Organic thin film transistor array panel

• US 7,838,872 B2
• Filed: 03/03/2006
• Issued: 11/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Hong, Mun-Pyo, Lee, Yong-Uk, Kim, Bo-Sung
• Primary Examiner(s): Bryant; Kiesha R
• Assistant Examiner(s): WRIGHT, TUCKER J
• Application Number:
  US11/368,249
• Publication Number:
  US 20060202199A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,726 Days
• Field of Search: 257/40, 257/72, 438/99, 313/500, 313/506, 349/44, 349/46, 349/47, 349/52
• US Class Current: 257/40
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 10/464 Lateral top-gate IGFETs comprising only a single gate
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 10/466 Lateral bottom-gate IGFETs comprising only a single gate
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 10/474 the gate dielectric comprising a multilayered structure
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 19/10 comprising field-effect transistors
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/125 including organic TFTs [OTFT]
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/60 Forming conductive regions or layers, e.g. electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/113 Heteroaromatic compounds comprising sulfur or selene, e.g. polythiophene
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/114 Poly-phenylenevinylene; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/615 Polycyclic condensed aromatic hydrocarbons, e.g. anthracene

Abstract

An organic thin film transistor array panel according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a substrate; a data line disposed on the substrate; an insulating layer disposed on the data line and having a contact hole exposing the data line; a first electrode disposed on the insulating layer and connected to the data line through the contact hole; a second electrode disposed on the insulating layer; an organic semiconductor disposed on the first and the second electrodes; a gate insulator disposed on the organic semiconductor; and a gate electrode disposed on the gate insulator.

Claims

1. An organic thin film transistor array panel comprising:

a substrate;

a data line disposed over the substrate;

an insulating layer disposed over the data line and having a contact hole extending to the data line;

a first electrode disposed over the insulating layer and connected to the data line through the contact hole;

a second electrode disposed over the insulating layer;

an electrically insulative material having an opening defined therein and disposed over the insulating layer, the first electrode and the second electrode, where the opening exposes the first and second electrodes;

an island-shaped semiconductor disposed inside and contained by the opening, the island-shaped semiconductor being disposed over the exposed first and the second electrodes and having an outer boundary of its island shape defined by said opening which contains it;

an island-shaped gate insulator disposed inside and contained by the opening, the island-shaped gate insulator being disposed over the island-shaped semiconductor and having an outer boundary of its island shape defined by said opening which contains it; and

a gate electrode disposed on the island-shaped gate insulator;

wherein at least one of the island-shaped semiconductor and the island-shaped gate insulator is composed of a respective organic material.

2. The organic thin film transistor array panel of claim 1, wherein the electrically insulative material which has the opening defined therein comprises an insulating organic material formed from a light sensitive and developed material.

3. The organic thin film transistor array panel of claim 1, wherein the island-shaped semiconductor comprises polythienylenevinylene, oligothiophene, poly 3-hexylthiophene, or soluble pentacene.

4. The organic thin film transistor array panel of claim 1, wherein both of the island-shaped semiconductor and the island-shaped gate insulator are composed of respective organic materials and wherein the island-shaped gate insulator comprises a hydrocarbon compound including fluorine, polyvinyl alcohol, or polyimide.

5. The organic thin film transistor array panel of claim 1, wherein the insulating layer comprises a silicon nitride film and an organic film.

6. The organic thin film transistor array panel of claim 1, further comprising a light blocking member disposed under the island-shaped semiconductor.

7. The organic thin film transistor array panel of claim 6, wherein the light blocking member is conductive.

8. The organic thin film transistor array panel of claim 7, wherein the light blocking member and the data line are formed in the same layer.

9. The organic thin film transistor array panel of claim 1, further comprising a passivation member disposed on the gate electrode.

10. The organic thin film transistor array panel of claim 1, wherein the gate electrode extends from a gate line, said panel further comprising:

a storage connection disposed on the substrate; and

a storage electrode line disposed on the same layer as the gate line and connected to the storage connection.

11. A thin film transistor comprising:

a substrate;

a conductor disposed over the substrate;

a first insulating layer disposed over the conductor and over the substrate, wherein a contact hole extends through the first insulating layer and exposes a portion of the conductor;

a first electrode disposed over the first insulating layer and electrically connected through the contact hole to the portion of the conductor exposed by the contact hole;

a second electrode disposed over the first insulating layer;

a second insulating layer having an opening defined therein, the second insulating layer being disposed over the first insulating layer, the first electrode and the second electrode, where the opening exposes the first and second electrodes;

a semiconductor island disposed inside and contained by the opening, where the semiconductor island extends between the first electrode and the second electrode and contacts both of the opening exposed first and second electrodes;

a gate insulator disposed inside and contained by the opening, the gate insulator being aligned by the opening so as to be and disposed over the semiconductor island; and

a gate electrode disposed over the gate insulator.

12. The thin film transistor of claim 11, wherein the first electrode is a source electrode and the second electrode is a drain electrode.

13. The thin film transistor of claim 11, wherein the second insulating layer comprises an organic material.

14. The thin film transistor of claim 11, wherein the first electrode and the second electrode have edges that are separated from each other by a substantially uniform distance.

15. The thin film transistor of claim 14, wherein the edges are curvilinear in shape.

16. The thin film transistor of claim 15, wherein the edges are serpentine in shape.

17. An organic thin film transistor array panel comprising multiple transistors, wherein each of the transistors is a thin film transistor in accordance with claim 11, and wherein the conductor of each thin film transistor is a data line.