DISPLAY DEVICE AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME

• US 20110227078A1
• Filed: 02/25/2011
• Published: 09/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Mobile Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: PARK, Byoung-Keon, Lee, Tak-Young, Park, Seung-Kyu, Son, Yong-Duck, Jeong, Min-Jae, So, Byung-Soo, Lee, Ki-Yong, Lee, Kil-Won, Lee, Dong-Hyun, Jung, Jae-Wan, Park, Jong-Ryuk, Chung, Yun-Mo, Seo, Jin-Wook
• Granted Patent: US 8,569,859 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 257/59
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/12 the substrate being other than a semiconductor body, e.g. an insulating body
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1248 with a particular composition or shape of the interlayer dielectric specially adapted to the circuit arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/121 characterised by the geometry or disposition of pixel elements
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/1213 the pixel elements being TFTs
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/124 Insulating layers formed between TFT elements and OLED elements

Abstract

A display device including: a substrate; a first semiconductor layer disposed on the substrate; a second semiconductor layer disposed on the substrate and adjacent to the first semiconductor layer; a first insulation layer disposed on both the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer, the first insulation layer including a first opening forming a space between the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer; and a second insulation layer disposed on the first insulation layer and that fills the first opening.

Claims

1. A display device comprising:

a substrate;

a first semiconductor layer disposed on the substrate;

a second semiconductor layer disposed on the substrate and adjacent to the first semiconductor layer;

a first insulation layer disposed on both the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer, the first insulation layer including a first opening forming a space between the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer; and

a second insulation layer disposed on the first insulation layer and that fills the first opening.

2. The display device of claim 1, wherein:

the first opening is formed with a first inner surface and a second inner surface that are opposite to each other with the space interposed therebetween, and a third inner surface and a fourth inner surface that are opposite to each other with the space interposed therebetween,

the first inner surface is formed with the first semiconductor layer,

the second inner surface is formed with the second semiconductor layer, and

the third inner surface and the fourth inner surface are formed with the first insulation layer.

3. The display device of claim 1, wherein:

the first insulation layer comprises;

a first contact hole and a second contact hole respectively exposing a first portion and a second portion of the first semiconductor layer;

a gate electrode disposed between the first semiconductor layer and the first insulation layer; and

a source electrode and a drain electrode disposed between the first semiconductor layer and the second insulation layer, and

the source electrode and the drain electrode are respectively connected to the first portion and the second portion of the first semiconductor layer through the first contact hole and the second contact hole of the first insulation layer.

4. The display device of claim 3, further comprising a capacitor electrode disposed between the second semiconductor layer and the first insulation layer,

wherein the capacitor electrode is positioned at the same layer as that of the gate electrode.

5. The display device of claim 4, further comprising a third semiconductor layer adjacent to the second semiconductor layer, wherein:

the first insulation layer is disposed on the third semiconductor layer,

the first insulation layer further comprises a second opening forming a space between the second semiconductor layer and the third semiconductor layer, and

the second insulation layer fills the second opening.

6. The display device of claim 5, wherein:

the first semiconductor layer, the second semiconductor layer, and the third semiconductor layer form one pixel,

the second semiconductor layer is adjacent to a second semiconductor layer of another pixel that is adjacent to the pixel,

the first insulation layer is disposed on the second semiconductor layer of the another pixel,

the first insulation layer further comprises a third opening forming a space between the second semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer of the another pixel, and

the second insulation layer fills the third opening.

7. The display device of claim 6, further comprising:

a first electrode connected to the drain electrode;

an organic emission layer disposed on the first electrode; and

a second electrode disposed on the organic emission layer.

8. A method of manufacturing a display device, the method comprising:

forming a first semiconductor layer on a substrate;

forming a second semiconductor layer adjacent to the first semiconductor layer;

forming a bridge portion connecting between the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer on the substrate;

forming a first insulation layer comprising a first opening exposing the bridge portion on the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer;

forming a space between the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer by removing the bridge portion through the first opening; and

forming a second insulation layer filling the first opening on the first insulation layer.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein:

the forming of the first semiconductor layer comprises forming a first contact hole and a second contact hole respectively exposing a first portion and a second portion of the first semiconductor layer, and

the first opening is simultaneously formed when forming the first contact hole and the second contact hole.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

forming a gate electrode on the first semiconductor layer and between the first semiconductor layer and the first insulation layer; and

forming a source electrode and a drain electrode that are respectively connected to the first portion and the second portion of the first semiconductor layer through the first contact hole and the second contact hole of the first insulation layer,

wherein;

the source electrode and the drain electrode are formed on the first insulation layer and are disposed between the first insulation layer and the second insulation layer, and

the removing of the bridge portion through the first opening is performed while forming the source electrode and the drain electrode.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the removing of the bridge portion through the first opening and the forming of the source electrode and the drain electrode comprise:

exposing the first semiconductor layer through the first contact hole and the second contact hole on the first insulation layer;

forming a conductive layer contacting the bridge portion through the first opening;

forming a photoresist pattern covering a portion of the conductive layer to be formed as the source electrode and the drain electrode; and

forming the source electrode and the drain electrode and removing the bridge portion by etching the conductive layer having the photoresist pattern.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

forming a gate electrode on the first semiconductor layer to be disposed between the first semiconductor layer and the first insulation layer;

forming a source electrode and a drain electrode respectively connecting the first portion and the second portion of the first semiconductor layer through the first contact hole and the second contact hole of the first insulation layer;

forming a dummy layer connected to the bridge portion through the first opening on the first insulation layer, the dummy layer disposed between the first insulation layer and the second insulation layer; and

forming the first electrode connected to the drain electrode on the drain electrode,

wherein the removing of the bridge portion through the first opening is performed while forming the first electrode.

13. A method of manufacturing a display device having a substrate, the method comprising:

forming a buffer layer on the substrate;

forming an amorphous silicon (a-Si) layer on the buffer layer; and

patterning the a-Si layer to form an active layer having a first semiconductor layer and a second semiconductor layer connected by a first bridge portion, wherein the first bridge portion is to be removed to separate the first and second semiconductor layers within a pixel.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising forming a third semiconductor layer, and forming second and third bridge portions,

wherein the first bridge portion is directly connected to the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer,

wherein the second bridge portion is directly connected to the second semiconductor layer and the third semiconductor layer, and

wherein the third bridge portion is directly connected to the second semiconductor layer and to an adjacent second semiconductor layer of an adjacent pixel.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

forming a first insulation layer comprising a first opening exposing the first bridge portion between the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer;

removing the first bridge portion through the first opening to form a space between the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer;

removing the second bridge portion through a second opening of the first insulation layer; and

removing the third bridge portion through a third opening of the first insulation layer; and

forming a second insulation layer filling the first opening, the second opening and the third opening on the first insulation layer.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the forming of the first insulation layer comprises forming a first contact hole and a second contact hole respectively exposing a first portion and a second portion of the first semiconductor layer,

wherein the first opening is simultaneously formed when forming the first contact hole and the second contact hole.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

forming a gate electrode on the first semiconductor layer and between the first semiconductor layer and the first insulation layer; and

forming a source electrode and a drain electrode that are respectively connected to the first portion and the second portion of the first semiconductor layer through the first contact hole and the second contact hole of the first insulation layer,

wherein the source electrode and the drain electrode are formed on the first insulation layer and are disposed between the first insulation layer and the second insulation layer, and

wherein the removing of the bridge portion through the first opening is performed while forming the source electrode and the drain electrode.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the removing of the first bridge portion through the first opening and the forming of the source electrode and the drain electrode comprise:

exposing the first semiconductor layer through the first contact hole and the second contact hole on the first insulation layer;

forming a conductive layer contacting the first bridge portion through the first opening;

forming a photoresist pattern covering a portion of the conductive layer to be formed as the source electrode and the drain electrode; and

forming the source electrode and the drain electrode and removing the first bridge portion by etching the conductive layer having the photoresist pattern.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

forming a gate electrode on the first semiconductor layer to be disposed between the first semiconductor layer and the first insulation layer;

forming a source electrode and a drain electrode respectively connecting the first portion and the second portion of the first semiconductor layer through the first contact hole and the second contact hole of the first insulation layer;

forming a dummy layer connected to the bridge portion through the first opening on the first insulation layer, the dummy layer disposed between the first insulation layer and the second insulation layer; and

forming the first electrode connected to the drain electrode on the drain electrode,

wherein the removing of the bridge portion through the first opening is performed while forming the first electrode.