Light emitting apparatus and method of fabricating the same

• US 20030222575A1
• Filed: 03/04/2003
• Published: 12/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Seo, Satoshi, Yamazaki, Shunpei, Murakami, Masakazu
• Granted Patent: US 7,402,945 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 313/504
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/12 the substrate being other than a semiconductor body, e.g. an insulating body
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 2102/3026 Top emission
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/805 Electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/824 combined with auxiliary electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/85 Arrangements for extracting light from the devices
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/122 Pixel-defining structures or layers, e.g. banks
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/38 comprising colour filters or colour changing media [CCM]
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/80522 combined with auxiliary electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/00 Manufacture or treatment specially adapted for the organic devices covered by this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/12 using liquid deposition, e.g. spin coating
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/20 Changing the shape of the active layer in the devices, e.g. patterning
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/1135 Polyethylene dioxythiophene [PEDOT]; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/146 poly N-vinylcarbazol; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/60 Organic compounds having low molecular weight H10K85/10 - H10K85/50 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/631 Amine compounds having at least two aryl rest on at least one amine-nitrogen atom, e.g. triphenylamine

Abstract

Although an ink jet method known as a method of selectively forming a film of a high molecular species organic compound, can coat to divide an organic compound for emitting three kinds (R, G, B) of light in one step, film forming accuracy is poor, it is difficult to control the method and therefore, uniformity is not achieved and the constitution is liable to disperse. In contrast thereto, according to the invention, a film comprising a high molecular species material is formed over an entire face of a lower electrode connected to a thin film transistor by a coating method and thereafter, the film comprising the high molecular species material is etched by etching by plasma to thereby enable to selectively form a high molecular species material layer. Further, the organic compound layer is constituted by a material for carrying out luminescence of white color or luminescence of single color and combined with a color changing layer or a coloring layer to thereby realize full color formation.

Claims

1. A light emitting apparatus comprising a drive circuit, a terminal portion and a pixel portion, said pixel portion having a plurality of luminescent elements over a first substrate having an insulating surface:

wherein each of said plurality of luminescent elements comprises a first electrode, a layer comprising an organic compound over the first electrode, and a second electrode over the layer comprising the organic compound; and

wherein an end portion of the first electrode is covered by an insulating substance, a side face of the insulating substance includes a curved face having a first radius of curvature and a curved face having a second radius of curvature and the layer comprising the organic compound is provided over the insulating substance and the first electrode.

2. The light emitting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a second substrate having a light transmitting performance is over said plurality of luminescent elements.

3. The light emitting apparatus according to claim 1, the layer comprising the organic compound comprises a polymer.

4. The light emitting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said layer comprising said organic compound is a laminated layer of a layer comprising a polymer and a layer comprising a low molecular material.

5. The light emitting apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said layer comprising said organic compound comprises a material which is luminescent in white color and combined with a color filter provided at the second substrate.

6. The light emitting apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said layer comprising said organic compound comprises a material of emitting light of a single color and combined with at least a color changing layer and a coloring layer provided at the second substrate.

7. The light emitting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an upper end portion of the insulating substance is the curved face having the first radius of curvature, a lower end portion of the insulating substance is the curved face having the second radius of curvature, and the first radius of curvature and the second radius of curvature is a range of 0.2 μ

m through 3 μ

m.

8. The light emitting apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the second substrate includes a recessed portion and a drying agent is provided at the recessed portion.

9. The light emitting apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the second substrate includes a recessed portion provided with a drying agent and the recessed portion overlaps the drive circuit provided over the first substrate.

10. The light emitting apparatus according to claim 2, wherein an interval between the first substrate and the second substrate is a range of 2 μ

m through 30 μ

m.

11. The light emitting apparatus according to claim 1, said layer comprising said organic compound comprises poly(ethylenedioxythiophene)/poly(stylenesulfonic acid).

12. The light emitting apparatus according to claim 2, a light emitted from each of said plurality of luminescent elements transmits through said second substrate.

13. The light emitting apparatus according to claims 1, wherein the light emitting apparatus is selected from the group consisting of a video camera, a digital camera, a goggle type display, a car navigation apparatus, a personal computer or a portable information terminal.

14. A light emitting apparatus comprising a drive circuit, a terminal portion and a pixel portion, said pixel portion having a plurality of luminescent elements over a first substrate having an insulating surface:

wherein each of said plurality of luminescent elements comprises a first electrode, a layer comprising an organic compound over the first electrode, and a second electrode over the layer comprising the organic compound; and

wherein an end portion of the first electrode is covered by an insulating substance, a side face of the insulating substance includes a curved face having a first radius of curvature and a curved face having a second radius of curvature, a third electrode is provided over the insulating substance and the layer comprising the organic compound, is provided over the insulating substance and the first electrode.

15. The light emitting apparatus according to claim 14, wherein a second substrate having a light transmitting performance is over said plurality of luminescent elements.

16. The light emitting apparatus according to claim 14, the layer comprising the organic compound comprises a polymer.

17. The light emitting apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said layer comprising said organic compound is a laminated layer of a layer comprising a polymer and a layer comprising a low molecular material.

18. The light emitting apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said layer comprising said organic compound comprises a material which is luminescent in white color and combined with a color filter provided at the second substrate.

19. The light emitting apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said layer comprising said organic compound comprises a material of emitting light of a single color and combined with at least a color changing layer and a coloring layer provided at the second substrate.

20. The light emitting apparatus according to claim 14, wherein an upper end portion of the insulating substance is the curved face having the first radius of curvature, a lower end portion of the insulating substance is the curved face having the second radius of curvature, and the first radius of curvature and the second radius of curvature is a range of 0.2 μ

m through 3 μ

m.

21. The light emitting apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the second substrate includes a recessed portion and a drying agent is provided at the recessed portion.

22. The light emitting apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the second substrate includes a recessed portion provided with a drying agent and the recessed portion overlaps the drive circuit provided over the first substrate.

23. The light emitting apparatus according to claim 15, wherein an interval between the first substrate and the second substrate is a range of 2 μ

m through 30 μ

m.

24. The light emitting apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said layer comprising said organic compound comprises poly(ethylenedioxythiophene)/poly(stylenesulfonic acid).

25. The light emitting apparatus according to claim 15, a light emitted from each of said plurality of luminescent elements transmits through said second substrate.

26. The light emitting apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the light emitting apparatus is selected from the group consisting of a video camera, a digital camera, a goggle type display, a car navigation apparatus, a personal computer or a portable information terminal.

27. A method of fabricating a light emitting apparatus, said method comprising:

forming a first electrode over a first substrate;

forming a film comprising an organic compound over the first electrode by a coating method;

selectively etching said film comprising said organic compound by plasma etching; and

selectively forming a second electrode over said film comprising said organic compound.

28. The method of fabricating a light emitting apparatus according to claim 27, the film comprising the organic compound comprises a polymer.

29. The method of fabricating a light emitting apparatus according to claim 27, said coating method is a spin coating method.

30. The method of fabricating a light emitting apparatus according to claim 27, further comprising:

in vacuum heating said film comprising said organic compound formed over the first electrode by said coating method after forming said layer comprising said organic compound over the first electrode.

31. The method of fabricating a light emitting apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the first electrode is an anode or a cathode of a luminescent element electrically connected to a TFT.

32. The method of fabricating a light emitting apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the plasma is generated by exciting a single kind or a plurality of kinds of gases selected from the group constituting a Ar, H, F and O.

33. The method of fabricating a light emitting apparatus according to claim 27, wherein said film comprising said organic compound comprises a material for emitting light of white color and combined with a color filter provided at a second substrate.

34. The method of fabricating a light emitting apparatus according to claim 27, wherein said film comprising said organic compound comprises a material for emitting light of a single color and combined with at least a color changing layer and a coloring layer provided at a second substrate.

35. The method of fabricating a light emitting apparatus according to claim 27, wherein an interval between the first substrate and the second substrate provided over said second electrode is a range of 2 μ

m through 30 μ

m.

36. A method of fabricating a light emitting apparatus, said method comprising:

forming a first electrode over a first substrate;

forming a film comprising a organic compound over a first electrode by a coating method;

selectively forming a second electrode over said film comprising said organic compound; and

selectively etching said film comprising said organic compound by plasma etching.

37. The method of fabricating a light emitting apparatus according to claim 36, the film comprising the organic compound comprises a polymer.

38. The method of fabricating a light emitting apparatus according to claim 36, said coating method is a spin coating method.

39. The method of fabricating a light emitting apparatus according to claim 36, further comprising:

in vacuum heating said film comprising said organic compound formed over the first electrode by a coating method after forming said film comprising said organic compound over the first electrode.

40. The method of fabricating a light emitting apparatus according to claim 36, wherein the first electrode is an anode or a cathode of a luminescent element electrically connected to a TFT.

41. The method of fabricating a light emitting apparatus according to claim 36, wherein the plasma is generated by exciting a single kind or a plurality of kinds of gases selected from the group constituting a Ar, H, F and O.

42. The method of fabricating a light emitting apparatus according to claim 36, wherein said layer comprising said organic compound comprises a material for emitting light of white color and combined with a color filter provided at a second substrate.

43. The method of fabricating a light emitting apparatus according to claim 36, wherein said layer comprising said organic compound comprises a material for emitting light of a single color and combined with at least a color changing layer and a coloring layer provided at the second substrate.

44. The method of fabricating a light emitting apparatus according to claim 36, wherein an interval between the first substrate and a second substrate provided over said second electrode is a range of 2 μ

m through 30 μ

m.

45. A method of fabricating a light emitting apparatus comprising, said method comprising:

forming a thin film transistor over a first substrate;

forming a first electrode connected to the thin film transistor;

forming an insulating substance covering an end portion of the first electrode;

forming a third electrode comprising a metal material over the insulating substance;

forming a film comprising an organic compound over the first electrode by a coating method;

exposing a third electrode by selectively etching said film comprising said organic compound using a mask by plasma etching;

selectively forming a second electrode comprising a material having a light transmitting performance on said film comprising said organic compound; and

forming a protective film.

46. The method of fabricating a light emitting apparatus according to claim 45, the film comprising the organic compound comprises a polymer.

47. The method of fabricating a light emitting apparatus according to claim 45, said coating method is a spin coating method.

48. The method of fabricating a light emitting apparatus according to claim 45, further comprising:

in vacuum heating said film comprising said organic compound formed over the first electrode by a coating method after forming said film comprising said organic compound over the first electrode.

49. The method of fabricating a light emitting apparatus according to claim 45, further comprising:

pasting together the first substrate and a second substrate.

50. The method of fabricating a light emitting apparatus according to claim 45, wherein the protective film is an insulating film whose major component is silicon oxide, an insulating film whose major component is silicon nitride, a film whose major component is carbon or a laminated film of these.

51. The method of fabricating a light emitting apparatus according to claim 45, wherein the first electrode is an anode or a cathode of a luminescent element electrically connected to said thin film transistor.

52. The method of fabricating a light emitting apparatus according to claim 45, wherein the plasma is generated by exciting a single kind or a plurality of kinds of gases selected from the group constituting a Ar, H, F and O.

53. The method of fabricating a light emitting apparatus according to claim 49, wherein said film comprising said organic compound comprises a material for emitting light of white color and combined with a color filter provided at the second substrate.

54. The method of fabricating a light emitting apparatus according to claim 49, wherein said layer comprising said organic compound comprises a material for emitting light of a single color and combined with at least a color changing layer and a coloring layer provided at the second substrate.

55. The method of fabricating a light emitting apparatus according to claim 49, wherein an interval between the first substrate and the second substrate provided over said second electrode is a range of 2 μ

m through 30 μ

m.