Annealing a Buffer Layer for Fabricating Electronic Devices on Compliant Substrates
First Claim
1. A method of manufacturing a layered electronic device over a flexible substrate, comprising:
- forming a buffer layer over said flexible substrate;
heating said buffer layer and flexible substrate to an anneal temperature which is greater than the temperature at which the buffer layer plastically deforms;
cooling the buffer layer and flexible substrate; and
forming over said buffer layer and flexible substrate a thin-film layered electronic device at a temperature that does not exceed said anneal temperature.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of forming a thin-film layered electronic device over a flexible substrate comprises the steps of depositing a buffer layer over the flexible substrate, heating the substrate and buffer layer stack to a temperature at which plastic deformation of the buffer layer takes place, cooling the stack, then forming the thin-film electronic device over the plastically deformed buffer layer without further plastic deformation of the buffer layer. The heating and cooling to cause plastic deformation of the buffer layer is referred to as annealing. The thin-film electronic device is formed by a process according to which all steps are performed at a temperature below that at which further plastic deformation of the buffer layer occurs. In-process strain and runout are reduced, improving device yield on flexible substrates. An optional metal base layer may be formed over the buffer layer prior annealing.
9 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of manufacturing a layered electronic device over a flexible substrate, comprising:
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forming a buffer layer over said flexible substrate; heating said buffer layer and flexible substrate to an anneal temperature which is greater than the temperature at which the buffer layer plastically deforms; cooling the buffer layer and flexible substrate; and forming over said buffer layer and flexible substrate a thin-film layered electronic device at a temperature that does not exceed said anneal temperature. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A thin-film electronic structure comprising:
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a flexible substrate and buffer layer formed thereover in which, following formation of said buffer layer over said flexible substrate said buffer layer has been plastically deformed by an annealing during which said substrate and said buffer layer are heated to an anneal temperature then cooled; and a thin-film layered device, formed over said plastically deformed buffer layer and flexible substrate such that the buffer layer is not plastically deformed beyond that deformation caused by said annealing by the formation of said thin-film layered device. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification