Organic LED display device of active matrix drive type and fabrication method therefor

• US 6,538,390 B2
• Filed: 07/19/2001
• Issued: 03/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Fujita, Yoshimasa, Ban, Kazuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Philogene, Haissa
• Application Number:
  US09/907,807
• Publication Number:
  US 20020047567A1
• Time in Patent Office: 614 Days
• Field of Search: 315/169.3, 315/169.1, 257/59, 257/72, 257/350, 257/351
• US Class Current: 315/169.3
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 2102/3026 Top emission
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/1201 Manufacture or treatment
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/122 Pixel-defining structures or layers, e.g. banks
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/123 Connection of the pixel electrodes to the thin film transistors [TFT]

Abstract

An organic LED display device of active matrix drive type comprises: a substrate; a thin film transistor provided on the substrate; a planarization film provided over the thin film transistor; and an organic LED device provided on the planarization film, and comprising a pixel electrode electrically connected to a drain electrode of the thin film transistor via an interconnection extending through the planarization film, an organic LED layer comprising at least one organic light emitting layer, and a counter electrode; the thin film transistor being operative to control one of a current and a voltage to be applied to the LED device; wherein the interconnection has an end face flush with a surface of the planarization film on a pixel electrode side.

Claims

1. An organic LED display device of active matrix drive type comprising:

a substrate;

a thin film transistor supported by the substrate;

a planarization film provided over the thin film transistor; and

an organic LED device provided on the planarization film, and the organic LED device comprising an entirely planar conductive pixel electrode on a planar surface of the planarization film and electrically connected to a drain electrode of the thin film transistor via a conductive interconnection extending through a contact hole in the planarization film, an organic LED layer comprising at least one organic light emitting layer and a counter electrode;

the thin film transistor being operative to control one of a current and a voltage to be applied to the LED device;

wherein the interconnection includes an end face flush with a surface of the planarization film on the side of a pixel electrode.

2. A display device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the interconnection includes a plurality of interconnections.

3. A display device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the interconnection includes at least one interconnection provided adjacent a center of the organic LED device.

4. A display device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the interconnection has a greater end face area on the side of the pixel electrode side than on the side of the drain electrode side.

5. The LED display device of claim 1, wherein the interconnection is of a different conductive material than the pixel electrode.

6. A method for fabricating an organic LED display device of active matrix drive type which comprises an organic LED device and a thin film transistor connected to the organic LED device for controlling a current or a voltage to be applied to the LED device, the method comprising:

forming the thin film transistor on a substrate;

forming a planarization film over the thin film transistor;

forming a contact hole in the planarization film;

forming a conductive interconnection in the contact hole so as to have an end face flush with a planar surface of the planarization film;

forming an entirely planar pixel electrode on the planar surface of the planarization film and over the interconnection so that the pixel electrode is in electrical communication with the transistor via the interconnection;

forming an organic LED layer including at least one light emitting layer on the pixel electrode; and

forming a counter electrode on the organic LED layer.

7. A method as set forth in claim 6, wherein the interconnection forming step comprises the steps of depositing an electrically conductive interconnection material on the planarization film formed with the contact hole, and polishing away the resulting layer of the electrically conductive material to planarize the planarization film with the electrically conductive interconnection material being left in the contact hole for the formation of the interconnection in the contact hole.

8. A method as set forth in claim 6, wherein the organic LED layer forming step comprises the step of forming the at least one light emitting layer by one of a transfer method and a printing method.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the interconnection is of a different