Patent ID: RE44267

Claim:
A method of manufacturing a thin film element comprising the steps of: (A) forming a gate electrode layer, and a gate electrode material layer on a substrate having the same material as the gate electrode layer; (B) forming a gate insulation film on said gate electrode layer and gate electrode material layer; (C) forming a channel layer and an ohmic contact layer on said gate insulation film that overlaps horizontally with said gate electrode layer; (D) forming a source electrode layer and a drain electrode layer that are connected to said ohmic contact layer; (E) removing said ohmic contact layer from a region between said source electrode layer and the drain electrode layer by etching; (F) forming a protective film for covering said source electrode layer said drain electrode layer and said gate electrode material layer; (G) forming a first aperture wherein a part of said gate insulation film and the overlapping layer of the protective film and said gate electrode material layer are selectively etched for exposing a portion of a surface of one of the gate electrode layer and the gate electrode material layer and at the same times, forming a second aperture wherein a portion of the protective film on the source electrode layer and the drain electrode layer are selectively etched for exposing a portion of a surface of one of the source electrode layer and the drain electrode layer; and (H) connecting an electrically conductive material layer through said first aperture and said second aperture to at least one of the gate electrode layer, the gate electrode material layer, the source electrode layer, and/or the drain electrode layer.