Light-emitting device and electronic device using the same

• US 10,529,741 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2015
• Issued: 01/07/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Seo, Satoshi, Hatano, Kaoru
• Primary Examiner(s): Quarterman, Kevin
• Application Number:
  US14/674,346
• Publication Number:
  US 20150214251A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,743 Days
• Field of Search: 313498-512, 313112
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1214 comprising a plurality of TFTs formed on a non-semiconducting substrate, e.g. driving circuits for AMLCDs
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1218 with a particular composition or structure of the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1225 with semiconductor materials not belonging to the group IV of the periodic table, e.g. InGaZnO
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1266 the substrate on which the devices are formed not being the final device substrate, e.g. using a temporary substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/7869 having a semiconductor body comprising an oxide semiconductor material, e.g. zinc oxide, copper aluminium oxide, cadmium stannate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/507 the elements being in intimate contact with parts other than the semiconductor body or integrated with parts other than the semiconductor body
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/58 Optical field-shaping elements
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 2102/311 Flexible OLED
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/125 specially adapted for multicolour light emission, e.g. for emitting white light
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/13 comprising stacked EL layers within one EL unit
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/80 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/1201 Manufacture or treatment
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/124 Insulating layers formed between TFT elements and OLED elements
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/38 comprising colour filters or colour changing media [CCM]
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/80 using temporary substrates
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

A lightweight flexible light-emitting device which is able to possess a curved display portion and display a full color image with high resolution and the manufacturing process thereof are disclosed. The light-emitting device comprises: a plastic substrate; an insulating layer with an adhesive interposed therebetween; a thin film transistor over the insulating layer; a protective insulating film over the thin film transistor; a color filter over the protective insulating film; an interlayer insulating film over the color filter; and a white-emissive light-emitting element formed over the interlayer insulating film and being electrically connected to the thin film transistor.

Claims

1. A light-emitting device comprising:

an adhesive layer over a flexible substrate;

a transistor over the flexible substrate with the adhesive layer therebetween, wherein the transistor comprises an oxide semiconductor layer, and wherein the oxide semiconductor layer is in contact with a source electrode layer and a drain electrode layer;

a first insulating film over and in contact with the transistor;

a color filter over and in contact with the first insulating film;

a second insulating film over and in contact with the color filter, the second insulating film comprising the same material as the first insulating film;

a partition layer over the second insulating film, the partition layer comprising a tapered surface and an even surface; and

a light-emitting element over the color filter, the light-emitting element comprising a first electrode over the color filter, an EL layer over the partition layer and the first electrode, and a second electrode over the EL layer,

wherein the transistor and the color filter overlap each other in a vertical direction, and

wherein the source electrode layer and the drain electrode layer are in direct contact with the color filter and the second insulating film in an opening of the color filter and an opening of the second insulating film.

2. The light-emitting device according to claim 1, wherein the flexible substrate comprises an organic resin.

3. The light-emitting device according to claim 1, wherein the light-emitting element emits light with white color.

4. The light-emitting device according to claim 1, wherein the oxide semiconductor layer comprises zinc.

5. The light-emitting device according to claim 1, wherein the oxide semiconductor layer comprises indium.

6. The light-emitting device according to claim 1, wherein the oxide semiconductor layer comprises gallium.

7. An electronic device comprising:

a display portion comprising the light-emitting device according to claim 1,

wherein the display portion has a curved shape.

8. The light-emitting device according to claim 1, further comprising a third insulating film over and in contact with the second insulating film,

wherein a bottom surface of the third insulating film has an unevenness caused by the transistor, and

wherein a top surface of the third insulating film is even in a range which overlaps with the unevenness.

9. The light-emitting device according to claim 1, wherein the transistor, the even surface of the partition layer, the EL layer, and the second electrode overlap each other in the vertical direction.

10. The light-emitting device according to claim 1, wherein the color filter prevents direct contact between the first insulating film and the second insulating film in the vicinities of the source electrode layer and the drain electrode layer.

11. A light-emitting device comprising:

a transistor over a substrate, wherein the transistor comprises an oxide semiconductor layer, and wherein the oxide semiconductor layer is in contact with a source electrode layer and a drain electrode layer;

a first insulating film over and in contact with the transistor;

a color filter over and in contact with the first insulating film;

a second insulating film over and in contact with the color filter, the second insulating film comprising the same material as the first insulating film;

a partition layer over the second insulating film, the partition layer comprising a tapered surface and an even surface; and

a light-emitting element over the color filter, the light-emitting element comprising a first electrode over the color filter, an EL layer over the partition layer and the first electrode, and a second electrode over the EL layer,

wherein the transistor and the color filter overlap each other in a vertical direction,

wherein the transistor is electrically connected to the light-emitting element,

wherein the transistor comprises a gate electrode and a gate insulating film between the gate electrode and the oxide semiconductor layer, and

wherein the source electrode layer and the drain electrode layer are in direct contact with the color filter and the second insulating film in an opening of the color filter and an opening of the second insulating film.

12. The light-emitting device according to claim 11, wherein the substrate comprises an organic resin.

13. The light-emitting device according to claim 11, wherein the light-emitting element emits light with white color.

14. The light-emitting device according to claim 11, wherein the oxide semiconductor layer comprises zinc.

15. The light-emitting device according to claim 11, wherein the oxide semiconductor layer comprises indium.

16. The light-emitting device according to claim 11, wherein the oxide semiconductor layer comprises gallium.

17. An electronic device comprising:

a display portion comprising the light-emitting device according to claim 11,

wherein the display portion has a curved shape.

18. The light-emitting device according to claim 11, further comprising a third insulating film over and in contact with the second insulating film,

wherein a bottom surface of the third insulating film has an unevenness caused by the transistor, and

wherein a top surface of the third insulating film is even in a range which overlaps with the unevenness.

19. The light-emitting device according to claim 11, wherein the transistor, the even surface of the partition layer, the EL layer, and the second electrode overlap each other in the vertical direction.

20. The light-emitting device according to claim 11, wherein the color filter prevents direct contact between the first insulating film and the second insulating film in the vicinities of the source electrode layer and the drain electrode layer.