DEVICES WITH A SINGLE METAL LAYER

• US 20180033853A1
• Filed: 07/25/2017
• Published: 02/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: X Display Company Technology Limited (Sensinnovat BVBA)
• Original Assignee: X-Celeprint Limited
• Inventors: Bower, Christopher, Meitl, Matthew, Prevatte, Carl, Cok, Ronald S.
• Granted Patent: US 10,475,876 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/0753 the devices being arranged next to each other
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14636 Interconnect structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/156 two-dimensional arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2933/0066 relating to arrangements for conducting electric current to or from the semiconductor body
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/62 Arrangements for conducting electric current to or from the semiconductor body, e.g. lead-frames, wire-bonds or solder balls
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/129 Chiplets
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/131 Interconnections, e.g. wiring lines or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/179 Interconnections, e.g. wiring lines or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/35 comprising red-green-blue [RGB] subpixels

Abstract

A single metal layer device, such as a display or sensor, comprises a substrate and a patterned metal layer. The patterned metal layer forms a two-dimensional array of spatially separated column line segments that each extend only partially across the display substrate in a column direction and forms a one-dimensional array of row lines extending across the display substrate in a row direction different from the column direction. The row lines and column line segments are electrically separate in the patterned metal layer. Spatially separated electrical jumpers are disposed on the display substrate and electrically connect pairs of column line segments adjacent in the column direction. Each electrical jumper has an independent jumper substrate independent of and separate from the display substrate. In certain embodiments, spatially separated light-emitting pixel circuits are disposed on a display substrate and are electrically connected to at least one row line and one column line.

Claims

1. A single metal layer display, comprising:

a display substrate having a display surface with a display area;

a patterned metal layer disposed in or on the display substrate at least partially in the display area, the patterned metal layer at least partially exposed on the display surface,

wherein the patterned metal layer forms a two-dimensional array of spatially separated column line segments in the display area, each column line segment extending only partially across the display area in a column direction;

wherein the patterned metal layer forms a one-dimensional array of row lines extending across the display area in a row direction different from the column direction, and

wherein the row lines and column line segments are electrically separate in the patterned metal layer;

a plurality of spatially separated electrical jumpers disposed in the display area on the display surface, each electrical jumper electrically connected to two column line segments adjacent in the column direction to electrically connect the adjacent column line segments and form a one-dimensional array of electrically continuous column lines extending across the display area in the column direction, wherein each electrical jumper comprises an independent jumper substrate independent of and separate from the display substrate and independent of and separate from the jumper substrate of any other electrical jumper; and

a plurality of spatially separated light-emitting pixel circuits disposed in the display area on the display surface, each pixel circuit electrically connected to at least one row line of the array of row lines and one column line of the array of electrically continuous column lines.

3. The single metal layer display of claim 1, wherein each pixel circuit comprises two or more light emitters that each emit a different color of light or each pixel circuit comprises a red light emitter that emits red light, a green light emitter that emits green light, and a blue light emitter that emits blue light.

4. The single metal layer display of claim 1, wherein (i) the pixel circuits are passive circuits, (ii) the single metal layer display is a passive-matrix display, or (iii) both the pixel circuits are passive circuits and the single metal layer display is a passive-matrix display.

5. The single metal layer display of claim 1, wherein (i) the pixel circuits are active circuits that each comprise at least one transistor (ii) the single metal layer display is an active-matrix display, or (iii) the pixel circuits are active circuits that each comprise at least one transistor and the single metal layer display is an active-matrix display.

6. The single metal layer display of claim 1, wherein each electrical jumper comprises at least first and second connection posts protruding from the jumper substrate, the first connection post in electrical contact with a first column line segment and the second connection post in electrical contact with a second column line segment adjacent to the first column line segment.

7. The single metal layer display of claim 1, wherein each pixel circuit comprises an independent pixel substrate separate from the display substrate and separate from the pixel substrate of any other pixel circuit.

8. The single metal layer display of claim 7, wherein each pixel circuit comprises one or more light emitters that are disposed on the pixel substrate.

9. The single metal layer display of claim 7, wherein the pixel substrate is a semiconductor substrate, the pixel circuit comprises a control circuit, and the control circuit is native to the semiconductor substrate.

10. The single metal layer display of claim 7, wherein:

each pixel circuit comprises a semiconductor substrate different from the display substrate, separate from the pixel substrate of any other pixel circuit, and separate from the semiconductor substrate of any other pixel circuit;

the pixel circuit comprises a control circuit native to the semiconductor substrate; and

the semiconductor substrate is disposed on the pixel substrate.

11. The single metal layer display of claim 10, wherein the pixel circuit comprises at least first and second wires formed on or in the pixel substrate, each semiconductor substrate comprises at least first and second connection posts, the first connection post is in electrical contact with the first wire, and the second connection post is in contact with the second wire.

12. The single metal layer display of claim 7, wherein the pixel circuit comprises at least first and second wires formed on or in the pixel substrate and one or more light-emitting diodes (LEDs), each LED comprises a light-emitting structure electrically connected to at least first and second connection posts, the first connection post is in electrical contact with the first wire, and the second connection post is in contact with the second wire.

13. The single metal layer display of claim 7, wherein each pixel substrate comprises at least row and column connection posts, the row connection post is in electrical contact with a row conductor and the column connection post is in contact with a column conductor segment.

17. The single metal layer display of claim 1, wherein the patterned metal layer forms a plurality of two-dimensional arrays of spatially separated column line segments that extend only partially across the display area in the column direction, an electrical jumper electrically connected to each pair of column line segments adjacent in the column direction to electrically connect the adjacent column line segments and form a plurality of one-dimensional arrays of electrically continuous column lines extending across the display area in the column direction, and the pixel circuit is connected to one column line of each of the one-dimensional arrays of column lines.

18. The single metal layer display of claim 17, wherein the column lines of one of the arrays of column lines are signal lines, the column lines of one of the arrays of column lines are power lines, the column lines of one of the arrays of column lines are ground lines, the column lines of one of the arrays of column lines are signal lines and the column lines of another, different one of the arrays of column lines are also signal lines, or any combination thereof.

2. The single metal layer display of claim 2, wherein each pixel circuit comprises one or more inorganic light-emitting diodes (LEDs) or each pixel circuit comprises one or more organic LEDs.

14-16. -16. (canceled)

19-23. -23. (canceled)

24. A method of making a single metal layer display comprising:

providing a display substrate having a display surface with a display area, the display substrate comprising a patterned metal layer disposed in or on the display substrate at least partially in the display area, the patterned metal layer at least partially exposed on the display surface,

wherein the patterned metal layer forms a two-dimensional array of spatially separated column line segments in the display area, each column line segment extending only partially across the display area in a column direction;

wherein the patterned metal layer forms a one-dimensional array of row lines extending across the display area in a row direction different from the column direction, and

wherein the row lines and column line segments are electrically separate in the patterned metal layer;

providing a plurality of electrical jumpers on a jumper source wafer, each electrical jumper having an independent and separate jumper substrate different from the display substrate and different from the jumper substrate of any other electrical jumper;

micro-transfer printing the electrical jumpers onto the display substrate and interconnecting the electrical jumpers so that each electrical jumper is electrically connected to two column line segments adjacent in the column direction to electrically connect the adjacent column line segments and form a one-dimensional array of electrically continuous column lines extending across the display area in the column direction;

providing a plurality of pixel circuits on a pixel source wafer, each pixel circuit having an independent and separate pixel substrate different from the display substrate and different from the pixel substrate of any other pixel circuit; and

micro-transfer printing the pixel circuits onto the display substrate and interconnecting the pixel circuits so that each pixel circuit is electrically connected to at least one row line and one column line.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein micro-transfer printing the electrical jumpers interconnects the electrical jumpers such that each electrical jumper is electrically connected to two column line segments adjacent in the column direction thereby electrically connecting the adjacent column line segments or wherein micro-transfer printing the pixel circuits electrically interconnects the pixel circuits with the row lines and column lines on the display substrate.

26. The method of claim 24, comprising providing a light-emitting diode (LED) source wafer and micro-transfer printing LEDs from the LED source wafer onto the pixel substrate.

27. The method of claim 24, comprising providing a control circuit in each of a plurality of silicon substrates in a silicon source wafer and micro-transfer printing the silicon substrates from the silicon source wafer onto the pixel substrate.

28. A single metal layer sensor array, comprising:

a sensor substrate having a sensor surface with a sensor area;

a patterned metal layer disposed in or on the sensor substrate at least partially in the sensor area, the patterned metal layer at least partially exposed on the sensor surface;

wherein the patterned metal layer forms a two-dimensional array of spatially separated column line segments in the sensor area, each column line segment extending only partially across the sensor area in a column direction;

wherein the patterned metal layer forms a one-dimensional array of row lines extending across the sensor area in a row direction different from the column direction; and

wherein the row lines and column line segments are electrically separate in the patterned metal layer and in the sensor substrate;

a plurality of spatially separated electrical jumpers disposed in the sensor area on the sensor surface, each electrical jumper electrically connected to two column line segments adjacent in the column direction to electrically connect the adjacent column line segments and form a one-dimensional array of electrically continuous column lines extending across the sensor area in the column direction, wherein each electrical jumper comprises an independent jumper substrate independent of and separate from the sensor substrate and independent of and separate from the jumper substrate of any other electrical jumper; and

a plurality of spatially separated light-sensitive pixel circuits disposed in the sensor area on the sensor surface, each pixel circuit electrically connected to at least one row line of the array of row lines and one column line of the array of electrically continuous column lines.