Method for manufacturing active-matrix display panel, and active-matrix display panel

• US 9,799,687 B2
• Filed: 06/10/2015
• Issued: 10/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: JDI Design and Development GK
• Original Assignee: JOLED Inc.
• Inventors: Abe, Yuuki
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, MINH LOAN
• Application Number:
  US15/320,315
• Publication Number:
  US 20170162607A1
• Time in Patent Office: 867 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/136227 Through-hole connection of the pixel electrode to the active element through an insulation layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1368 in which the switching element is a three-electrode device G02F1/136277 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02052 Wet cleaning only H01L21/02085 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02063 the processing being the formation of vias or contact holes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/31116 by dry-etching
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/31138 by dry-etching
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/768 Applying interconnections to be used for carrying current between separate components within a device comprising conductors and dielectrics
• 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 27/1259 Multistep manufacturing methods
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/78693 the semiconducting oxide being amorphous
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/20 Controlling the colour of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/60 Circuit arrangements for operating LEDs comprising organic material, e.g. for operating organic light-emitting diodes [OLED] or polymer light-emitting diodes [PLED]
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/00 Organic light-emitting devices integrated devices or assemblies of multiple devices H10K59/00, H10K65/00; organic semiconductor lasers H01S5/36
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/10 OLEDs or polymer light-emitting diodes [PLED]
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/14 Carrier transporting layers
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/12 Active-matrix OLED [AMOLED] displays
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/1201 Manufacture or treatment
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/122 Pixel-defining structures or layers, e.g. banks
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/123 Connection of the pixel electrodes to the thin film transistors [TFT]
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/124 : Insulating layers formed between TFT elements and OLED elements
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/127 : comprising two substrates, e.g. display comprising OLED array and TFT driving circuitry on different substrates

Abstract

Manufacturing method including forming, over substrate, TFT layer, planarization layer, and display element in this order. Forming of TFT layer involves forming passivation layer to cover TFT layer electrode, such as upper electrode, and to come in contact with planarizing layer. Forming of display element involves forming bottom electrode to come in contact with planarizing layer. TFT layer electrode and bottom electrode are connected by: first forming, in planarizing layer, first contact hole exposing passivation layer at bottom thereof; then forming second contact hole exposing TFT layer electrode at bottom thereof through dry-etching passivation layer exposed at bottom of first contact hole using fluorine-containing gas; then forming liquid repellent film containing fluorine on passivation layer inner surface facing second contact hole; and forming bottom electrode along planarizing layer inner surface and passivation layer inner surface respectively facing first contact hole and second contact hole.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing an active-matrix display panel, comprising:

forming a thin film transistor (TFT) layer on a substrate;

forming a planarizing layer on the TFT layer; and

forming a display element unit on the planarizing layer, wherein

the forming of the TFT layer includes forming a passivation layer that covers one electrode and that comes into contact with the planarizing layer after forming of the planarizing layer, the one electrode being one of;

(i) a source electrode;

(ii) a drain electrode; and

(iii) a connection electrode connected to the source electrode or the drain electrode,

the forming of the display element unit includes forming a lower electrode that is in contact with the planarizing layer and connects to the one electrode,

connecting the one electrode and the lower electrode involves;

forming, in the planarizing layer, a contact hole that exposes a surface of the passivation layer at the bottom thereof;

forming, in the passivation layer, a contact hole that connects to the contact hole in the planarizing layer and exposes the one electrode at the bottom thereof, through dry-etching the passivation layer exposed at the bottom of the contact hole in the planarizing layer by using a gas containing fluorine;

after forming the contact hole in the passivation layer, forming a liquid-repellent film containing fluorine on an inner wall surface of the passivation layer facing the contact hole in the passivation layer; and

forming the lower electrode along an inner wall surface of the planarizing layer facing the contact hole in the planarizing layer and the inner wall surface of the passivation layer facing the contact hole in the passivation layer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein

the liquid-repellent film is formed by continuing to expose the inner wall surface of the passivation layer to the gas after the contact hole in the passivation layer has been formed.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein

70%×

T₀≦

T₁≦

150%×

T₀

is satisfied, where T₀ denotes an amount of time from the start of the forming of the contact hole in the passivation layer to the completion of the forming of the contact hole in the passivation layer, and

T₁ denotes an amount of time for which the inner wall surface of the passivation layer facing the contact hole in the passivation layer is exposed to the gas in order to form the liquid-repellent film.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein

the forming of the liquid-repellent film produces an electrode coating film containing fluorine on the surface of the one electrode exposed at the bottom of the contact hole in the passivation layer, and

an amount of time T₁ for which the inner wall surface of the passivation layer facing the contact hole in the passivation layer is exposed to the gas in order to form the liquid-repellent film is set such that a thickness of the electrode coating film does not exceed 3 nm.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein

after the forming of the liquid-repellent film and before the forming of the lower electrode,

surfaces of the planarizing layer and the passivation layer including regions thereof inside the contact holes are washed by using a washing liquid containing water,

air or a gas is blown onto the surfaces of the planarizing layer and the passivation layer after the washing to remove any washing liquid remaining on the surfaces of the planarizing layer and the passivation layer.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein

the one electrode is made of copper or a copper alloy.

7. An active-matrix display panel comprising a TFT layer, a planarizing layer, and a display element unit that are formed on a substrate in this order, wherein

the TFT layer includes:

an electrode that is one of;

(i) a source electrode;

(ii) a drain electrode; and

(iii) a connection electrode connected to the source electrode or the drain electrode; and

a passivation layer that covers the electrode and is in contact with the planarizing layer,

the display element unit includes a lower electrode that is in contact with the planarizing layer,

the lower electrode has a portion along inner wall surfaces of the planarizing layer and the passivation layer that face a contact hole so that the lower electrode electrically connects to the electrode at the bottom of the contact hole, the contact hole continuously penetrating the passivation layer and the planarizing layer,

a film containing fluorine is disposed between the lower electrode and the inner wall surfaces, and

an electrode coating film containing fluorine is disposed between the lower electrode and the electrode at the bottom of the contact hole.

8. The active-matrix display panel of claim 7, wherein

a thickness of the electrode coating film is 3 nm or less.