Light-emitting device and manufacturing method thereof

• US 10,374,184 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2016
• Issued: 08/06/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Eguchi, Shingo, Oikawa, Yoshiaki, Okazaki, Kenichi, Maruyama, Hotaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Jay C
• Application Number:
  US15/332,195
• Publication Number:
  US 20170040400A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,016 Days
• Field of Search: 257 43, 257 98, 257E271, 257E27113
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/12 the substrate being other than a semiconductor body, e.g. an insulating body
• 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 27/124 with a particular composition, shape or layout of the wiring layers specially adapted to the circuit arrangement, e.g. scanning lines in LCD pixel circuits wiring structures per se H01L23/52
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/78678 with inverted-type structure, e.g. with bottom gate
• 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 50/11 characterised by the electroluminescent [EL] layers
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/1213 the pixel elements being TFTs
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/126 Shielding, e.g. light-blocking means over the TFTs
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/131 Interconnections, e.g. wiring lines or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 77/111 Flexible substrates
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/549 Organic PV cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

An object of the invention is to improve the reliability of a light-emitting device. Another object of the invention is to provide flexibility to a light-emitting device having a thin film transistor using an oxide semiconductor film. A light-emitting device has, over one flexible substrate, a driving circuit portion including a thin film transistor for a driving circuit and a pixel portion including a thin film transistor for a pixel. The thin film transistor for a driving circuit and the thin film transistor for a pixel are inverted staggered thin film transistors including an oxide semiconductor layer which is in contact with a part of an oxide insulating layer.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising a display panel having a display region, and a housing incorporating the display panel,

wherein the display panel comprises a display element and a transistor electrically connected to the display element,

wherein the transistor is formed over a first insulating layer,

wherein the display panel includes a region where the display panel is bent,

wherein the display region overlaps with the region where the display panel is bent,

wherein the display panel comprises:

a flexible substrate;

a driving circuit portion over the flexible substrate, comprising;

the transistor comprising;

a gate over the flexible substrate;

a second insulating layer over the gate;

a semiconductor layer over the second insulating layer;

a source over the semiconductor layer;

a drain over the semiconductor layer;

a third insulating layer over the semiconductor layer, the source, and the drain, a part of the third insulating layer being in contact with a part of the semiconductor layer between the source and the drain; and

a conductive layer over the third insulating layer, the conductive layer overlapping with the gate and a channel region of the transistor, wherein the channel region is between the source and the drain; and

a terminal portion comprising;

a first electrode layer over the flexible substrate;

the second insulating layer over the first electrode layer, the second insulating layer including a first contact hole;

a second electrode layer over and in contact with the first electrode layer through the first contact hole;

the third insulating layer over the second electrode layer, the third insulating layer including a second contact hole; and

a third electrode layer over and in contact with the second electrode layer through the second contact hole,

wherein the first electrode layer is formed from a same layer as the gate,

wherein the second electrode layer is formed from a same layer as the source and the drain, and

wherein the third electrode layer is formed from a same layer as the conductive layer.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the transistor comprises a channel formation region which comprises an oxide semiconductor material.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the transistor comprises a channel formation region which comprises polycrystalline silicon.

4. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the electronic device is a mobile phone.

5. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the flexible substrate is a plastic substrate having a light-transmitting property.

6. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the flexible substrate comprises a polyester resin, a polyacrylonitrile resin, a polyimide resin, a polymethyl methacrylate resin, a polycarbonate (PC) resin, a polyethersulfone (PES) resin, a polyamide resin, a cycloolefin resin, a polystyrene resin, a polyamide imide resin, or a polyvinylchloride resin.

7. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the first insulating layer comprises at least one layer selected from the group consisting of a silicon oxide layer, a silicon nitride layer, a silicon oxide layer containing nitrogen, and a silicon nitride layer containing oxygen.

8. An electronic device comprising:

a housing;

a display panel comprising a transistor, wherein the display panel comprises a display region, the display region comprising a first region and a second region, the first region disposed at a front of the housing, and the second region disposed between the first region and an edge of the display panel,

wherein the transistor is formed over a first insulating layer;

wherein the display panel is bent at least in a region between the first region and the second region,

wherein the display region overlaps with the region where the display panel is bent,

wherein the display panel comprises;

a flexible substrate;

a driving circuit portion over the flexible substrate, comprising;

the transistor comprising;

a gate over the flexible substrate;

a second insulating layer over the gate;

a semiconductor layer over the second insulating layer;

a source over the semiconductor layer;

a drain over the semiconductor layer;

a third insulating layer over the semiconductor layer, the source, and the drain, a part of the third insulating layer being in contact with a part of the semiconductor layer between the source and the drain; and

a conductive layer over the third insulating layer, the conductive layer overlapping with the gate and a channel region of the transistor, wherein the channel region is between the source and the drain; and

a terminal portion comprising;

a first electrode layer over the flexible substrate;

the second insulating layer over the first electrode layer, the second insulating layer including a first contact hole;

a second electrode layer over and in contact with the first electrode layer through the first contact hole;

the third insulating layer over the second electrode layer, the third insulating layer including a second contact hole; and

a third electrode layer over and in contact with the second electrode layer through the second contact hole,

wherein the first electrode layer is formed from a same layer as the gate,

wherein the second electrode layer is formed from a same layer as the source and the drain, and

wherein the third electrode layer is formed from a same layer as the conductive layer.

9. The electronic device according to claim 8, wherein the transistor comprises a channel formation region which comprises an oxide semiconductor material.

10. The electronic device according to claim 8, wherein the transistor comprises a channel formation region which comprises polycrystalline silicon.

11. The electronic device according to claim 8, wherein the electronic device is a mobile phone.

12. The electronic device according to claim 8, wherein the flexible substrate is a plastic substrate having a light-transmitting property.

13. The electronic device according to claim 8, wherein the flexible substrate comprises a polyester resin, a polyacrylonitrile resin, a polyimide resin, a polymethyl methacrylate resin, a polycarbonate (PC) resin, a polyethersulfone (PES) resin, a polyamide resin, a cycloolefin resin, a polystyrene resin, a polyamide imide resin, or a polyvinylchloride resin.

14. The electronic device according to claim 8, wherein the first insulating layer comprises at least one layer selected from the group consisting of a silicon oxide layer, a silicon nitride layer, a silicon oxide layer containing nitrogen, and a silicon nitride layer containing oxygen.

15. An electronic device comprising:

a housing;

a display panel having a display region, wherein the display panel comprises a display element and a transistor electrically connected to the display element; and

a touch panel,

wherein the transistor is formed over a first insulating layer,

wherein the display panel includes a region where the display panel is bent,

wherein the display region and the touch panel overlap with the region where the display panel is bent,

wherein the display panel comprises;

a flexible substrate;

a driving circuit portion over the flexible substrate, comprising;

the transistor comprising;

a gate over the flexible substrate;

a second insulating layer over the gate;

a semiconductor layer over the second insulating layer;

a source over the semiconductor layer;

a drain over the semiconductor layer;

a third insulating layer over the semiconductor layer, the source, and the drain, a part of the third insulating layer being in contact with a part of the semiconductor layer between the source and the drain; and

a conductive layer over the third insulating layer, the conductive layer overlapping with the gate and a channel region of the transistor, wherein the channel region is between the source and the drain; and

a terminal portion comprising;

a first electrode layer over the flexible substrate;

the second insulating layer over the first electrode layer, the second insulating layer including a first contact hole;

a second electrode layer over and in contact with the first electrode layer through the first contact hole;

the third insulating layer over the second electrode layer, the third insulating layer including a second contact hole; and

a third electrode layer over and in contact with the second electrode layer through the second contact hole,

wherein the first electrode layer is formed from a same layer as the gate,

wherein the second electrode layer is formed from a same layer as the source and the drain, and

wherein the third electrode layer is formed from a same layer as the conductive layer.

16. The electronic device according to claim 15, wherein the transistor comprises a channel formation region which comprises an oxide semiconductor material.

17. The electronic device according to claim 15, wherein the transistor comprises a channel formation region which comprises polycrystalline silicon.

18. The electronic device according to claim 15, wherein the electronic device is a mobile phone.

19. The electronic device according to claim 15, wherein the flexible substrate is a plastic substrate having a light-transmitting property.

20. The electronic device according to claim 15, wherein the flexible substrate comprises a polyester resin, a polyacrylonitrile resin, a polyimide resin, a polymethyl methacrylate resin, a polycarbonate (PC) resin, a polyethersulfone (PES) resin, a polyamide resin, a cycloolefin resin, a polystyrene resin, a polyamide imide resin, or a polyvinylchloride resin.

21. The electronic device according to claim 15, wherein the first insulating layer comprises at least one layer selected from the group consisting of a silicon oxide layer, a silicon nitride layer, a silicon oxide layer containing nitrogen, and a silicon nitride layer containing oxygen.