Luminescent device and process of manufacturing the same

• US 20020190256A1
• Filed: 05/20/2002
• Published: 12/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Murakami, Satoshi, Asami, Taketomi, Ichijo, Mitsuhiro
• Granted Patent: US 6,717,181 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 257/72
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/7684 Smoothing; Planarisation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76841 Barrier, adhesion or liner layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/12 the substrate being other than a semiconductor body, e.g. an insulating body
• 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 27/1248 with a particular composition or shape of the interlayer dielectric specially adapted to the circuit arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1251 comprising TFTs having a different architecture, e.g. top- and bottom gate TFTs
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1255 integrated with passive devices, e.g. auxiliary capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/0041 characterised by field-effect operation
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/82 Cathodes
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/844 Encapsulations
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/12 Active-matrix OLED [AMOLED] displays
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/1201 Manufacture or treatment
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/122 Pixel-defining structures or layers, e.g. banks
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/123 Connection of the pixel electrodes to the thin film transistors [TFT]
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/124 Insulating layers formed between TFT elements and OLED elements

Abstract

In the case where a material containing an alkaline metal or an alkaline-earth metal in a cathode, an anode, a buffer layer, or an organic compound layer is used, there is a fear of the diffusion of an impurity ion (representatively, alkaline metal ion or alkaline-earth metal ion) from the EL element to the TFT being generated and causing the variation of characteristics of the TFT.

As the insulating films 117, 317 and 417 provided between TFT and EL element, a film containing a material for not only blocking the diffusion of an impurity ion such as an alkaline metal ion and an alkaline-earth metal ion but also aggressively absorbing an impurity ion such as an alkaline metal ion and an alkaline-earth metal ion, for example, a silicon nitride film containing a large amount of fluorine, a silicon oxynitride film containing a large amount of fluorine or an organic resin film containing a particle consisted of an antimony (Sb) compound, a tin (Sn) compound, or an indium (In) compound is used.

Claims

1. A luminescent device comprising:

a thin film transistor provided over an insulating surface of a substrate;

a luminescent element electrically connected with said thin film transistor, said luminescent element comprising an organic compound layer, an anode and a cathode, said cathode containing an alkaline metal;

at least one insulating layer provided between said thin film transistor and said luminescent element and selected from the group consisting of an insulating layer adsorbing said alkaline metal and an insulating layer preventing diffusion of said alkaline metal.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein said at least one insulating layer comprises a silicon nitride film containing fluorine at a concentration of 1×

10¹⁹/cm³ or more.

3. A device according to claim 1, wherein said at least one insulating layer comprises an organic resin film containing a particle comprising an antimony (Sb) compound, a tin (Sn) compound, or indium (In) compound.

4. A device according to claim 1, said at least one insulating layer comprises a laminated layer of a silicon nitride film containing fluorine at a concentration of 1×

10¹⁹/cm³ or more and an organic resin film containing a particle comprising an antimony (Sb) compound, a tin (Sn) compound, or indium (In) compound.

5. A device according to claim 1, said insulating layer comprises a silicon oxynitride film or a silicon oxide film containing fluorine at a concentration of 1×

10¹⁹/cm³ or more.

6. A luminescent device comprising:

a thin film transistor provided over an insulating surface of a substrate;

a luminescent element electrically connected with said thin film transistor, said luminescent element comprising an organic compound layer, an anode and a cathode, said organic compound layer containing an alkaline metal;

at least one insulating layer provided between said thin film transistor and said luminescent element and selected from the group consisting of an insulating layer adsorbing said alkaline metal and an insulating layer preventing diffusion of said alkaline metal.

7. A device according to claim 6, wherein said at least one insulating layer comprises a silicon nitride film containing fluorine at a concentration of 1×

10¹⁹/cm³ or more.

8. A device according to claim 6, wherein said at least one insulating layer comprises an organic resin film containing a particle comprising an antimony (Sb) compound, a tin (Sn) compound, or indium (In) compound.

9. A device according to claim 6, said at least one insulating layer comprises a laminated layer of a silicon nitride film containing fluorine at a concentration of 1×

10¹⁹/cm³or more and an organic resin film containing a particle comprising an antimony (Sb) compound, a tin (Sn) compound, or indium (In) compound.

10. A device according to claim 6, said insulating layer comprises a silicon oxynitride film or a silicon oxide film containing fluorine at a concentration of 1×

10¹⁹/cm³ or more.

11. A luminescent device comprising:

a thin film transistor provided over an insulating surface of a substrate;

a luminescent element electrically connected with said thin film transistor, said luminescent element comprising an organic compound layer, an anode, a buffer layer and a cathode, said buffer layer containing an alkaline metal;

at least one insulating layer provided between said thin film transistor and said luminescent element and selected from the group consisting of an insulating layer adsorbing said alkaline metal and an insulating layer preventing diffusion of said alkaline metal.

12. A device according to claim 11, wherein said at least one insulating layer comprises a silicon nitride film containing fluorine at a concentration of 1×

10¹⁹/cm³ or more.

13. A device according to claim 11, wherein said at least one insulating layer comprises an organic resin film containing a particle comprising an antimony (Sb) compound, a tin (Sn) compound, or indium (In) compound.

14. A device according to claim 11, said at least one insulating layer comprises a laminated layer of a silicon nitride film containing fluorine at a concentration of 1×

10¹⁹/cm³ or more and an organic resin film containing a particle comprising an antimony (Sb) compound, a tin (Sn) compound, or indium (In) compound.

15. A device according to claim 11, said insulating layer comprises a silicon oxynitride film or a silicon oxide film containing fluorine at a concentration of 1×

10¹⁹/cm³ or more.

17. A device according to claim 16, wherein said at least one insulating layer comprises a silicon nitride film containing fluorine at a concentration of 1×

10¹⁹/cm³ or more.

18. A device according to claim 16, wherein said at least one insulating layer comprises an organic resin film containing a particle comprising an antimony (Sb) compound, a tin (Sn) compound, or indium (In) compound.

19. A device according to claim 16, said at least one insulating layer comprises a laminated layer of a silicon nitride film containing fluorine at a concentration of 1×

10¹⁹/cm³ or more and an organic resin film containing a particle comprising an antimony (Sb) compound, a tin (Sn) compound, or indium (In) compound.

20. A device according to claim 16, said insulating layer comprises a silicon oxynitride film or a silicon oxide film containing fluorine at a concentration of 1×

10¹⁹/cm³ or more.

16. A luminescent device comprising:

a thin film transistor provided over an insulating surface of a substrate;

a luminescent element electrically connected with said thin film transistor, said luminescent element comprising an organic compound layer, an anode and a cathode, said cathode containing an alkaline-earth metal;

at least one insulating layer provided between said thin film transistor and said luminescent element and selected from the group consisting of an insulating layer adsorbing said alkaline metal and an insulating layer preventing diffusion of said alkaline metal.

21. A luminescent device comprising:

a thin film transistor provided over an insulating surface of a substrate;

a luminescent element electrically connected with said thin film transistor, said luminescent element comprising an organic compound layer, an anode and a cathode, said organic compound layer containing an alkaline metal;

at least one insulating layer provided between said thin film transistor and said luminescent element and selected from the group consisting of an insulating layer adsorbing said alkaline metal and an insulating layer preventing diffusion of said alkaline metal.

22. A device according to claim 21, wherein said at least one insulating layer comprises a silicon nitride film containing fluorine at a concentration of 1×

10¹⁹/cm³ or more.

23. A device according to claim 21, wherein said at least one insulating layer comprises an organic resin film containing a particle comprising an antimony (Sb) compound, a tin (Sn) compound, or indium (In) compound.

24. A device according to claim 21, said at least one insulating layer comprises a laminated layer of a silicon nitride film containing fluorine at a concentration of 1×

10¹⁹/cm³ or more and an organic resin film containing a particle comprising an antimony (Sb) compound, a tin (Sn) compound, or indium (In) compound.

25. A device according to claim 21, said insulating layer comprises a silicon oxynitride film or a silicon oxide film containing fluorine at a concentration of 1×

10¹⁹/cm³ or more.

27. A device according to claim 26, wherein said at least one insulating layer comprises a silicon nitride film containing fluorine at a concentration of 1×

10¹⁹/cm³ or more.

28. A device according to claim 26, wherein said at least one insulating layer comprises an organic resin film containing a particle comprising an antimony (Sb) compound, a tin (Sn) compound, or indium (In) compound.

29. A device according to claim 26, said at least one insulating layer comprises a laminated layer of a silicon nitride film containing fluorine at a concentration of 1×

10¹⁹/cm³ or more and an organic resin film containing a particle comprising an antimony (Sb) compound, a tin (Sn) compound, or indium (In) compound.

30. A device according to claim 26, said insulating layer comprises a silicon oxynitride film or a silicon oxide film containing fluorine at a concentration of 1×

10¹⁹/cm³ or more.

26. A luminescent device comprising:

a thin film transistor provided over an insulating surface of a substrate;

a luminescent element electrically connected with said thin film transistor, said luminescent element comprising an organic compound layer, an anode, a buffer layer and a cathode, said buffer layer containing an alkaline metal;

at least one insulating layer provided between said thin film transistor and said luminescent element and selected from the group consisting of an insulating layer adsorbing said alkaline metal and an insulating layer preventing diffusion of said alkaline metal.