FLEXIBLE SUBSTRATE WITH ELECTRONIC DEVICES AND TRACES

• US 20080090338A1
• Filed: 10/03/2006
• Published: 04/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Tredwell, Timothy J., Kerr, Roger S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,977,170 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 438/151
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/124 with a particular composition, shape or layout of the wiring layers specially adapted to the circuit arrangement, e.g. scanning lines in LCD pixel circuits wiring structures per se H01L23/52
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/78603 characterised by the insulating substrate or support H01L29/78657 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/10 Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor

Abstract

A method of manufacturing an electronic device (10) provides a substrate (20) that has a plastic material and has a metallic coating on one surface. A portion of the metallic coating is etched to form a patterned metallic coating. A particulate material (16) is embedded in at least one surface of the substrate. A layer of thin-film semiconductor material is deposited onto the substrate (20).

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing an electronic device comprising:

a) providing a substrate that comprises at least one plastic material having a metallic coating on one surface;

b) etching a portion of the metallic coating to form a patterned metallic coating;

c) embedding a particulate material in an opposite surface of the substrate; and

d) forming a thin film electronic device on said opposite surface having said particulate material.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said particulate material is a fiber.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said electronic device comprises one or more thin film transistors.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising forming a via extending between the thin-film electronic device and the patterned metallic coating.

22. The method of claim 1 wherein the particulate material is selected from a group consisting of fibers, rods, or platelets.

23. The method of claim 1 further comprising laminating the substrate onto another device.

26. The method of claim 1 wherein the plastic material is substantially transparent.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the refractive index of the plastic material is substantially equal to the refractive index of the particulate material.

28. The method of claim 26 wherein the refractive index of the plastic material differs by more than 0.1 from the refractive index of the particulate material.

29. The method of claim 1 wherein the plastic material is substantially opaque.

30. The method of claim 1 wherein the plastic material comprises a light-absorptive colorant.

31. The method of claim 1 wherein the particulate material comprises a light-absorptive colorant.

37. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of providing the substrate comprises unwinding the substrate from a roll.

38. The method of claim 37 further comprising re-winding the substrate having the electronic device formed thereon onto a roll.

39. The method of claim 1 further comprising coupling the electronic device formed on said surface with a liquid crystal pixel.

40. The method of claim 1 further comprising coupling the electronic device formed on said surface with a light-emitting diode pixel.

41. The method of claim 1 further comprising coupling the electronic device formed on said surface with an organic light-emitting diode pixel.

42. The method of claim 1 further comprising coupling the electronic device formed on said surface with a stimulable phosphor pixel.

43. The method of claim 1 further comprising coupling the electronic device formed on said surface with a sensor pixel.

5. A method of manufacturing an electronic device comprising:

a) providing a substrate that comprises at least one plastic material having a metallic coating on one surface;

b) embedding a particulate material in the uncoated surface that lies opposite the metallic coating;

c) forming a trace pattern by etching the metallic coating;

d) applying a planarization material to the surface of the substrate having the embedded particulate material, forming a planarization layer thereby;

e) forming a thin film electronic device on said surface with said particulate material; and

f) forming a via connecting the thin-film electronic device with a portion of the trace pattern.

32. The method of claim 5 wherein the planarization material comprises a light-absorptive colorant.

6. A method of manufacturing an electronic device comprising:

a) providing a substrate that comprises at least one plastic material as a base substrate and has a metallic coating on one surface;

b) forming a pattern of conductive traces in the metallic coating;

c) coating a composition material onto the opposite surface of the base substrate, wherein the composition material comprises at least one plastic binder material and at least one particulate material, forming at least one coated surface thereby; and

d) forming a thin film electronic device on said at least one coated surface.

7. The method of manufacturing according to claim 6 further comprising forming a via extending between the pattern of conductive traces and the thin film electronic device.

8. A method of manufacturing an electronic device comprising:

a) providing a substrate that comprises at least one plastic material and at least one particulate material and has one surface comprising a patterned metal coating and one surface without a patterned metal coating;

b) conditioning the surface that does not have the patterned metal coating to increase the proportion of particulate material to plastic material at that surface;

c) forming a thin film electronic device on said at least one conditioned surface; and

d) providing a connection between the thin film electronic device and the patterned metal coating.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein conditioning at least one surface comprises chemical removal of the plastic material at the surface.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein conditioning the surface comprises removal of plastic material at the surface by plasma etching.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein conditioning the surface comprises removal of plastic material at the surface by heating.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein conditioning the surface comprises removal of plastic material at the surface by exposure to supercritical CO₂.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein conditioning the surface comprises removal of plastic material at the surface by laser ablation.

14. The method of claim 8 wherein conditioning the surface comprises removal of plastic material at the surface by thermal decomposition in a vacuum.

15. The method of claim 8 wherein conditioning the surface comprises removal of plastic material at the surface by corona discharge treatment.

16. A method of manufacturing an electronic device comprising:

a) providing a substrate that comprises polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and at least one particulate material;

b) forming a thin film electronic device on at least one surface of said substrate;

c) forming an electronic trace pattern on the opposite surface of said substrate; and

d) forming a via for interconnection of the thin-film electronic devices and the patterned metallic layer.

17. A method of manufacturing an electronic device comprising:

a) providing a substrate that comprises polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), at least one other plastic material, and at least one particulate material;

b) forming a thin film electronic device on at least one surface of said substrate;

c) forming a patterned metallic layer on the opposite surface of said substrate; and

d) forming a via for interconnection of the thin-film electronic devices and the patterned metallic layer.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the at least one other plastic material is polyimide.

18. A method of manufacturing an electronic device comprising:

a) providing a substrate comprising polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and at least one particulate material;

b) forming a patterned metallic layer on one surface of the substrate;

c) laminating said substrate to a carrier;

d) forming an electronic device on the substrate; and

e) forming a via connecting the electronic device on the substrate with the patterned metallic layer.

19. A method of manufacturing an electronic device comprising:

a) providing a least one substrate comprising a first plastic, at least one particulate material, and at least one other plastic material, wherein the substrate has a patterned metallic coating formed on one surface;

b) laminating said at least one substrate to a carrier;

c) forming a via extending between the patterned metallic coating and the opposite surface; and

d) forming an electronic device on said opposite surface.

21. The method of claim 19 further comprising removing the substrate from a carrier.

24. A method of manufacturing an electronic device comprising:

a) providing a substrate that comprises a plastic material and at least one particulate material;

b) forming a patterned metallic trace layer on a first surface of the substrate;

c) mounting the substrate on a carrier layer;

d) conditioning a second surface of the substrate, opposite the first surface, for deposition of thin-film semiconductor materials;

e) depositing a layer of thin-film semiconductor material onto the second surface of the substrate; and

f) forming a pattern by selectively removing portions of the semiconductor material.

25. The method of claim 24 further comprising:

g) removing the substrate from the carrier layer using heat.

33. A method of manufacturing an electronic device comprising:

a) providing a substrate that comprises at least one plastic material;

b) forming a pattern on at least one surface of said substrate;

c) embedding a particulate material into the at least one surface of said substrate;

d) applying a planarization material to the surface of the substrate having the embedded particulate material, forming a planarization layer thereby;

e) forming a thin film electronic device on said surface with said particulate material; and

f) forming a patterned trace layer on the surface of the substrate that lies opposite the surface having the embedded particulate material.

34. The method of claim 33 wherein forming a pattern comprises embossing.

35. The method of claim 33 wherein the pattern comprises one or more lens elements.

36. The method of claim 33 wherein the one or more lens elements are spatially aligned with the thin film electronic devices formed on said surface.

44. A method of manufacturing an electronic device comprising:

a) providing a first substrate that comprises at least one plastic material having a metallic coating on a first surface;

b) etching at least a portion of the metallic coating to form a first patterned metallic coating on the first surface of the first substrate;

c) providing a second substrate having a second patterned metallic coating on a first surface of the second substrate, wherein the second substrate is attached to the first substrate;

d) forming one or more vias extending between a second surface of the first substrate and either the first or second or both patterned metallic coatings; and

e) forming a thin film electronic device on said second surface of the first substrate.

45. A method as in claim 44 wherein a particulate material in is embedded in the second surface of the first substrate.

46. A method as in claim 44 wherein a third substrate is attached to the second substrate.

47. A method of manufacturing an electronic device comprising:

a) providing a substrate that comprises at least one plastic material having a metallic coating on one surface;

b) forming a trace pattern by etching the metallic coating;

c) applying a planarization material to an opposite surface of the substrate, forming a planarization layer thereby;

d) forming a thin film electronic device on said surface with said particulate material; and

e) forming a via connecting the thin-film electronic device with a portion of the trace pattern.

48. A method of manufacturing an electronic device comprising:

a) providing a plurality of substrates

b) forming metallic layers on at least some of said substrates;

c) patterning at least some of said metallic layers;

d) bonding said plurality of substrates;

e) forming vias extending between the patterned metallic layers; and

f) forming an electronic device on at least one of said substrates.

49. A method as in claim 48 wherein a first substrate is attached to a carrier.

50. A method as in claim 49 comprising:

h) detaching the first substrate containing the electronic device from the carrier.

51. A method as in 48 wherein at least one particulate material is embedded in at least one substrate.

52. A method of manufacturing an electronic device comprising:

a) providing a plurality of plastic substrates having metallic layers on at least some of said substrates;

b) forming a pattern on a first metallic layer of a first substrate;

c) bonding a second substrate to the first substrate;

d) patterning a second metallic layer on the second substrate;

e) forming vias extending between the patterned metallic layers; and

f) forming an electronic device on at least one of said substrates.

53. A method as in claim 52 wherein steps c) and d) are repeated for at least one additional substrate.

54. A method as in claim 52 wherein steps c) and d) and e) are repeated for at least one additional substrate.

55. A method as in claim 52 wherein a first substrate is attached to a carrier.

56. A method as in claim 55 comprising detaching the first substrate containing the electronic device from the carrier.

57. A method as in 52 wherein at least one particulate material is embedded in at least one substrate.