Electro-optical device and method of manufacturing the same comprising an interlayer insulating film having a multi-layered structure

• US 7,215,388 B2
• Filed: 07/23/2004
• Issued: 05/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 138 East LCD Advancements Limited (Vector Capital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Fukuhara, Keiji
• Primary Examiner(s): Duong; Thoi V.
• Application Number:
  US10/897,079
• Publication Number:
  US 20050052592A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,019 Days
• Field of Search: 349/38, 349/39, 349/138, 349/43, 349/147, 349/143, 349/139
• US Class Current: 349/43
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133345 Insulating layers G02F1/1335, G02F1/1337, G02F1/135, G02F1/136 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1362 Active matrix addressed cells G02F1/134336, G02F1/134363 take precedence

Abstract

To provide an electro-optical device capable of reducing the likelihood of preventing moisture from permeating into a laminated structure formed on a substrate, in particular, thin film transistors that constitute the laminated structure and of performing a stable operation, and/or electro-optical device includes data lines, scanning lines, thin film transistors including semiconductor layers, and pixel electrodes to which image signals are supplied by the data lines through the thin film transistors, on a substrate. The electro-optical device may include an interlayer insulating film arranged between the data lines and the pixel electrodes, and a passivation film arranged on the surface of the interlayer insulating film.

Claims

1. An electro-optical device, comprising:

a substrate;

a data line extending above the substrate;

a scanning line extending in a direction intersecting the data line;

a thin film transistor including a semiconductor layer and a gate electrode, the gate electrode being supplied with scanning signals by the scanning line;

a pixel electrode supplied with image signals by the data line through the thin film transistor;

an interlayer insulating film arranged beneath the pixel electrode;

a passivation film arranged directly beneath the pixel electrode with no additional layer between the passivation film and the pixel electrode and directly on a surface of the interlayer insulating film with no additional layer between the passivation film-and the interlayer insulating film, the passivation film including at least one of boron or phosphorus; and

a storage capacitor electrically connected to the thin film transistor and to the pixel electrode, and a capacitor wiring line to supply fixed electric potential to the storage capacitor;

wherein;

the interlayer insulating film includes a second interlayer insulating film on which the capacitor wiring line is laminated, under a first interlayer insulating film, and a third interlayer insulating film on which the data line is laminated, under the second interlayer insulating film, and

a second passivation film including at least one of boron or phosphorus is arranged on a surface of the second interlayer insulating film or a surface of the third interlayer insulating film.

2. The electro-optical device according to claim 1, the passivation film including a material which is in a stable state in reaction to water.

3. The electro-optical device according to claim 2, the passivation film including a boron silicate glass (BSG) oxide film.

4. The electro-optical device according to claim 3, the amount of boron (B) in the BSG oxide film is no less than 1 percent by weight and no more than 7 percent by weight.

5. The electro-optical device according to claim 2, the passivation film including a phosphorus silicate glass (PSG) oxide film.

6. The electro-optical device according to claim 1, the thickness of the passivation film being no less than 10 nm and no more than 100 nm.

7. The electro-optical device according to claim 1, wherein:

a planarization process being performed on the surface of the first interlayer insulating film and on the surface of the second interlayer insulating film, and

the second passivation film being arranged on the surface of the second interlayer insulating film.

8. An electronic apparatus, comprising:

the electro-optical device according to claim 1.

9. The electro-optical device according to claim 1, further comprising a light-blocking shield layer disposed above the thin film transistor at a position between the data line and the pixel electrode, the light-blocking shield layer covering the data line and including a lower layer formed from aluminum and an upper layer formed from titanium nitride.

10. A method of manufacturing an electro-optical device, comprising:

extending a data line above a substrate;

extending a scanning line in a direction intersecting the data line;

forming a thin film transistor including a semiconductor layer and a gate electrode, the gate electrode being supplied with scanning signals by the scanning line;

forming a pixel electrode supplied with image signals by the data line through the thin film transistor;

forming an interlayer insulating film arranged beneath the pixel electrode;

forming a passivation film directly beneath the pixel electrode with no additional layer between the passivation film and the pixel electrode and directly on a surface of the interlayer insulating film with no additional layer between the passivation film and the interlayer insulating film, the passivation film including at least one of boron and phosphorous; and

forming a storage capacitor electrically connected to the thin film transistor and to the pixel electrode, and a capacitor wiring line to supply fixed electric potential to the storage capacitor;

wherein;

the interlayer insulating film includes a second interlayer insulating film on which the capacitor wiring line is laminated, under a first interlayer insulating film, and a third interlayer insulating film on which the data line is laminated, under the second interlayer insulating film, and

a second passivation film including at least one of boron or phosphorus is formed on a surface of the second interlayer insulating film or a surface of the third interlayer insulating film.

11. The method of manufacturing the electro-optical device according to claim 10, further including forming the passivation film by a normal pressure chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method.

12. The method of manufacturing the electro-optical device according to claim 10, further including forming the interlayer insulating film on which the passivation film is formed by a plasma CVD method.