Thin film transistor, electro-optical device, and electronic apparatus

• US 7,781,760 B2
• Filed: 09/18/2007
• Issued: 08/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: E Ink Corporation (E Ink Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Nakamura, Kiyoshi, Nakamura, Kazuya, Hokari, Hirofumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Gurley; Lynne A
• Assistant Examiner(s): YUSHINA, GALINA G
• Application Number:
  US11/901,676
• Publication Number:
  US 20080169462A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,071 Days
• Field of Search: 257/E29.111, 257/E29.112, 257/E29.116, 257/E29.118, 257/40, 257/72, 257/213, 257/365, 257/75, 257/E29.122, 257/E29.143, 257/E29.151, 257/E21.011, 257/E21.036, 257/E21.024, 564/435
• US Class Current: 257/40
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1368 in which the switching element is a three-electrode device G02F1/136277 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/167 by electrophoresis
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 19/10 comprising field-effect transistors

Abstract

A thin film transistor includes a source electrode and a drain electrode which are disposed to face each other, an organic semiconductor layer provided at least between the source electrode and the drain electrode, a plurality of gate lines extending over the source electrode, the organic semiconductor layer, and the drain electrode, and a gate insulating layer interposed between the source electrode, the drain electrode, and the organic semiconductor layer and the plurality of gate lines.

Claims

1. A thin film transistor comprising:

a source electrode and a drain electrode which are disposed to face each other;

an organic semiconductor layer provided at least between the source electrode and the drain electrode;

a plurality of gate lines extending over the source electrode, the organic semiconductor layer, and the drain electrode; and

a gate insulating layer interposed between the source electrode, the drain electrode, and the organic semiconductor layer and the plurality of gate lines,

wherein each one of the plurality of gate lines is electrically isolated from all other of the plurality of gate lines, and

wherein, in plan view, gap lengths between the source electrode and the drain electrode in portions where the plurality of gate lines overlap the source electrode and the drain electrode are different for each gate line of the plurality of gate lines.

2. The thin film transistor according to claim 1, wherein the source electrode comprises a plurality of source electrodes portions and the drain electrode comprises a plurality of drain electrodes portions, and wherein the plurality of source electrode portions and the plurality of drain electrode portions are disposed alternately along an extending direction of the plurality of gate lines, and wherein the plurality of gate lines intersect the plurality of the source electrodes portions and the plurality of drain electrodes portions.

3. The thin film transistor according to claim 1, wherein the source electrode and the drain electrode are formed in a comb-teeth-like shape.

4. The thin film transistor according to claim 1, wherein, in plan view, at least one of the source electrode and the drain electrode is formed in a taper-like or a step-like plane shape.

5. The thin film transistor according to claim 1, wherein widths of the plurality of gate lines are different for each gate line.

6. An electro-optical device having the thin film transistor according to claim 1.

7. An electronic apparatus having the electro-optical device according to claim 6.

8. The thin film transistor according to claim 1, further configured to receive a voltage to induce a conductive channel between the source electrode and the drain electrode, the voltage only being applied to one of the plurality of gate lines at a time.