METHODS FOR FORMING AN UNDERCUT REGION AND ELECTRONIC DEVICES INCORPORATING THE SAME

• US 20080210931A1
• Filed: 08/17/2007
• Published: 09/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company (Corteva, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company (Corteva, Inc.)
• Inventors: Truong, Nugent, Macpherson, Charles Douglas
• Granted Patent: US 7,732,810 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 257/40
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/122 Pixel-defining structures or layers, e.g. banks
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/173 comprising banks or shadow masks
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/12 using liquid deposition, e.g. spin coating

Abstract

An electronic device having a substrate structure having an undercut region is provided and further included is a method for forming an undercut region of a substrate structure. The method includes forming a patterned protective layer over a first electrode. The method also includes forming the substrate structure over the patterned protective layer. An opening within the substrate structure overlies an exposed portion of the substrate structure. The method further includes removing the exposed portion of the patterned protective layer, thereby exposing a portion of the first electrode and forming an undercut region of the substrate structure. The method still further includes depositing a liquid over the first electrode after removing the exposed portion of the patterned protective layer, and solidifying the liquid to form a solid layer.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a substrate having an undercut region;

a first electrode over the substrate;

a patterned protective layer over the first electrode, said patterned protective layer comprising a first metallic layer and a second metallic layer, the first metallic layer being in contact with both the first electrode and the second metallic layer;

a substrate structure over the patterned protective layer, having an opening, wherein at least a portion of the opening within the substrate overlies an exposed portion of the patterned protective layer;

a solid layer within the undercut region;

at least one organic layer; and

a second electrode over the at least one organic layer;

wherein the electronic device further comprises an organic electronic component, the organic electronic component comprising the first electrode, the at least one organic layer, and the second electrode.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the undercut region has a height of 0.4 microns to 1 micron and a depth of 0.5 microns to 10 microns.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the patterned protective layer lies immediately adjacent to the undercut region and along a sidewall of the first electrode.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the patterned protective layer comprises at least one element within Group 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13 or 14 of the Periodic Table, or any combination thereof.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the patterned protective layer comprises at least one element comprising Cu, Al, Ag, Au, Mo, Cr, Ti, Ta, W, Si, or any combination thereof.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the patterned protective layer comprises a silicon-containing molecule.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the patterned protective layer comprising an organic material.

8. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the at least one organic layer comprises an organic active layer.