Light-emitting device

Abstract

To provide a flexible device with fewer defects caused by a crack, provide a flexible device with high productivity, and also provide a flexible device with less display failure even in a high temperature and high humidity environment.SOLUTION: A light-emitting device includes a first flexible substrate, a second flexible substrate, a buffer layer, a first crack inhibiting layer, and a light-emitting element. A first surface of the first flexible substrate faces a second surface of the second flexible substrate. The buffer layer and the first crack inhibiting layer are provided over the first surface of the first flexible substrate. The buffer layer overlaps with the first crack inhibiting layer. The light-emitting element is provided over the second surface of the second flexible substrate.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] One aspect of the present invention relates to a display device. In particular, the display device is flexible and displays images along a curved surface. Further, one embodiment of the present invention relates to a light-emitting device. The present invention relates to a light emitting device that is flexible and can emit light along a curved surface.

[0002] Note that one embodiment of the present invention is not limited to the above technical fields. The technical field of one aspect relates to an article, a method, or a manufacturing method. One aspect of the present invention is a process, machine, manufacture, or composition. Therefore, the present invention more specifically disclosed herein In one aspect of the technical field, the present invention relates to a semiconductor device, a display device, a light-emitting device, an electronic device, and a driving method thereof. An example of the present invention is a method for producing the same. [Background technology]

[0003] In recent years, flexible devices have been developed in which semiconductor elements or light-emitting elements are provided on a flexible substrate. The development of flexible devices is currently underway. A representative example of a flexible device is a lighting device. Examples of such devices include image display devices and various semiconductor circuits having semiconductor elements such as transistors. Can be obtained.

[0004] A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device using a flexible substrate such as a glass substrate or a quartz substrate can be used. After fabricating semiconductor elements such as thin film transistors (TFTs) on a supporting substrate, A technology has been developed to transfer a semiconductor element onto a substrate having a support substrate. In order to achieve this, a step of peeling off the layer including the semiconductor element from the substrate is required.

[0005] For example, Patent Document 1 describes the following peeling technique using laser ablation: A separation layer made of amorphous silicon or the like is provided on a substrate, and a layer to be peeled off is provided on the separation layer. The release layer is attached to the transfer body by an adhesive layer. The release layer is ablated by irradiating it with laser light. By this, peeling occurs in the separation layer.

[0006] Patent Document 2 also describes the following peeling technique: A metal layer is formed, and the oxide layer and the metal layer are bonded to each other by utilizing the weak bonding at the interface between the oxide layer and the metal layer. The layer to be peeled off is separated from the substrate by causing peeling at the interface with the metal layer. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-125931 [Patent Document 2] JP 2003-174153 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] A release layer is provided on a substrate, and a layer to be released (hereinafter, also referred to as a buffer layer) is provided on the release layer. When peeling is performed between the layer to be peeled and the thin film transistor, the layer formed on the peeling layer is It is a thin film laminate that includes transistors, wiring, interlayer films, etc., and its thickness is only a few μm or less. In addition, when peeling between the peeling layer and the peeled layer, the substrate may become fragile. Large bending stress is applied to the edge of the plate, causing film cracks and cracks (hereafter referred to as cracks) in the peeled layer. (also known as "slip-resistance") is likely to occur.

[0009] In addition, in order to improve the productivity of flexible light-emitting devices, it is necessary to use a large substrate and multiple After simultaneously manufacturing a number of light emitting devices, it is desirable to divide the substrate using a scriber or the like. At this time, the thin film at the edge of the substrate, especially the substrate, is damaged by the stress applied when the substrate is cut. Cracks may occur in the release layer.

[0010] In addition, the flexible light-emitting device manufactured through the above-mentioned peeling and cutting processes can be highly When kept in a high temperature and humidity environment, cracks that occurred at the edge of the peeled layer during the peeling and cutting process As the crack progresses, the signal strength of the light-emitting element in the light-emitting device may decrease. If the crack reaches the light-emitting element, the reliability of the device may decrease, and some of the light-emitting elements may become non-emitting. There is a saying.

[0011] Therefore, one aspect of the present invention is to provide a flexible light-emitting device that reduces defects caused by cracks. Another object of the present invention is to provide a flexible light-emitting device that is excellent in mass productivity. Another object of the present invention is to provide a highly reliable light-emitting device. It shall be one of the following.

[0012] Another object of one embodiment of the present invention is to provide a novel light-emitting device. An object of one embodiment of the present invention is to provide a lightweight light-emitting device. An object of one embodiment of the present invention is to provide a light-emitting device that is not easily damaged. An object of one embodiment is to provide a thin light-emitting device.

[0013] Note that one embodiment of the present invention does not necessarily solve all of these problems. The description of these issues does not preclude the existence of other issues. The subject matter will be self-evident from the description, drawings, claims, etc. Other issues can be extracted from the drawings, claims, etc. [Means for solving the problem]

[0014] One aspect of the present invention is a semiconductor device comprising a first flexible substrate, a second flexible substrate, a first buffer layer, and a first A crack prevention layer and a light emitting element are provided, and a first surface of a first flexible substrate and a second surface of a second flexible substrate are provided. The first buffer layer and the first crack prevention layer are provided so as to face each other. The first buffer layer and the first crack prevention layer are disposed on the first surface of the flexible substrate. and the light emitting element is a light emitting device disposed on the second surface of the second flexible substrate.

[0015] In the light-emitting device, the first buffer layer contains an inorganic material, and the light-emitting element is The first crack prevention layer is made of either a conductive material or a resin material. When viewed from a direction perpendicular to the first surface, the light emitting element and the end of the first flexible substrate It is preferable that the ion exchange layer 10 is located between the ion exchange layer 10 and the ion exchange layer 1

[0016] In the light emitting device, a first adhesive is provided between the first flexible substrate and the first buffer layer. A second adhesive layer and a second buffer layer are provided between the second flexible substrate and the light emitting element. It is preferable to have

[0017] In the light emitting device, a layer is provided on the first surface of the first flexible substrate, and the layer is a marker. It is preferable that the first crack prevention layer has a function as a barrier and contains the same material as the first crack prevention layer.

[0018] In the light emitting device, a light shielding layer is provided on the first surface of the first flexible substrate, has a function of blocking light from a light-emitting element, and the first crack prevention layer is made of the same material as the light blocking layer. It is preferred that the compound contains

[0019] In the light emitting device, a covering layer is provided on the first surface of the first flexible substrate, The insulating layer has a portion that covers the first crack prevention layer, and the covering layer contains a conductive material or a resin material. and is located between the light emitting element and the end of the first flexible substrate when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the first surface. It is preferable to place

[0020] In the light emitting device, a second crack prevention layer is provided on the second surface of the second flexible substrate. The second crack prevention layer includes a conductive material or a resin material, and is perpendicular to the first surface. It is preferable that the light emitting element is located between the light emitting element and the end of the first flexible substrate when viewed from a certain direction.

[0021] Another embodiment of the present invention is a first flexible substrate of any one of the above light-emitting devices. on a third surface that is the other surface of the first surface, or on a second surface that is the other surface of the second flexible substrate The light-emitting module has a touch sensor on its surface 4.

[0022] Note that the light-emitting device in this specification includes a display device using a light-emitting element. The element is connected to a connector, such as anisotropic conductive film or TCP (Tape Carrier The module has a printed wiring board at the end of the TCP. The COG (Chip On Glass) method is used for the module or light emitting element. The module on which the IC (integrated circuit) is directly mounted may have a light emitting device. , lighting fixtures, etc. may include a light emitting device. Effect of the Invention

[0023] According to one aspect of the present invention, a flexible light-emitting device with reduced defects caused by cracks is provided. Alternatively, a flexible light-emitting device that is suitable for mass production can be provided. A highly reliable light emitting device can be provided.

[0024] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a novel light-emitting device can be provided. Alternatively, a light emitting device that is less likely to be damaged can be provided. Alternatively, a light emitting device that is thin can be provided. In addition, the description of these effects does not preclude the existence of other effects. Note that one embodiment of the present invention does not necessarily have all of these effects. Effects other than those mentioned above will become apparent from the description, drawings, claims, etc. It is possible to extract other effects from the description, drawings, claims, etc. It is. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0025] [Figure 1] 1 shows a configuration example of a display device according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] 1 shows a configuration example of a display device according to an embodiment. [Diagram 3] 1A to 1C illustrate a method for manufacturing a display device according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] 1A to 1C illustrate a method for manufacturing a display device according to an embodiment. [Diagram 5] 1A to 1C illustrate a method for manufacturing a display device according to an embodiment. [Figure 6] 1A to 1C illustrate a method for manufacturing a display device according to an embodiment. [Figure 7] 1 shows a configuration example of a display device according to an embodiment. [Figure 8]1A to 1C illustrate a method for manufacturing a display device according to an embodiment. [Figure 9] 1 shows a configuration example of a display device according to an embodiment. [Figure 10] 1 shows a configuration example of a display device according to an embodiment. [Figure 11] 1 shows a configuration example of a display device according to an embodiment. [Figure 12] 1 shows a configuration example of a display device according to an embodiment. [Figure 13] 1 shows a configuration example of a display device according to an embodiment. [Figure 14] 3 shows a configuration example of a light emitting device according to an embodiment. [Figure 15] 1 shows a configuration example of an electronic device according to an embodiment. [Figure 16] 1 shows a configuration example of an electronic device according to an embodiment. [Figure 17] 3 shows a configuration example of a lighting device according to an embodiment. [Figure 18] 1A and 1B are optical microscope photographs and schematic cross-sectional views according to an embodiment. [Figure 19] 1A and 1B are optical microscope photographs and schematic cross-sectional views according to an embodiment. [Figure 20] 1 is a transmission electron microscope photograph according to an embodiment. [Figure 21] 1A to 1C illustrate a method for manufacturing a display device according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0026] The embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the following description. The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various changes and modifications may be made in the form and details without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. It will be easily understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention can be realized by the following embodiments. The present disclosure should not be construed as being limited to the contents of the preceding paragraph.

[0027] In the configuration of the invention described below, the same parts or parts having similar functions The same reference numerals are used in different drawings, and the repeated explanations may be omitted. In addition, when referring to similar functions, the hatch pattern will be the same and no particular symbol will be attached. There is a match.

[0028] In each figure described in this specification, the size, layer thickness, or area of ​​each component is indicated by the following formula: The figures may be exaggerated for clarity and are not necessarily limited to scale. stomach.

[0029] In this specification, ordinal numbers such as "first" and "second" are used to avoid confusion of components. The numbers are added for the purpose of convenience and are not intended to be limiting.

[0030] (Embodiment 1) In this embodiment, a structural example of an image display device and its An example of a method for manufacturing the image display device will be described below with reference to the drawings. Image display devices equipped with organic EL (Electro Luminescence) elements (hereafter referred to as Hereinafter, the display device (also referred to as a display device) will be described.

[0031] [Example of display device configuration] FIG. 1A shows the top surface of a display device 100 that employs a top emission method. A schematic diagram is shown. Note that in FIG. 1(A), some of the components are omitted for clarity. do.

[0032] FIG. 1B shows a process for cutting a region including one of the four corners of the second substrate 101 shown in FIG. A cutting line A1-B1, a cutting line C1-D1 cutting a part of the display unit 102, and a signal line At a cutting line E1-F1 that cuts an area including the driving circuit 103 and the external connection terminal 105 FIG.

[0033] The display device 100 includes a display unit 102 and a signal line driving circuit 103 on the upper surface of a second substrate 101. , a scanning line driver circuit 104 and an external connection terminal 105 .

[0034] In the display device 100, the crack prevention area 110 surrounds the periphery of the display unit 102. In addition, markers 124 are provided at the four corners of the first substrate 121. do.

[0035] Here, the crack prevention region 110 is a region including one or more crack prevention layers, which will be described later. .

[0036] In the display device 100, the first substrate 121 and the second substrate 101 are provided with a sealing layer 153 and a sealing material The first substrate 121 is opposed to the first buffer layer 154 via an adhesive layer 125. The buffer layer 120 is also called a peeled layer. Hereinafter, the buffer layer 120 is simply called a buffer layer. A plurality of first crack prevention layers (hereinafter simply referred to as crack prevention layers) 12 are in contact with the substrate 20. The second substrate 101 is provided with a crack prevention region 110 including an adhesive layer 12. A second buffer layer 132 is provided on the second buffer layer 132 as a display element. The light emitting element 114 that functions as a light emitting element, the display unit 102, the signal line driving circuit 103, and the scanning line driving circuit The transistors constituting the semiconductor device 104 and the like and the external connection terminal 105 are provided.

[0037] It is preferable that the first substrate 121 and the second substrate 101 are flexible substrates.

[0038] The buffer layer 120 and the second buffer layer 132 are Impurities that have passed through the substrate 101 and the adhesive layers (adhesive layers 125 and 131) may accumulate on the light-emitting element 1. In particular, the buffer layer 114 has a function of suppressing diffusion to the upper surface of the light emitting element 114. By providing the layer 120, a display device 100 with high reliability can be realized.

[0039] The buffer layer 120 functions as a barrier film to prevent impurities from diffusing into the light emitting element 114. The buffer layer 120 may be, for example, a single film or a laminated film of an inorganic material. By using such a material, the first substrate 121 can have a barrier property, particularly a moisture-proof property. Even when a material with a low moisture content is used, the moisture resistance of the display device can be improved.

[0040] However, inorganic films are prone to brittle fracture, and when the display device 100 is bent, In addition, cracks may occur in the buffer layer 120. In addition, an inorganic film with low moisture permeability may swell. Since the moisture content is low, for example, when the display device 100 is placed in a high-temperature and high-humidity environment, the buffer layer The adjacent layers of the buffer layer 120 swell more than the adjacent layers of the buffer layer 120 . Stress concentration occurs at the interface between the layer and the adjacent layer, which can cause cracks.

[0041] Therefore, a film different from the inorganic film constituting the buffer layer 120 is provided so as to be in contact with the buffer layer 120. By providing the crack prevention layer 122 made of a material, cracks occurring in the buffer layer 120 can be prevented. The progression of cracks can be suppressed.

[0042] The crack prevention layer 122 is a conductive film having a higher ductility and a lower swelling rate than an inorganic film. can be preferably used.

[0043] In addition, the crack prevention layer 122 is made of a resin material that has high adhesion to the inorganic film. As a result, the stress concentration occurring on the surface of the buffer layer 120 can be alleviated at the interface. preferable.

[0044] The crack prevention region 110 is composed of two crack prevention layers 122. As shown in FIG. 1, one crack prevention layer 122 surrounds the display unit 102 and is closed when viewed from above. The two curves form a single line (also called a closed curve, or a curve with coincident ends).

[0045] The crack prevention area 110 provided to surround the periphery of the display unit 102 in this manner In this case, a large substrate is used to simultaneously manufacture a plurality of display devices 100, and then the display devices 100 are cut into individual pieces. In this case, the cracks occurring at the end of the buffer layer 120 are contained within the crack suppression region 110. This can prevent the tumor from progressing to the other side.

[0046] As will be described later, the display device 100 is fabricated through a process of peeling off the support substrate. At this time, when the peeling proceeds from the edge of the substrate, the buffer layer 120 is formed with a The cracks that occur can be prevented from progressing to the inside of the crack prevention region 110 .

[0047] In FIG. 1A, the crack prevention region 110 is arranged to be a closed curve surrounding the display unit 102. However, the crack prevention area 110 is not necessarily arranged to form a closed curve. It is not necessary to place the line 100 at the center of the line 100, and the line 100 may be divided into a plurality of line segments.

[0048] In FIG. 2A, for example, the crack prevention region 110 is composed of three crack prevention layers 122. FIG. 2(B) shows a schematic top view of the display device 100 when the crack in FIG. 1 is a schematic top view showing an enlarged portion of the inhibition region 110 (enclosed within the dashed frame in the figure).

[0049] The cracks extend from the edge of the display device 100 to the inside as shown by the dashed arrow in FIG. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2(B), each of the crack prevention layers 122 is not a closed curve, but each crack prevention layer 122 is divided as shown in FIG. By disposing the parts in a staggered manner, the rigidity of the display device 100 is not increased and cracks are prevented. In addition, the entire length of each line segment of the divided crack prevention layer 122 is preferably The direction of the crack may not be perpendicular to the direction of the crack. An arrangement such as 2(D) may also be used.

[0050] In addition, the marker 124 provided in contact with the buffer layer 120 is a marker in this configuration example. Although it has a function as a live marker, it may also be a marker having another function.

[0051] For example, in the formation of the EL layer and bonding of the supporting substrates, which will be described later in the example of the manufacturing method, The mark may be an alignment marker for aligning the position of a large substrate. When a plurality of display devices 100 are simultaneously manufactured using the same alignment marker, It may be outside the lines that separate the devices 100 from one another.

[0052] Other configurations of the display device 100 will be described below with reference to FIG. .

[0053] The external connection terminal 105 is connected to the transistors (transistors 111, 11 2, 113) or the conductive layer constituting the light-emitting element 114, the manufacturing process In this configuration example, the source electrode or the drain electrode of the transistor is preferably In this example, the first electrode 136 and the second electrode 143 are made of the same material. The display device 100 has an anisotropic conductive film (ACF) on the external connection terminal 105. Anisotropic Conductive Film (ACP) and Anisotropic Conductive Paste (ACP) Anisotropic Conductive Paste (FPC) By implementing lexible printed circuits (ICs), In this configuration example, an FPC 155 is provided via a connector 156. It is being done.

[0054] FIG. 1B shows an example in which a transistor 111 is included as part of the signal line driver circuit 103. The signal line driver circuit 103 is, for example, a transistor having an n-channel type and a p A circuit consisting of n-channel transistors and n-channel transistors. The circuit may include a circuit including a p-channel transistor, or a circuit including a p-channel transistor. The same is true for the scanning line driving circuit 104. In this configuration example, the display unit 102 is formed A signal line driving circuit 103 and a scanning line driving circuit 104 are formed on the second buffer layer 132. A driver-integrated configuration is shown. For example, the signal line driver circuit 103 and the scanning line driver circuit 104 Either or both of them use a driver IC, and COG (Chip on Glass) The second substrate 101 is then mounted on the second substrate 101 by a COF (Chip on Film) method or a COF (Chip on Film) method. Alternatively, a flexible substrate (FP) with a driver circuit IC mounted using the COF method may be used. C) may be mounted on the second substrate 101.

[0055] FIG. 1B shows a cross-sectional structure of one pixel as an example of the display unit 102. The pixel includes a switching transistor 112, a current control transistor 113, and A current control transistor 113 is electrically connected to one of a pair of electrodes 136. The first electrode 143 is included. An insulating layer 144 is provided to cover the end of the first electrode 143. There are.

[0056] The transistors (transistors 111, 112, and 113) included in the display device 100 are The figure shows an example of a Tom-gate type transistor. Each transistor has a channel A semiconductor layer 135 including a functional region, a gate electrode 133, and a gate insulating layer A pair of electrodes 136 are provided so as to contact the semiconductor layer 135. An insulating layer 141 and an insulating layer 142 are provided so as to cover the semiconductor layer 135 and the electrode 136. In the semiconductor layer 135, a region that functions as a channel is sandwiched between low Resistive regions may be provided.

[0057] The light-emitting element 114 includes a first electrode 143, an EL layer 151, a second electrode 152, and an insulating layer 142. The display device 100 illustrated in this configuration example has a top layer structure. Since the display device is an emission type, a light-transmitting material is used for the second electrode 152 . In addition, it is preferable to use a reflective material for the first electrode 143. Both of the first and second electrodes 143 and 144 contain a light-emitting organic compound. A voltage is applied between the EL layer 152 and a current is passed through the EL layer 151, whereby the light emitting element 114 emits light. It can be made to shine.

[0058] A first substrate 121 is provided so as to face the second substrate 101. The first substrate 121 is a sealing layer 153 and a crack prevention region around the periphery of the display unit 102. The sealing layer 153 is attached to the inside of the region 110 by a sealing material 154. Alternatively, the first substrate 121 may be bonded by the sealing material 154, and the sealing material 154 may not be provided.

[0059] A backing layer 125 is attached to the surface of the first substrate 121 facing the light emitting element 114. A color layer 120 is provided on the buffer layer 120 at a position overlapping the light emitting element 114. The insulating layer 144 is overlapped with the black matrix 126. do.

[0060] A transparent conductive film is formed on the surface of the first substrate 121 that does not face the light emitting element 114. A touch sensor may be formed by using a flexible material having a function of a touch sensor. A functional substrate may be attached to the substrate.

[0061] [Materials and forming method] The following describes materials and formation methods that can be used for each of the above-mentioned elements.

[0062] [Flexible substrate] The flexible substrate is made of organic resin or a thin glass material that is flexible. There can be.

[0063] For example, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN ) and other polyester resins, polyacrylonitrile resins, polyimide resins, polymethylmethacrylate resins, etc. Acrylate resin, polycarbonate (PC) resin, polyethersulfone (PES) resin , polyamide resin, cycloolefin resin, polystyrene resin, polyamide-imide resin, Polyvinyl chloride resin, etc. are examples. In particular, it is preferable to use a material with a low thermal expansion coefficient. For example, the thermal expansion coefficient is 30×10 -6 Polyamide-imide resin, polyimide Mido resin, PET, etc. can be suitably used. In addition, a substrate ( Prepreg (also called prepreg) or a substrate with a lower thermal expansion coefficient by mixing inorganic filler with organic resin is used. It can also be used.

[0064] When the above-mentioned materials contain fibrous bodies, the fibrous bodies are made of high strength organic or inorganic compounds. High strength fibers are specifically fibers with high tensile modulus or Young's modulus. Representative examples are polyvinyl alcohol fibers, polyester fibers, and polyvinyl alcohol fibers. Mid fiber, polyethylene fiber, aramid fiber, polyparaphenylene benzobisoxy Examples of the fiberglass include Sasol fiber, glass fiber, and carbon fiber. Examples of glass fibers include those made of glass fiber such as sappan, S-glass, D-glass, and Q-glass. Alternatively, it is used in the form of a nonwoven fabric, and the structure in which the fiber body is impregnated with resin and the resin is hardened is made flexible. As a substrate having flexibility, a substrate made of a fiber body and a resin may be used. The use of a structure is preferable because it improves reliability against damage caused by bending or local pressure. stomach.

[0065] The flexible substrate on the side from which the light from the light emitting element 114 is extracted is provided with a layer of EL layer 151. A material that is transparent to light emitted is used. The material on the light exit side is In order to improve efficiency, it is preferable that the refractive index of the flexible and light-transmitting material is high. For example, by dispersing inorganic fillers with a high refractive index in an organic resin, a composite material consisting of only the organic resin can be obtained. This allows the realization of a substrate with a higher refractive index than substrates made of inorganic fillers with particles of 40 nm or less. The use of lasers is preferred since they do not impair optical clarity.

[0066] In addition, the substrate provided on the side opposite to the light exiting side does not need to have light transmitting properties. In addition to the substrates listed above, metal substrates or alloy substrates can also be used. The thickness of the substrate is In order to obtain flexibility and bendability, the thickness is set to 10 μm or more and 200 μm or less, preferably 20 μm or more and 50 μm or less. The material constituting the substrate is not particularly limited, but examples thereof include For example, aluminum, copper, nickel, aluminum alloy, stainless steel, etc. A metal alloy or the like can be suitably used. A flexible substrate on the side from which light is not extracted. In addition, when a conductive substrate containing a metal or alloy material is used, the heat generated by the light emitting element 114 can be prevented. This is preferable because it enhances the heat dissipation.

[0067] In addition, when a conductive substrate is used, the surface of the substrate is oxidized or insulated. It is preferable to use a substrate that has been subjected to an insulating treatment, such as by forming an insulating film. coating methods such as spin coating and dipping, printing methods such as screen printing, and deposition methods. An insulating film is formed on the surface of a conductive substrate using deposition methods such as deposition and sputtering. Alternatively, the oxide may be left or heated in an oxygen atmosphere, or may be anodized. The surface of the substrate may be oxidized.

[0068] In addition, when the surface of a flexible substrate has an uneven shape, the uneven shape can be covered to make the surface flat. A planarizing layer may be provided to form a smooth insulating surface. The material can be organic or inorganic. The oxide layer can be formed by deposition methods such as sputtering, coating methods such as spin coating and dipping, or by inking. Using ejection methods such as ink jet method and dispense method, printing method such as screen printing method, etc. It can be formed by:

[0069] In addition, a material having multiple layers laminated thereon can also be used as a flexible substrate. For example, a material made of two or more layers of organic resins, a material made of an organic resin layer and an inorganic material layer, Materials that have layers of different inorganic materials stacked together, or materials that have layers of two or more different inorganic materials stacked together, etc. By providing a layer made of organic material, the infiltration of moisture and other substances into the interior is suppressed, so the display This can improve the reliability of the device.

[0070] The inorganic materials include oxide materials, nitride materials, and oxynitride materials of metals and semiconductors. For example, silicon oxide, silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, silicon oxide, etc. can be used. Aluminum, aluminum nitride, aluminum oxynitride, etc. may be used. In the specification, oxynitride refers to a material whose composition contains more nitrogen than oxygen. The term "oxynitride" refers to a composition in which the oxygen content is greater than the nitrogen content. The content of each element is measured, for example, by Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (RBS). It can be determined.

[0071] For example, when a layer made of an organic resin and a layer made of an inorganic material are laminated, The upper or lower layer is deposited by sputtering or CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition). A layer made of the inorganic material is formed by a deposition method, a coating method, or the like. This can be done.

[0072] In addition, as the flexible substrate, a glass substrate that is thin enough to have flexibility may be used. In particular, the sheet is made by laminating an organic resin layer, an adhesive layer, and a glass layer from the side close to the light emitting element 114. The thickness of the glass layer is preferably 20 μm or more and 200 μm or less. The thickness is preferably 25 μm or more and 100 μm or less. A glass layer of such a thickness is resistant to water and It is possible to simultaneously achieve high oxygen barrier properties and flexibility. The thickness is 10 μm or more and 200 μm or less, preferably 20 μm or more and 50 μm or less. By providing such an organic resin layer in contact with the glass layer, breakage or cracks in the glass layer are suppressed. The composite material of such glass material and organic resin can improve the mechanical strength. By applying this to a flexible substrate, it is possible to achieve extremely reliable and flexible It is possible to provide a display device.

[0073] Note that a substrate that does not have flexibility, such as a glass substrate, may be used.

[0074] [Light-emitting element] The light-emitting element may be a self-emitting element that is illuminated by a current or a voltage. This category includes devices whose brightness can be controlled. For example, light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and organic electroluminescent devices. An inorganic EL element, an inorganic EL element, etc. can be used.

[0075] The light emitting element 114 included in the display device 100 of the present embodiment has a pair of electrodes (first electrode 1 The light-emitting element includes a first electrode 43 and a second electrode 152, and an EL layer 151 provided between the pair of electrodes. One of the pair of electrodes functions as an anode and the other functions as a cathode.

[0076] In the light emitting element 114, the electrode provided on the light emitting side is A light-transmitting material is used.

[0077] Examples of materials having light-transmitting properties include indium oxide, indium oxide tin oxide, and indium oxide. Zinc oxide doped with gallium, zinc oxide, zinc oxide doped with gallium, etc. can be used. The conductive layer may be made of gold, silver, platinum, magnesium, or the like. , nickel, tungsten, chromium, molybdenum, iron, cobalt, copper, palladium, The material may be a metal material such as titanium or an alloy containing the metal material. A nitride of a metal material (for example, titanium nitride) may be used. In the case of using a nitride of the above material, it is sufficient to make it thin enough to have light transmission. A laminated film can be used as the conductive layer. For example, a silver-magnesium alloy and an indium oxide It is preferable to use a laminated film of tin oxide or the like since the electrical conductivity can be increased.

[0078] Such electrodes are formed by deposition or sputtering. The shape is formed using a discharge method such as the inkjet method, a printing method such as the screen printing method, or a plating method. It can be achieved.

[0079] In addition, when the above-mentioned conductive oxide having light-transmitting properties is formed by a sputtering method, When the conductive oxide is formed in an atmosphere containing argon and oxygen, the light transmittance is improved. It is possible.

[0080] In addition, when a conductive oxide film is formed on an EL layer, a conductive oxide film containing argon with a reduced oxygen concentration is used. A first conductive oxide film formed under an atmosphere containing argon and oxygen, and a second conductive oxide film formed under an atmosphere containing argon and oxygen. A laminated film of the second conductive oxide film is preferable because it reduces damage to the EL layer during film formation. Here, it is particularly preferable that the purity of the argon gas used when forming the first conductive oxide film is high. For example, argon gas having a dew point of -70°C or less, preferably -100°C or less, is used. Use the s.

[0081] The electrode provided on the opposite side to the light emitting side is made of a material having reflectivity to the light emitted from the EL layer 151. It is preferable to use a material that is

[0082] Examples of materials having light reflectivity include aluminum, gold, platinum, silver, nickel, and titanium. metals such as zinc, chromium, molybdenum, iron, cobalt, copper, or palladium, or The alloy containing these metal materials can be used. In addition, aluminum and titanium may be added. Aluminum alloys such as aluminum-nickel alloys, aluminum-neodymium alloys, etc. Alloys containing palladium (aluminum alloys), silver and copper alloys, silver, palladium and copper alloys, Silver alloys, such as silver-magnesium alloys, can also be used. Silver-copper alloys are It is preferable because it has high heat resistance. Furthermore, the metal film or metal oxide film in contact with the aluminum alloy film is By laminating the nitride film, the oxidation of the aluminum alloy film can be suppressed. Examples of the material for the metal oxide film include titanium and titanium oxide. Alternatively, a film made of a material having a specific conductivity and a film made of a metal material may be laminated. For example, a film made of silver and an oxide Indium tin oxide laminated film, silver-magnesium alloy and indium tin oxide laminated film A membrane or the like can be used.

[0083] Such electrodes are formed by deposition or sputtering. The shape is formed using a discharge method such as the inkjet method, a printing method such as the screen printing method, or a plating method. It can be achieved.

[0084] The EL layer 151 is a layer including at least a light-emitting organic compound (hereinafter, also referred to as a light-emitting layer). It is sufficient that the layer is composed of a single layer, or a plurality of layers may be laminated. The structure is composed of, from the anode side, a hole injection layer, a hole transport layer, a light emitting layer, and an electron transport layer. An example of the structure is a laminate of a layer, a light-emitting layer, and an electron injection layer. It is not necessary that all of these layers are provided in the EL layer 151. Specifically, a plurality of light-emitting layers may be stacked in the EL layer 151. Alternatively, a hole injection layer may be provided on the electron injection layer. Other components such as an electronic relay layer can be added as appropriate. For example, two or more light-emitting layers having complementary colors may be laminated. By stacking these, white light can be emitted.

[0085] The EL layer 151 is formed by a vacuum deposition method or a discharge method such as an inkjet method or a dispense method. The insulating layer 11 can be formed by using a coating method such as spin coating.

[0086] [Sealing material, sealing layer, adhesive layer] The seal material 154 and the sealing layer 153 may be, for example, a two-part mixed resin or a thermosetting resin. For example, a curable material such as a photocurable resin or a gel can be used. Resin, acrylic resin, silicone resin, phenolic resin, polyimide, polyvinyl chloride Polyvinyl butyral (PVB), Ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) In particular, a material with low moisture permeability such as epoxy resin is preferable.

[0087] The sealant 154 and / or the sealing layer 153 may also contain a desiccant. For example, chemical adsorption is possible with alkaline earth metal oxides (calcium oxide, barium oxide, etc.). Other desiccants include zeolites, which absorb moisture by sorption. Alternatively, a substance that adsorbs moisture by physical adsorption, such as silica gel or the like, may be used. By providing a granular desiccant, the light emitted from the light emitting element 114 is diffusely reflected by the desiccant. Therefore, it is possible to provide a light-emitting device with high reliability and improved viewing angle dependency (especially useful for lighting applications, etc.). The adhesive layer 125 and the adhesive layer 131 may be made of the same material as the sealant 154. Various materials can be used.

[0088] [Transistor] Transistors constituting the display unit 102, the signal line driving circuit 103, and the scanning line driving circuit 104 The structure of the transistor is not particularly limited. For example, the transistor may be a staggered transistor, An inverted staggered transistor may be used. Also, a top gate or bottom gate transistor may be used. The transistor may have either a channel etch type or a channel etch type. Alternatively, a channel protection type transistor may be used. Alternatively, a channel protection film may be provided only on the channel region. Only the part that comes into contact with the conductor layer is opened, and a channel protection film is provided in the other places. This is also fine.

[0089] Examples of semiconductors that can be used in the semiconductor layer in which the channel of a transistor is formed include silicon. Semiconductor materials such as silicon and germanium, compound semiconductor materials, organic semiconductor materials, or oxide Semiconductor materials may also be used.

[0090] The crystallinity of the semiconductor used in the transistor is not particularly limited. A semiconductor having crystallinity (a microcrystalline semiconductor, a polycrystalline semiconductor, a single crystal semiconductor, or a partially crystalline semiconductor) If a semiconductor having crystallinity is used, the This is preferable since it suppresses the deterioration of the transistor characteristics.

[0091] For example, when silicon is used as the semiconductor, amorphous silicon, microcrystalline silicon, For example, silicon, polycrystalline silicon, or single crystal silicon can be used.

[0092] In addition, when an oxide semiconductor is used as the semiconductor, indium, gallium, zinc oxide, It is preferable to use an oxide semiconductor containing at least one of the following: -Zn-based metal oxides are examples of these. They have a wider band gap than silicon and are By using an oxide semiconductor with a low rear density, leakage current in the off state can be suppressed. This is preferable.

[0093] In this configuration example, a configuration including bottom-gate transistors is shown, but a top-gate transistor The application of a transistor will be described in a later embodiment.

[0094] [Buffer layer, insulating layer] The buffer layer 120 is formed by blocking impurities, particularly moisture, that have permeated the first substrate 121 and the adhesive layer 125. The second buffer layer 132 has a function of suppressing diffusion of the second substrate 101 and the It has a function of suppressing the diffusion of impurities that have permeated the adhesive layer 131. The insulating layer 134 in contact with the semiconductor layer of the transistor and the insulating layer 141 covering the transistor are It is preferable to suppress the diffusion of impurities into these layers. Use oxides or nitrides of conductors, or oxides or nitrides of metals such as aluminum In addition, a laminated film of such an inorganic insulating material, or a laminated film of an inorganic insulating material and an organic insulating material can be formed. A laminated film of the above may also be used.

[0095] Examples of the inorganic insulating material include aluminum nitride, aluminum oxide, and aluminum nitride oxide. Aluminum, aluminum oxide nitride, magnesium oxide, gallium oxide, silicon nitride, Silicon oxide, silicon nitride oxide, silicon oxynitride, germanium oxide, zirconium oxide A material selected from lanthanum oxide, neodymium oxide, tantalum oxide, etc. is used in a single layer or It is formed by laminating.

[0096] In addition, hafnium silicate (HfSiO x ), nitrogen is added Hafnium Silicate (HfSi x O y N z ), nitrogen-doped hafnium aluminium minate (HfAl x O y N z ), hafnium oxide, yttrium oxide, and other high-k Materials may also be used.

[0097] The insulating layer 142 functions as a planarizing layer that covers steps caused by transistors, wiring, etc. For example, organic resins such as polyimide, acrylic, polyamide, and epoxy, and inorganic insulating materials The insulating layer 142 can be made of a photosensitive resin (acrylic, polyimide, etc.). In addition, the insulating layer 144 is preferably formed using a material similar to the insulating layer 142. The material can be used to form the insulating film.

[0098] [Crack prevention layer and marker] The crack suppression layer 122 and the marker 124 are each formed using a conductive material. In addition, the crack prevention layer 122 and the markers 124 can be formed from the same material. This is preferable because it simplifies the process.

[0099] The crack prevention layer 122 prevents the progress of cracks in the buffer layer 120 that is in contact with the crack prevention layer 122. To prevent this, a conductive material that is resistant to external stress is preferred.

[0100] In addition, the marker 124 is used for simultaneously manufacturing a plurality of display devices 100 using a large substrate. In the case of manufacturing the display device 100 by so-called multiple panel cutting, which is to be divided into individual panels later, The marks are provided for the purpose of marking the cutting process. When the pattern is cut by the cutting tool, the marker 124 is positioned so that the edge of the pattern is clear. It is preferable to form the insulating film using a conductive material since this reduces misalignment.

[0101] The crack inhibition layer 122 and the markers 124 may each be made of, for example, molybdenum, titanium, Metals such as chromium, tantalum, tungsten, aluminum, copper, neodymium, and scandium The material or alloy material containing these elements can be used to form a single layer or a laminate. The crack prevention layer 122 and the marker 124 are each made of a conductive metal oxide. It may be formed using.

[0102] The thickness of the crack prevention layer 122 must be selected to ensure sufficient mechanical strength. Specifically, the conductive layer is preferably formed to a thickness of 50 nm or more and 1000 nm or less. Generally, the thickness is 100 nm or more and 500 nm or less.

[0103] In addition, the width of the crack prevention layer 122 must be sufficient to prevent the progression of cracks. However, by increasing the width of the crack prevention layer 122, it is possible to obtain a display device by cutting multiple panels. When manufacturing 100 displays, the number of desired displays that can be obtained from one substrate (number of displays) Specifically, the conductive layer is 20 μm or more in width and 100 μm or less in width. The thickness of the insulating layer 14 is preferably 50 μm to 500 μm.

[0104] [Connector] The connector 156 is a paste or sheet made of a thermosetting resin mixed with metal particles. The metal particles can be of a type that exhibits anisotropic conductivity when bonded by heat. For example, particles with layers of two or more metals, such as nickel particles coated with gold, It is preferable to use a child.

[0105] [Color filter and black matrix] The color filter 127 is provided for the purpose of adjusting the color of light emitted from the light emitting element 114 and increasing the color purity. For example, in the case of forming a full-color display device using a white light emitting element, In this case, multiple pixels with different color filters are used. Alternatively, a three-color filter of green (G), blue (B), and yellow (Y) may be used. It is also possible to add four colors, R, G, B (and Y), and white (W). It is also possible to use pixels to provide four (or five) colors.

[0106] In addition, a black matrix 126 is provided between adjacent color filters 127. The black matrix 126 blocks the light from leaking from the light emitting element 114 of the adjacent pixel. The edge of the color filter 127 is cut by a black dot. By arranging it so as to overlap with the rack matrix 126, it is possible to suppress light leakage. The black matrix 126 is made of a material that blocks light emitted from the light emitting element 114. The insulating layer 11 can be formed by using a metal material, an organic resin containing a pigment, or the like. The black matrix 126 is provided in an area other than the display section 102 such as the signal line driving circuit 103. It is okay.

[0107] In addition, an overcoat is provided to cover the color filter 127 and the black matrix 126. The overcoat may be used to protect the color filter 127 and the black matrix 126. In addition to protecting the material, it also prevents impurities contained in the material from diffusing. The insulating film is made of a material that transmits light emitted from the element 114, and may be an inorganic insulating film or an organic insulating film. This can be done.

[0108] In this configuration example, a display device to which a top emission method is applied is exemplified. A display device using the Tom Emission method may be used. In that case, a color filter is used. The insulating layer 141 is disposed on the second substrate 101 side of the light emitting element 114. A color filter may be provided on the black matrix 126. It is sufficient to stack them together.

[0109] In this configuration example, a color filter is provided, but different filters such as R, G, and B are used. Any one of the light emitting elements exhibiting light emission of the above colors is disposed in a pixel, and a color filter is provided. It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which no

[0110] The above is an explanation of each element.

[0111] [Example of manufacturing method] An example of a method for manufacturing the display device 100 will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0112] 3 to 6 are cross-sectional views of the display device 100 at various stages in a method for producing the display device 100, which will be described below. 3(A) to 6(B) are cross-sectional views of the portions shown in FIG. 1(A) and (B). Corresponds to the structure.

[0113] [Formation of release layer] First, a release layer 162 is formed on a support substrate 161 .

[0114] The support substrate 161 is a substrate that is at least heat resistant to the heat applied in the subsequent steps. The support substrate 161 may be, for example, a glass substrate, a resin substrate, a semiconductor substrate, a metal substrate, or the like. A metal substrate, a ceramic substrate, or the like can be used.

[0115] In order to improve mass productivity, a large glass substrate is used as the support substrate 161. For example, 3rd generation (550mm x 650mm), 3.5th generation (600mm ×720mm, or 620mm×750mm), 4th generation (680mm×880mm, or 730mm x 920mm), 5th generation (1100mm x 1300mm), 6th generation (1500mm x 1850mm), 7th generation (1870mm x 2200mm), 8th generation (2200mm×2400mm), 9th generation (2400mm×2800mm, 2450m m×3050mm), 10th generation (2950mm×3400mm) glass substrates, A larger glass substrate can be used.

[0116] The peeling layer 162 is made of a high melting point metal material such as tungsten, titanium, or molybdenum. Preferably, tungsten is used.

[0117] The release layer 162 can be formed by, for example, a sputtering method.

[0118] [Formation of Buffer Layer] Next, the buffer layer 120 is formed on the release layer 162 (FIG. 3(A)).

[0119] The buffer layer 120 may be made of silicon oxide, silicon oxynitride, silicon nitride oxide, or nitrogen. Inorganic insulating materials such as silicon oxide and aluminum oxide can be used. As the layer 120, a layer containing the above-mentioned inorganic insulating material can be used as a single layer or a laminated layer. Cut.

[0120] The buffer layer 120 is a barrier film that prevents impurities from penetrating the support substrate 161 from the outside. In addition, the separation layer 162 has a function of releasing hydrogen by heating, as described later. Therefore, the buffer layer 120 has a laminated structure of two or more layers, of which a small amount At least one layer is a layer that releases hydrogen when heated, and the layer that releases hydrogen is It is preferable to use a layer that is impermeable to impurities such as hydrogen for the layer farther away from the layer that emits the radiation. For example, a stacked structure of a layer including silicon oxynitride and a layer including silicon nitride from the peeling layer 162 Let us assume that.

[0121] The buffer layer 120 is formed by a film forming method such as a sputtering method or a plasma CVD method. In particular, it is preferable to form the film by plasma CVD using a film forming gas containing hydrogen. stomach.

[0122] Here, the surface of the separation layer 162 is oxidized during the formation of the buffer layer 120, so that the separation An oxide (not shown) is formed between the release layer 162 and the buffer layer 120. The oxide is This layer contains an oxide of the metal contained in the release layer 162. Preferably, it is tungsten oxide. The layer includes:

[0123] Tungsten oxide is generally known as WO (3-x) It is expressed as WO3 and W2O5. , W4O 11 , WO2, and other non-stoichiometric compounds that can take on a variety of compositions. Oxide (TiO (2-x) ), and molybdenum oxide (MoO (3-x) ) is also a nonstoichiometric compound It is an object.

[0124] At this stage, the oxide layer is preferably in an oxygen-rich state. When tungsten is used as the layer 162, the oxide layer is a tungsten layer mainly composed of WO3. Preferably, it is sten oxide.

[0125] Here, before the buffer layer 120 is formed, an oxidizing gas, preferably Alternatively, plasma treatment is performed in an atmosphere containing nitrous oxide gas, and the surface of the peeling layer 162 is pre-treated. In this way, the thickness of the oxide layer can be reduced by the thickness of the plate. It can be changed by changing the conditions of Zuma treatment, and when plasma treatment is not performed The thickness of the oxide layer can be more easily controlled than with the conventional method.

[0126] The thickness of the oxide layer is, for example, 0.1 nm or more and 100 nm or less, preferably 0.5 nm or more. The thickness should be 20 nm or less. If the oxide layer is extremely thin, it will not be observed in the cross-sectional observation image. There are cases where this is the case.

[0127] [Heat Treatment] Then, a heat treatment is performed to transform the oxide layer. Hydrogen is released from the silicon layer 120 and supplied to the oxide layer.

[0128] The metal oxide in the oxide layer is reduced by the hydrogen supplied to the oxide layer, and A state in which a plurality of regions with different oxygen compositions are mixed is obtained. When stainless steel is used, the WO3 in the oxide layer is reduced to a layer with less oxygen. In this case, a mixture of metals (e.g., WO2) and other metals is generated. Since oxides show different crystal structures depending on the oxygen composition, the oxide layer contains oxides with different oxygen compositions. The formation of multiple regions where the oxide layer is exposed weakens the mechanical strength of the oxide layer. This creates a state where the material is easily broken down inside, improving the peelability in the subsequent peeling process. can.

[0129] The heat treatment is performed at a temperature equal to or higher than the temperature at which hydrogen is desorbed from the buffer layer 120 and the softening point of the support substrate 161. The temperature should be set at or above the temperature at which the reduction reaction between the metal oxide in the oxide layer and hydrogen occurs. For example, when tungsten is used for the peeling layer 162, it is preferable to heat the peeling layer 162 at a temperature of 420° C. or higher. or above, 450°C or above, 600°C or above, or 650°C or above.

[0130] The higher the temperature of the heat treatment, the greater the amount of hydrogen desorbed from the buffer layer 120. However, in consideration of the heat resistance of the support substrate 161 and productivity, In order to prevent this, if it is desired to lower the heating temperature, the peeling layer 162 may be preheated with plasma as described above. By forming an oxide layer through the treatment, high peelability is achieved even when the heat treatment temperature is low. It can be achieved.

[0131] [Formation of crack prevention layer and marker] Next, a conductive film is formed on the buffer layer 120. Then, a photolithography is performed on the conductive film. A resist mask is formed by a deposition method or the like, and unnecessary portions of the conductive film are removed by etching. After that, the resist mask is removed, and the structure composed of the multiple crack prevention layers 122 is formed. The crack suppression region 110 and the marker 124 are formed (FIG. 3(B)).

[0132] The above-mentioned heat treatment is carried out after the crack prevention layer 122 and the markers 124 are formed. By performing such a process, after the conductive film is formed on the buffer layer 120, This can prevent the conductive film from floating up.

[0133] In addition, the surfaces of the crack prevention layer 122 and the markers 124 are exposed during the heat treatment. The surfaces of the crack prevention layer 122 and the markers 124 are oxidized by the heat treatment. For this reason, a part of the buffer layer 120 is replaced with a crack prevention layer 122. The buffer layer 1 in FIG. 21 may be formed on the marker 124. The films constituting the laminate of the buffer layer 120a and the buffer layer 120b are the films constituting the buffer layer 120. By adopting such a configuration, the transmittance of the entire buffer layer is preferably the same as that of the buffer layer. Without any modification, the surface roughness of the crack suppression layer 122 and the marker 124 due to the heat treatment can be suppressed.

[0134] For example, the buffer layer 120a may be a silicon oxynitride film having a thickness of about 600 nm, nm thick silicon nitride film, about 200 nm thick silicon oxynitride film, and about 140 nm thick silicon nitride film. The buffer layer 120b is a silicon nitride oxide film having a thickness of about 100 nm. The buffer layer 120a is a silicon film having a thickness of about 600 nm. A silicon nitride film with a thickness of about 280 nm, a silicon oxynitride film with a thickness of about 180 nm, A silicon nitride oxide film having a thickness of about 140 nm and a silicon oxynitride film having a thickness of about 115 nm The buffer layer 120b is a silicon oxynitride film having a thickness of about 100 nm.

[0135] [Formation of Black Matrix and Color Filter] Next, a black matrix 126 and a color filter 127 are formed on the buffer layer 120. The black matrix 126 and the color filter 127 are formed by printing. They are formed by a method such as a liquid crystal display method, an ink jet method, or a photolithography method.

[0136] [Formation of Gate Electrode] Next, a support substrate 163 on which a release layer 164 and a second buffer layer 132 are formed is prepared. The method of forming the release layer 164 and the second buffer layer 132 is the same as that of the release layer 162 and the buffer layer 132 described above. It is similar to layer 120.

[0137] Next, a conductive film is formed on the second buffer layer 132. Then, a photolithography is formed on the conductive film. A resist mask is formed by using a photolithography method or the like, and unnecessary portions of the conductive film are removed by etching. Then, the resist mask is removed to form the gate electrode 133. .

[0138] At this time, wiring and the like that constitute the circuit may be formed at the same time.

[0139] The conductive film that becomes the gate electrode 133 is formed by a sputtering method, a vapor deposition method, a CVD method, or the like. To film.

[0140] [Formation of Gate Insulating Layer] Subsequently, an insulating layer 134 is formed to cover the gate electrode 133 .

[0141] The insulating layer 134 can be formed by a plasma CVD method, a sputtering method, or the like. do.

[0142] [Formation of Semiconductor Layer] Next, a semiconductor film is formed on the insulating layer 134. Then, a photolithography is performed on the semiconductor film. A resist mask is formed by etching or the like, and unnecessary parts of the semiconductor film are removed by etching. The resist mask is then removed, leaving the semiconductor layer that constitutes the transistor. Form 135.

[0143] The semiconductor film may be formed by a method appropriate for the material used. For example, sputtering may be used. Ring method, CVD method, MBE method, ALD (Atomic Layer Deposition) on) method or PLD (Pulsed Laser Deposition) method, etc. There can be.

[0144] As a semiconductor used for the semiconductor layer, an oxide semiconductor is preferably used. It is preferable to use an oxide semiconductor having a larger band gap than silicon. By using semiconductor materials with a wide band gap and low carrier density, This is preferable because it can reduce the current when the capacitor is in the off state.

[0145] For example, the oxide semiconductor may contain at least indium (In) or zinc (Zn It is preferable that the oxide contains In-M-Zn (wherein M is Al, Ti, Metals such as Ga, Ge, Y, Zr, Sn, La, Ce or Hf) are included. nothing.

[0146] In particular, the semiconductor layer has a plurality of crystal parts, and the crystal parts have a c-axis aligned with a surface on which the semiconductor layer is formed. or oriented perpendicular to the upper surface of the semiconductor layer and having no grain boundary between adjacent crystal portions. An oxide semiconductor film is preferably used.

[0147] Such an oxide semiconductor does not have crystal grain boundaries, so that when the display panel is curved, The occurrence of cracks in the oxide semiconductor film due to stress is suppressed. Such oxide semiconductors are suitable for use in display panels that are flexible and can be curved when used. There can be.

[0148] In addition, when polycrystalline silicon is used for the semiconductor film, an amorphous silicon film is formed. After that, crystallization (e.g., laser light irradiation or heat treatment) is performed to obtain polycrystalline silicon. A semiconductor film is formed.

[0149] [Source electrode, drain electrode] Then, a conductive film is formed on the insulating layer 134 and the semiconductor layer 135. A resist mask is formed by photolithography or the like, and unnecessary portions of the conductive film are etched away. The resist mask is then removed to reveal the source of the transistor. An electrode 136 that functions as a drain electrode is formed (FIG. 4(A)).

[0150] At this time, wiring and the like that constitute the circuit may be formed at the same time.

[0151] The conductive film is formed by a sputtering method, a vapor deposition method, a CVD method, or the like.

[0152] At this point, the transistors 111, 112, and 113 is formed.

[0153] [Formation of insulating layer] Next, an insulating layer 141 is formed to cover the insulating layer 134, the semiconductor layer 135, and the electrode 136. At this time, one electrode 136 of the current control transistor 113 and the external connection terminal 10 Openings are formed in the insulating layer 141 reaching each of the wirings that will become 5 .

[0154] The insulating layer 141 can be formed by a plasma CVD method, a sputtering method, or the like. do.

[0155] In this example of the manufacturing method, the insulating layer 141 is formed on the semiconductor layer 135. Although a single layer is laminated in the above embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this and may have a laminated structure of two or more layers.

[0156] [Formation of Planarizing Layer] Next, an insulating layer 142 is formed to function as a planarizing layer. The wires reach one electrode 136 of the transistor 113 and the external connection terminal 105. An opening is formed in the insulating layer 142 to accommodate the insulating film.

[0157] The insulating layer 142 is formed by applying a photosensitive organic resin by a spin coating method or the like, and then selectively It is preferable to selectively expose and develop the film. tarring method, vapor deposition method, droplet ejection method (inkjet method), screen printing, offset Printing or the like may be used.

[0158] [Formation of the first electrode] Next, a conductive film is formed on the insulating layer 142. Then, a photolithography method is performed on the conductive film. A resist mask is formed using a resist pattern or the like, and unnecessary portions of the conductive film are removed by etching. After that, the resist mask is removed, so that one electrode 136 of the transistor 113 and A first electrode 143 for electrical connection is formed.

[0159] At this time, wiring and the like that constitute the circuit may be formed at the same time. By forming the portion that will become the external connection terminal on the same conductive film as the electrode 136, Form child 105.

[0160] The conductive film is formed by a sputtering method, a vapor deposition method, a CVD method, or the like.

[0161] [Formation of insulating layer] Next, an insulating layer 144 is formed to cover the end of the first electrode 143. An opening reaching the wiring that will become terminal 105 is formed in insulating layer 144 .

[0162] The insulating layer 144 is formed by applying a photosensitive organic resin by a spin coating method or the like, and then selectively It is preferable to selectively expose and develop the film. tarring method, vapor deposition method, droplet ejection method (inkjet method), screen printing, offset Printing or the like may be used.

[0163] An insulating layer may be provided on the insulating layer 144. By providing the insulating layer on the insulating layer 144, the insulating layer between the first substrate 121 and the second substrate 101 is The insulating layer can be formed of the same material as the insulating layer 144. This can be done.

[0164] [Formation of Light-Emitting Element] Next, an EL layer 151 and a second electrode 152 are formed in this order on the first electrode 143. In this way, the light emitting element 114 is formed (FIG. 4(B)).

[0165] The EL layer 151 is formed by a vacuum deposition method or a discharge method such as an inkjet method or a dispense method. The second electrode 152 is formed by a deposition method or a spatula method. It is formed by a tarring method or the like.

[0166] [Lamination] Next, the surface of the support substrate 161 on which the color filter 127 and the like are provided or the surface of the support substrate 16 A sealant 154 is formed on the surface on which the three light emitting elements 114 are provided so as to surround the display unit 102. do.

[0167] The sealing material 154 is applied by a discharge method such as a dispense method, or a printing method such as a screen printing method. After applying the curable resin by a method such as a coating method, the solvent contained in the resin is volatilized.

[0168] Subsequently, the sealing layer 153 is formed on the supporting substrate 161 or the supporting substrate 163. The sealant 153 can be formed in the same manner as the sealant 154 described above.

[0169] Here, the sealant 154 is provided to reinforce the sealing performance of the sealing layer 153. If the sealing performance of the stop layer 153 is sufficient, the sealant 154 does not need to be provided.

[0170] Next, the support substrate 161 and the support substrate 163 are bonded together, and the seal material 154 and the sealing layer By hardening 153, the support substrate 161 and the support substrate 163 are bonded together (FIG. 5( A)).

[0171] [Peeling] Next, the support substrate 161 is peeled off (FIG. 5(B)), and the exposed buffer layer 120 and the first The substrate 121 is attached via the adhesive layer 125. The support substrate 163 is peeled off and exposed. The second buffer layer 132 and the second substrate 101 are bonded together via an adhesive layer 131. In FIG. 6A, the first substrate 121 overlaps with the external connection terminal 105. However, the external connection terminal 105 and the first substrate 121 may not overlap each other.

[0172] As a method of peeling, for example, the support substrate 163 is fixed to an adsorption stage, and the peeling layer 162 is A peeling starting point is formed between the buffer layer 120 and the substrate 120. For example, The starting point of the peeling may be formed by inserting a tool with a specific shape. The peeling layer 162 is irradiated with laser light to melt, evaporate, or thermally destroy a part of the peeling layer 162, thereby achieving peeling. The starting point may be formed. Also, liquid (e.g., alcohol, water, water containing carbon dioxide, etc.) The liquid is dropped onto the edge of the release layer 162, and the liquid is transferred between the release layer 162 and the buffer layer 163 by utilizing the capillary phenomenon. The initiation of peeling may be formed by penetrating the boundary of 120.

[0173] Next, in the portion where the peeling starting point was formed, the adhesive layer was gently pulled in a direction substantially perpendicular to the adhesive surface. By applying a physical force to the buffer layer 120, the buffer layer 120 and the layers thereon are damaged. It can be peeled off without any damage.

[0174] Here, when peeling is performed, a peeling start point is formed at the end of the support substrate 161, and peeling is started from there. In addition, when the starting point of peeling is formed, In this case, cracks may occur in the buffer layer 120. The crack may progress from the outside to the inside of the buffer layer 120 as the peeling progresses. However, the crack prevention area 110 is provided so as to surround the display unit 102. Even if such a crack occurs, the crack is prevented from progressing in the crack prevention area. The crack can be stopped in the area where 110 is provided, and the crack does not reach the display section 102. It is possible to effectively suppress the above.

[0175] Next, a method for peeling off the support substrate 163 will be described. For example, first, a removable A separate support substrate is attached via a suitable adhesive layer (e.g., a water-soluble adhesive or a weakly viscous adhesive). Then, the support substrate is fixed in the same manner as above, and a layer is formed between the release layer 164 and the second buffer layer 132. Alternatively, the support substrate 163 may be fixed and the first substrate 12 may be removed. After fixing the first layer 1 on an adsorption pad or the like, a separation layer 164 is placed between the second buffer layer 132. By forming a starting point, the suction pad is gently attached so that the substrates including the first substrate 121 do not bend. It may be peeled off by lifting it up.

[0176] Finally, the first substrate 121, the adhesive layer 125, the buffer layer 120 and the sealing layer 153 are exposed. By this, the external connection terminal 105 is exposed (FIG. 6(B)). In the case where the external connection terminal 105 does not overlap the buffer layer 120 and the sealing layer 153, The means for forming the opening is not particularly limited, and examples of the opening include laser ablation and etching. The external connection terminal 105 may be formed by a sputtering method, an ion beam sputtering method, or the like. Even if you cut the upper membrane with a sharp blade or other object and peel off part of the membrane with physical force, At this time, the electrode 143 on the outermost surface of the external connection terminal 105 is in close contact with a conductive film such as an EL layer. By providing a film with low adhesion, it is possible to open the external connection terminal 105 without damaging it.

[0177] Through the above steps, the display device 100 can be manufactured.

[0178] In addition, various methods other than this example of the manufacturing method can be used as appropriate for the above peeling step. For example, when a layer containing a metal oxide film is formed on the side in contact with the buffer layer as the peeling layer, The metal oxide film can be weakened by crystallization, and the buffer layer can be peeled off from the support substrate. In addition, a hydrogen-containing amorphous silicon layer is formed between the heat-resistant support substrate and the buffer layer as a peeling layer. If a film is formed, the amorphous silicon film is removed by irradiation with laser light or etching. The buffer layer can be peeled off from the support substrate. forming a layer including a metal oxide film on the side in contact with the metal oxide film, weakening the metal oxide film by crystallization, and Then, a part of the peeling layer is etched using a solution or fluoride gas such as NF3, BrF3, or ClF3. After the removal by the method, the weakened metal oxide film can be peeled off. Films containing nitrogen, oxygen, hydrogen, etc. as layers (e.g., amorphous silicon films containing hydrogen, hydrogen-containing alloys, etc.) The peeling layer is irradiated with laser light to remove the nitrogen contained in the peeling layer. A method is used in which oxygen or hydrogen is released as a gas to promote peeling between the buffer layer and the support substrate. Alternatively, the support substrate on which the buffer layer is formed may be mechanically removed or the solution or NF3, B The method of removing the film by etching with fluoride gas such as rF3 or ClF3 can be used. In this case, the release layer does not need to be provided.

[0179] In addition, the peeling process can be performed more easily by combining a plurality of the above peeling methods. In other words, laser irradiation, etching of the peeling layer with gas or solution, sharp knife or The release layer and the buffer layer are mechanically removed using a scalpel or other tool to make them easier to separate. Alternatively, peeling can be performed by physical force (using a machine, etc.).

[0180] In addition, the buffer layer is peeled off from the support substrate by penetrating a liquid into the interface between the peeling layer and the buffer layer. Also, the peeling may be performed while pouring liquid such as water on the film.

[0181] As for other peeling methods, when the peeling layer is made of tungsten, it is possible to use ammonia water and The peeling layer may be etched with a mixed solution of hydrogen peroxide and water to perform the peeling.

[0182] If separation is possible at the interface between the support substrate and the buffer layer, a separation layer may not be provided. stomach.

[0183] For example, glass is used as a support substrate, and an organic resin such as polyimide is formed in contact with the glass. Then, an insulating film, a transistor, etc. are formed on the organic resin. In this case, the organic resin is heated. This allows the support substrate to be peeled off at the interface with the organic resin. FIG. 1 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a display device 100 fabricated by peeling at the interface of the resin. The adhesive layer 125 is disposed on the surface of the first substrate 121 facing the light emitting element 114. The organic resin layer 138 is provided on the second substrate 101 via the adhesive layer 131. In addition, the crack prevention region 110, the markers 124, and the buff are in contact with the organic resin layer 128. The organic resin layer 138 is provided on the first buffer layer 132. The other configurations are the same as those in FIG. 1(B). Cracks occur at the edge of the buffer layer 120 when the support substrate and the organic resin are peeled off from each other. , the crack can be prevented from progressing toward the inside of the crack prevention region 110.

[0184] In addition, a metal layer is provided between the support substrate and the organic resin, and a current is passed through the metal layer. The metal layer may be heated to separate the organic resin from the metal layer at the interface therebetween.

[0185] This manufacturing method shows the manufacturing process of one display device 100, but considering mass production, It is preferable to simultaneously manufacture a plurality of display devices 100 using a large substrate. For example, after the above-mentioned bonding process or peeling process, the substrate is cut along the markers 124. FIG. 8 is a schematic top view of a case where four display devices 100 are simultaneously manufactured using a large substrate. 1, and when cutting out one display device 100, it is cut along the dashed lines.

[0186] In this manner, a display device in which defects caused by cracks are reduced can be manufactured.

[0187] [Modifications of the display device] Below, modified examples of the display device 100 will be described.

[0188] [Variation 1] FIG. 9 shows a display device 1 in which a cover layer 123 is provided so as to be in contact with a crack prevention layer 122. 00 is a schematic cross-sectional view.

[0189] When the marker 124 is not formed on the display device 100, the crack prevention layer 122 is black. By forming the same material as the matrix 126, the number of processes can be reduced without increasing the number of steps. This is preferable because it allows the formation of a blockage prevention layer 122.

[0190] In order to more effectively suppress cracks, a plurality of crack suppression layers 122 are covered with a The buffer layer 120 may have a crack prevention layer 122 and a coating layer 123 formed thereon. At the interface with the 123, if the stress distribution is non-uniform in the direction of crack propagation, the crack will occur. Since the coating layer 123 can suppress the progress of cracks, the coating layer 123 is preferably made of a material different from that of the crack prevention layer 122. The coating layer 123 may be made of a conductive material or a resin material. .

[0191] FIG. 9 shows a case where the crack prevention layer 122 is made of the same material as the black matrix 126. In addition, the display when the covering layer 123 is formed of the same material as the color filter 127 1 shows the configuration of the device 100.

[0192] In FIG. 9, an insulating layer 145 is provided on an insulating layer 144 in the display unit 102. In FIG. By providing the insulating layer 145, the distance between the first substrate 121 and the second substrate 101 can be adjusted. The insulating layer 145 can be formed using a material similar to that of the insulating layer 144. .

[0193] [Modification 2] FIG. 10 shows a display device in which a second crack prevention region 115 is provided on a buffer layer 132. FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the device 100.

[0194] FIG. 10 illustrates a second crack prevention region 137 that is made up of a plurality of second crack prevention layers 137. 15 is provided in a position overlapping with the crack prevention region 110. The second crack prevention region 115 is formed not only in the display unit 102 but also in the signal line driving circuit. The wiring 103, the scanning line driving circuit 104, the external connection terminal 105, etc. are arranged so as to surround the , the cracks generated from the end of the second buffer layer 132 are prevented from reaching these portions, This can prevent problems such as malfunctions of the display device 100 from occurring.

[0195] The second crack prevention layer 137 is provided in contact with the second buffer layer 132. It is preferable that the insulating layer 122 is formed of a conductive material or a resin material like the crack prevention layer 122. In FIG. 10, the second crack prevention layer 137 is preferably formed between the gate electrode 133 and the The display device 100 shown in FIG. Electrodes and wiring that constitute the transistors (111, 112, 113) and the light-emitting element 114 If the second crack prevention layer 137 is formed from the same material as the first crack prevention layer 137, the formation can be performed without increasing the number of steps. This is preferable because it allows

[0196] [Modification 3] In FIG. 11A, the crack prevention area 110 is located at the external connection terminal 105 when viewed from the display unit 102. 11B is a schematic top view of the display device 100 when the display device 100 is provided on the inner side. 1(A) shows schematic cross-sectional views taken along lines A2-B2, C2-D2, and E2-F2.

[0197] In the above-mentioned manufacturing method example, the crack prevention region 110 is provided outside the external connection terminal 105. However, as shown in FIG. 11, the crack prevention area 110 is located at the external connection terminal 1 05, it overlaps with the external connection terminal 105 in the above example of the manufacturing method. When opening the buffer layer 120 and the sealing layer 153 in the region, When a crack occurs at the end, the crack is prevented from progressing to the display unit 102. can be done.

[0198] In addition, by disposing the crack prevention region 110 in this manner, the crack prevention region 110 The outer shape of the display device 100 can be made smaller than that of a configuration in which the external connection terminal 105 is provided outside the display device 100. This makes it possible to manufacture the display device 100 by multiple panel cutting. , the number of pieces can be increased.

[0199] Note that in this embodiment, a display device having a light-emitting element is illustrated; however, one embodiment of the present invention is However, the present invention is not limited to this. Examples of devices to which the flexible substrate according to one embodiment of the present invention can be applied include: Examples of the semiconductor device and the display device include the following elements and devices: As the substrate, a flexible substrate, which is a feature of one embodiment of the present invention, can be used. For example, EL elements, including organic and inorganic materials, organic EL elements, inorganic EL elements), LEDs (white LEDs, Red LED, green LED, blue LED, etc.), transistors (transistors that emit light according to the current Transistors), electron emission elements, liquid crystal elements, electronic ink, electrophoretic elements, grating lights Glow-light valves (GLV), plasma displays (PDP), MEMS (micro-electromechanical systems) Display element using digital micromirror device (DM D), DMS (Digital Micro Shutter), IMOD (Interference Modulation Modulation) modulation element, shutter-type MEMS display element, optical interference-type MEMS display Display element, electrowetting element, piezoelectric ceramic display, carbon nanotube Display elements using tubes, etc., that use electrical or magnetic effects to change contrast, brightness, and reflection. Display media that change reflectance, transmittance, etc. are also included. Field Emission Display (FED) or SED type flat panel display is one example of such a device. Display (SED: Surface-conduction Electron-e In addition, display devices using liquid crystal elements are One example is a liquid crystal display (transmissive liquid crystal display, semi-transmissive liquid crystal display, Reflective LCDs, direct-view LCDs, and projection LCDs are some of the LCDs. Also, displays using electronic ink, electronic liquid powder (registered trademark), or electrophoretic elements are possible. An example of such a device is electronic paper. To realize a reflective LCD, some or all of the pixel electrodes are reflective. For example, a part or the whole of the pixel electrode may be Aluminum, silver, etc. may be used. In that case, the reflective electrode may be provided below the reflective electrode. It is also possible to provide a memory circuit such as an SRAM. This further reduces power consumption. can be reduced.

[0200] This embodiment mode may be appropriately combined with other embodiment modes and examples described in this specification. It can be implemented.

[0201] (Embodiment 2) In this embodiment, the display device illustrated in the first embodiment is provided with a function as a touch sensor. A light-emitting module having a touch panel that can be used with the touch panel will be described below. Explanation of the parts that overlap with embodiment 1 will be omitted.

[0202] [Example of display device configuration] FIG. 12 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the light emitting module 200. As shown in FIG.

[0203] The light emitting module 200 includes the display device 100 and a touch sensor 201. 00 includes a first substrate 121, a second substrate 101, and a display unit 102. 01 is provided on the surface side of the substrate 221 facing the display device 100 via a buffer layer 220. The first substrate 121, the second substrate 101, and the substrate 221 are all flexible. It is preferable that the substrate is a flexible substrate.

[0204] The plurality of wirings 231 are electrically connected to the touch sensor 201. The wire 231 is routed around the outer periphery of the substrate 221, and a part of it constitutes a terminal. It is electrically connected to the FPC 256 via a connector 255 .

[0205] The touch sensor 201 also includes a plurality of clad wires 231 formed of the same material as the plurality of wirings 231. The crack prevention region 210 formed by the crack prevention layer 222 is in contact with the buffer layer 220. The crack prevention region 210 on the outer periphery of the touch sensor 201 prevents the buffer layer The cracks occurring at the end of 220 may occur when, for example, the light-emitting module 200 is kept in a high-temperature and high-humidity environment. By holding the touch sensor 201, it is possible to prevent the dust from entering the inside of the touch sensor 201.

[0206] As the touch sensor 201, for example, a capacitive touch sensor can be used. The capacitance type includes a surface type capacitance type and a projected type capacitance type.

[0207] The projected capacitive type is classified into self-capacitance type, mutual capacitance type, etc., mainly based on the difference in the driving method. The mutual capacitance method is preferable because it enables simultaneous multi-point detection.

[0208] In the following, a case where a projected capacitive touch sensor is applied will be described.

[0209] The configuration of the touch sensor is not limited to the above, and may be any configuration that detects the proximity or contact of a detection target such as a finger. Various sensors capable of detecting the presence or absence of a signal can be applied.

[0210] The projected capacitive touch sensor 201 has an electrode 234 and an electrode 235. 234 is electrically connected to one of the multiple wirings 231, and the electrode 235 is electrically connected to one of the multiple wirings 231. The other of the two is electrically connected to the other of the two.

[0211] The wiring 232 electrically connects two electrodes 234 that sandwich the electrode 235. It is preferable that the area of ​​the intersection between the line 232 and the electrode 235 is as small as possible. This reduces the area of ​​the region where no electrodes are provided, and reduces unevenness in transmittance. As a result, unevenness in the luminance of the light passing through the touch sensor 201 can be reduced.

[0212] The electrodes 234 and 235 may have various shapes. 34 are arranged with as little gap as possible, and the electrode 235 is connected to the electrode 23 through an insulating layer. A configuration may be adopted in which a plurality of the electrodes are provided at intervals so that there is an area that does not overlap with the adjacent electrodes. If a dummy electrode that is electrically insulated from the two adjacent electrodes 235 is provided between them, This is preferable because the area of ​​the region with different transmittance can be reduced.

[0213] The touch sensor 201 is provided adjacent to the buffer layer 220 on the side facing the display device 100. A wiring 232 electrically connecting the electrodes 234, an insulating layer 233, and a staggered pattern on the insulating layer 233 The substrate 20 includes electrodes 234 and 235 arranged in a rectangular shape, and an insulating layer 236 .

[0214] The adhesive layer 225 is provided at a position where the touch sensor 201 overlaps the display unit 102. The insulating layer 236 is attached to the surface of the first substrate 121 opposite to the light emitting element 114. There are.

[0215] In this configuration example, the display device 100 is a light-emitting module that employs a top emission method. However, when the display device 100 is a bottom emission type, the adhesive layer 225 is a bonding layer formed by bonding an insulating layer 236 to the surface of the second substrate 101 opposite to the light emitting element 114. match.

[0216] The buffer layer 220 serves to prevent impurities, particularly moisture, from diffusing through the substrate 221. The buffer layer 220 may be made of a semiconductor such as silicon, aluminum, or the like. In addition, such inorganic insulating materials may be used as the oxide or nitride of metals such as aluminum. Alternatively, a laminated film of an inorganic insulating material and an organic insulating material may be used.

[0217] When a light-transmitting conductive material is used for the wiring 232, the aperture ratio of the light-emitting module can be increased. The conductive material having a light-transmitting property is preferably indium oxide. Indium tin oxide, indium zinc oxide, zinc oxide, zinc oxide doped with gallium, etc. Any conductive oxide or graphene can be used.

[0218] After forming a film of a conductive material having light transmission on the buffer layer 220 by a sputtering method, By using various patterning techniques such as photolithography, unnecessary parts are removed and the arrangement is The graphene can be formed by dispersing graphene oxide in addition to the CVD method. Alternatively, the solution may be applied and then reduced to form the film.

[0219] Examples of materials used for the insulating layer 233 include resins such as acrylic and epoxy, and silicone. In addition to resins with SAN bonds, silicon oxide, silicon oxynitride, aluminum oxide, etc. Inorganic insulating materials may also be used.

[0220] An opening reaching the wiring 232 is provided in the insulating layer 233, and is formed in the same manner as the wiring 232. Electrode 234 and electrode 235 are formed by the method.

[0221] One electrode 235 extends in one direction, and multiple electrodes 235 are provided in a stripe pattern. .

[0222] The wiring 232 is provided so as to intersect with the electrodes 235 .

[0223] A pair of electrodes 234 are provided with one electrode 235 in between, and the wiring 232 is connected to the adjacent pair of electrodes. The poles 234 are electrically connected.

[0224] The multiple electrodes 234 do not necessarily need to be arranged in a direction perpendicular to one electrode 235. However, the angle between the first and second electrodes may be less than 90 degrees.

[0225] One of the wirings 231 is electrically connected to the electrode 234 or the electrode 235. The wiring 231 may be made of, for example, aluminum, gold, platinum, or silver. , nickel, titanium, tungsten, chromium, molybdenum, iron, cobalt, copper, or para For example, a metal material such as zinc or an alloy material containing such a metal material can be used.

[0226] In addition, an insulating layer may be provided to protect the touch sensor 201. An insulating layer 236 is provided covering the edge layer 233, the electrodes 234 and the electrodes 235.

[0227] Furthermore, the connector 255 electrically connects the wiring 231 and the FPC 256 .

[0228] The connector 255 is an anisotropic conductive film (ACF). Conductive Film) and Anisotropic Conductive Paste (ACP) c Conductive Paste) can be used.

[0229] The adhesive layer 225 is transparent. For example, a thermosetting resin or an ultraviolet curing resin may be used. Specifically, the resin may have an acrylic, urethane, epoxy, or siloxane bond. Resins such as resins can be used.

[0230] This embodiment may be combined, at least in part, with other embodiments described in this specification. It can be implemented in combination.

[0231] (Embodiment 3) In this embodiment, a display device having a configuration different from that of the display devices exemplified in the first and second embodiments is used. In the following, the explanation of the parts that overlap with the first embodiment will be omitted. Omitted.

[0232] [Example of display device configuration] In the following, a configuration example of an image display device in which a liquid crystal element is used as a display element will be described. do.

[0233] FIG. 13A shows a schematic top view of the display device 300. FIG. 13B shows a schematic top view of the display device 300. 1A) shows schematic cross-sectional views of the display device taken along lines A3-B3, C3-D3, and E3-F3. In contrast to the display device 100 illustrated in the first embodiment, the device 300 does not use a liquid crystal display as a display element. The use of crystal elements, the transistor configuration, and the placement of the crack prevention area They differ mainly in different ways.

[0234] The display unit 102 is applied with an IPS (In-Plane-Switching) mode. The liquid crystal element 314 has an electric field generated in a lateral direction with respect to the substrate surface. The alignment of the liquid crystal is controlled by this.

[0235] The pixel includes at least one switching transistor 312 and a storage capacitor (not shown). In addition, one of the source electrode and the drain electrode of the transistor 312 is electrically connected to The comb-shaped first electrode 343 and the comb-shaped second electrode 352 that are connected to each other are disposed on the insulating layer 142. are provided spaced apart above.

[0236] At least one of the first electrode 343 and the second electrode 352 is made of the above-mentioned light-transmitting conductive material. If a transparent conductive material is used for both of these electrodes, the aperture ratio of the pixel can be increased. This is preferable because it is possible to

[0237] In FIG. 13B, the first electrode 343 and the second electrode 352 are shown with different Although the hatched patterns are used to clearly show the patterns, they are formed by processing the same conductive film. It is preferable.

[0238] The color filter 327 is provided so as to overlap the first electrode 343 and the second electrode 352. FIG. 13B shows a structure in which a color filter 327 is provided on an insulating layer 141. However, the arrangement of the color filters is not limited to this position.

[0239] Between the first electrode 343 and the second electrode 352 and the buffer layer 120, a liquid crystal 353 is provided. By applying a voltage between the first electrode 343 and the second electrode 352, This generates an electric field in the horizontal direction, which controls the orientation of the liquid crystal 353, and the external Images are displayed by controlling the polarization of light from the backlight placed on each pixel. It is possible.

[0240] An alignment film for controlling the alignment of the liquid crystal 353 is provided on the surface in contact with the liquid crystal 353. It is preferable that the alignment film is made of a light-transmitting material. A polarizing plate is provided on the outer surface of the first substrate 121 and the second substrate 101 when viewed from the liquid crystal element 314. do.

[0241] Liquid crystal 353 includes thermotropic liquid crystal, low molecular weight liquid crystal, high molecular weight liquid crystal, ferroelectric liquid crystal, Antiferroelectric liquid crystals can be used. In addition, when liquid crystals that exhibit a blue phase are used, the alignment This is preferable because no film is required and a wide viewing angle can be obtained.

[0242] It is preferable to use a material with high viscosity and low fluidity as the liquid crystal 353 .

[0243] In this configuration example, the liquid crystal element 314 to which the IPS mode is applied will be described. The structure of the crystal element is not limited to this, and there are other types such as TN (Twisted Nematic) mode, FFS (Fringe Field Switching) mode, ASM (A xially Symmetric aligned Micro-cell) mode, OCB(Optically Compensated Birefringence) mode, FLC (Ferroelectric Liquid Crystal) mode , AFLC (AntiFerroelectric Liquid Crystal) model A code, etc. can be used.

[0244] Transistors (transistor 311, transistor 312) provided in the display device 300 ) are top-gate transistors. Each transistor has a source region or drain region. A semiconductor layer 335 having an impurity region functioning as an in-region and a gate insulating layer functioning as a gate insulating layer The gate electrode 333 is covered with an insulating layer 334. The insulating layer 334, the insulating layer 338 and the insulating layer 339 are stacked. The source region or drain region of the semiconductor layer 335 is connected to the semiconductor layer 339 through an opening. The sensor 330 includes a pair of electrodes 336.

[0245] In FIG. 13, the crack prevention area 110 is closer to the display unit 102 than the sealant 154. In this way, the crack prevention area 110 is provided on the inside of the display unit 1. By providing the buffer layer 120 at a position sufficiently far from the edge of the buffer layer 120, cracks occurring at the edge of the buffer layer 120 can be prevented. The liquid crystal display device 314 is prevented from being damaged due to the intrusion of impurities such as moisture. In addition, as in the first embodiment, the cracks can be prevented from occurring. The inhibition region 110 may be provided on the outside of the seal material 154 .

[0246] The top-gate transistor exemplified here may be replaced with the bottom-gate transistor exemplified in the first embodiment. Similarly, the top-gate transistor shown here can be replaced with a A doped transistor can also be applied to the first embodiment.

[0247] Note that one embodiment of the present invention is an active matrix type having an active element in a pixel, or In addition, a passive matrix system in which the pixels do not have active elements can be used.

[0248] In the active matrix method, a transistor is used as an active element (active element, nonlinear element). By using not only transistors but also various active elements (active elements, nonlinear elements), For example, MIM (Metal Insulator Metal) or T It is also possible to use FD (Thin Film Diode) and other elements. Since the number of manufacturing steps is small, it is possible to reduce manufacturing costs and improve yields. Alternatively, these elements can improve the aperture ratio due to their small size. This makes it possible to achieve low power consumption and high brightness.

[0249] As a non-active matrix type, active elements (active elements, nonlinear elements It is also possible to use a passive matrix type that does not use active elements. Since it does not use any nonlinear elements, there are fewer manufacturing steps, which reduces manufacturing costs and improves yield. It is possible to improve the accuracy. Or, it is possible to use active elements (active elements, nonlinear elements) Since the aperture ratio is not increased, it is possible to achieve low power consumption and high brightness. It is possible to do this.

[0250] This embodiment may be combined, at least in part, with other embodiments described in this specification. It can be implemented in combination.

[0251] (Embodiment 4) In this embodiment, a configuration example of a light emitting device will be described.

[0252] [Example of display device configuration] FIG. 14 shows an example of a flexible light-emitting device using an organic EL element as a light-emitting element.

[0253] FIG. 14(A) shows a schematic top view of the light emitting device 400, and FIG. 14(B) shows the top view of the light emitting device 400 shown in FIG. The light emitting device shown in FIG. 14(A) and (B) is a bottom view. It is an emission type light emitting device.

[0254] As shown in FIG. 14B, the light emitting device 400 includes a second substrate 419, an adhesive layer 422, a first The second buffer layer 424, the conductive layer 406, the conductive layer 416, the insulating layer 405, and the light-emitting element 450 ( A first electrode 401, an EL layer 402, and a second electrode 403, a sealing layer 407, and a crack suppressor The first electrode 401, the second electrode 402, the second electrode 403, the first substrate 428, and the second electrode 404 are electrically connected to each other. The buffer layer 424, the adhesive layer 422, and the second substrate 419 are transparent to visible light. The first substrate 428 and the second substrate 419 are preferably flexible substrates.

[0255] The crack prevention layer 410 is in contact with the buffer layer 420 and is arranged to surround the light emitting element 450. In this way, the crack prevention layer 410 is disposed at a position sufficiently distant from the light emitting element 450. By providing the buffer layer 420 at the end thereof, when a crack occurs at the end of the buffer layer 420, the progress of the crack can be prevented. This can reduce the intrusion of impurities such as moisture into the light emitting element 450, The optical device 400 can be a highly reliable light emitting device.

[0256] A light emitting element is provided on the second substrate 419 via an adhesive layer 422 and a second buffer layer 424. The second substrate 419, the sealing layer 407, and the first substrate 428 are provided. The light emitting element 450 is sealed by the first electrode 401 and the first The device has an EL layer 402 on the first electrode 401 and a second electrode 403 on the EL layer 402. The electrode 403 preferably reflects visible light.

[0257] The ends of the first electrode 401, the conductive layer 406, and the conductive layer 416 are covered with an insulating layer 405. The conductive layer 406 is electrically connected to the first electrode 401, and the conductive layer 416 is electrically connected to the second electrode 403. The conductive layer 406 covered with the insulating layer 405 via the first electrode 401 is By being electrically connected to the first electrode 401, the first electrode 401 functions as an auxiliary wiring for the first electrode 401. The electrodes of the EL elements have auxiliary wiring, which suppresses the voltage drop caused by the resistance of the electrodes. The conductive layer 406 may be provided over the first electrode 401. In addition, an auxiliary wiring electrically connected to the second electrode 403 may be provided on the insulating layer 405 or the like. good.

[0258] In order to improve the light extraction efficiency of the light emitting device, a light extraction port is provided on the side where light from the light emitting element 450 is extracted. In FIG. 14B, the light from the light emitting element 450 is extracted. In this example, the second substrate 419 located on the opposite side also serves as a light extraction structure. A light extraction structure such as a sheet having a function of diffusing light is overlapped with the second substrate 419. A touch sensor may be disposed. A polarizing plate or a retardation plate may also be disposed. In C), the diffusion plate 411 and the touch sensor 413 are arranged on the second substrate 419. An example of this case is shown below.

[0259] This embodiment may be combined, at least in part, with other embodiments described in this specification. It can be implemented in combination.

[0260] (Embodiment 5) In this embodiment, electronic devices and display devices to which the light-emitting device or the display device of one embodiment of the present invention can be applied will be described. The illumination device will be described with reference to FIGS. 15 to 17. FIG.

[0261] The display device according to one embodiment of the present invention can have a curved display surface. For example, television equipment (also called television or television receiver), computers For monitors, digital cameras, digital video cameras, digital photo frames, etc. , mobile phones (also called mobile phones or mobile phone devices), portable game machines, personal digital assistants, sound Examples include sound reproduction devices and large gaming machines such as pachinko machines.

[0262] In addition, lighting and display devices can be installed on the interior or exterior walls of houses and buildings, and on the interior or exterior of automobiles. It is also possible to install it along a curved surface.

[0263] FIG. 15A shows an example of a mobile phone. A mobile phone 7100 includes a housing 710. In addition to the display unit 7102 incorporated in the 1, the operation buttons 7103, the external connection port 7104, The mobile phone is equipped with a speaker 7105, a microphone 7106, a camera 7107, etc. The device 7100 is manufactured by using the display device of one embodiment of the present invention for the display portion 7102. do.

[0264] In a mobile phone 7100 shown in FIG. 15A, when a display portion 7102 is touched with a finger or the like, You can also make calls, enter text, and perform any other functions. The operation can be performed by touching the display portion 7102 with a finger or the like. The application is started by touching an icon 7108 displayed in part 7102. It is possible.

[0265] In addition, by operating the operation button 7103, the power can be turned on and off, and the display unit 7102 can be displayed. For example, you can change the type of image displayed on the main menu from the email composition screen. You can switch to the menu screen.

[0266] Here, the display device of one embodiment of the present invention is incorporated in the display portion 7102. This makes it possible to display images along a curved display surface, and provides a highly reliable mobile phone. It is possible.

[0267] FIG. 15B shows an example of a wristband-type display device. 0 includes a housing 7201, a display unit 7202, an operation button 7203, and a transmitting / receiving device 7204. Prepare.

[0268] The portable display device 7200 can receive a video signal by a transmitting / receiving device 7204. The video signal can be displayed on the display unit 7202. Also, the audio signal can be transmitted to other receiving devices. It is also possible.

[0269] In addition, the operation button 7203 can be used to turn the power on and off and to switch the displayed image. You can also adjust the volume of the audio.

[0270] Here, the display device of one embodiment of the present invention is incorporated in the display portion 7202. As a result, a highly reliable portable display device can be provided that has a curved display portion.

[0271] FIG. 15C shows an example of a wristwatch-type portable information terminal. The housing 7301, the display unit 7302, the band 7303, the buckle 7304, the operation button 7 305, input / output terminal 7306, etc.

[0272] The portable information terminal 7300 is capable of carrying out mobile phone calls, e-mails, viewing and creating documents, playing music, and internet connections. It can run various applications such as internet communication and computer games. Cut.

[0273] The display surface of the display unit 7302 is curved, and the display is performed along the curved display surface. The display portion 7302 is provided with a touch sensor, and the screen can be changed by touching it with a finger or a stylus. For example, the icon 7 displayed on the display unit 7302 can be operated by touching the By touching 307, the application can be launched.

[0274] The operation button 7305 is used to set the time, turn the power on and off, and turn wireless communication on and off. It supports various functions such as auto-start, silent mode and power saving mode. For example, an operation system built into the portable information terminal 7300 can be The function of the operation button 7305 can also be freely set using the stem.

[0275] In addition, the portable information terminal 7300 is capable of performing short-range wireless communication according to a communication standard. For example, by communicating with a wireless headset, a hands-free You can also make calls.

[0276] The portable information terminal 7300 also includes an input / output terminal 7306, and a connector for connecting to other information terminals. Data can be exchanged directly through the input / output terminal 7306. The charging operation can be performed by wireless power supply without going through the input / output terminal 7306. This is also possible.

[0277] The display device of one embodiment of the present invention is applied to the display portion 7302 of the portable information terminal 7300. Therefore, it is possible to provide a highly reliable portable information terminal having a curved display unit. This can be done.

[0278] 16(A) to 16(C) show a foldable portable information terminal 7410. FIG. 16A shows the portable information terminal 7410 in an unfolded state. FIG. 16B shows the portable information terminal 7410 in an unfolded or folded state. The mobile information terminal 7410 is shown in a folded state changing from one to the other. FIG. 16(C) shows the portable information terminal 7410 in a folded state. The portable information terminal 7410 is When folded, it is highly portable, and when unfolded, it has a large, seamless display area. The display is easier to read.

[0279] The display panel 7412 is supported by three housings 7415 connected by hinges 7413. The two housings 7415 are bent via the hinge 7413, making the device portable. The information terminal 7410 can be reversibly transformed from an unfolded state to a folded state. A display device manufactured according to one embodiment of the present invention can be used for the display panel 7412. For example, a display device that can be bent with a radius of curvature of 1 mm to 150 mm can be used. Can be used.

[0280] 16(D) and (E) show a foldable mobile information terminal 7420. ) shows a portable information terminal 7420 in a folded state with the display portion 7422 facing outward. FIG. 16E shows a portable information terminal in a folded state with the display portion 7422 facing inward. When the portable information terminal 7420 is not in use, the non-display portion 7425 is folded outward. By folding the display portion 7422, dirt and scratches on the display portion 7422 can be prevented. A display device manufactured in this manner can be used for the display portion 7422.

[0281] FIG. 16(F) is a perspective view illustrating the external shape of the portable information terminal 7430. 16(H) is a top view of the portable information terminal 7430. FIG.

[0282] The portable information terminals 7430 and 7440 are selected from, for example, telephones, notebooks, information viewing devices, etc. Specifically, each of them can be used as a smartphone. This can be done.

[0283] The portable information terminals 7430 and 7440 can display text and image information on multiple surfaces. For example, three operation buttons 7439 can be displayed on one surface (see FIG. 16( F), (H). Also, the information 7437 shown in the dashed rectangle can be displayed on another surface. (Fig. 16(G) and (H)). An example of information 7437 is SNS (social networking site). Notifications for the networking service, displays to notify you of incoming e-mails and telephone calls, etc., Subject of email, sender name of email, date and time, time, remaining battery level, antenna The strength of the signal reception, etc. Or, the information 7437 is displayed in the location where the information 7437 is displayed. Instead, operation buttons 7439, icons, etc. may be displayed. In (G), an example in which information 7437 is displayed on the upper side is shown. In one embodiment of the present invention, For example, as shown in FIG. 16(H), a mobile information terminal 7440 is displayed on the side. It may be possible.

[0284] For example, the user of the mobile information terminal 7430 may carry the mobile information terminal 7430 in a breast pocket of a garment. When it is stored, you can check the display (information 7437 in this case).

[0285] Specifically, the telephone number or name of the caller of the incoming call is recorded on the mobile information terminal 7430. The display is placed in a position that can be observed from above. The user takes the mobile information terminal 7430 out of his / her pocket. You can check the display and decide whether or not to answer the call without having to take out your phone.

[0286] A housing 7435 of the portable information terminal 7430 and a housing 7436 of the portable information terminal 7440 are A display device manufactured according to one embodiment of the present invention is used for the display portion 7433. Therefore, a highly reliable portable information terminal having a curved display unit can be provided. It is possible.

[0287] Also, like the portable information terminal 7450 shown in FIG. 16(I), information is displayed on three or more screens. Here, information 7455, information 7456, and information 7457 are displayed on different surfaces. Shown is an example given.

[0288] A display portion 7458 of a housing 7451 of a portable information terminal 7450 is provided with one embodiment of the present invention. Therefore, a display device having a curved display portion and manufactured using the same can be used. Moreover, the portable information terminal can be made highly reliable.

[0289] The display device of one embodiment of the present invention can be applied to the display portion of the electronic devices described in this embodiment. Therefore, defects caused by cracks due to bending are reduced, and the reliability is high. Moreover, an electronic device capable of displaying images along a curved surface can be realized.

[0290] 17(A) to 17(C) show an example of a lighting device. The lighting device 8010 and the lighting device 8020 each include a base 8 having an operation switch 8003. 001 and a light emitting part supported by a base part 8001.

[0291] The lighting device 8000 shown in FIG. 17(A) includes a light-emitting unit 8002 having a corrugated light-emitting surface. This makes it a highly designed lighting device.

[0292] The light-emitting unit 8012 of the lighting device 8010 shown in FIG. 17B has two convexly curved The light emitting parts are arranged symmetrically. It can illuminate in all directions.

[0293] The lighting device 8020 shown in FIG. 17(C) includes a light-emitting portion 8022 that is curved in a concave shape. Therefore, the light emitted from the light emitting unit 8022 is focused on the front surface of the lighting device 8020. It is suitable for brightly illuminating a large area.

[0294] In addition, each of the light-emitting devices 8000, 8010, and 8020 Since the display unit is flexible, it is not possible to attach the display unit to a plastic member or a movable frame. The light emitting surface of the light emitting portion may be freely curved depending on the application.

[0295] Here, the light-emitting device according to one embodiment of the present invention is assembled in the light-emitting portions 8002, 8012, and 8022. Therefore, it is possible to provide a highly reliable lighting device having a curved display section. It is possible.

[0296] This embodiment mode may be appropriately combined with other embodiment modes and examples described in this specification. It can be implemented.

[0297] In addition, the contents (or even a part of the contents) described in one embodiment may be used in the embodiment. Another content (or a part of the content) described in the form, and / or one or more other implementations The contents (or a part of the contents) described in the embodiments may be applied, combined, or replaced. It is possible to do things like drawing.

[0298] The contents described in the embodiments are explained in detail with reference to various figures in each embodiment. The content is described in the specification or using sentences in the description.

[0299] In addition, a figure (or a part of it) described in one embodiment may be replaced with another part of the figure. , another figure (or a part thereof) described in the embodiment, and / or one or more By combining the figures (or a part of them) described in the other embodiments of the present invention, This allows even more diagrams to be constructed.

[0300] In addition, with regard to the contents not specified in the drawings or text in the specification, Alternatively, it is possible to define an upper limit for a certain value. When a numerical range is listed, such as a lower limit and a lower value, the range may be arbitrarily narrowed. or by excluding one point in the scope, it defines an embodiment of the invention that excludes a part of the scope. These can be used to determine whether, for example, the prior art is within the technical scope of one aspect of the present invention. It may be stipulated that the

[0301] As a specific example, a circuit diagram in which first to fifth transistors are used in a circuit is shown. In that case, the circuit does not have a sixth transistor. Or, the circuit does not have a capacitance element. Furthermore, it is possible to specify that the circuit must have a certain connection structure. The present invention can be stipulated as not having a sixth transistor as described above. Or, the circuit is specified as not having a capacitive element having a specific connection structure. For example, the gate of the first transistor may be connected to the gate of the second transistor. In accordance with the present invention, it is possible to provide for the invention not to have a sixth transistor connected to the first transistor. Alternatively, for example, a capacitor element having a first electrode connected to the gate of a third transistor is It is possible to define the invention as not having

[0302] As another concrete example, for a certain value, for example, "a certain voltage is between 3V and 10V, In that case, for example, if a certain voltage is -2 It is possible to specify one aspect of the invention as "excluding cases where the voltage is greater than or equal to V and less than or equal to 1 V." Or For example, it is possible to specify one aspect of the invention as excluding cases where a certain voltage is 13 V or more. It is possible. For example, the voltage may be specified as 5V or more and 8V or less. It is also possible to specify the invention so that the voltage is, for example, approximately 9V. For example, the voltage is 3V or more and 10V or less, except for the case where the voltage is 9V. It is also possible to define the invention as follows: "It is preferable that these conditions are met," etc. However, certain values ​​are not limited to those descriptions. However, even if the invention is described in any way, it is not necessarily limited to such descriptions.

[0303] As another specific example, for a certain value, for example, "a certain voltage is preferably 10V" In that case, for example, if a certain voltage is between -2V and 1V, It is possible to define an aspect of the invention as follows: It is possible to specify one aspect of the invention as excluding cases where the voltage applied is 13 V or higher.

[0304] As another specific example, regarding the properties of a certain substance, for example, "a certain film is an insulating film" In that case, for example, except for the case where the insulating film is an organic insulating film, Alternatively, for example, the insulating film may be made of inorganic It is possible to specify one aspect of the invention as excluding the case where the insulating film is an insulating film. It is possible to define one aspect of the invention as excluding cases where the film is a conductive film. Alternatively, for example, it is possible to specify one aspect of the invention as excluding cases where the film is a semiconductor film. It is possible.

[0305] As another specific example, regarding a certain laminated structure, for example, "between film A and film B, there is a film In that case, for example, if the membrane has four or more layers, It is possible to define the invention as excluding the case of a laminated film. Or, for example, A film and It is possible to define the invention as excluding the case where a conductive film is provided between the film and the conductive film. do.

[0306] It should be noted that one aspect of the invention described in this specification etc. may be practiced by various people. However, the implementation may involve multiple people. For example, in the case of a transmitting and receiving system, Company A manufactures and sells the transmitter, and Company B manufactures the receiver. Another example is a company that manufactures and sells devices that have transistors and light-emitting devices. In the case of a light-emitting device manufactured by Company A, the semiconductor device in which the transistor is formed is manufactured and sold by Company A. Company B then purchases the semiconductor device and manufactures light-emitting devices in the semiconductor device. In some cases, the light-emitting device is completed by coating the light-emitting element with a thin film.

[0307] In such a case, there is no invention that can be used to assert patent infringement against either Company A or Company B. In other words, it is possible to constitute an embodiment of the invention that is implemented only by Company A. It is possible to configure the invention as an embodiment of another invention, which is implemented only by Company B. In addition, it is possible to constitute one aspect of the above. It is possible to determine that one aspect of the invention is clear and described in the present specification, etc. For example, in the case of a transmission and reception system, the description can be made for the transmitter only, or for the receiver only. Even if the description of the transmitter alone is not included in this specification, the transmitter alone constitutes one aspect of the invention. The receiver alone can constitute one aspect of another invention, and the aspects of those inventions can be The manner is clear and can be judged to be described in the present specification. In the case of a light-emitting device having a transistor and a light-emitting element, The description of only the semiconductor device having the light emitting element or the description of only the light emitting device having the light emitting element are not included in this specification. Even if not stated in the specification, a semiconductor device having a transistor formed therein is an embodiment of the invention. One embodiment of the present invention can be constituted by a light-emitting device having a light-emitting element alone. It is possible to determine that one aspect of the invention is clear and described in the present specification, etc. It is possible to do this.

[0308] In this specification, the terms "active elements (transistors, diodes, etc.)" and "passive elements" are used interchangeably. For all terminals (capacitive elements, resistive elements, etc.), the connection destination must be specified. Even if the invention is not a single-particular invention, a person skilled in the art may be able to construct one aspect of the invention. Even if the connection destination is not specified, one aspect of the invention is clear. When the content is described in this specification, etc., one aspect of the invention that does not specify a connection destination is the present invention. In some cases, it may be possible to determine that the information is written in the detailed instructions. If the above case is considered, there is no need to limit the connection destination of the terminal to a specific location. Therefore, there are active elements (transistors, diodes, etc.) and passive elements (capacitive elements, resistive elements By specifying the connection destinations of only some of the terminals possessed by the device, etc., It may be possible to configure one aspect of the present invention.

[0309] In this specification, if at least the connection destination of a certain circuit is specified, the circuit is considered to be A person skilled in the art may be able to identify the invention. Or, a person skilled in the art may be able to identify the invention by a few words. In some cases, a person skilled in the art may be able to identify the invention by simply specifying the function. In other words, if a function is specified, it can be said that one aspect of the invention is clear. It may be possible to determine that one aspect of the invention is described in this specification, etc. Therefore, even if the function of a certain circuit is not specified, if the connection destination is specified, it can be regarded as an invention. The present invention is disclosed as an embodiment, and can be implemented as one embodiment of the present invention. For a certain circuit, even if the connection destination is not specified, specifying the function is considered as one aspect of the invention. and can be construed as one embodiment of the invention.

[0310] In this specification, etc., in a drawing or text described in a certain embodiment, It is possible to extract a part of the invention and use it as an embodiment of the invention. If a figure or text describing a certain part is included, the figure or text of that part may be omitted. The extracted content is also disclosed as an aspect of the invention and can constitute an aspect of the invention. And it can be said that one aspect of the invention is clear. Therefore, for example, in a drawing or text in which one or more active elements (such as transistors and diodes), wirings, passive elements (such as capacitive elements and resistive elements), conductive layers, insulating layers, semiconductor layers, organic materials, inorganic materials, components, devices, operation methods, manufacturing methods, etc. are described, it is assumed that a part thereof can be extracted to constitute an aspect of the invention. For example, from a circuit diagram composed of N (N is an integer) circuit elements (such as transistors and capacitive elements), M (M is an integer and M < N) circuit elements (such as transistors and capacitive elements) are extracted, and it is possible to constitute an aspect of the invention. As another example, from a cross-sectional view composed of N (N is an integer) layers, M (M is an integer and M < N) layers are extracted, and it is possible to constitute an aspect of the invention. As yet another example, from a flowchart composed of N (N is an integer) elements, M (M is an integer and M < N) elements are extracted, and it is possible to constitute an aspect of the invention. As yet another example, from a text describing that "A has B, C, D, E, or F", some elements are arbitrarily extracted to form aspects of the invention such as "A has B and E", "A has E and F", "A has C, E, and F", or "A has B, C, D, and E". And it is assumed that it is possible. And it can be said that one aspect of the invention is clear. Therefore, for example, active elements (such as transistors and diodes), wirings, passive elements (such as capacitive elements , resistive elements, etc.), conductive layers, insulating layers, semiconductor layers, organic materials, inorganic materials, components, devices, operations methods, manufacturing methods, etc. are described in a drawing or text in which one or more are described, and a part thereof can be extracted to constitute an aspect of the invention. For example, N (N is an integer) circuit elements (such as transistors and capacitive elements) are used to form a circuit diagram, and M (M is an integer and M < N) circuit elements (such as transistors and capacitive elements) are extracted to form an aspect of the invention. As another example, from a cross-sectional view composed of N (N is an integer) layers , M (M is an integer and M < N) layers are extracted to form an aspect of the invention. As yet another example, from a flowchart composed of N (N is an integer) elements used to form it, M (M is an integer and M < N) elements are extracted to form an aspect of the invention. As yet another example, from a text describing that "A has B, C, D, E, or F", some elements are arbitrarily extracted to form aspects of the invention such as "A has , B and E", "A has E and F", "A has C, E, and F", , or "A has B, C, D, and E", etc. can be used to form an aspect of the invention.

[0311] In addition, in this specification, etc., in a drawing or text described in a certain embodiment , when at least one specific example is described, it is possible to derive the upper concept of the specific example This is easily understood by those skilled in the art. In the drawings or text, if at least one specific example is described, The concept is also disclosed as an aspect of the invention and may constitute an aspect of the invention. Yes, it is possible, and one aspect of the invention is clear.

[0312] In this specification, at least the contents shown in the drawings (or even a part of the drawings) is disclosed as one aspect of the invention and can constitute one aspect of the invention. Therefore, if something is shown in a diagram, it can be explained in text. Even if there is no such disclosure, the contents are disclosed as one aspect of the invention, and one aspect of the invention is Similarly, even if a part of the figure is taken out, it is possible to construct it as one aspect of the invention. and can constitute one embodiment of the invention. One aspect of the invention is clear. EXAMPLES

[0313] In this example, a display device according to one embodiment of the present invention was manufactured and was maintained in a high-temperature and high-humidity environment. The results of the reliability test will be explained below.

[0314] In this example, Sample a, which is a display device according to one embodiment of the present invention, and Comparative Example A comparative sample b was also prepared.

[0315] The sample in this embodiment was fabricated according to the fabrication method example of the first embodiment. is.

[0316] [Sample preparation] The materials used in sample a and comparative sample b will be explained with reference to FIG.

[0317] The first substrate 121 and the second substrate 101 are made of plastic film having a thickness of about 20 μm. Room was used.

[0318] The adhesive layer 125, the adhesive layer 131, and the sealing layer 153 are made of a two-part mixed epoxy resin. was used.

[0319] The buffer layer 120 and the second buffer layer 132 are made of an oxynitride layer having a thickness of about 600 nm. Silicon film, silicon nitride film with a thickness of about 200 nm, silicon oxynitride film with a thickness of about 200 nm a silicon oxide nitride film having a thickness of about 140 nm, and a silicon oxynitride film having a thickness of about 100 nm. A laminate of films was used.

[0320] In the sample a only, the crack prevention layer 122 was a titanium film having a thickness of about 100 nm. As the covering layer 123, an acrylic resin film having a thickness of about 2.0 μm was used.

[0321] The insulating layer 134 is a silicon nitride film having a thickness of about 400 nm and an oxide film having a thickness of about 50 nm. The insulating layer 141 was a laminated film of an oxide film having a thickness of about 450 nm. A laminated film of a silicon nitride film and a silicon nitride film with a thickness of about 100 nm was used. The layer 142 was an acrylic resin film having a thickness of about 2.0 μm. A polyimide resin film having a thickness of about 1.0 μm was used as the substrate.

[0322] [Observation of cracks] Next, after conducting a reliability test on sample a and comparative sample b, In the reliability test, sample a and comparative sample b were subjected to high temperature and high humidity. It was kept under the following conditions (temperature 65°C, humidity 90%).

[0323] Optical microscope photographs are shown in Fig. 18(A) and Fig. 19(A). FIG. 9(B) shows a schematic cross-sectional structure between cutting lines X2-Y2 and X3-Y3.

[0324] FIG. 18(A) shows the optical microscope image of sample a after it was kept in a high-temperature and high-humidity environment for about 600 hours. This is a microscope photograph. It can be seen that cracks are occurring from the top to the bottom of the photograph. However, the crack did not progress further inward (to the lower right side) than the crack prevention region 110. You can see that.

[0325] FIG. 19(A) shows the optical properties of comparative sample b after it was kept in a high-temperature, high-humidity environment for about 600 hours. A crack is seen on the left side of the photograph, and the crack is located in the scanning line driving circuit. It can be seen that the damage has progressed to the

[0326] In addition, the cracks in the comparative sample b were measured using a different material for the insulating layer 142. When the cross section of the cracked portion was observed, it was found that a crack had occurred in the buffer layer 120. It was confirmed (FIG. 20). The insulating layer 142 of the sample was a polyimide layer having a thickness of about 2.0 μm. From the above results, it is considered that the crack prevention region 110 is in contact with the buffer layer 120. It is believed that by providing the buffer layer 120 in this manner, the progression of cracks occurring in the buffer layer 120 can be suppressed. can be.

[0327] From the above, it is believed that providing a crack prevention layer on the outer periphery of the display device can prevent cracks. It was confirmed that the progression of [Explanation of symbols]

[0328] 100 display device 101 Substrate 102 Display section 103 Signal line driver circuit 104 Scanning line driving circuit 105 External connection terminal 110 Crack Suppression Area 111 Transistor 112 Transistor 113 Transistor 114 Light emitting element 115 Crack Suppression Area 120 Buffer Layer 120a Buffer layer 120b Buffer layer 121 Substrate 122 Crack prevention layer 123 Covering layer 124 Marker 125 Adhesive layer 126 Black Matrix 127 Color Filter 128 Organic resin layer 131 Adhesive layer 132 Buffer Layer 133 Gate electrode 134 Insulating Layer 135 Semiconductor Layer 136 Electrode 137 Crack prevention layer 138 Organic resin layer 141 Insulating layer 142 Insulating layer 143 Electrode 144 Insulating Layer 145 Insulating Layer 151 EL layer 152 Electrode 153 Sealing layer 154 Sealing material 155 FPC 156 Connectors 161 Support substrate 162 Peeling layer 163 Support Substrate 164 Peeling layer 200 Light Emitting Module 201 Touch Sensor 210 Crack Suppression Area 220 Buffer Layer 221 Substrate 222 Crack prevention layer 225 Adhesive layer 231 Wiring 232 Wiring 233 Insulating Layer 234 Electrode 235 Electrode 236 Insulating Layer 255 connections 256 FPC 300 display device 311 Transistor 312 Transistor 314 Liquid crystal elements 327 Color Filter 333 Gate electrode 334 Insulating Layer 335 Semiconductor Layer 336 Electrode 338 Insulating Layer 339 Insulating Layer 343 Electrode 352 Electrode 353 Liquid crystal 400 Light Emitting Device 401 Electrode 402 EL layer 403 Electrode 405 Insulation Layer 406 Conductive Layer 407 Sealing layer 410 Crack prevention layer 411 Diffuser 413 Touch Sensor 416 Conductive Layer 419 Substrate 420 Buffer Layer 422 Adhesive layer 424 Buffer Layer 428 Substrate 450 Light emitting element 7100 Mobile Phone 7101 Case 7102 Display section 7103 Operation button 7104 External connection port 7105 Speaker 7106 Microphone 7107 Camera 7108 Icon 7200 Portable display device 7201 Case 7202 Display section 7203 Operation button 7204 Transmitting and receiving equipment 7300 Mobile Information Terminal 7301 Case 7302 Display section 7303 Band 7304 Buckle 7305 Operation button 7306 Input / output terminal 7307 Icon 7410 Portable Information Terminals 7412 Display Panel 7413 Hinge 7415 Case 7420 Mobile Information Terminal 7422 Display section 7425 Hidden part 7430 Mobile Information Terminals 7433 Display section 7435 Case 7436 Case 7437 Information 7439 Operation button 7440 Mobile Information Terminals 7450 Mobile Information Terminal 7451 Case 7455 Information 7456 Information 7457 Information 7458 Display section 8000 Lighting Equipment 8001 Daibu 8002 Light emitting part 8003 Operation switch 8010 Lighting equipment 8012 Light emitting part 8020 Lighting equipment 8022 Light emitting part

Claims

[Claim 1] The device includes a first flexible substrate, a second flexible substrate, a first buffer layer, a first crack prevention layer, and a light emitting element; a first surface of the first flexible substrate and a second surface of the second flexible substrate are provided opposite to each other; the first buffer layer and the first crack prevention layer are provided on the first surface of the first flexible substrate; the first buffer layer and the first crack suppression layer overlap each other; The light emitting device, wherein the light emitting element is provided on the second surface of the second flexible substrate.

Images