1. A method for manufacturing a thin film transistor, comprising the steps of:
forming a gate insulating layer over a gate electrode over a substrate;
forming a microcrystalline semiconductor layer over the gate insulating layer;
forming an amorphous semiconductor layer over the microcrystalline semiconductor layer;
forming a semiconductor layer including an impurity element which imparts one conductivity type, wherein the semiconductor layer forms a source and drain regions over the amorphous semiconductor layer;
forming a source and drain electrodes by using a mask over the semiconductor layer;
removing by first dry-etching, a part of the semiconductor layer, which is exposed from the source and drain electrodes, and partially a part of the amorphous semiconductor layer just below and in contact with the part of the semiconductor layer;
removing by second dry-etching, partially a part of the amorphous semiconductor layer which is exposed by the first dry-etching; and
performing plasma treatment on a surface of a part of the amorphous semiconductor layer that is exposed by the second dry-etching so that an altered layer is formed,
wherein the surface of the part of the amorphous semiconductor layer that is exposed by the second dry-etching is exposed to a plasma containing OH free radicals in the plasma treatment.
2. The method for manufacturing the thin film transistor, according to claim 1, wherein the amorphous semiconductor layer is etched without supplying power to the substrate.
3. The method for manufacturing the thin film transistor, according to claim 1, wherein the OH free radicals are generated by making at least one of water and hydrogen peroxide water into plasma.
4. The method for manufacturing the thin film transistor, according to claim 1, wherein the substrate is heated in the plasma treatment.
5. The method for manufacturing the thin film transistor, according to claim 4, wherein the substrate is heated at a temperature of 100\xb0 C. to 280\xb0 C.
6. The method for manufacturing the thin film transistor, according to claim 4, wherein the substrate is heated at a temperature of 220\xb0 C. to 280\xb0 C.
7. The method for manufacturing the thin film transistor, according to claim 1, wherein the plasma treatment is performed with a plasma down-flow processing apparatus in which a plasma generation chamber and a reaction chamber are separated from each other.
8. A method for manufacturing a thin film transistor, comprising the steps of:
forming a gate insulating layer over a gate electrode over a substrate;
forming an amorphous semiconductor layer over the gate insulating layer;
forming a semiconductor layer including an impurity element which imparts one conductivity type, wherein the semiconductor layer forms a source and drain regions over the amorphous semiconductor layer;
forming a source and drain electrodes by using a mask over the semiconductor layer;
removing by first dry-etching, a part of the semiconductor layer, which is exposed from the source and drain electrodes, and partially a part of the amorphous semiconductor layer just below and in contact with the part of the semiconductor layer;
removing by second dry-etching, partially a part of the amorphous semiconductor layer which is exposed by the first dry-etching; and
performing plasma treatment on a surface of a part of the amorphous semiconductor layer that is exposed by the second dry-etching so that an altered layer is formed,
wherein the surface of the part of the amorphous semiconductor layer that is exposed by the second dry-etching is exposed to a plasma containing OH free radicals in the plasma treatment.
9. The method for manufacturing the thin film transistor, according to claim 8, wherein the amorphous semiconductor layer is etched without supplying power to the substrate.
10. The method for manufacturing the thin film transistor, according to claim 8, wherein the OH free radicals are generated by making at least one of water and hydrogen peroxide water into plasma.
11. The method for manufacturing the thin film transistor, according to claim 8, wherein the substrate is heated in the plasma treatment.
12. The method for manufacturing the thin film transistor, according to claim 11, wherein the substrate is heated at a temperature of 100\xb0 C. to 280\xb0 C.
13. The method for manufacturing the thin film transistor, according to claim 11, wherein the substrate is heated at a temperature of 220\xb0 C. to 280\xb0 C.
14. The method for manufacturing the thin film transistor, according to claim 8, wherein the plasma treatment is performed with a plasma down-flow processing apparatus in which a plasma generation chamber and a reaction chamber are separated from each other.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method for producing stacks of printed products provided with an additional sheet between sub-stacks thereof, comprising the steps of
serially feeding printed products from a feed conveyor into a preliminary stacking compartment which is bounded at the bottom by a compartment base, and so that the printed products enter the preliminary stacking compartment from above the compartment,
sequentially closing and opening the compartment base so that a series of sub-stacks are formed in the preliminary stacking compartment and individually dropped into a final compartment which is located below the preliminary stacking compartment,
feeding at least one additional sheet, which is visually distinct from the printed products, after at least one sub-stack has been formed in the preliminary stacking compartment and before a further sub-stack is dropped upon the one sub-stack in the final compartment so that the additional sheet ends up located between the one sub-stack and the further sub-stack, and
wherein the feeding step comprises feeding the additional sheet laterally into the preliminary stacking compartment through a side of the compartment and at a location immediately above the compartment base so that the further sub-stack is formed upon the additional sheet.
2. The method of claim 1 comprising the further step of rotating the final compartment by about 180\xb0 about a central vertical axis between the dropping of the one sub-stack and the further sub-stack thereinto and so that the one and further sub-stacks are disposed in a relationship rotated about 180\xb0 with respect to each other.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the additional sheet is fed after the one sub-stack has been formed and dropped into the final compartment and before the further sub-stack has been formed.
4. The method of claim 1 comprising the further step of feeding another additional sheet into the preliminary stacking compartment before the one sub-stack is formed so that the one sub-stack ends up located on the another additional sheet.
5. An apparatus for producing stacks of printed products provided with an additional sheet between sub-stacks thereof, comprising
a feed conveyor,
a preliminary stacking compartment positioned with respect to the feed conveyor so that the preliminary stacking compartment is serially supplied with printed products from above the preliminary stacking compartment, and with the preliminary stacking compartment being bounded at the bottom by a compartment base which is mounted for movement between a closed position wherein the fed products may be stacked to form a sub-stack, and a withdrawn position,
a final compartment positioned below the preliminary stacking compartment into which the sub-stacks are sequentially dropped when the compartment base of the preliminary stacking compartment is moved from its closed position to its withdrawn position, to form a complete stack, and
an arrangement for feeding an additional sheet, which is visually distinct from the printed products, after at least one sub-stack has been formed and before a further sub-stack is dropped onto the already formed sub-stack in the final compartment, and such that the additional sheet ends up located between these two sub-stacks in the final compartment, and
wherein the arrangement for feeding an additional sheet has an outlet which is positioned to deliver the sheets into the preliminary stacking compartment through a side thereof and immediately above the compartment base.
6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the final compartment is mounted for rotation about a central vertical axis and the apparatus further comprises a rotation drive for selectively rotating the final compartment about said axis by about 180\xb0 so that sub-stacks can be dropped one upon another in a relationship rotated about 180\xb0 in relation to one another.
7. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the portion of the preliminary stacking compartment above the outlet includes an intermediate base which is mounted for movement into and out of the preliminary stacking compartment and on which the printed products may be stacked until the relevant additional sheet is introduced into the preliminary stacking compartment.
8. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the arrangement for feeding an additional sheet is programmed to feed an additional sheet before the one sub-stack is formed.
9. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the apparatus further comprises a strapping andor wrapping station which is positioned to receive complete stacks from the final compartment.