Display device

• US 7,330,168 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2003
• Issued: 02/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Anzai, Katsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Lefkowitz; Sumati
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kumar; Srilakshmi K
• Application Number:
  US10/426,023
• Publication Number:
  US 20040012548A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,749 Days
• Field of Search: 315/169.3
• US Class Current: 345/76
• 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: H01L 27/1255 integrated with passive devices, e.g. auxiliary capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/1216 the pixel elements being capacitors

Abstract

A source of a driving transistor for driving an organic EL element functions as a first capacitance electrode layer. A second capacitance electrode layer is formed on the source through a gate insulating film of the driving transistor. The second capacitance electrode layer is formed with the same layer and by the same process as the gate electrode. A third capacitance electrode layer is formed extending over the second capacitance electrode layer through the interlayer insulating film. The third capacitance electrode layer is formed with the same layer as the drain electrode and the drain signal line. The third capacitance electrode layer is connected to the source of the driving transistor. The forming area of the storage capacitance element for holding the video signal supplied to the gate of the driving transistor can be thus reduced, improving display quality as well as extending life span of the organic El element.

Claims

1. An electroluminescent display device having a plurality of pixel portions, each of the pixel portions comprising:

an electroluminescent element;

a driving transistor driving the electroluminescent element;

a drain signal line;

a pixel selecting transistor supplying a signal from the drain signal line to a gate of the driving transistor; and

a storage capacitance element holding the signal supplied to the gate of the driving transistor, the storage capacitance element including an extension of a source of the pixel selecting transistor as a first capacitance electrode layer, a second capacitance electrode layer disposed above the extension of the source, an insulating film disposed on the second capacitance electrode layer and a third capacitance electrode layer connected to the source and disposed on the insulating layer,

wherein the drain signal line and the third capacitance electrode layer lie in the same plane as a top plane of the insulating film.

2. The electroluminescent display device of claim 1, wherein the second capacitance electrode layer is in a same wiring layer as a gate of the pixel selecting transistor.

3. The electroluminescent display device of claim 1, further comprising a gate insulating film of the pixel selecting transistor, wherein a part of the gate insulating film is disposed between the first and second capacitance electrode layers.

4. The electroluminescent display device of claim 1, further comprising an interlayer insulating film disposed between the gate of the pixel selecting transistor and the drain signal line, wherein a part of the interlayer insulating film is disposed between the second and third capacitance electrode layers.

5. The electroluminescent display device of claim 1, further comprising a cathode electrode layer of the electroluminescent element, the cathode electrode layer extending over the third capacitance electrode layer and being configured to work as a fourth capacitance electrode layer of the storage capacitance element.

6. The electroluminescent display device of claim 1, wherein the source of the pixel selecting transistor extends beyond an edge portion of the third capacitance electrode layer.

7. The electroluminescent display device of claim 1, wherein the drain line and the third capacitance electrode layer are made of the same material.

8. An electroluminescent display device having a plurality of pixel portions, each of the pixel portions comprising:

an electroluminescent element including an anode layer, an emissive layer and a cathode layer;

a driving transistor driving the electroluminescent element;

a drain signal line;

a pixel selecting transistor supplying a signal from the drain signal line to a gate of the driving transistor; and

a storage capacitance element holding the signal supplied to the gate of the driving transistor, the storage capacitance element including an extension of a source of the pixel selecting transistor as a first capacitance electrode layer, a second capacitance electrode layer disposed above the extension of the source, a third capacitance electrode layer connected to the source and disposed above the second capacitance electrode layer, a fourth capacitance electrode layer connected to the third capacitance electrode layer and disposed above the third capacitance electrode layer and a fifth capacitance electrode layer disposed above the fourth capacitance electrode layer and not connected with the fourth capacitance electrode layer,

wherein the fifth capacitance electrode layer is an extension of the cathode layer.

9. The electroluminescent display device of claim 8, wherein the second capacitance electrode layer is in a same wiring layer as a gate of the pixel selecting transistor.

10. The electroluminescent display device of claim 8, further comprising a gate insulating film of the pixel selecting transistor, wherein a part of the gate insulating film is disposed between the first and second capacitance electrode layers.

11. The electroluminescent display device of claim 8, wherein the third capacitance electrode layer is in a same wiring layer as the drain signal line.

12. The electroluminescent display device of claim 8, further comprising an interlayer insulating film disposed between the gate of the pixel selecting transistor and the drain signal line, wherein a part of the interlayer insulating film is disposed between the second and third capacitance electrode layers.

13. The electroluminescent display device of claim 8, wherein the fourth capacitance electrode layer is in a same wiring layer as the anode layer.

14. The electroluminescent display device of claim 8, further comprising a planarization layer disposed on the drain signal line, wherein a part of the planarization layer is disposed between the third and fourth capacitance electrode layers.

15. The electroluminescent display device of claim 8, further comprising a planarization layer disposed partially on the anode layer, wherein a part of the planarization layer is disposed between the fourth and fifth capacitance electrode layers.

16. The electroluminescent display device of claim 8, wherein the source of the pixel selecting transistor extends beyond an edge portion of the third capacitance electrode layer.

17. The electroluminescent display device of claim 8, wherein the drain line and the third capacitance electrode layer are made of the same material.

18. An electroluminescent display device having a plurality of pixel portions, each of the pixel portions comprising:

an electroluminescent element;

a driving transistor driving the electroluminescent element;

a drain signal line;

a pixel selecting transistor supplying a signal from the drain signal line to a gate of the driving transistor and comprising a semiconductor layer comprising a source and drain; and

a storage capacitance element holding the signal supplied to the gate of the driving transistor, the storage capacitance element comprising a first capacitance electrode layer, a second capacitance electrode layer disposed above the first capacitance electrode layer, an insulating film disposed on the second capacitance electrode layer and a third capacitance electrode layer connected to the source of the pixel selecting transistor and disposed on the insulating layer,

wherein the drain signal line and the third capacitance electrode layer lie in the same plane as a top plane of the insulating film, and the first capacitance electrode layer lies in the same plane as the semiconductor layer lies, and

the first and third capacitance electrode layers are confignred to receive the signal from the drain signal line.

19. The electroluminescent display device of claim 18, wherein the second capacitance electrode layer is in a same wiring layer as a gate of the pixel selecting transistor.

20. The electroluminescent display device of claim 18, further comprising a gate insulating film of the pixel selecting transistor, wherein a part of the gate insulating film is disposed between the first and second capacitance electrode layers.

21. The electroluminescent display device of claim 18, further comprising an interlayer insulating film disposed between the gate of the pixel selecting transistor and the drain signal line, wherein a part of the interlayer insulating film is disposed between the second and third capacitance electrode layers.

22. The electroluminescent display device of claim 18, further comprising a cathode electrode layer of the electroluminescent element, the cathode electrode layer extending over the third capacitance electrode layer and being configured to work as a fourth capacitance electrode layer of the storage capacitance element.