Method for manufacturing an electro-optical device

• US 7,288,420 B1
• Filed: 05/30/2000
• Issued: 10/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Konuma, Toshimitsu, Yamamoto, Kunitaka, Koyama, Jun, Yamazaki, Shunpei
• Primary Examiner(s): SARKAR, ASOK K
• Application Number:
  US09/580,485
• Time in Patent Office: 2,709 Days
• Field of Search: 438/29, 438/34
• US Class Current: 438/29
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/12 the substrate being other than a semiconductor body, e.g. an insulating body
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1214 comprising a plurality of TFTs formed on a non-semiconducting substrate, e.g. driving circuits for AMLCDs
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/80 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/84 Passivation; Containers; Encapsulations
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/841 Self-supporting sealing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/844 Encapsulations
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/87 Arrangements for heating or cooling
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/12 Active-matrix OLED [AMOLED] displays
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/124 Insulating layers formed between TFT elements and OLED elements
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/35 comprising red-green-blue [RGB] subpixels
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/871 Self-supporting sealing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/873 Encapsulations
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/8794 Arrangements for heating and cooling
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/135 using ink-jet printing
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/114 Poly-phenylenevinylene; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/146 poly N-vinylcarbazol; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/30 Coordination compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/311 Phthalocyanine
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/324 comprising aluminium, e.g. Alq3
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/342 comprising iridium
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/346 : comprising platinum
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/631 : Amine compounds having at least two aryl rest on at least one amine-nitrogen atom, e.g. triphenylamine
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/649 : Aromatic compounds comprising a hetero atom

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide an EL display device having high operation performance and reliability.

A third passivation film 45 is disposed under the EL element 203 comprising a pixel electrode (anode) 46, an EL layer 47 and a cathode 48, and diffusion of alkali metals from the EL element 203 formed by ink jet method into TFTs is prevented. Further, the third passivation film 45 prevents penetration of moisture and oxygen the TFTs, and suppress degradation of the EL element 203 by dispersing the heat generated by the EL element 203.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing an electrical device, said method comprising:

forming at least a thin film transistor on an insulating surface;

forming a first insulating film comprising silicon nitride over the thin film transistor;

forming a second insulating film comprising an organic resin on the first insulating film;

forming a third insulating film comprising silicon nitride on the second insulating film;

forming a pixel electrode over the third insulating film, said pixel electrode electrically connected to the thin film transistor;

forming an EL layer over the pixel;

forming a second electrode over the EL layer,

wherein the EL layer is selectively formed through an ink jet method.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the EL layer is an organic material.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the ink jet method uses a piezo element.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the second electrode comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of magnesium (Mg), lithium (Li), cesium (Cs), barium (Ba), potassium (K), beryllium (Be), or calcium (Ca).

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the EL layer is formed in a dry nitrogen atmosphere.

6. A method according to claim 1,

wherein the third insulating film comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of silicon nitride oxide and silicon nitride.

7. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

forming a contact hole in the first, second and third insulating films,

wherein an upper diameter of the contact hole is longer length than a lower diameter of the contact hole.

8. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

forming a contact hole in the first, second and third insulating films;

forming the pixel electrode on the third insulating film,

wherein the third insulating film is not in contact with side surfaces of the contact hole while the pixel electrode is in contact with the side surface of the contact hole and edges of the first, second and third insulating films.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein the third insulating film comprises the same material as the first insulating film.

17. A method according to claim 2, wherein the third insulating film comprises the same material as the first insulating film.

10. A method for manufacturing an electrical device comprising:

forming at least a thin film transistor on an insulating surface;

forming a first insulating film comprising at least one selected from the group consisting of aluminum oxide, aluminum nitride and nitrated aluminum oxide over the thin film transistor;

forming a second insulating film comprising an organic resin on the first insulating film;

forming a third insulating film comprising at least the one selected from the group consisting of aluminum oxide, aluminum nitride and nitrated aluminum oxide on the second insulating film;

forming a pixel electrode over the third insulating film, said pixel electrode electrically connected to the thin film transistor;

forming an EL layer over the pixel electrode;

forming a second electrode over the EL layer,

wherein the EL layer is selectively formed through an ink jet method.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein the EL layer is an organic material.

12. A method according to claim 10, wherein the ink jet method uses a piezo element.

13. A method according to claim 10, wherein the second electrode comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of magnesium (Mg), lithium (Li), cesium (Cs), barium (Ba), potassium (K), beryllium (Be), or calcium (Ca).

14. A method according to claim 10, wherein the EL layer is formed in a dry argon atmosphere.

15. A method according to claim 10, further comprising:

forming a contact hole in the first, second and third insulating films,

wherein an upper diameter of the contact hole is longer length than a lower diameter of the contact hole.

16. A method according to claim 10, further comprising:

forming a contact hole in the first, second, and third insulating films;

forming the pixel electrode on the third insulating film,

wherein the third insulating film is not in contact with side surfaces of the contact hole while the pixel electrode is in contact with the side surface of the contact hole and edges of the first, second and third insulating films.

18. A method for manufacturing an electrical device comprising:

forming at least a thin film transistor on an insulating surface;

forming a first insulating film comprising diamond like carbon over the thin film transistor;

forming a second insulating film comprising an organic resin on the first insulating film;

forming a third insulating film comprising diamond like carbon on the second insulating film;

forming a pixel electrode over the third insulating film, said pixel electrode electrically connected to the thin film transistor;

forming an EL layer over the pixel electrode;

forming a second electrode over the EL layer,

wherein the EL layer is selectively formed through an ink jet method.

19. A method according to claim 18, wherein the EL layer is an organic material.

20. A method according to claim 18, wherein the ink jet method uses a piezo element.

21. A method according to claim 18, wherein the second electrode comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of magnesium (Mg), lithium (Li), cesium (Cs), barium (Ba), potassium (K), beryllium (Be), or calcium (Ca).

22. A method according to claim 18, further comprising:

forming a contact hole in the first, second and third insulating films,

wherein an upper diameter of the contact hole is longer length than a lower diameter of the contact hole.

23. A method according to claim 18, further comprising:

forming a contact hole in the first, second and third insulating films;

forming the pixel electrode on the third insulating film,

wherein the third insulating film is not in contact with side surfaces of the contact hole while the pixel electrode is in contact with the side surface of the contact hole and edges of the first, second and third insulating films.

24. A method according to claim 18, wherein the third insulating film comprises the same material as the first insulating film.

25. A method for manufacturing an electrical device, said method comprising:

forming at least a thin film transistor on an insulating surface;

forming a first insulating film over the thin film transistor;

forming a second insulating film on the first insulating film;

forming a third insulating film on the second insulating film;

forming a fourth insulating film on the third insulating film;

forming a contact hole in the second, third and fourth insulating films;

forming a pixel electrode over the fourth insulating film, said pixel electrode electrically connected to the thin film transistor through the contact hole;

forming a bank on the fourth insulating film;

forming an EL layer over the pixel electrode;

forming a second electrode over the EL layer;

forming a protection electrode over the second electrode;

forming a fifth insulating film over the protection electrode;

wherein the EL layer is selectively formed through an ink jet method,

wherein the third insulating film comprises an organic material,

wherein the EL layer is formed in a dry nitrogen atmosphere.

26. A method according to claim 25, wherein the EL layer is an organic material.

27. A method according to claim 25, wherein the ink jet method uses a piezo element.

28. A method according to claim 25, wherein the second electrode comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of magnesium (Mg), lithium (Li), cesium (Cs), barium (Ba), potassium (K), beryllium (Be), or calcium (Ca).

29. A method according to claim 25, wherein an upper diameter of the contact hole is longer length than a lower diameter of the contact hole.

30. A method according to claim 25, wherein the fourth insulating film is not in contact with side surface of the contact hole while the pixel electrode is in contact with the side surface of the contact hole and edges of the second, third and fourth insulating films.

31. A method according to claim 25, wherein each of second, fourth and fifth insulating films comprises a same material.

32. A method for manufacturing an electrical device, said method comprising:

forming at least a thin film transistor on an insulating surface;

forming a first insulating film over the thin film transistor;

forming a second insulating film on the first insulating film;

forming a third insulating film on the second insulating film;

forming a fourth insulating film on the third insulating film;

forming a contact hole in the second, third and fourth insulating films;

forming a pixel electrode over the fourth insulating film, said pixel electrode electrically connected to the thin film transistor through the contact hole;

forming a bank on the fourth insulating film;

forming an EL layer over the pixel electrode;

forming a second electrode over the EL layer;

forming a protection electrode over the second electrode;

forming a fifth insulating film over the protection electrode;

wherein the EL layer is selectively formed through an ink jet method,

wherein the third insulating film comprises an organic material,

wherein the EL layer is formed in a dry argon atmosphere.

33. A method according to claim 32, wherein the EL layer is an organic material.

34. A method according to claim 32, wherein the ink jet method uses a piezo element.

35. A method according to claim 32, wherein the second electrode comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of magnesium (Mg), lithium (Li), cesium (Cs), barium (Ba), potassium (K), beryllium (Be), or calcium (Ca).

36. A method according to claim 32, wherein an upper diameter of the contact hole is longer length than a lower diameter of the contact hole.

37. A method according to claim 32, wherein the fourth insulating film is not in contact with side surfaces of the contact hole while the pixel electrode is in contact with the side surface of the contact hole and edges of the second, third and fourth insulating films.

38. A method according to claim 32, wherein each of second, fourth and fifth insulating films comprises a same material.