Patent ID: 7649205

Claim:
A structure operable as a thin film transistor, comprising: a substrate; a semiconductive layer; a patterned dielectric structure formed over said semiconductive layer; a patterned gate metal structure formed over said patterned dielectric structure having a top surface and lateral edges, said gate metal structure patterned such that it extends at least in a first direction laterally to a greater extent than said patterned dielectric structure to thereby define a first overhang region below said patterned gate metal structure and adjacent said patterned dielectric structure; a first conductive structure formed over said patterned gate metal structure such that said first conductive structure extends beyond the lateral dimension of said patterned gate metal structure and is in physical and electrical contact with at least said lateral edge extending over said first overhang region; and a second conductive material structure, formed of the same material as said first conductive material structure, extending laterally from within said first overhang region and increasing in thickness from a location proximate a lateral edge of said patterned dielectric structure within said first overhang region to a region outside of said first overhang region and laterally adjacent said patterned dielectric structure; and a third conductive material structure, formed of the same material as said first and second conductive material structures, extending laterally in a direction opposite to the lateral direction said second conductive material structure extends so as to be disposed laterally adjacent said patterned dielectric structure and on a side opposite from said second conductive material structure relative to said patterned dielectric structure; whereby said patterned gate metal structure may act as a gate controlling current flow in a channel defined therebelow in said semiconductive layer between said second conductive material structure and said third conductive material structure.