Display device including pixel electrode including oxide

• US 9,704,894 B2
• Filed: 05/05/2014
• Issued: 07/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Yamazaki, Shunpei, Miyake, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Lauren
• Application Number:
  US14/269,827
• Publication Number:
  US 20140333864A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,163 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133345 Insulating layers G02F1/1335, G02F1/1337, G02F1/135, G02F1/136 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13439 characterised by their electrical, optical, physical properties; materials therefor; method of making
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/136213 Storage capacitors associated with the pixel electrode
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1368 in which the switching element is a three-electrode device G02F1/136277 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2201/123 pixel
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2202/10 semiconductor
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1225 with semiconductor materials not belonging to the group IV of the periodic table, e.g. InGaZnO
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1248 with a particular composition or shape of the interlayer dielectric specially adapted to the circuit arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1255 integrated with passive devices, e.g. auxiliary capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/7869 having a semiconductor body comprising an oxide semiconductor material, e.g. zinc oxide, copper aluminium oxide, cadmium stannate
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/1213 the pixel elements being TFTs
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/1216 the pixel elements being capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/123 Connection of the pixel electrodes to the thin film transistors [TFT]

Abstract

To provide a display device including a transistor that includes an oxide semiconductor and has favorable characteristics, a pixel electrode electrically connected to the transistor, and a capacitor electrically connected to the pixel electrode. To provide a display device that can be manufactured at low cost. The display device includes a display element including a pixel electrode, a transistor that performs switching of the display element and includes a first oxide semiconductor layer serving as a channel formation region, a capacitor that is electrically connected to the display element and includes a dielectric layer between a pair of electrodes. The pixel electrode is a second oxide semiconductor layer formed on the same surface as that on which the first oxide semiconductor layer is formed, and also serves as one electrode of the capacitor.

Claims

1. A display device comprising:

a first substrate;

a transistor comprising a gate electrode over the first substrate, an insulating layer over the gate electrode, an oxide semiconductor layer over the insulating layer, and a source electrode and a drain electrode over and in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer;

a pixel electrode comprising an oxide over the insulating layer;

a capacitor comprising a first electrode, a second electrode over the first electrode, and the insulating layer between the first electrode and the second electrode;

an oxide insulating layer over and in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer, and the source electrode and the drain electrode, the oxide insulating layer having a first opening which overlaps with the pixel electrode and the first electrode; and

a nitride insulating layer covering the oxide insulating layer, the nitride insulating layer being in contact with part of the pixel electrode,

wherein the oxide semiconductor layer includes a channel formation region,

wherein one of the source electrode and the drain electrode is over and in contact with the pixel electrode,

wherein the gate electrode and the first electrode are on the same surface and made of the same material,

wherein a portion of the pixel electrode serves as the second electrode of the capacitor,

wherein the oxide semiconductor layer and the pixel electrode contain indium, zinc, and a metal element, and

wherein the nitride insulating layer has a second opening which overlaps with the pixel electrode and the first electrode.

2. The display device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a second substrate facing the first substrate;

a color filter on the second substrate; and

a liquid crystal layer between the first substrate and the second substrate.

3. The display device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a partition covering the transistor, the oxide insulating layer, the nitride insulating layer, and an outer portion of the pixel electrode;

a light-emitting layer over and in contact with the pixel electrode and the partition; and

an electrode over the light-emitting layer.

4. The display device according to claim 1,

wherein the metal element is any one of Al, Ti, Ga, Y, Zr, La, Ce, Nd, and Hf.

5. The display device according to claim 1,

wherein the oxide semiconductor layer includes crystals with c-axis alignment.

6. The display device according to claim 1,

wherein a hydrogen concentration of the pixel electrode is higher than a hydrogen concentration of the oxide semiconductor layer.

7. An electronic device comprising:

the display device according to claim 1.

17. The display device according to claim 1, wherein a first portion of the insulating layer serves as a gate insulating layer and a second portion of the insulating layer serves as a dielectric layer of the capacitor.

19. The display device according to claim 1, wherein an amount of oxygen vacancies of the oxide semiconductor layer is lower than that of the pixel electrode.

8. A display device comprising:

a first substrate;

a pixel electrode over an insulating layer;

a transistor comprising a gate electrode over the first substrate, the insulating layer over the gate electrode, and an oxide semiconductor layer electrically connected to the pixel electrode;

a capacitor including a first electrode, a second electrode over the first electrode, and the insulating layer between the first electrode and the second electrode; and

a nitride insulating layer covering the transistor, the nitride insulating layer being in contact with part of the pixel electrode,

wherein the oxide semiconductor layer includes a channel formation region,

wherein the oxide semiconductor layer has a layered structure of a first oxide semiconductor layer and a second oxide semiconductor layer on the first oxide semiconductor layer,

wherein the pixel electrode has a layered structure of a first oxide layer and a second oxide layer on the first oxide layer,

wherein a portion of the pixel electrode serves as the second electrode of the capacitor,

wherein the gate electrode and the first electrode are on the same surface and made of the same material,

wherein the first oxide semiconductor layer and the first oxide layer contain indium, zinc, and a metal element,

wherein the second oxide semiconductor layer and the second oxide layer contain indium, and

wherein the nitride insulating layer has a first opening which overlaps with the pixel electrode, the insulating layer, and the first electrode.

9. The display device according to claim 8, further comprising:

a second substrate facing the first substrate;

a color filter on the second substrate; and

a liquid crystal layer between the first substrate and the second substrate.

10. The display device according to claim 8, further comprising:

a partition covering the transistor and an outer portion of the pixel electrode;

a light-emitting layer over and in contact with the pixel electrode and the partition; and

an electrode over the light-emitting layer.

11. The display device according to claim 8,

wherein the metal element is any one of Al, Ti, Ga, Y, Zr, La, Ce, Nd, and Hf.

12. The display device according to claim 11,

wherein the second oxide semiconductor layer and the second oxide layer further contain zinc and the metal element, and

wherein an atomic ratio of the metal element in each of the first oxide semiconductor layer and the first oxide layer is larger than an atomic ratio of the metal element in each of the second oxide semiconductor layer and the second oxide layer.

13. The display device according to claim 11, further comprising an oxide insulating layer over and in contact with the second oxide semiconductor layer and a nitride insulating layer over the oxide insulating layer,

wherein the oxide insulating layer has a second opening overlapping with the pixel electrode and the first electrode.

14. The display device according to claim 11,

wherein the oxide semiconductor layer comprises crystals with c-axis alignment.

15. The display device according to claim 11,

wherein a hydrogen concentration of the pixel electrode is higher than a hydrogen concentration of the oxide semiconductor layer.

16. An electronic device comprising:

the display device according to claim 11.

18. The display device according to claim 8, wherein a first portion of the insulating layer serves as a gate insulating layer and a second portion of the insulating layer serves as a dielectric layer of the capacitor.

20. The display device according to claim 8, wherein an amount of oxygen vacancies of the oxide semiconductor layer is lower than that of the pixel electrode.