Organic electronic circuit

• US 8,450,731 B2
• Filed: 02/16/2010
• Issued: 05/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: PolyIC GmbH & Co. KG (Leonhard KURZ Stiftung & Company KG)
• Original Assignee: PolyIC GmbH & Co. KG (Leonhard KURZ Stiftung & Company KG)
• Inventors: Ullmann, Andreas, Knobloch, Alexander, Krumm, Jurgen
• Primary Examiner(s): CHU, CHRIS C
• Application Number:
  US13/201,263
• Publication Number:
  US 20120112353A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,197 Days
• Field of Search: 257/E23.079, 257/E21.461, 257/40, 257/508, 257/531, 257/659, 257/678, 257/691, 257/758, 257/773, 438/82, 438/99, 438/478
• US Class Current: 257/40
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 10/464 Lateral top-gate IGFETs comprising only a single gate
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 19/10 comprising field-effect transistors
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/60 Forming conductive regions or layers, e.g. electrodes

Abstract

A multi-layer film body comprises a plastic substrate strip conveyed in a first direction in a roll-to-roll process for printing electronic organic components on the substrate. A first electrically conducting layer is on the substrate, a semiconductor layer is on the first layer, an insulator layer is on the semiconductor layer and a second electrically conducting layer is on the insulator layer, the layers comprising a first interconnection assembly portion and a second electronic assembly portion successively positioned in the first direction, each portion comprising a central zone and a respective conductor tract input zone and conductor tract output zone bordering the respective central zones, the input, central and output zones of each portion each comprising parallel conductor tracts in the first conducting layer. Electrical connectors in the second conducting layer interconnect selected ones of the conductor tracts in the two portions. Regions of the semiconductor and insulating layers in the second portion are juxtaposed with electrodes formed from the first and second conducting layers in the central zone, forming organic electronic components comprising one or more of transistors, diodes, resistors and capacitors. The conductive tracts of the input zone of the first portion and the conductive tracts of the output zone of the second portion form the component inputs and outputs.

Claims

1. An organic electronic circuit comprising:

a multi-layer film body which has a substrate layer, a first electrically conducting functional layer, an electrically semiconducting functional layer, an insulating layer and a second electrically conducting functional layer;

wherein the organic electronic circuit has two or more portions;

wherein at least one first portion of the two or more portions is in the form of an interconnection assembly, and shaped in said at least one first portion in the first electrically conducting functional layer are a plurality of structures which are repeated in a first direction and which are respectively covered by the insulating layer in a central first zone having opposing sides and which are respectively not covered by the insulating layer in second zones, a second zone being at a respective one of the opposing sides of the central first zone,

wherein at least one second portion of the two or more portions is in the form of an electronic assembly, and shaped in said at least one second portion in the first electrically conducting functional layer are a plurality of structures which are repeated in the first direction and which are respectively covered in a central first zone by the electrically semiconducting functional layer and/or the insulating layer and which are not covered by the insulating layer in at least one second zone arranged adjacent to an adjacent at least one first portion;

wherein the second electrically conducting functional layer has at least one first region in which the second electrically conducting functional layer partially covers over at least one of the structures of the first electrically conducting functional layer in the at least one first portion in the form of the interconnection assembly and at least one of the structures of the first electrically conducting functional layer in the at least one second portion in the form of the electronic assembly, forming one or more electrically conducting connections, and the second electrically conducting functional layer has at least one second region in which the second electrically conducting functional layer partially covers the at least one second portion, forming an electrical component.

2. The organic electronic circuit as set forth in claim 1 wherein the electrically semiconducting functional layer and/or the insulating layer are arranged between the first electrically conducting functional layer and the second electrically conducting functional layer.

3. The organic electronic circuit as set forth in claim 1 wherein the plurality of structures which are repeated in the first direction are shaped in the form of a plurality of mutually parallel conductor tracks in the first electrically conducting functional layer.

4. The organic electronic circuit as set forth claim 3 in wherein the plurality of mutually parallel conductor tracks of the first electrically conducting functional layer are so shaped that the conductor tracks of the at least one first and second portions are neither formed in mutually interengaging toothed comb-shaped relationship nor galvanically conductingly interconnected and/or the electrically conductive material of the first electrically conducting functional layer is not provided in an area between the at least one first and second portions.

5. The organic electronic circuit as set forth in claim 3 wherein the first and second portions each comprise a plurality of zones, shaped in the second electrically conducting functional layer in the at least one first portion of the interconnection assembly is at least one conducting connection in the form of an interconnection connection which in a central first zone is juxtaposed with at least two conductor tracks of the first electrically conducting functional layer and is insulated by the insulating layer with respect to the first electrically conducting functional layer and in one or in both of a second zone of the plurality of zones covers over at least two conductor tracks of the first electrically conducting functional layer and contacts same.

6. The organic electronic circuit as set forth in claim 5 wherein shaped in the second electrically conducting functional layer in the at least one first portion the interconnection assembly are two or more conducting connections in the form of interconnection connections which cover over and contact different conductor tracks of the first conductive layer.

7. The organic electronic circuit as set forth in claim 6 wherein at least one of the interconnection connections in the central first zone is juxtaposed with a conductor track of the first conductive layer, which is contacted by one of the other interconnection connections in one of the second zones.

8. The organic electronic circuit as set forth in claim 3 wherein the conductor tracks of the plurality of mutually parallel conductor tracks of the first electrically conducting functional layer are spaced from each other at a spacing of between 0.1 μ

m and 50 μ

m in each of the at least one first and second portions.

9. The organic electronic circuit as set forth in claim 3 wherein the conductor tracks of the plurality of mutually parallel conductor tracks of the first electrically conducting functional layer in the at least one second portion are at least portion-wise arranged in mutually interengaging one of toothed comb-shaped relationship or shaped in a meander shape.

10. The organic electronic circuit as set forth in claim 3 wherein the conductor tracks of the plurality of mutually parallel conductor tracks of the first electrically conducting functional layer in the at least one second portion are electrically connected by a connection extending transversely to an extent direction of the plurality of mutually parallel conductor tracks, the extent direction being transverse to the first direction.

11. The organic electronic circuit as set forth in claim 1 wherein the two or more portions of the organic electronic circuit are arranged in a row in mutually juxtaposed relationship along an extent direction.

12. The organic electronic circuit as set forth in claim 11 wherein each of the first and second portions include first and second zones, one or two of the second zones in each of the portions of the two or more portions of the organic electronic circuit are strip-shaped and the longitudinal direction thereof is oriented transversely, to the extent direction.

13. The organic electronic circuit as set forth in claim 12 wherein the first and second portions are adjacent, each having an edge, the one or two strip-shaped second zones are arranged at the edge of and adjacent to the respective adjacent portion of their respective portion.

14. The organic electronic circuit as set forth in claim 1 wherein the substrate layer is of a strip-shaped configuration.

15. The organic electronic circuit as set forth in claim 1 wherein three or more zones of the at least one first and second portions form a succession in which the first portion interconnection assembly is adjacent to the second portion forming the electronic assembly.

16. The organic electronic circuit as set forth in claim 1 wherein the first portion comprises a plurality of zones and two or more of the zones form a succession in which the first and the last zone of the succession form at least part of the interconnection assembly.

17. The organic electronic circuit as set forth in claim 1 wherein the second portion comprises a plurality of zones and two or more zones form a succession in which two zones of the succession form part of the second portion of the electronic assembly.

18. The organic electronic circuit as set forth in claim 3 wherein the first and second portions each comprise a plurality of zones, the electrically conducting connections in the second electrically conducting functional layer cover over and contact conductor tracks of portions adjacent in a respective zone, the conductor tracks being provided in the first electrically conducting functional layer.

19. The organic electronic circuit as set forth in claim 1 wherein the electronic assembly has two or more components selected from the group of organic diode, organic field effect transistor, resistor and capacitor, wherein the two or more components are produced by the formation of the second electrically conducting functional layer and are connected together.

20. The organic electronic circuit as set forth in claim 1 wherein the substrate layer includes a plastic film and the substrate layer is of a thickness of between 10 μ

m and 250 μ

m.

21. The organic electronic circuit as set forth in claim 1 wherein the first electrically conducting functional layer is a metallic layer which has one or more metals selected from the group of gold, copper, aluminum and silver.

22. The organic electronic circuit as set forth in claim 1 wherein the plurality of mutually parallel conductor tracks of the first electrically conducting functional layer in the at least one first and/or second portion extend in a longitudinal direction in an extent direction transverse to the first direction.

23. A process for the production of at least one organic electronic circuit in the form of a multi-layer film body, preferably as set forth in claim 1,

wherein the process has the following process steps:

producing an intermediate product by forming on a substrate layer the first electrically conducting functional layer and further forming on the first electrically conducting functional layer the electrically semiconducting functional layer and the insulating layer such that the interconnection assembly is produced in the at least one first portion and in that shaped in said at least one first portion in the first electrically conducting functional layer are a plurality of structures which are repeated in the first direction and which are respectively covered by the insulating layer in a central first zone and which are respectively not covered by the insulating layer in second zones respectively arranged on the opposing sides of the central first zone;

producing an electronic assembly portion in at least one second portion and, in that shaped in said at least one second portion in the first electrically conducting functional layer are a plurality of structures which are repeated in the first direction and which are respectively covered in a central first zone by the electrically semiconducting functional layer and/or the insulating layer and which are not covered by the insulating layer in at least one second zone arranged adjacent to a central first zone; and

individualizing the at least one organic electronic circuit by producing a second electrically conducting functional layer on the intermediate product such that the second electrically conducting functional layer has at least one first region in which the second electrically conducting functional layer partially covers over at least one of the structures of the first electrically conducting functional layer in the at least one first portion and at least one of the structures of the first electrically conducting functional layer in the at least one second portion, producing one or more electrically conducting connections, and the second electrically conducting functional layer has at least one second region in which the second electrically conducting functional layer partially covers over the at least one second portion, producing an electrical component, comprising one of an organic diode or an organic field effect transistor.

24. The process for the production of at least one organic electronic circuit as set forth in claim 23 wherein the first electrically conducting functional layer is shaped in structured form by one of printing process or a high-resolution structuring method.

25. The process for the production of an organic electronic circuit as set forth in claim 23 wherein the electrically conducting functional layer and the insulating layer are produced by printing.

26. The process for the production of an organic electronic circuit as set forth in claim 23 wherein a film web is used as a carrier layer and the one or more first and second portions are produced in succession in an extent direction oriented transversely relative to the longitudinal direction of the film web.

27. The process for the production of an organic electronic circuit as set forth in claim 26 wherein the one or more of the first and second portions extend over the entire length of the film web.

28. The process for the production of at least one organic electronic circuit as set forth in claim 23 wherein the intermediate product is produced in a roll-to-roll process.

29. The process for the production of at least one organic electronic circuit as set forth in claim 23 wherein the intermediate product is individualized to produce a plurality of in particular different organic electronic circuits by forming the second electrically conducting functional layer and the electronic circuits and then individually separating the intermediate products.

30. The process for the production of least one organic electronic circuit in the form of a multi-layer film body as set forth in claim 23 wherein the second electrically conducting layer is structured by a digital structuring process comprising digital printing.

31. The organic electronic circuit as set forth in claim 1 wherein the second electrically conducting functional layer partially covers the at least one second portion forming an electrical component comprising at least one of an organic diode or organic field effect transistor.