Fabrication of organic semiconductor devices using ink jet printing

• US 6,087,196 A
• Filed: 01/28/1999
• Issued: 07/11/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Princeton University
• Original Assignee: The Trustees of Princeton University (Princeton University)
• Inventors: Marcy, Duane, Hebner, Thomas R., Sturm, James C., Wu, Chung Chih
• Primary Examiner(s): Bowers, Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): WHIPPLE, MATTHEW LAVERNE
• Application Number:
  US09/238,708
• Time in Patent Office: 530 Days
• Field of Search: 438/99, 438/584, 438/237, 438/328, 438/149, 438/164, 438/29, 438/30, 427/466, 427/469
• US Class Current: 438/29
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 10/464 Lateral top-gate IGFETs comprising only a single gate
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 10/466 Lateral bottom-gate IGFETs comprising only a single gate
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 10/468 characterised by the gate dielectrics
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/11 characterised by the electroluminescent [EL] layers
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/805 Electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/12 Active-matrix OLED [AMOLED] displays
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/17 Passive-matrix OLED displays
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/35 comprising red-green-blue [RGB] subpixels
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/00 Manufacture or treatment specially adapted for the organic devices covered by this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/135 using ink-jet printing
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/30 Doping active layers, e.g. electron transporting layers
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/141 comprising aliphatic or olefinic chains, e.g. poly N-vinylcarbazol, PVC or PTFE
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/146 poly N-vinylcarbazol; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/60 Organic compounds having low molecular weight H10K85/10 - H10K85/50 take precedence

Abstract

A method of fabricating semiconductor devices using ink-jet printing is provided to directly deposit patterned polymer films to create OLED'"'"'s and other semiconductor devices. The luminescence of poly-vinylcarbazol (PVK) films, with dyes of coumarin 6 (C6), coumarin 47 (C47), and nile red was similar to that of films of the same composition deposited by spin-coating. Light emitting diodes with low turn-on voltages were also fabricated in PVK doped with C6 deposited by ink-jet printing.

Claims

1. A process for forming a pattern on a substrate by deposition of an organic material comprising the steps of:

depositing a semiconducting organic material in a solvent onto a substrate by ink-jet printing; and

evaporating the solvent, whereby said organic material remains on the substrate.

2. The process of claim 1, further comprising drying the deposited material to remove said solvent.

3. The process of claim 1 wherein said organic material is a luminescent polymer.

4. The process of claim 1 wherein said material includes polyvinylcarbazol film.

5. The process of claim 1 wherein said solvent is chloroform.

6. The process of claim 1 wherein said material includes light emitting dyes.

7. The process of claim 6 wherein said light emitting dyes include coumarin and nile red.

8. The process of claim 7 wherein said coumarin is coumarin 6.

9. The process of claim 7 wherein said coumarin is coumarin 47.

10. The process of claim 7 wherein said coumarin is coumarin 6 and coumarin 47.

11. The process of claim 1 wherein said organic material is a mixture of polymers and other organic molecules.

12. A process for making organic light emitting diodes comprising the steps of:

depositing a semiconducting organic material in a solvent onto a substrate by ink-jet printing; and

evaporating the solvent, said organic material remaining on the substrate.

13. The process of claim 12 wherein said depositing step operates an ink-jet printer in a mode to create a continuous sheet of polymer.

14. The process of claim 13 further including the step of metallizing said ink-jet printed substrates.

15. The process of claim 14 further including the step of depositing with ink-jet printing top metal contacts on said substrate.

16. The process of claim 15 wherein said top metal contacts are deposited through a shadow mask.

17. The process of claim 12 further including the step of depositing with ink-jet printing bottom metal contacts on said substrate.

18. The process of claim 15 wherein said top metal contacts are deposited in a pattern.

19. The process of claim 17 wherein said bottom metal contacts are deposited in a pattern.

20. The process of claim 12 further wherein said organic material includes light emitting dyes.

21. The process of claim 20 further including the step of depositing top contacts on said organic material by ink jet printing.

22. The process of claim 21 further including the step of depositing bottom contacts on said substrate by ink-jet printing.

23. A process of forming thin film field effect transistors comprising the steps of:

forming a gate electrode on a substrate;

forming a gate insulator over said gate electrode;

forming a polymer semiconducting layer on said insulator by ink-jet printing; and

forming source and drain contacts on said semiconducting layer.

24. The process of claim 23 wherein said gate insulator is formed by ink-jet printing, and the semiconducting layer by other techniques.

25. The process of claim 23 wherein the source and drain contacts are applied directly on the gate insulator before the semiconducting layer is deposited.

26. The process of claim 24 wherein the source and drain contacts are applied directly on the gate insulator before the semiconducting layer is deposited.

27. The process of claim 23 wherein the semiconducting layer comprises a non-polymeric organic film or a polymer/small organic molecule blend.

28. The process of claim 24 wherein the semiconducting layer comprises a non-polymeric organic film or a polymer/small organic molecule blend.

29. The process of claim 25 wherein the semiconducting layer comprises a non-polymeric organic film or a polymer/small organic molecule blend.

30. A process for forming a pattern on a substrate by deposition of an organic material comprising the steps of:

depositing organic material including polyvinylcarbazol film in a solvent onto a substrate by ink-jet printing; and

evaporating the solvent, whereby said organic material remains on the substrate.

31. The process of claim 30, further comprising drying the deposited material to remove said solvent.

32. The process of claim 30 wherein said organic material is semiconducting.

33. The process of claim 30 wherein said organic material is a luminescent polymer.

34. The process of claim 30 wherein said solvent is chloroform.

35. The process of claim 30 wherein said material includes light emitting dyes.

36. The process of claim 35 wherein said light emitting dyes include coumarin and nile red.

37. The process of claim 36 wherein said coumarin is coumarin 6.

38. The process of claim 36 wherein said coumarin is coumarin 47.

39. The process of claim 36 wherein said coumarin is coumarin 6 and coumarin 47.

40. The process of claim 30 wherein said organic material is a mixture of polymers and other organic molecules.

41. A process for making organic light emitting diodes comprising the steps of:

depositing organic material including polyvinylcarbazol film in a solvent onto a substrate by ink-jet printing; and

evaporating the solvent, said organic material remaining on the substrate.

42. The process of claim 41 wherein said depositing step operates an ink-jet printer in a mode to create a continuous sheet of polymer.

43. The process of claim 42 further including the step of metallizing said ink-jet printed substrates.

44. The process of claim 43 further including the step of depositing with ink-jet printing top metal contacts on said substrate.

45. The process of claim 44 wherein said top metal contacts are deposited through a shadow mask.

46. The process of claim 41 further including the step of depositing with ink-jet printing bottom metal contacts on said substrate.

47. The process of claim 44 wherein said top metal contacts are deposited in a pattern.

48. The process of claim 46 wherein said bottom metal contacts are deposited in a pattern.

49. The process of claim 41 further wherein said organic material includes light emitting dyes.

50. The process of claim 49 further including the step of depositing top contacts on said organic material by ink jet printing.

51. The process of claim 50 further including the step of depositing bottom contacts on said substrate by ink-jet printing.