Method of manufacturing a display device

• US 7,452,257 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2003
• Issued: 11/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Tsuchiya, Kaoru, Saito, Keiko, Ishigaki, Ayumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Santiago; Mariceli
• Application Number:
  US10/736,790
• Publication Number:
  US 20040246432A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,798 Days
• Field of Search: 445/24, 445/59, 445/25, 313/504, 313/506
• US Class Current: 445/24
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 33/10 Apparatus or processes specially adapted to the manufacture of electroluminescent light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 33/26 characterised by the composition or arrangement of the conductive material used as an electrode
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/81 Anodes
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/122 Pixel-defining structures or layers, e.g. banks
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/8051 Anodes
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/8052 Cathodes

Abstract

In order to suppress defect modes such as shrinkage or unevenness in light-emission in a light emitting element and to shorten a time needed for a pretreatment for forming a layer containing an organic compound (EL layer), according to the present invention, a light emitting element is formed by forming a first electrode that is electrically connected to a source region or a drain region of a thin film transistor, forming an insulating film to cover an edge portion of the first electrode, performing a plasma treatment on the first electrode and the insulating film in an atmosphere containing argon and oxygen, then, forming a layer containing an organic compound (EL layer) over the first electrode and the insulating film, and forming a second electrode over the layer containing an organic compound (EL layer).

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a display device having a thin film transistor and a light emitting element, comprising the steps of:

forming a first interlayer insulating film including a photosensitive organic material over the thin film transistor;

selectively etching the first interlayer insulating film such that an upper edge portion of the first interlayer insulating film has a curved surface;

forming a second interlayer insulating film covering the first interlayer insulating film and including at least one selected from the group consisting of a silicon nitride, a silicon oxynitride, and an aluminum oxynitride;

forming a contact hole in the first interlayer insulating film and the second interlayer insulating film;

forming a first electrode electrically connected to at least one of a source region and a drain region of the thin film transistor through the contact hole;

forming an insulating film to cover an edge portion of the first electrode, wherein an upper edge portion of the insulating film has a curved surface;

performing a plasma treatment on the first electrode and the insulating film in an atmosphere containing argon and oxygen;

forming a layer containing an organic compound over the first electrode and the insulating film; and

forming a second electrode over the layer containing the organic compound.

2. The method for manufacturing the display device according to claim 1, wherein a flow rate ratio of argon gas and oxygen gas is from 1:

9 to 9;

1 in the atmosphere containing argon and oxygen.

3. The method for manufacturing the display device according to claim 1, wherein the step of performing the plasma treatment in the atmosphere containing argon and oxygen, the step of forming the layer containing the organic compound, and the step of forming the second electrode are performed sequentially and continuously.

4. The method for manufacturing the display device according to claim 1, wherein the first electrode is an anode and the second electrode is a cathode.

5. The method for manufacturing the display device according to claim 1, wherein the first electrode is made of ITO.

6. The method for manufacturing the display device according to claim 1, wherein the second electrode is formed by a resistance heating method or a sputtering method.

7. The method for manufacturing the display device according to claim 1, wherein the insulating film is made of polyimide, acryl, polyamide, polyimide-amide, resist or benzocyclobutene.

8. The method for manufacturing the display device according to claim 1, wherein the curved surface of the insulating film has a curvature radius of 0.2 to 3 μ

m.

9. The method for manufacturing the display device according to claim 1, further comprising a step of forming an inorganic insulating film to cover the thin film transistor, wherein an upper surface of the inorganic insulating film is in contact with the first interlayer insulating film and the second interlayer insulating film.

10. A method for manufacturing a display device having a thin film transistor and a light emitting element, comprising the steps of:

forming a first interlayer insulating film including a photosensitive organic material over the thin film transistor;

selectively etching the first interlayer insulating film such that an upper edge portion of the first interlayer insulating film has a curved surface;

forming a second interlayer insulating film covering the first interlayer insulating film and including at least one selected from the group consisting of a silicon nitride, a silicon oxynitride, and an aluminum oxynitride;

forming a contact hole in the first interlayer insulating film and the second interlayer insulating film;

forming a first electrode electrically connected to at least one of a source region and a drain region of the thin film transistor through the contact hole;

forming an insulating film to cover an edge portion of the first electrode, wherein an upper edge portion of the insulating film has a curved surface;

cleaning the first electrode and the insulating film;

performing a plasma treatment on the first electrode and the insulating film in an atmosphere containing argon and oxygen;

forming a layer containing an organic compound over the first electrode and the insulating film; and

forming a second electrode over the layer containing the organic compound.

11. The method for manufacturing the display device according to claim 10, wherein a flow rate ratio of argon gas and oxygen gas is from 1:

9 to 9;

1 in the atmosphere containing argon and oxygen.

12. The method for manufacturing the display device according to claim 10, wherein the step of performing the plasma treatment in the atmosphere containing argon and oxygen, the step of forming the layer containing the organic compound, and the step of forming the second electrode are performed sequentially and continuously.

13. The method for manufacturing the display device according to claim 10, wherein the first electrode is an anode and the second electrode is a cathode.

14. The method for manufacturing the display device according to claim 10, wherein the first electrode is made of ITO.

15. The method for manufacturing the display device according to claim 10, wherein the second electrode is formed by a resistance heating method or a sputtering method.

16. The method for manufacturing the display device according to claim 10, wherein the insulating film is made of polyimide, acryl, polyamide, polyimide-amide, resist or benzocyclobutene.

17. The method for manufacturing the display device according to claim 10, wherein the curved surface of the insulating film has a curvature radius of 0.2 to 3 μ

m.

18. The method for manufacturing the display device according to claim 10, further comprising a step of forming an inorganic insulating film to cover the thin film transistor, wherein an upper surface of the inorganic insulating film is in contact with the first interlayer insulating film and the second interlayer insulating film.

19. A method for manufacturing a display device having a thin film transistor and a light emitting element, comprising the steps of:

forming a first interlayer insulating film including a photosensitive organic material over the thin film transistor;

selectively etching the first interlayer insulating film such that an upper edge portion of the first interlayer insulating film has a curved surface;

forming a second interlayer insulating film covering the first interlayer insulating film and including at least one selected from the group consisting of a silicon nitride, a silicon oxynitride, and an aluminum oxynitride;

forming a contact hole in the first interlayer insulating film and the second interlayer insulating film;

forming a first electrode electrically connected to at least one of a source region and a drain region of the thin film transistor through the contact hole;

forming an insulating film to cover an edge portion of the first electrode, wherein an upper edge portion of the insulating film has a curved surface;

performing vacuum heating to the first electrode and the insulating film;

performing a plasma treatment on the first electrode and the insulating film in an atmosphere containing argon and oxygen;

forming a layer containing an organic compound over the first electrode and the insulating film; and

forming a second electrode over the layer containing the organic compound.

20. The method for manufacturing the display device according to claim 19, wherein a flow rate ratio of argon gas and oxygen gas is from 1:

9 to 9;

1 in the atmosphere containing argon and oxygen.

21. The method for manufacturing the display device according to claim 19, wherein the step of performing the plasma treatment in the atmosphere containing argon and oxygen, the step of forming the layer containing the organic compound, and the step of forming the second electrode are performed sequentially and continuously.

22. The method for manufacturing the display device according to claim 19, wherein a temperature of the vacuum heating is from 100°

C. to 25°

C.

23. The method for manufacturing the display device according to claim 19, wherein a degree of vacuum of the vacuum heating is 1×

10<sup>−

4</sup> Pa or less.

24. The method for manufacturing the display device according to claim 19, wherein the first electrode is an anode and the second electrode is a cathode.

25. The method for manufacturing the display device according to claim 19, wherein the first electrode is made of ITO.

26. The method for manufacturing the display device according to claim 19, wherein the second electrode is formed by a resistance heating method or a sputtering method.

27. The method for manufacturing the display device according to claim 19, wherein the insulating film is made of polyimide, acryl, polyamide, polyimide-amide, resist or benzocyclobutene.

28. The method for manufacturing the display device according to claim 19, wherein the curved surface of the insulating film has a curvature radius of 0.2 to 3 μ

m.

29. The method for manufacturing the display device according to claim 19, further comprising a step of forming an inorganic insulating film to cover the thin film transistor, wherein an upper surface of the inorganic insulating film is in contact with the first interlayer insulating film and the second interlayer insulating film.