ELECTRO-OPTIC DEVICE, AND TFT SUBSTRATE FOR CURRENT CONTROL AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME

• US 20090160741A1
• Filed: 04/10/2007
• Published: 06/25/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Idemitsu Kosan Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Idemitsu Kosan Company Limited
• Inventors: Tanaka, Nobuo, Inoue, Kazuyoshi, Yano, Koki, Tanaka, Tokie
• Application Number:
  US12/296,750
• Publication Number:
  US 20090160741A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/76
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0417 Special arrangements specific to the use of low carrier mobility technology
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0842 forming a memory circuit, e.g. a dynamic memory with one capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0852 being a dynamic memory with more than one capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/029 by monitoring one or more pixels in the display panel, e.g. by monitoring a fixed reference pixel
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0295 by monitoring each display pixel
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/043 Preventing or counteracting the effects of ageing
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3233 with pixel circuitry controlling the current through the light-emitting element
• 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 27/1225 with semiconductor materials not belonging to the group IV of the periodic table, e.g. InGaZnO
• 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 27/1255 integrated with passive devices, e.g. auxiliary capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1288 employing particular masking sequences or specially adapted masks, e.g. half-tone mask
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/45 Ohmic electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/7869 having a semiconductor body comprising an oxide semiconductor material, e.g. zinc oxide, copper aluminium oxide, cadmium stannate

Abstract

To provide an electro-optic apparatus which can directly control alternating current, output significantly high-frequency alternating current, stably output a large amount of power, and reduce manufacturing cost, as well as a TFT substrate for current control and the method for producing the same.

A dispersion-type inorganic EL display apparatus 1c as an electro-optic apparatus is provided with a data line-driving circuit 11, a scanning line-driving circuit 12, a power supply line-controlling circuit 13a, a current-measuring circuit 15 and a TFT substrate 100c.

Claims

1. A TFT substrate for current control comprising a driving transistor which supplies electric current to an electro-optic device and a switching transistor which controls the driving transistor, wherein an active layer of the driving transistor is composed of an oxide semiconductor layer.

2. The TFT substrate for current control according to claim 1, wherein an active layer of the switching transistor is composed of an oxide semiconductor layer.

3. The TFT substrate for current control according to claim 1, wherein the driving transistor comprises at least one of a source line, a drain line, a source electrode and a drain electrode, at least one of the source line, the drain line, the source electrode and the drain electrode is composed of an oxide conductor layer, and the oxide conductor layer functions as a pixel electrode of the electro-optic device.

4. The TFT substrate for current control according to claim 2, wherein the switching transistor comprises at least one of a source line, a drain line, a source electrode and a drain electrode, and at least one of the source line, the drain line, the source electrode and the drain electrode is composed of an oxide conductor layer.

5. The TFT substrate for current control according to claim 1, wherein the TFT substrate for current control comprises at least one of a gate line, a source line, a drain line, a gate electrode, a source electrode, a drain electrode and a pixel electrode, and an auxiliary conductor layer is formed above at least one of the gate line, the source line, the drain line, the gate electrode, the source electrode, the drain electrode and the pixel electrode.

6. An electro-optic apparatus comprising an electro-optic device driven by electric current and a TFT substrate for current control on which at least a driving transistor which supplies electric current to the electro-optic device and a switching transistor which controls the driving transistor are formed, wherein the TFT substrate for current control is the TFT substrate for current control according to claim 1.

14. The electro-optic apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the TFT substrate for current control is the TFT substrate for current control according to claim 1.

22. The electro-optic apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the TFT substrate for current control is the TFT substrate for current control according to claim 1.

7. An electro-optic apparatus comprising an electro-optic device driven by electric current, a driving transistor for supplying electric current to the electro-optic device, a switching transistor which controls the driving transistor, a capacitor for applying a capacitor voltage to a gate electrode of the driving transistor, and a measuring transistor for measuring electric current supplied to the electro-optical device, wherein

a gate line of the switching transistor is connected with a scanning line for controlling the switching transistor, a source line of the switching transistor is connected with a data line for controlling electric current supplied to the electro-optic device, and a drain line of the switching transistor is connected in parallel with a gate line of the driving transistor and a first electrode of the capacitor,

a source line of the driving transistor is connected with a driving line for supplying electric current to the electro-optic device, a drain line of the driving transistor is connected in parallel with the electro-optic device, a second electrode of the capacitor and a source line of the measuring transistor, and

a gate line of the measuring transistor is connected with the scanning line, and a drain line of the measuring transistor is connected with a measuring line for measuring electric current supplied to the electro-optic device.

8. The electro-optic apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the electro-optic device is a DC-driven electro-optic device.

9. The electro-optic apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the DC-driven electro-optic device is an organic EL device and/or a DC-driven inorganic EL device.

13. The electro-optic apparatus according to claim 7, wherein a pixel composed of the electro-optic device, the driving transistor, the switching transistor, the capacitor and the measuring transistor is provided on a TFT substrate for current control.

15. The electro-optic apparatus according to claim 7, which comprises a scanning line-driving circuit, a data line-driving circuit, a power supply line-controlling circuit and a current measuring circuit for activating a TFT substrate for current control, wherein the current-measuring circuit measures electric current supplied to the electro-optic device, and at least one of the data line-driving circuit, the scanning line-driving circuit and the power supply line-controlling circuit is controlled based on the measured electric value.

10. An electro-optic apparatus comprising an electro-optic device driven by electric current, a driving transistor which supplies electric current to the electro-optic device, a switching transistor which controls the driving transistor, a capacitor for applying a capacitor voltage to a gate electrode of the driving transistor, and a measuring transistor which measures electric current supplied to the electro-optic device, wherein

a gate line of the switching transistor is connected with a scanning line for controlling the switching transistor, a source line of the switching transistor is connected with a data line for controlling electric current supplied to the electro-optic device, and a drain line of the switching transistor is connected in parallel with a gate line of the driving transistor and a first electrode of the capacitor,

a source line of the driving transistor is connected with a driving line for supplying electric current to the electro-optic device, a drain line of the driving transistor is connected in parallel with the electro-optic device and a source line of the measuring transistor, and

a second electrode of the capacitor is connected with a capacitor line for releasing stored carriers, and

a gate line of the measuring transistor is connected with the scanning line and a drain line of the measuring transistor is connected with a measuring line for measuring electric current supplied to the electro-optic device.

11. The electro-optic apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the electro-optic device is a DC-driven electro-optic device and/or an AC-driven electro-optic device.

12. The electro-optic apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the DC-driven electro-optic device and/or the AC-driven electro-optic device is a DC-driven inorganic EL device, an organic EL device and/or an AC-driven inorganic EL device.

21. The electro-optic apparatus according to claim 10, wherein a pixel composed of the electro-optic device, the driving transistor, the switching transistor, the capacitor and the measuring transistor is provided on a TFT substrate for current control.

23. The electro-optic apparatus according to claim 10, which comprises a scanning line-driving circuit, a data line-driving circuit, a power supply line-controlling circuit and a current measuring circuit for activating a TFT substrate for current control, wherein the current-measuring circuit measures electric current supplied to the electro-optic device, and at least one of the data line-driving circuit, the scanning line-driving circuit and the power supply line-controlling circuit is controlled based on the measured electric value.

16. A method for producing a TFT substrate for current control comprising the steps of:

stacking, above a substrate, a conductor layer and a first resist, and forming a scanning line, a gate electrode and a gate line of a switching transistor by using a first mask;

stacking a gate insulating film for the switching resistor;

stacking an active layer containing amorphous Si (silicon) or polycrystalline Si, or an oxide semiconductor layer, a conductor layer and a second resist, and forming a data line, a source line, a source electrode, a channel part, a drain electrode and a drain line of the switching transistor, as well as a gate line and a gate electrode of a driving transistor by using a second half-tone mask;

stacking a gate insulating film for the driving transistor;

stacking an oxide semiconductor layer and a third resist, and forming an active layer of the driving transistor by using a third mask;

stacking an oxide conductor layer and a fourth resist, and forming an EL-driving line, a source line, a source electrode, a channel part, a drain electrode and a drain line of the driving transistor, as well as a pixel electrode by using a fourth mask or a fourth half-tone mask; and

stacking a protective insulating film and a fifth resist, and exposing a pad for a scanning line, a pad for a data line, a pad for an EL-driving line and the pixel electrode by using a fifth mask.

17. A method for producing a TFT substrate for current control comprising the steps of:

stacking, above a substrate, a conductor layer and a first resist, and forming a scanning line, a gate electrode and a gate line of a switching transistor, as well as a gate electrode and a gate line of a measuring transistor by using a first mask;

stacking a gate insulating film for the switching transistor;

stacking an active layer containing amorphous Si (silicon) or polycrystalline Si, or an oxide semiconductor layer, a conductor layer and a second resist, and forming a data line, a first electrode of a capacitor, a measuring line, a source line, a source electrode, a channel part, a drain electrode and a drain line of the switching transistor, as well as a gate line and a gate electrode of a driving transistor by using a second half-tone mask;

stacking a gate insulating film for the driving transistor, the measuring transistor and the capacitor;

stacking an oxide semiconductor layer and a third resist, and forming active layers of the driving transistor and the measuring transistor, as well as a contact hole of the measuring line by using a third half-tone mask;

stacking an oxide semiconductor layer and a fourth resist, and forming an EL-driving line, a second electrode of the capacitor, a pixel electrode, a source line, a source electrode, a channel part, a drain electrode and a drain line of the driving transistor, as well as a source line, a source electrode, a channel part, a drain electrode and a drain line of the measuring transistor by using a fourth mask or a fourth half-tone mask; and

stacking a protective insulating film and a fifth resist, and exposing a pad for a scanning line, a pad for a data line, a pad for an EL-driving line, a pad for a measuring line and the pixel electrode by using a fifth mask.

18. A method for producing a TFT substrate for current control comprising the steps of:

stacking, above a substrate, a conductor layer and a first resist, and forming a scanning line, a gate electrode and a gate line of a switching transistor, as well as a gate electrode and a gate line of a measuring transistor by using a first mask;

stacking a gate insulating film for the switching transistor;

stacking an active layer containing amorphous Si (silicon) or polycrystalline Si, or an oxide semiconductor layer, a conductor layer and a second resist, and forming a data line, a first electrode of a capacitor, a measuring line, a source line, a source electrode, a channel part, a drain electrode and a drain line of the switching transistor, as well as a gate line and a gate electrode of the driving transistor by using a second half-tone mask;

stacking a gate insulating film for the driving transistor, the measuring transistor and the capacitor;

stacking an oxide semiconductor layer and a third resist, and forming active layers of the driving transistor and the measuring transistor, as well as a contact hole of the measuring line, an opening of a pad for a data line, an opening of a pad for a scanning line and an opening of a pad for a measuring line by using a third half-tone mask;

stacking an oxide conductor layer and a fourth resist, and forming an EL-driving line, a second electrode of the capacitor, a pixel electrode, a pad for a data line, a pad for a scanning line, a pad for a measuring line, a source line, a source electrode, a channel part, a drain electrode and a drain line of the driving transistor, as well as a source line, a source electrode, a channel part, a drain electrode and a drain line of the measuring transistor by using a fourth mask or a fourth half-tone mask; and

stacking a protective insulating film and a fifth resist, and exposing the pad for a scanning line, the pad for a data line, a pad for an EL-driving line, the pad for a measuring line and the pixel electrode by using a fifth mask.

19. A method for producing a TFT substrate for current control comprising the steps of:

stacking, above a substrate, a conductor layer and a first resist, and forming a scanning line, a capacitor line, a second electrode of a capacitor, a gate electrode and a gate line of a switching transistor, as well as a gate electrode and a gate line of a measuring transistor by using a first mask;

stacking a gate insulating film for the switching transistor and the capacitor;

stacking an active layer containing amorphous Si (silicon) or polycrystalline Si, or an oxide semiconductor layer, a conductor layer and a second resist, and forming a data line, a first electrode of the capacitor, a measuring line, a source line, a source electrode, a channel part, a drain electrode and a drain line of the switching transistor, as well as a gate line and a gate electrode of the driving transistor by using a second half-tone mask;

stacking a gate insulating film for the driving transistor and the measuring transistor;

stacking an oxide semiconductor layer and a third resist, and forming active layers of the driving transistor and the measuring transistor, as well as a contact hole of the measuring line by using a third half-tone mask;

stacking an oxide conductor layer and a fourth resist, and forming an EL-driving line, a pixel electrode, a source line, a source electrode, a channel part, a drain electrode and a drain line of the driving transistor, as well as a source line, a source electrode, a channel part and a drain electrode and a drain line of the measuring transistor by using a fourth mask or a fourth half-tone mask; and

stacking a protective insulating film and a fifth resist, and exposing a pad for a scanning line, a pad for a data line, a pad for an EL-driving line, a pad for a measuring line, a pad for a capacitor line and the pixel electrode by using a fifth mask.

20. A method for producing a TFT substrate for current control comprising the steps of:

stacking, above a substrate, a conductor layer and a first resist, and forming a scanning line, a capacitor line, a second electrode of a capacitor, a gate electrode and a gate line of a switching transistor, as well as a gate electrode and a gate line of a measuring transistor by using a first mask;

stacking a gate insulating film for the switching transistor and the capacitor;

stacking an active layer containing amorphous Si (silicon) or polycrystalline Si, or an oxide semiconductor layer, a conductor layer and a second resist, and forming a data line, a first electrode of the capacitor, a measuring line, a source line, a source electrode, a channel part, a drain electrode and a drain line of the switching transistor, as well as a gate line and a gate electrode of a driving transistor by using a second half-tone mask;

stacking a gate insulating film for the driving transistor and the measuring transistor;

stacking an oxide semiconductor layer and a third resist, and forming active layers for the driving transistor and the measuring transistor, as well as a contact hole of the measuring line, an opening of a pad for a data line, an opening of a pad for a scanning line, an opening of a pad for a measuring line and an opening of a pad for a capacitor line by using a third half-tone mask;

stacking an oxide conductor layer and a fourth resist, and forming an EL-driving line, a pixel electrode, the pad for a data line, the pad for a scanning line, the pad for a measuring line, the pad for a capacitor line, a source line, a source electrode, a channel part, a drain electrode and a drain line of the driving transistor, as well as a source line, a source electrode, a channel part, a drain electrode and a drain line of the measuring transistor by using a fourth mask or a fourth half-tone mask; and

stacking a protective insulating film and a fifth resist, and exposing the pad for a scanning line, the pad for a data line, a pad for an EL-driving line, the pad for a measuring line, the pad for a capacitor line and the pixel electrode by using a fifth mask.