in Figure 3, one field of a pixel line consisting of pixels arranged in a single row, which are connected to the same data signal line (DATn) and controlled by different scan signal lines (SCN1 to SCNn), is time-divided into three subfields, and the light-emitting period and non-light-emitting period are controlled according to the timing chart shown in Figure 4.

[0076] By sequentially applying voltage to the gate electrode of the on / off control transistor Tr1 constituting each pixel via SCN1 to SCNn, the on / off control transistor Tr1 is turned ON at the start and end of one field (e.g., 1 / 60 second), enabling the emission pulse from DATn to be supplied to the current control transistor Tr2.

[0077] Synchronized with the start of one field, a first external signal from the control signal lines (CNTA, CNTB, CNTC) applies a predetermined voltage (CNT voltage) to the gate electrodes of current supply control transistors Tra, Trb, and Trc, thereby dividing one field into three subfields (for example, a first subfield (R) that causes a red LED (R) to light up, a second subfield (B) that causes a blue LED (B) to light up, and a third subfield (G) that causes a green LED (G) to light up). By selecting the current supply control transistor to which each CNT voltage is applied, the light-emitting LED to be illuminated can be selected. The magnitude of each CNT voltage and the selection of the current supply control transistor to which the CNT voltage is applied can be controlled individually for each pixel.

[0078] Specifically, in the first subfield (R), voltages are applied to the gate electrodes of current supply control transistors Tra and Trb at CNTA and CNTB, while no voltage is applied to the gate electrode of current supply control transistor Trc. As a result, current is supplied to the red LED via current supply control transistors Tra and Trb, causing only red light to be emitted.

[0079] Subsequently, in the second subfield (B), voltages are applied to the gate electrodes of current supply control transistors Tra and Trc at CNTA and CNTC, while no voltage is applied to the gate electrode of current supply control transistor Trb. As a result, current is supplied to the blue LED (B) via current supply control transistor Tra, while it flows out via current supply control transistor Trc, allowing only blue light to be emitted.

[0080] In the third subfield (G), voltages are applied to the gate electrodes of current supply control transistors Trb and Trc at CNTB and CNTC, while no voltage is applied to the gate electrode of current supply control transistor Tra. As a result, current is supplied to the green LED (G) while simultaneously flowing out through current supply control transistors Trb and Trc, causing it to emit green light.

[0081] The time-division switching of light-emitting LEDs (R, B, G) by applying voltage to the gate electrodes of current supply control transistors Tra, Trb, and Trc, respectively, using CNTA, CNTB, and CNTC, is synchronized with the on / off switching of current quantity control transistor Tr2, for example, as follows.

[0082] Light emission pulses (voltages applied to control light emission intensity) are sequentially input from the data signal line (DATn) to the source electrode of the on / off control transistor Tr1 of each pixel, which is turned on by the write pulse from each SCN. As a result, the light emission pulses (voltages applied to control light emission intensity) are input from the drain electrode of the on / off control transistor Tr1 to the gate electrode of the current control transistor Tr2. Then, the current control transistor Tr2 turns on (conducts), the first subfield (R) starts, and current is supplied to the light-emitting element. As a result, the red LED (R) starts to emit light. At this time, the brightness (light emission intensity) of the red LED (R) can be adjusted by the voltage applied to the gate electrode of the current control transistor Tr2 by the light emission pulses.

[0083] Next, light emission pulses (zero voltage) are sequentially input from the data signal line (DATn) to the source electrode of the on / off control transistor Tr1 of each pixel, which is turned ON by each SCN. By inputting light emission pulses (zero voltage) from the drain electrode of the on / off control transistor Tr1 to the gate electrode of the current control transistor Tr2, the current control transistor Tr2 turns OFF (non-conducting), and the voltage application is sequentially terminated for each light-emitting element controlled by SCN1 to SCNn, causing the red LEDs (R) to extinguish sequentially. That is, the light emission period ends and the non-light emission period begins. The end of the light emission period of SCNn is synchronized with the end of the first subfield (R).

[0084] Simultaneously with the end of the first subfield (R), the second subfield begins, similarly causing the blue LED (B) to light up and turn off.

[0085] Furthermore, the third subfield (G) starts simultaneously with the end of the second subfield (B), similarly causing the green LED (G) to light up and turn off.

[0086] At this time, by controlling the relative brightness of the light-emitting LEDs that are emitted in each subfield, the color that is recognized as the light emitted in one field can be controlled. When one field is finished (when the light-emitting LEDs in each subfield have finished illuminating and turning off), the next field starts and the process is carried out in the same way.

[0087] 4. Specific Example of Screen Display Figure 5 is a timing chart for displaying "Up" in red on a 5x5 (5 rows and 5 columns) pixel array in a microLED display (display device) using a semiconductor driving circuit according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the upper left of Figure 5, the five pixels connected to SCN1 to SCN5 are arranged in one row each (5 rows in total). Also, the five pixels located in the same column of SCN1 to SCN5 are arranged in one column each, and the five pixels arranged in each column are connected to DAT1 to DAT5 in order from left to right (5 columns in total).

[0088] In the lower part of Figure 5, the lines extending horizontally represent the states of the second external signals (write pulses) from SCN1 to SCN5 and the third external signals (light emission pulses) from DAT1 to DAT5 input to the on / off control transistor Tr1. The horizontal axis corresponds to the passage of time, and the vertical axis corresponds to the magnitude (voltage) of the external signals (pulses).

[0089] In other words, the portion of each line extending in the horizontal direction that is displaced upward indicates the time during which a write pulse from SCN1 to SCN5 or an illumination pulse from DAT1 to DAT5 is input, and the height of the displacement indicates the magnitude (voltage) of the pulse.

[0090] Then, within the red (R) subfield (Sub-Field (Red)), write pulses are sequentially input from SCN1 to SCN5.

[0091] At the moment when SCN1, SCN3, and SCN4 receive a write pulse (in the lower diagram of Figure 5, the lines extending horizontally in the rows of SCN1, SCN3, and SCN4 are displaced upward), only DAT3 receives an emission pulse (the lines extending horizontally in the row of DAT3 are displaced upward). Therefore, in each of the first, third, and fourth rows where a write pulse is received, only the pixels in the third column where the emission pulse is received will emit light.

[0092] On the other hand, at the same time that SCN2 inputs a write pulse, light emission pulses are input to DAT3 and DAT4, so in the second row, the pixels in the third and fourth columns will emit light.

[0093] Furthermore, at the timing when SCN5 receives the emission pulse, emission pulses are input to all of DAT1 through DAT5, so in the fifth row, all pixels from the first to the fifth column will emit light.

[0094] Here, compared to the others, DAT5 has a smaller magnitude (voltage) of the light emission pulse signal (lower voltage applied to the gate electrode of the current control transistor Tr2), resulting in lower brightness for the pixels in the fifth row (hatched areas). In other words, by controlling the magnitude (voltage) of the light emission pulse signal for each light-emitting LED, the gradation of each pixel can be controlled.

[0095] 5.1 Pixel Planar Layout Figure 6(a) is a top view planar view (a) of the layout of one pixel of a microLED display (display device) using a semiconductor device drive circuit according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6(b) is a side view (b) taken from the opposite side of the side where the electrodes are installed by the stepped structure. In Figures 6(a) and 6(b), the side from which light is extracted is considered the bottom surface. In Figure 6(b), the transparent stepped structure is indicated by a solid line.

[0096] The scan signal line (SCN) is positioned horizontally upwards, the data signal line (DAT) is positioned vertically to the left, and the ground (GND) line is positioned vertically to the right. An on / off control transistor Tr1 is positioned to the left of the scan signal line (SCN), with the gate electrode of Tr1 connected to the scan signal line (SCN) and the source electrode connected to the data signal line (DAT). The gate electrode of the current control transistor Tr2 and the retaining capacitor CP are connected to the drain electrode of the on / off control transistor Tr1, while the source electrode of the current control transistor Tr2 and the other electrode of the retaining capacitor CP are connected to the ground (GND) line.

[0097] At the bottom, rectangular, stacked light-emitting elements (three types of light-emitting LEDs) are arranged. The upper part of the light-emitting elements has a stepped structure. As shown in Figure 6(b), the light-emitting elements are stacked in the order of red LED (R), blue LED (B), and green LED (G) from the bottom of the paper (the light extraction side). Each light-emitting LED has a structure in which n layers, a light-emitting layer, and a p layer are stacked in that order, with the n layer located on the light extraction side.

[0098] In the stepped structure, the n layers of the red LED (R), blue LED (B), and green LED (G), as well as the n layer formed on the p layer of the green LED (G), are exposed facing upwards on the paper, and the fourth electrode, third electrode, second electrode, and first electrode are formed on them, respectively. The n layer formed on the p layer of the green LED (G) is connected to the VDD line (wiring connected to VDD).

[0099] In Figure 6(b), the stacked portions where the n-layer and p-layer are adjacent or continuous are depicted as a single layer without drawing a boundary line. Furthermore, the light-emitting layers of the red LED (R), blue LED (B), and green LED (G) are labeled with the designations R, B, and G, respectively.

[0100] The fourth electrode is connected to the drain electrode of the current control transistor Tr2 and the source electrode of the current supply control transistor Trc. The third electrode is connected to the drain electrode of the current supply control transistor Trc and the source electrode of the current supply control transistor Trb. The second electrode is connected to the drain electrode of the current supply control transistor Trb and the source electrode of the current supply control transistor Tra, and the first electrode is connected to the drain electrode of the current supply control transistor Tra and the VDD line. The gate electrodes of the current supply control transistors Tra, Trb, and Trc are connected to CNTA, CNTB, and CNTC, respectively.

[0101] In the lower part of Figure 6(b), an insulator is filled into the space above the light-emitting element, which has a vertical stepped structure in which three light-emitting LEDs are stacked vertically, flattening the upper surface, and a reflector is formed on the flattened upper surface to form a light-emitting element section. Conductors extend upward from each of the electrodes formed on the n-layer of the red LED (fourth electrode), the n-layer of the blue LED (third electrode), the n-layer of the green LED (second electrode), the n-layer stacked on the p-layer of the green LED (first electrode), and the power supply electrode, and are exposed above the reflector on the upper surface of the flattened insulator, forming connection terminals.

[0102] The multilayer wiring structure (TFT) located above Figure 6(b), although not shown, consists of an insulator and a Si semiconductor (p-type) laminated on the upper surface of the insulator. Current supply control transistors Tra, Trb, and Trc are formed at the interface between the insulator and the Si semiconductor.

[0103] A conductor connected to the drain electrode of the current supply control transistor Tra extends downward through the insulator and connects to a connection terminal connected to the first electrode of the light-emitting element. A conductor connected to the source electrode of the current supply control transistor Tra and the drain electrode (drain / source electrode) of the current supply control transistor Trb extends downward through the insulator and connects to a connection terminal connected to the second electrode of the light-emitting element.

[0104] A conductor connected to the source electrode of the current supply control transistor Trb and the drain electrode (drain / source electrode) of the current supply control transistor Trc extends downward through the insulator and connects to a connection terminal connected to the third electrode of the light-emitting element. A conductor connected to the source electrode of the current supply control transistor Trc extends downward through the insulator and connects to a connection terminal connected to the fourth electrode of the light-emitting element.

[0105] Furthermore, the conductor connected to the connection terminal that is connected to the power electrode VDD of the light-emitting element extends through the insulator of the multilayer wiring structure TFT and connects to the VDD power supply. The conductors connected to the gate electrodes of the current supply control transistors Tra, Trb, and Trc extend through the conductor and connect to CNTA, CNTB, and CNTC, respectively.

[0106] 6. Multilayer Wiring Structure Incorporating a Semiconductor Device Drive Circuit The semiconductor device drive circuit according to this embodiment can be formed as a multilayer wiring structure incorporating current supply control transistors (Tra, Trb, Trc), on / off control transistor Tr1, and current quantity control transistor Tr2 as thin-film transistors (TFTs). Hereinafter, a display device and its manufacturing method will be described, which includes the semiconductor device drive circuit according to this embodiment as a multilayer wiring structure and includes a red LED layer, a blue LED layer, and a green LED layer as semiconductor elements, produced by MOCVD.

[0107] Figure 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a micro-LED display (display device) having a multilayer wiring structure incorporating a semiconductor device drive circuit according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 7, in this embodiment, the display device has a light-emitting element and a multilayer wiring structure attached to the upper surface of the light-emitting element. In addition, the display device shown in Figure 7 has a reflector provided on the upper surface of the light-emitting element to extract light from the substrate side of the light-emitting element.

[0108] In the light-emitting element section, each electrode provided on each color LED (from the top layer, in order from the first electrode to the fourth electrode) is connected to each of the four n+Si semiconductors provided in the Si semiconductor (p-type) by a wire embedded in an insulator. The power supply electrode is connected to the VDD power supply.

[0109] Furthermore, within the insulator of the display device section, a current supply control transistor Tra is provided in parallel with a green LED between the electrode connected to the first electrode and the electrode connected to the second electrode, a current supply control transistor Trb is provided in parallel with a blue LED between the electrode connected to the second electrode and the electrode connected to the third electrode, and a current supply control transistor Trc is provided in parallel with a red LED between the electrode connected to the third electrode and the electrode connected to the fourth electrode.

[0110] Furthermore, for example, low-temperature polysilicon TFTs used in thin-film transistor liquid crystal displays can be used as the on / off control transistor Tr1, current control transistor Tr2, and current supply control transistors (Tra, Trb, Trc), and can generally be fabricated according to the following procedure: (1) Place an insulating SiO on top of the ground electrode (GND) wiring. ２ (2) The SiO ２ An amorphous Si film is deposited on a film (on a glass substrate). If the amorphous Si film is deposited by the P-CVD method, a dehydrogenation annealing treatment is performed to remove hydrogen from the Si film, and then polycrystallization is performed by excimer laser annealing. (3) Next, the polycrystalline Si film that will become the channel and source / drain portions is etched to form a gate insulating film. After this, an Al-based metal which will be the gate metal film is deposited. Then the gate metal film is processed. (4) The side surface of the gate metal film is anodized to form an offset portion, and then the gate electrode, source electrode, and drain electrode are formed by doping the source / drain portions with high concentrations of phosphorus or boron impurities. (5) An interlayer insulating film is formed, contact holes are opened, and then source / drain metal is formed to form a polySi TFT.

[0111] The present invention has been described above based on embodiments. In the semiconductor device drive circuit according to the present invention, compared to conventional technology which provides a mechanism (on / off control transistor and current control transistor) to individually and simultaneously control the on / off state and current amount for each of the many semiconductor devices for driving (energizing) a large number of semiconductor devices, the present invention connects multiple semiconductor devices in series to form a single drive target unit, and provides a mechanism (current control transistor) to control the current amount for each single drive target unit, while providing only a mechanism (current supply control transistor) to control the on / off state of each semiconductor device for each semiconductor device. Therefore, the semiconductor device drive circuit of the present invention can reduce the number of mechanisms (on / off control transistor and current control transistor) that control the on / off state and current amount of the entire circuit, making the overall circuit structure more compact.

[0112] Therefore, the semiconductor device driving circuit according to the present invention can be suitably used in devices that require driving a large number of semiconductor elements in parallel. Examples of such devices include various display devices and imaging devices.

[0113] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. Various modifications can be made to the embodiments described above within the same and equivalent scope as the present invention. For example, although the above description describes the case in which an n-channel FET (Field Effect Transistor) is used as the transistor, it is not limited to this. A p-channel FET may also be used. When using a p-channel FET, the circuit should be configured considering that the gate electrode needs to be set to the opposite potential to that of an n-channel FET in order to turn it on. In the circuit of Figure 1, when p-channel FETs are used for the current supply control transistors Tra, Trb and Trc, the gate electrode should be set to a positive potential to turn each current supply control transistor off, and the gate electrode should be set to 0 (ground potential) to turn it off. The same applies when p-channel FETs are used for the on / off control transistor Tr1 and the current quantity control transistor Tr2. Furthermore, a Si semiconductor transistor may be used instead of a thin-film transistor (TFT). As the Si semiconductor transistor, for example, an n-channel MOSFET or a p-channel MOSFET may be used, or an NPN bipolar transistor or a PNP bipolar transistor can be used. The grayscale representation of the time-division display of the semiconductor device drive circuit may be an analog (voltage) method or a PWM (pulse width modulation) method. Furthermore, the basic form of the semiconductor device drive circuit is 2Tr1C (two transistors + one retaining capacitor) consisting of an on / off control transistor Tr1, a current control transistor Tr2, and a retaining capacitor CP as in the above embodiment, but it may also be 3Tr1C (three transistors + one retaining capacitor) or 4Tr2C (four transistors + two retaining capacitors) with added functions such as time compensation.

[0114] VDD: Power supply electrode GND: Ground electrode A, B, C: Semiconductor elements Tra, Trb, Trc: Current supply control transistor Tr1: On / off control transistor Tr2: Current quantity control transistor CP: Holding capacitance CNTA, CNTB, CNTC: Control signal lines SCN, SCN1...SCNn: Scan signal lines DAT, DAT1...DATn: Data signal lines RGB: Pixels

Claims

1. A semiconductor element driving circuit comprising: a plurality of semiconductor elements connected in series between a power electrode and a ground electrode; and a current supply control transistor connected in parallel to each of the plurality of semiconductor elements, wherein each of the current supply control transistors functions as a switch that controls the flow of current to the parallel-connected semiconductor elements based on a first external signal; when the current supply control transistor is turned off by the first external signal, current flows to the semiconductor elements connected in parallel to the current supply control transistor; and when the current supply control transistor is turned on by the first external signal, the flow of current to the semiconductor elements connected in parallel to the current supply control transistor is stopped.

2. The semiconductor element driving circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that each of the current supply control transistors has a gate electrode, and each of the current supply control transistors is in an off state when no voltage from the first external signal is applied to its gate electrode, and each of the current supply control transistors is in an on state when a voltage from the first external signal is applied to its gate electrode.

3. The semiconductor element driving circuit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, among the plurality of semiconductor elements, mutually adjacent semiconductor elements are connected in series via a tunnel junction.

4. A semiconductor element driving circuit according to claim 1 or claim 2, further comprising: a current control transistor connected in series between the plurality of semiconductor elements and the power electrode or the ground electrode; an on / off control transistor for applying a voltage to the gate electrode of the current control transistor; and a holding capacitor having one electrode connected to the drain electrode of the on / off control transistor and the gate electrode of the current control transistor, and the other electrode connected to the ground electrode, wherein the current control transistor has a function to control the amount of current flowing between the power electrode and the ground electrode according to the magnitude of the voltage applied to the gate electrode; the on / off control transistor has a function to apply a predetermined voltage to the gate electrode of the current control transistor based on a second external signal and a third external signal; the holding capacitor has a function to control the magnitude of the voltage applied to the gate electrode of the current control transistor; and the on / off control transistor applies a voltage corresponding to the third external signal applied to the source electrode to the current control transistor based on the second external signal applied to the gate electrode.

5. A semiconductor device driving circuit in which semiconductor device driving circuits according to claim 4 are arranged in a matrix at the intersection of rows and columns of a matrix formed by a plurality of scanning signal lines as rows and a plurality of data signal lines as columns, wherein each scanning signal line is connected to the gate electrode of the on / off control transistor of a plurality of semiconductor device driving circuits constituting one row of the matrix, and a second external signal is applied to the on / off control transistor; each data signal line is connected to the source electrode of the on / off control transistor of a plurality of semiconductor device driving circuits constituting one column of the matrix, and a third external signal is applied to the on / off control transistor; and for each row, a plurality of control signal lines are arranged corresponding to each current supply control transistor connected in parallel to each of the plurality of semiconductor devices of each semiconductor device driving circuit, and a first external signal is applied to the gate electrode of the corresponding current supply control transistor.

6. The semiconductor device drive circuit according to claim 5, characterized in that the scanning signal line is controlled by a scanning signal line control circuit, the data signal line is controlled by a data signal line control circuit, and the control signal line is controlled by a control signal line control circuit.

7. The semiconductor device driving circuit according to claim 5, characterized in that the plurality of semiconductor elements are formed to be driven in a time-division manner.

8. The semiconductor device drive circuit according to claim 5, characterized in that it is formed in a multilayer wiring structure.

9. The semiconductor device drive circuit according to claim 5, characterized in that the output from the semiconductor element can be graded by changing the magnitude of the pulse signal supplied as the third external signal from the data signal line to the source electrode of the on / off control transistor.

10. A semiconductor device characterized by being provided with the semiconductor device driving circuit described in claim 5.

11. A semiconductor device characterized in that it is provided with the semiconductor device driving circuit described in claim 7, and the plurality of semiconductor elements are driven in a time-division manner.

12. The semiconductor device according to claim 10, characterized in that the plurality of semiconductor elements include three types of light-emitting diodes consisting of a red light-emitting diode, a blue light-emitting diode, and a green light-emitting diode.

13. The semiconductor device according to claim 12, characterized in that the red light-emitting diode, the blue light-emitting diode, and the green light-emitting diode are stacked.

14. The semiconductor device according to claim 12, characterized in that the red light-emitting diode, the blue light-emitting diode, and the green light-emitting diode are formed to be driven in a time-division manner.

15. The semiconductor device according to claim 14, characterized in that the time intervals for driving each of the three types of light-emitting diodes in the time division are such that the individual colors of the three types of light-emitting diodes cannot be seen, and the three types of light-emitting diodes that emit light according to the time intervals are configured to make a desired color visible.

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