LIGHT-EMITTING DEVICE AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE USING THE SAME

• US 20100006845A1
• Filed: 07/08/2009
• Published: 01/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: SEO, Satoshi, HATANO, Kaoru
• Granted Patent: US 8,760,046 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 257/59
• 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 27/1218 with a particular composition or structure of the substrate
• 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 27/1266 the substrate on which the devices are formed not being the final device substrate, e.g. using a temporary substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/7869 having a semiconductor body comprising an oxide semiconductor material, e.g. zinc oxide, copper aluminium oxide, cadmium stannate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/507 the elements being in intimate contact with parts other than the semiconductor body or integrated with parts other than the semiconductor body
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/58 Optical field-shaping elements
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 2102/311 Flexible OLED
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/125 specially adapted for multicolour light emission, e.g. for emitting white light
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/13 comprising stacked EL layers within one EL unit
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/80 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/1201 Manufacture or treatment
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/124 Insulating layers formed between TFT elements and OLED elements
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/38 comprising colour filters or colour changing media [CCM]
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/80 using temporary substrates
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

A lightweight flexible light-emitting device which is able to possess a curved display portion and display a full color image with high resolution and the manufacturing process thereof are disclosed. The light-emitting device comprises: a plastic substrate; an insulating layer with an adhesive interposed therebetween; a thin film transistor over the insulating layer; a protective insulating film over the thin film transistor; a color filter over the protective insulating film; and a white-emissive light-emitting element formed over and being in contact with the thin film transistor.

Claims

1. A manufacturing method of a light-emitting device, the manufacturing method comprising the steps of:

forming an element formation layer over a first substrate, wherein the element formation layer is formed by a method comprising the steps of;

forming a thin film transistor over the first substrate;

forming a first insulating film over the thin film transistor;

forming a color filter over the first insulating film;

forming an interlayer insulating film over the color filter; and

forming a first electrode having light-transmitting ability over the interlayer insulating film, wherein the first electrode is electrically connected to the thin film transistor;

bonding the element formation layer with a second substrate, allowing the element formation layer to be sandwiched between the first substrate and the second substrate;

separating the first substrate from the element formation layer;

bonding the element formation layer with a third substrate, allowing the element formation layer to be sandwiched between the second substrate and the third substrate;

separating the second substrate from the element formation layer;

forming an EL layer over the first electrode; and

forming a second electrode over the EL layer,

wherein the third substrate is a plastic substrate having light-transmitting ability.

2. The manufacturing method according to claim 1,

wherein the plastic substrate is an organic resin.

3. The manufacturing method according to claim 1,

wherein the plastic substrate comprises a fibrous body and an organic resin.

4. The manufacturing method according to claim 1,

wherein the first substrate is selected from a glass substrate, a quartz substrate, a sapphire substrate, a ceramic substrate, and a metal substrate having an insulating surface.

5. The manufacturing method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of sealing the element formation layer.

6. The manufacturing method according to claim 1,

wherein the EL layer emits light with white color.

7. The manufacturing method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of forming a separation layer over the first substrate over which the element formation layer is formed.

8. The manufacturing method according to claim 1,

wherein the formation of the EL layer is performed after separating the second substrate from the element formation layer and the third substrate.

9. The manufacturing method according to claim 1,

wherein the method for forming the element formation layer further comprises a step of forming a second insulating film over the color filter over which the interlayer insulating film is formed.

10. The manufacturing method according to claim 1,

wherein the method for forming the element formation layer further comprises a step of forming a second insulating film over the color filter over which the interlayer insulating film is formed,

wherein the first insulating film and the second insulating film each are in contact with the color filter, and

wherein the first insulating film and the second insulating film are in contact with each other in a region where the thin film transistor is formed.

11. A manufacturing method of a light-emitting device, the manufacturing method comprising the steps of:

forming a color filter over a first substrate;

forming a first insulating layer over the first substrate

forming an element formation layer over the first insulating layer, wherein the element formation layer is formed by a method comprising the steps of;

forming a thin film transistor over the first insulating layer;

forming an interlayer insulating film over the thin film transistor;

forming a first electrode having light-transmitting ability over the interlayer insulating film, wherein the first electrode is electrically connected to the thin film transistor;

bonding the element formation layer with a second substrate, allowing the element formation layer to be sandwiched between the first substrate and the second substrate;

separating the first substrate from the color filter;

bonding the element formation layer with a third substrate, allowing the color filter, the first insulating layer, and the element formation layer to be sandwiched between the second substrate and the third substrate;

separating the second substrate from the element formation layer;

forming an EL layer over the first electrode; and

forming a second electrode over the EL layer,

wherein the third substrate is a plastic substrate having light-transmitting ability.

12. The manufacturing method according to claim 11,

wherein the plastic substrate is an organic resin.

13. The manufacturing method according to claim 11,

wherein the plastic substrate comprises a fibrous body and an organic resin.

14. The manufacturing method according to claim 11,

wherein the first substrate is selected from a glass substrate, a quartz substrate, a sapphire substrate, a ceramic substrate, a metal substrate having the insulating surface.

15. The manufacturing method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of sealing the element formation layer.

16. The manufacturing method according to claim 11,

wherein the EL layer emits light with white color.

17. The manufacturing method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of forming a separation layer over the between the first substrate and the color filter.

18. The manufacturing method according to claim 11,

wherein the formation of the EL layer is performed after separating the second substrate from the element formation layer and the third substrate.

19. A light-emitting device comprising:

a flexible substrate having light-transmitting ability;

a thin film transistor over the flexible substrate;

a first insulating film over the thin film transistor;

a color filter over the first insulating film;

a light-emitting element formed over the color filter and comprising;

a first electrode having light-transmitting ability and being electrically connected to the thin film transistor;

an EL layer over the first electrode; and

a second electrode over the EL layer; and

a protective film over the light-emitting element.

20. The light-emitting device according to claim 19,

wherein the flexible substrate is an organic resin.

21. The light-emitting device according to claim 19,

wherein the flexible substrate comprises a fibrous body and an organic resin.

22. The light-emitting device according to claim 19, further comprising a second insulating film formed over and being in contact with the color filter,

wherein the color filter is in contact with the first insulating film.

23. The light-emitting device according to claim 19, further comprising a second insulating film formed over and being in contact with the color filter,

wherein the color filter is in contact with the first insulating film, and

wherein the first insulating film and the second insulating film are in contact with each other in a region where the thin film transistor is formed.

24. The light-emitting device according to claim 19,

wherein the EL layer emits light with white color.

25. A light-emitting device comprising:

a flexible substrate having light-transmitting ability;

a color filter over the flexible substrate;

a first insulating film over the color filter;

a thin film transistor over the first insulating film;

an interlayer insulating film formed over the thin film transistor;

a light-emitting element formed over the color filter and comprising;

a first electrode having light-transmitting ability;

an EL layer over the first electrode; and

a second electrode over the EL layer; and

a protective film over the light-emitting element.

26. The light-emitting device according to claim 25,

wherein the flexible substrate is an organic resin.

27. The light-emitting device according to claim 25,

wherein the flexible substrate comprises a fibrous body and an organic resin.

28. The light-emitting device according to claim 25,

wherein the EL layer emits light with white color.