Light-emitting device, display device, photoelectric conversion device, electronic apparatus, illumination device, and mobile body

Abstract

A light-emitting device (100) includes a substrate (150) that has: a pixel region (110) that includes a plurality of pixels (101) that each include a light-emitting element; and a peripheral region (120) that includes a circuit for causing the light-emitting elements to emit light. The pixel region includes transistors (351) that are separated by element separation regions (302) that are groove structures that have a first depth (361) from the surface of the substrate, and the peripheral region includes transistors (352) that are separated by element separation regions (301) that are groove structures that have a second depth (362) from the surface of the substrate, the first depth being deeper than the second depth.

Description

Light-emitting device, display device, photoelectric conversion device, electronic device, lighting device, and mobile object

[0001] The present invention relates to a light-emitting device, a display device, a photoelectric conversion device, an electronic device, a lighting device, and a moving object.

[0002] Light-emitting devices are known that include pixels that include light-emitting elements using organic electroluminescence (EL) elements or the like. The light-emitting device includes a plurality of pixels arranged in a pixel region and peripheral circuits for driving the pixels. The transistors arranged in the pixel region are required to have high voltage resistance in order to pass currents to the light-emitting elements according to the voltages of various luminance signals. On the other hand, the transistors arranged in the peripheral circuits are required to have high switching characteristics. Patent Document 1 shows that, depending on the operating voltage of the transistors, low-voltage driving transistors are isolated by STI, and high-voltage transistors are isolated by LOCOS.

[0003] JP 2008-172264 A

[0004] In order to increase the resolution of the pixel region, it is necessary to reduce the element isolation region between transistors arranged in the pixel region, which requires high voltage resistance.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a technique that is advantageous for achieving high definition in a pixel area.

[0006] In view of the above problems, a light-emitting device according to an embodiment of the present invention is a light-emitting device including a substrate on which a pixel region having a plurality of pixels each including a light-emitting element and a peripheral region including a circuit for causing the light-emitting element to emit light is arranged, wherein the pixel region is arranged with transistors isolated by an isolation region having a groove structure at a first depth from the surface of the substrate, and the peripheral region is arranged with transistors isolated by an isolation region having a groove structure at a second depth from the surface, and the first depth is greater than the second depth.

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a technique that is advantageous for achieving high definition in the pixel area.

[0008] Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which the same or similar elements are designated by the same reference numerals.

[0009] 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a light emitting device of this embodiment. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of the light emitting device of FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a manufacturing method of the light emitting device of FIG. 1. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a manufacturing method of the light emitting device of FIG. 1. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a manufacturing method of the light emitting device of FIG. 1. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of a pixel of the light emitting device of this embodiment. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of a pixel of the light emitting device of this embodiment. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of an image forming device using the light emitting device of this embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an image forming device using the light emitting device of this embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of an image forming device using the light emitting device of this embodiment. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a display device using the light emitting device of this embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a photoelectric conversion device using the light emitting device of this embodiment. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of an electronic device using the light emitting device of this embodiment. FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of a display device using the light emitting device of this embodiment. FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an example of a display device using the light emitting device of this embodiment. FIG. 17 is a diagram showing an example of a lighting device using the light emitting device of this embodiment. FIG. 18 is a diagram showing an example of a moving object using the light emitting device of this embodiment. FIG. 19 is a diagram showing an example of a wearable device using the light emitting device of this embodiment. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a wearable device using the light-emitting device of the present embodiment.

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention claimed. Although multiple features are described in the embodiments, not all of these multiple features are necessarily essential to the invention, and multiple features may be combined arbitrarily. Furthermore, in the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals are used to designate the same or similar components, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0011] A light-emitting device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a light-emitting device 100 according to this embodiment. The light-emitting device 100 includes a substrate 150 on which a pixel region 110 including a plurality of pixels 101, each including a light-emitting element, and a peripheral region 120 including a circuit for causing the light-emitting elements to emit light are arranged. The plurality of pixels 101 are arranged two-dimensionally in the pixel region 110. The peripheral region 120 includes a control circuit 106, a vertical scanning circuit 102, and a signal output circuit 104. The signal output circuit 104 includes a horizontal scanning circuit 107, a column digital-to-analog conversion circuit (column DAC circuit) 108, and a column driver circuit 109.

[0012] The control circuit 106 performs digital signal processing in response to input data input from outside the light-emitting device 100, and controls the vertical scanning circuit 102 and the signal output circuit 104. The vertical scanning circuit 102 and the signal output circuit 104 scan the plurality of pixels 101 in accordance with the control circuit 106. More specifically, to each of the plurality of pixels 101, a control signal is input from the vertical scanning circuit 102 via a scanning line 103, and luminance signal data (voltage signal) is input from the signal output circuit 104 via a signal line 105. The column DAC circuit 108 converts the digital image data supplied from the control circuit 106, which is scanned by the horizontal scanning circuit 107 and input to each column, into an analog signal voltage. The column driver circuit 109 supplies the luminance signal data corresponding to the analog signal voltage to the plurality of pixels 101 via the signal line 105.

[0013] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of an element mounted on the light-emitting device 100 of this embodiment. The light-emitting device 100 is formed in and on a substrate 150 made of a semiconductor material such as silicon. The substrate 150 may also be referred to as a semiconductor substrate. As described above, the light-emitting device 100 includes a pixel region 110 and a peripheral region 120. FIG. 2 shows a portion of a transistor 351 arranged in the pixel region 110 and a portion of a transistor 352 arranged in the peripheral region 120. The pixel region 110 includes the transistor 351, which is isolated by a trench isolation region 302 having a depth 361 from the surface 360 ​​of the substrate 150. The peripheral region 120 includes the transistor 352, which is isolated by a trench isolation region 301 having a depth 362 from the surface 360 ​​of the substrate 150. The depth 361 of the isolation region 302 and the depth 362 of the isolation region 301 are different from each other. Specifically, a depth 361 of the element isolation region 302 is deeper than a depth 362 of the element isolation region 301. Details will be described later.

[0014] 2, the transistors 351 and 352 are described as having a P conductivity type (P-channel transistor), but may also have an N conductivity type (N-channel transistor). The transistor 351 is an example of a transistor provided in each of the multiple pixels 101 arranged in the pixel region 110. The transistor 352 is an example of a transistor provided in each of the control circuit 106, vertical scanning circuit 102, and signal output circuit 104 arranged in the peripheral region 120.

[0015] The transistors 351 and 352 may include an N-type well 320, a P-type lightly doped region 321, a P-type diffusion region 322 functioning as a source or drain, a gate electrode 303, sidewalls 304, and a silicide prevention film 305. Each of the transistors 351 is isolated by an element isolation region 302, and each of the transistors 352 is isolated by an element isolation region 301. A silicide 306 may be disposed on the surface of the gate electrode 303 or the surface of the diffusion region 322. Regions of the surface of the substrate 150 where the silicide 306 is not formed may be covered with the silicide prevention film 305. An interlayer film 307, a plug 308, a wiring pattern 309, a metal electrode 310, and the like are disposed on the silicide 306. The metal electrodes 310 may be individually disposed in the pixel region 110 corresponding to the sub-pixels 331, 332, and 333, respectively. Furthermore, the metal electrode 310 may be continuously disposed in the peripheral region 120 and function as a light-shielding layer. An optical adjustment layer 334 having a thickness that satisfies the optical interference conditions for the emitted light color may be disposed on the metal electrode 310 of each of the sub-pixels 331 to 333. A transparent electrode 335, a pixel separation layer 336, an organic light-emitting layer 337, and a transparent electrode 338 are disposed on the optical adjustment layer 334. A sealing film 339 is disposed on the transparent electrode 338. A color filter 341 having spectral characteristics corresponding to each of the sub-pixels 331 to 333 is disposed on the sealing film 339. A color filter 341b that transmits blue light is disposed in the sub-pixel 331. A color filter 341g that transmits green light is disposed in the sub-pixel 332. A color filter 341r that transmits red light is disposed in the sub-pixel 333. This provides light emission according to the luminance signals of the sub-pixels 331 to 333. One pixel 101 can be composed of, for example, the sub-pixels 331 to 333. In the sub-pixels 331 to 333, the transparent electrode 335 may function as an anode, and the transparent electrode 338 may function as a cathode. Alternatively, the transparent electrode 335 may function as a cathode, and the transparent electrode 338 may function as an anode. As shown in FIG. 2 , the transparent electrode 338 may be shared by multiple sub-pixels 331 to 333 (multiple pixels 101).

[0016] The transistors 351 arranged in the pixel region 110 are required to have high voltage resistance in order to pass currents corresponding to the voltages of various luminance signals to the light-emitting elements. On the other hand, some of the transistors 352 arranged in the peripheral region 120 are required to have high switching characteristics. In other words, a higher voltage may be applied to the transistors 351 arranged in the pixel region 110 than to the transistors 352 arranged in the peripheral region 120. Therefore, the transistors 351 are isolated by element isolation regions 301 with a depth 361, and the transistors 352 are isolated by element isolation regions 302 with a depth 362 shallower than the depth 361. By arranging the element isolation regions 301 and 302 according to the voltage resistance (applied voltage) required for the transistors 351 and 352, it is possible to reduce the circuit size of the peripheral region 120 while maintaining the voltage resistance in the pixel region 110.

[0017] Furthermore, in order to increase the resolution of the pixel region 110, it is necessary to reduce the isolation width between the transistors 351 arranged in the pixel region 110, which require a high breakdown voltage. It is difficult to reduce the isolation width when using LOCOS. If the isolation width is reduced, a leakage current may occur due to a decrease in breakdown voltage, which may increase power consumption. In contrast, in this embodiment, an isolation region 301 having a trench structure deeper than the isolation region 302 between the transistors 352 arranged in the peripheral region 120 is used to separate the transistors 351, which require a high breakdown voltage. The isolation regions 301, 302 are isolation regions with a so-called shallow trench isolation (STI) structure. The isolation with the STI structure allows the isolation width between the transistors 351 to be reduced more than with isolation using LOCOS. This reduces the spacing between the transistors 351 arranged in the pixel region 110, enabling the pixels 101 to be arranged at a higher density.

[0018] Here, we continue to consider the transistors 352 arranged in the peripheral region 120. The transistors 352 arranged in the control circuit 106 and the horizontal scanning circuit 107 in the peripheral region 120 are required to have high switching characteristics. On the other hand, the transistors 352 arranged in the column DAC circuit 108 and the column driver circuit 109 can be driven at a higher voltage than the transistors 352 arranged in the control circuit 106 and the horizontal scanning circuit 107. Furthermore, the transistors 352 arranged in the vertical scanning circuit 102 can include transistors driven at a voltage equivalent to that of the transistors 352 arranged in the control circuit 106 and the horizontal scanning circuit 107, and transistors driven at a higher voltage than the transistors 352 arranged in the control circuit 106 and the horizontal scanning circuit 107. Therefore, the transistors 352 may be arranged in the peripheral region 120 and isolated by an isolation region having a trench structure that is deeper from the surface 360 ​​of the substrate 150 than the isolation region 301. The element isolation region may have, for example, the same depth 361 as the element isolation region 302. Hereinafter, the element isolation region deeper than the element isolation region 301 will be referred to as the element isolation region 302.

[0019] For example, transistors 352 arranged in the control circuit 106 and the horizontal scanning circuit 107 are isolated by an isolation region 301 having a depth of 362. In contrast, transistors 352 arranged in the column DAC circuit 108 and the column driver circuit 109 may be isolated by an isolation region 302 that is deeper (for example, having a depth of 361) than the isolation region 301. Furthermore, the transistors 352 arranged in the vertical scanning circuit 102 may include transistors that are isolated by the isolation region 301 and transistors that are isolated by the isolation region 302. As a result, even in the peripheral region 120, by arranging the isolation regions 301 and 302 according to the withstand voltage (applied voltage) required for the transistors 352 for each configuration, it is possible to reduce the circuit size while maintaining the required withstand voltage.

[0020] Next, a description will be given of a method for manufacturing the light emitting device 100. An example of a process for forming the element isolation region 301 and the element isolation region 302 is shown in Figures 3A to 3D.

[0021] First, a hard mask including silicon oxide 401, polysilicon 402, and silicon nitride 403 is formed on the substrate 150. Next, a photoresist 404 is formed, and then the photoresist 404 is patterned using a photolithography process only in the region where the element isolation region 301 is to be formed. After the photoresist 404 is patterned, trenches 391 that form the element isolation region 301 are formed using dry etching or the like, as shown in FIG. 3A .

[0022] Next, photoresist 404 is removed, and then photoresist 405 is formed, and photolithography is used to pattern photoresist 405 only in the region where element isolation region 302 is to be formed. After patterning photoresist 405, trench 392 that constitutes element isolation region 302 is formed by dry etching or the like, as shown in FIG. 3B . Here, trench 391 is formed before trench 392, but trench 391 may also be formed after trench 392 is formed.

[0023] By setting the depths of trenches 391 and 392 to arbitrary depths, a depth 362 of the groove structure of element isolation region 301 from the surface 360 ​​of substrate 150 and a depth 361 of the groove structure of element isolation region 302 from the surface 360 ​​of substrate 150 are determined. For example, depth 362 of the groove structure (trench 391) of element isolation region 301 may be approximately 100 to 400 nm. Also, for example, depth 361 of the groove structure (trench 392) of element isolation region 302 may be approximately 400 to 800 nm. For example, depth 361 may be 300 nm or more deeper than depth 362.

[0024] 2 , for example, in the trench structure of the element isolation region 301 having a depth 362, the aspect ratio obtained by dividing the depth 362 of the trench structure by the width in the lateral direction of the trench structure may be 1 or greater. The width in the lateral direction of the trench structure of the element isolation region 301 may be the width in a direction intersecting (orthogonal) the direction in which the trench structure of the element isolation region 301 extends, for example, at the same height as the surface 360 ​​of the substrate 150. Similarly, for example, in the trench structure of the element isolation region 302 having a depth 361, the aspect ratio obtained by dividing the depth 361 of the trench structure by the width in the lateral direction of the trench structure may be 1 or greater. The width in the lateral direction of the trench structure of the element isolation region 302 may be the width in a direction intersecting (orthogonal) the direction in which the trench structure of the element isolation region 302 extends, for example, at the same height as the surface 360 ​​of the substrate 150.

[0025] Next, as shown in FIG. 3C , an insulating film 406 is formed to fill trenches 391 and 392, which are groove structures that form element isolation regions 301 and 302. Specifically, first, an insulating film is formed on the side and bottom surfaces of trenches 391 and 392 by thermal oxidation in an oxidizing gas atmosphere. Then, an insulator is formed to fill trenches 391 and 392 so as to cover the insulating film formed along the inner walls of trenches 391 and 392. The insulator filled in trenches 391 and 392 may be, for example, silicon oxide formed using a high-density plasma CVD method. The insulator filled in the trenches is formed to a thickness that fills trenches 391 and 392, which are groove structures that form element isolation regions 301 and 302. The insulator filled in trenches 391 and 392 is planarized, for example, by a combination of etching and chemical mechanical polishing (CMP).

[0026] After the insulator is planarized, the silicon nitride 403 and polysilicon 402 are removed as shown in FIG. 3D . Before removing the polysilicon 402, the thickness of the insulator in the trenches 391 and 392 may be adjusted using wet etching or the like. The depths of the trenches 391 and 392, which are groove structures, are different in the element isolation region 301 and the element isolation region 302, as described above. Therefore, the protrusion amount of the insulator embedded in the groove structure (trench 391) of depth 362 in the element isolation region 301 relative to the surface 360 ​​of the substrate 150 may be different from the protrusion amount of the insulator embedded in the groove structure (trench 392) of depth 361 in the element isolation region 302 relative to the surface 360 ​​of the substrate 150. In addition, wet etching or the like may be used to control the amount of protrusion of the insulator embedded in the groove structure (trench 391) of depth 362 of the element isolation region 301 relative to the surface 360 ​​of the substrate 150 so that it is the same as the amount of protrusion of the insulator embedded in the groove structure (trench 392) of depth 361 of the element isolation region 302 relative to the surface 360 ​​of the substrate 150.

[0027] The manufacturing method will be further described below with reference to Fig. 2. After element isolation regions 301 and 302 are formed in the step shown in Fig. 3D, silicon oxide is formed on the surface of substrate 150 by, for example, thermal oxidation. This silicon oxide film is provided for purposes such as suppressing channeling during ion implantation.

[0028] Furthermore, with a predetermined region masked with photoresist or the like, an N-type well 320 is formed by multi-stage ion implantation. The multi-stage ion implantation is performed, for example, at an acceleration energy of 10 to 2000 keV and a dose of 1×10 １１ ~5 x 10 １３ cm －２ The dose can be adjusted within a range of about 1 / 200 to 1 / 200, and the dose may be changed depending on the depth of multi-stage ion implantation. For example, a high-concentration well may be formed in a region shallower than the bottom of the element isolation region 301 and the element isolation region 302, and a low-concentration well may be formed in a region deeper than the bottom of the element isolation region 301 and the element isolation region 302.

[0029] Next, after forming the gate insulating film and the gate electrode 303, a predetermined region is masked with a photoresist or the like, and an N-type lightly doped region 321 is formed by ion implantation. The ion implantation is performed, for example, at an acceleration energy of 10 to 150 keV and a dose of 1×10 １１ ~5 x 10 １４ cm －２ The dose can be adjusted within a range of about 100 .mu.m, and the dose may be varied depending on the depth using multi-stage ion implantation.

[0030] After the lightly doped region 321 is formed, the sidewall 304 is formed. The sidewall 304 may be formed by depositing silicon oxide and silicon nitride and then etching back the deposited silicon oxide and silicon nitride. The sidewall 304 may have a single layer structure of silicon oxide or silicon nitride, or may have a multilayer structure.

[0031] Next, with a predetermined region masked with photoresist or the like, a P-type diffusion region 322 that functions as a source or drain is formed by ion implantation. At this time, in order to form a transistor having an offset structure, a resist pattern may be formed such that the P-type diffusion region 322 is formed a predetermined distance away from the end of the gate electrode 303. The ion implantation is performed, for example, at an acceleration energy of 3 to 30 keV and a dose of 1×10 １３ ~7 x 10 １５ cm －２ After the ion implantation, a heat treatment is carried out to activate the dopants.

[0032] As described above, the depth 361 of the trench structure (trench 392) of the element isolation region 302 may be formed 300 nm or more deeper than the depth 362 of the trench structure (trench 391) of the element isolation region 301. In addition, the minimum width of the trench structure (trench 391) of the element isolation region 301 in the lateral direction may be 0.1 μm or more and 0.2 μm or less. Furthermore, the minimum width of the trench structure (trench 392) of the element isolation region 302 in the lateral direction may be 0.2 μm or more and 0.5 μm or less. For example, the width of the trench structure (trench 392) of the element isolation region 302 with the depth 361 may be wider than the width of the trench structure (trench 391) of the element isolation region 301 with the depth 362. The depth and width of the trench structures (trench 391, 392) of the element isolation regions 301, 302 can be changed as appropriate depending on the voltages applied to the transistors 351, 352. For example, for a transistor 352 with a low voltage applied between the source and drain, the element isolation region 301 can be shallower than the element isolation region 302, thereby reducing the opening width of the trench structure (trench 391) of the element isolation region 301. This reduces the circuit size. Furthermore, considering the same size of the substrate 150, arranging more transistors can contribute to improving the functionality of the light-emitting device 100. While the present embodiment illustrates an example in which element isolation regions with trench structures of two different depths are provided, element isolation regions with trench structures of two or more different depths may also be provided.

[0033] As described above, the depth 361 of the element isolation region 302 can be formed deeper than the depth 362 of the element isolation region 301. In this case, if the depth 362 of the trench structure of the element isolation region 302 is made deeper than the bottom of the well 320, the potential of the well 320 may be in a floating state for each transistor, which may cause a leak current. Therefore, the trench structure of the element isolation region 302 may be formed shallower than the bottom of the N-type well 320.

[0034] After dopant activation, a silicide prevention film 305 is formed to define a region where silicide 306 is to be formed. For example, the silicide prevention film 305 is disposed on the lightly doped region 321 so that silicide 306 is not formed on the lightly doped region 321. Silicon oxide or the like can be used for the silicide prevention film 305.

[0035] After the formation of the anti-silicide film 305, a metal layer is formed and heat treatment is performed to form the silicide 306. After the formation of the silicide 306, the metal layer on the anti-silicide film 305 is removed. The metal layer for forming the silicide 306 may be made of cobalt, nickel, titanium, platinum, tungsten, palladium, or the like.

[0036] After the silicide 306 is formed, an interlayer film 307, plugs 308 disposed in the interlayer film 307, and a wiring pattern 309 are formed. Next, a metal electrode 310 is formed, and optical adjustment layers 334 of different thicknesses that correspond to the interference of the emission wavelengths of the sub-pixels 331 to 333 are formed on the metal electrode 310. A transparent electrode 335, a pixel separation layer 336 for separating the pixels, an organic light-emitting layer 337, and a transparent electrode 338 are formed in this order on the optical adjustment layer 334. Furthermore, a sealing film 339, a planarization layer 340, and a color filter 341 are formed on the transparent electrode 338.

[0037] The light emitting device 100 can be manufactured using the above-described steps. However, the light emitting device 100 does not necessarily have to be formed using the above-described manufacturing method and process order, and various process permutations and modifications are possible. The above-described embodiments merely exemplify several aspects to which the present disclosure can be applied, and do not prevent appropriate modifications and variations within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0038] Fig. 4 is a diagram showing a modified example of the light-emitting device 100 shown in Fig. 2. In the configuration shown in Fig. 4, the element isolation region 302 having a groove structure extending from the surface 360 ​​of the substrate 150 to a depth 361 shown in Fig. 2 is changed to an element isolation region 500. In the configuration shown in Fig. 4, the configuration other than the element isolation region 500 may be the same as the configuration shown in Fig. 2, and therefore, the following description will focus on the element isolation region 500, and descriptions of the other configurations will be omitted as appropriate.

[0039] The trench structure of the element isolation region 500 at a depth 361 includes a portion 501 extending from the surface 360 ​​of the substrate 150 to a depth 363, and a portion 502 extending from the depth 363 to the depth 361. The trench structure of the element isolation region 500 has a two-stage structure in which the portion 502 extends from a part of the portion 501 at the depth 363. It can be said that the trench structure of the element isolation region 500 is formed by combining two types of trenches.

[0040] In the trench structure of the element isolation region 500, for example, the length from depth 363 to depth 361 (the depthwise length of portion 502) may be equal to or greater than the length from the surface 360 ​​of the substrate 150 to depth 363 (the depthwise length of portion 501). Furthermore, for example, the width in the lateral direction of portion 501 may be wider than the width in the lateral direction of portion 502. Here, the width in the lateral direction of portion 501 may be the width at the same height as the surface 360 ​​of the substrate 150 in a direction intersecting (orthogonal) the direction in which the trench structure of the element isolation region 500 (portion 501) extends. Furthermore, the width in the lateral direction of portion 502 may be the width of portion 502 from the surface 360 ​​of the substrate 150 to depth 363 in a direction intersecting (orthogonal) the direction in which the trench structure of the element isolation region 500 (portion 502) extends.

[0041] The trench constituting the portion 502 of the trench structure of the element isolation region 500 may be a trench with a so-called deep trench isolation (DTI) structure. Furthermore, the trench constituting the portion 501 of the trench structure of the element isolation region 500 may be a trench with an STI structure, similar to the trenches 391 and 392 constituting the trench structures of the above-described element isolation regions 301 and 302. In the element isolation region 500, the aspect ratio obtained by dividing the depth of the portion 502 by the depth of the portion 501 may be 1 or greater, and the portion 502 may be formed deeper (longer) than the portion 501. Furthermore, by making the width of the portion 501 in the lateral direction larger than the width of the portion 502 in the lateral direction, the width of the active region of the transistor 351 can be arbitrarily controlled by the width of the portion 501 of the element isolation region 500.

[0042] In the configuration shown in FIG. 4 , the element isolation region 500 has a two-stage stacked structure. Therefore, for example, a portion 501 of the element isolation region 500 and the element isolation region 301 may be formed simultaneously using the same process. In this case, for example, a depth 362 from the surface 360 ​​of the substrate 150 may be the same as a depth 363 from the surface 360 ​​of the substrate 150. The portion 501 of the element isolation region 500 and the element isolation region 301 are formed simultaneously. This has the effect of making the protrusion amounts from the surface 360 ​​of the substrate 150 of the insulator filled in the groove structure of the element isolation region 500 (portion 501) and the insulator filled in the groove structure of the element isolation region 301 approximately the same. Having a constant protrusion amount improves the flatness of the substrate 150 during processing, enabling finer processing when forming the gate electrode 303, etc.

[0043] Furthermore, compared to the trench structure of the element isolation region 302 shown in FIG. 2 , the depth of the trench structure of the portion 501 of the element isolation region 500 can be made shallower, which may make it easier to fill the trench structure of the portion 501 with an insulator than to fill the trench structure of the element isolation region 302 with an insulator. Therefore, it is possible to form the width of the trench structure of the portion 501 in the lateral direction to be smaller than the width of the element isolation region 302 in the lateral direction. As a result, it is possible to increase the arrangement density of the transistors 351 isolated using the element isolation region 500. This enables, for example, high-definition pixels 101. Furthermore, as described above, among the transistors 352 arranged in the peripheral region 120, transistors arranged in the column DAC circuit 108 and the column driver circuit 109 may be isolated by the element isolation region 500 that is deeper than the element isolation region 301. Furthermore, among the transistors 352 arranged in the peripheral region 120, transistors arranged as part of the transistors arranged in the vertical scanning circuit 102 may be isolated by the element isolation region 500. This makes it possible to improve the layout density of the transistors 351 and 352 that are isolated using the isolation region 500. This makes it possible to reduce the circuit size while maintaining the required breakdown voltage.

[0044] 5A and 5B to 13A and 13B, application examples in which the light-emitting device 100 of this embodiment is applied to an image forming device, a display device, a photoelectric conversion device, an electronic device, a lighting device, a mobile object, and a wearable device will be described. The description will be made assuming that light-emitting elements, such as organic EL elements using an organic light-emitting material, are arranged in the pixels arranged in the light-emitting device 100. First, details of each component arranged in the pixel of the light-emitting device 100 will be shown, and then application examples will be described.

[0045] Structure of Organic Light-Emitting Element The organic light-emitting element is provided by forming an insulating layer, a first electrode, an organic compound layer, and a second electrode on a substrate. A protective layer, a color filter, a microlens, etc. may be provided on the cathode. When a color filter is provided, a planarizing layer may be provided between the protective layer and the color filter. The planarizing layer may be made of an acrylic resin or the like. The same applies when a planarizing layer is provided between the color filter and the microlens.

[0046] Substrate Examples of the substrate include quartz, glass, silicon wafer, resin, and metal. Furthermore, the substrate may be provided with switching elements such as transistors and wiring patterns, and an insulating layer may be provided thereon. When a silicon wafer is used as the substrate, the active layer, source region, and drain region of the transistor are formed within the substrate. Furthermore, it is suitable because it allows transistors to be densely arranged. The insulating layer may be made of any material as long as it allows contact holes to be formed so that a wiring pattern can be formed between the first electrode and the substrate, and insulation from unconnected wiring patterns is ensured. For example, the insulating layer may be made of a resin such as polyimide, silicon oxide, silicon nitride, or the like.

[0047] Electrodes A pair of electrodes can be used as the electrodes. The pair of electrodes may be an anode and a cathode. When an electric field is applied in the direction in which the organic light-emitting element emits light, the electrode with a higher potential is the anode, and the other is the cathode. It can also be said that the electrode that supplies holes to the light-emitting layer is the anode, and the electrode that supplies electrons is the cathode.

[0048] The anode may be made of a material with a high work function. For example, a metal such as gold, platinum, silver, copper, nickel, palladium, cobalt, selenium, vanadium, or tungsten, a mixture containing these metals, or an alloy of these metals, or a metal oxide such as tin oxide, zinc oxide, indium oxide, indium tin oxide (ITO), or zinc indium oxide, may be used. Alternatively, a conductive polymer such as polyaniline, polypyrrole, or polythiophene may be used as the anode.

[0049] These electrode materials may be used alone or in combination of two or more. The anode may be composed of one layer or multiple layers.

[0050] When the electrode is used as a reflective electrode, for example, chromium, aluminum, silver, titanium, tungsten, molybdenum, or an alloy thereof, or a laminate of these, can be used. The above materials can also function as a reflective film without functioning as an electrode. Furthermore, when a transparent electrode is used as the electrode, a transparent conductive oxide layer such as indium tin oxide (ITO) or indium zinc oxide can be used, but is not limited to these. Photolithography technology can be used to form the electrode.

[0051] On the other hand, a material with a low work function may be selected as the cathode material. Examples include alkali metals such as lithium, alkaline earth metals such as calcium, and metals such as aluminum, titanium, manganese, silver, lead, and chromium, as well as mixtures containing these metals. Alternatively, alloys combining these metals may be used. For example, magnesium-silver, aluminum-lithium, aluminum-magnesium, silver-copper, and zinc-silver may be used. Metal oxides such as indium tin oxide (ITO) may also be used. These electrode materials may be used alone or in combination of two or more. The cathode may have a single-layer structure or a multilayer structure. Silver may be used as the cathode, and a silver alloy may be used to reduce silver aggregation. The alloy ratio is not important as long as silver aggregation is reduced. For example, the silver:other metal ratio may be 1:1, 3:1, or the like.

[0052] The cathode may be a top-emission element using an oxide conductive layer such as ITO, or a bottom-emission element using a reflective electrode such as aluminum (Al), and is not particularly limited. The method for forming the cathode is not particularly limited, but using a DC or AC sputtering method or the like can provide good coverage of the formed film and reduce the resistance of the cathode.

[0053] Pixel Separation Layer The pixel separation layer may be formed of silicon oxides such as silicon nitride (SiN), silicon oxynitride (SiON), or silicon oxide (SiO) formed using a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method. To increase the in-plane resistance of the organic compound layer, the thickness of the organic compound layer, particularly the hole transport layer, may be thinned on the sidewalls of the pixel separation layer. Specifically, the thickness of the organic compound layer on the sidewalls can be thinned by increasing the taper angle of the sidewalls of the pixel separation layer or the thickness of the pixel separation layer, thereby increasing vignetting during deposition.

[0054] On the other hand, the sidewall taper angle and film thickness of the pixel separation layer can be adjusted to an extent that voids are not formed in the protective layer formed thereon. By preventing voids from being formed in the protective layer, the occurrence of defects in the protective layer can be reduced. Since the occurrence of defects in the protective layer is reduced, deterioration of reliability such as the occurrence of dark spots and poor conduction of the second electrode can be reduced.

[0055] According to this embodiment, charge leakage to adjacent pixels can be effectively suppressed even if the taper angle of the sidewall of the pixel separation layer is not steep. As a result of this study, it was found that charge leakage can be sufficiently reduced if the taper angle is in the range of 60 degrees or more and 90 degrees or less. The thickness of the pixel separation layer may be 10 nm or more and 150 nm or less. Similar effects can also be achieved even if the pixel electrode is composed only of a pixel electrode without a pixel separation layer. However, in this case, short circuits in organic light-emitting elements can be reduced by making the thickness of the pixel electrode half or less of the organic layer, or by making the edge of the pixel electrode forward tapered by less than 60 degrees.

[0056] Furthermore, even when the first electrode is a cathode and the second electrode is an anode, a wide color gamut and low voltage driving are possible by forming an electron transporting material and a charge transporting layer, and also by forming a light-emitting layer on the charge transporting layer.

[0057] Organic Compound Layer The organic compound layer may be formed as a single layer or as multiple layers. When multiple layers are included, they may be called hole injection layer, hole transport layer, electron blocking layer, light-emitting layer, hole blocking layer, electron transport layer, electron injection layer, etc., depending on their functions. The organic compound layer is mainly composed of organic compounds but may also contain inorganic atoms or inorganic compounds. The organic compound layer may contain, for example, copper, lithium, magnesium, aluminum, iridium, platinum, molybdenum, zinc, etc. The organic compound layer may be disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode, or may be disposed in contact with the first electrode and the second electrode.

[0058] In the case where a plurality of light-emitting layers are included, a charge generation portion may be provided between the first light-emitting layer and the second light-emitting layer. The charge generation portion may include an organic compound having a lowest unoccupied molecular orbital energy (LUMO) of −5.0 eV or less. The same applies to the case where a charge generation portion is provided between the second light-emitting layer and the third light-emitting layer.

[0059] Protective Layer A protective layer may be provided on the cathode. For example, by adhering glass with a moisture absorbent to the cathode, the intrusion of moisture and other contaminants into the organic compound layer can be reduced, thereby reducing the occurrence of display defects. In another embodiment, a passivation layer such as silicon nitride may be provided on the cathode to reduce the intrusion of moisture and other contaminants into the organic compound layer. For example, after forming the cathode, the cathode may be transferred to another chamber without breaking the vacuum, and silicon nitride with a thickness of 2 μm may be formed by CVD to serve as a protective layer. After forming the protective layer by CVD, a protective layer may be formed by atomic layer deposition (ALD). The material of the protective layer formed by ALD is not limited, and may be silicon nitride, silicon oxide, aluminum oxide, or the like. Silicon nitride may be further formed by CVD on the protective layer formed by ALD. The protective layer formed by ALD may have a smaller thickness than the protective layer formed by CVD. Specifically, the thickness of the protective layer formed by the ALD method may be 50% or less, or even 10% or less, of the thickness of the protective layer formed by the CVD method.

[0060] Color Filter A color filter may be provided on the protective layer. For example, a color filter taking into consideration the size of the organic light-emitting element may be provided on another substrate, and the substrate on which the color filter is formed may be bonded to the substrate on which the organic light-emitting element is provided. Alternatively, for example, a color filter may be patterned on the above-mentioned protective layer using photolithography technology. The color filter may be made of a polymer.

[0061] Planarization Layer A planarization layer may be disposed between the color filter and the protective layer. The planarization layer is provided for the purpose of reducing the unevenness of the layers below the planarization layer. It may also be called a material resin layer without limiting the purpose. The planarization layer may be composed of an organic compound, and may be a low molecular weight or a high molecular weight compound. In consideration of reducing the unevenness, a high molecular weight organic compound may be used for the planarization layer.

[0062] The planarization layers may be provided above and below the color filter. In this case, the constituent materials of the planarization layers may be the same or different. Specific examples of the material for the planarization layer include polyvinyl carbazole resin, polycarbonate resin, polyester resin, ABS resin, acrylic resin, polyimide resin, phenol resin, epoxy resin, silicone resin, and urea resin.

[0063] Microlenses The organic light-emitting device may have an optical component such as a microlens on its light-emitting side. The microlens may be made of acrylic resin, epoxy resin, or the like. The purpose of the microlens may be to increase the amount of light extracted from the organic light-emitting device or to control the direction of the extracted light. The microlens may have a hemispherical shape. When the microlens has a hemispherical shape, among the tangents to the hemisphere, there is a tangent that is parallel to the insulating layer, and the point of contact between this tangent and the hemisphere is the vertex of the microlens. The vertex of the microlens can be determined in the same way in any cross-sectional view. In other words, among the tangents to the semicircle of the microlens in the cross-sectional view, there is a tangent that is parallel to the insulating layer, and the point of contact between this tangent and the semicircle is the vertex of the microlens.

[0064] It is also possible to define the midpoint of a microlens. In the cross section of the microlens, a line segment is imagined from the point where an arc shape ends to the point where another arc shape ends, and the midpoint of this line segment can be called the midpoint of the microlens. The cross section for determining the vertex and midpoint may be a cross section perpendicular to the insulating layer.

[0065] The microlens has a first surface having a convex portion and a second surface opposite the first surface. The second surface can be disposed closer to the functional layer (light-emitting layer) than the first surface. To achieve this configuration, it is necessary to form the microlens on the light-emitting device. If the functional layer is an organic layer, high-temperature processes can be avoided in the microlens manufacturing process. Furthermore, when the second surface is disposed closer to the functional layer than the first surface, the glass transition temperatures of the organic compounds constituting the organic layer may all be 100°C or higher, and are preferably, for example, 130°C or higher.

[0066] Counter substrate A counter substrate may be disposed on the planarization layer. The counter substrate is called a counter substrate because it is provided at a position corresponding to the aforementioned substrate. The constituent material of the counter substrate may be the same as that of the aforementioned substrate. When the aforementioned substrate is the first substrate, the counter substrate may be the second substrate.

[0067] Organic Layer The organic compound layers (hole injection layer, hole transport layer, electron blocking layer, light-emitting layer, hole blocking layer, electron transport layer, electron injection layer, etc.) constituting the organic light-emitting device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may be formed by the method shown below.

[0068] The organic compound layer constituting the organic light-emitting element according to the embodiment of the present disclosure can be formed by a dry process such as vacuum deposition, ionization deposition, sputtering, plasma, etc. Alternatively, a wet process can be used in which a compound is dissolved in an appropriate solvent and a layer is formed by a known coating method (e.g., spin coating, dipping, casting, LB method, inkjet method, etc.).

[0069] Here, when a layer is formed by a vacuum deposition method or a solution coating method, crystallization is unlikely to occur and the layer has excellent stability over time. When a film is formed by a coating method, the film can be formed by combining it with an appropriate binder resin.

[0070] Examples of the binder resin include, but are not limited to, polyvinyl carbazole resin, polycarbonate resin, polyester resin, ABS resin, acrylic resin, polyimide resin, phenol resin, epoxy resin, silicone resin, and urea resin.

[0071] These binder resins may be used singly or in combination as homopolymers or copolymers, and may further contain known additives such as plasticizers, antioxidants, and ultraviolet absorbers, if necessary.

[0072] Pixel Circuit The light-emitting device may have a pixel circuit connected to the light-emitting element. The pixel circuit may be an active matrix type that controls the emission of the first light-emitting element and the second light-emitting element independently. The active matrix type circuit may be voltage-programmed or current-programmed. The drive circuit has a pixel circuit for each pixel. The pixel circuit may have a light-emitting element, a transistor that controls the emission brightness of the light-emitting element, a transistor that controls the emission timing, a capacitor that holds the gate voltage of the transistor that controls the emission brightness, and a transistor for connecting to GND without going through the light-emitting element.

[0073] The light-emitting device has a display region and a peripheral region arranged around the display region. The display region has pixel circuits, and the peripheral region has a display control circuit. The mobility of a transistor constituting the pixel circuit may be lower than the mobility of a transistor constituting the display control circuit.

[0074] The slope of the current-voltage characteristics of the transistors that make up the pixel circuit may be smaller than the slope of the current-voltage characteristics of the transistors that make up the display control circuit. The slope of the current-voltage characteristics can be measured by the so-called Vg-Ig characteristics.

[0075] The transistors that make up the pixel circuit are transistors connected to the light-emitting elements, such as the first light-emitting element.

[0076] Pixels An organic light emitting device includes a plurality of pixels, each of which includes sub-pixels that emit different colors, for example, each of which may emit RGB light.

[0077] A pixel has an area that emits light, also called a pixel aperture. The pixel aperture may be 15 μm or less, or 5 μm or more. More specifically, it may be 11 μm, 9.5 μm, 7.4 μm, 6.4 μm, etc.

[0078] The spacing between the subpixels may be 10 μm or less, and specifically may be 8 μm, 7.4 μm, or 6.4 μm.

[0079] The pixels may be arranged in a known manner in a plan view. For example, they may be in a stripe arrangement, a delta arrangement, a pentile arrangement, or a Bayer arrangement. The shape of the subpixels in a plan view may be any known shape. For example, they may be rectangular, quadrilaterals such as diamonds, or hexagons. Of course, a shape that is close to a rectangle, rather than an exact shape, is included in the rectangle. The shape of the subpixels and the pixel arrangement may be used in combination.

[0080] The organic light-emitting device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure can be used as a component of a display device or a lighting device. Other applications include an exposure light source for an electrophotographic image forming device, a backlight for a liquid crystal display device, and a light-emitting device having a white light source and a color filter.

[0081] The display device may be an image information processing device that has an image input unit that inputs image information from an area CCD, a linear CCD, a memory card, etc., has an information processing unit that processes the input information, and displays the input image on the display unit.

[0082] The display unit of the imaging device or inkjet printer may have a touch panel function. The driving method of this touch panel function may be an infrared method, a capacitance method, a resistive film method, or an electromagnetic induction method, and is not particularly limited. The display device may also be used in the display unit of a multifunction printer.

[0083] Next, further explanation will be provided with reference to the drawings. FIG. 5A shows an example of a pixel arranged in the pixel region 110 of the light-emitting device 100. The pixel includes sub-pixels 810. The sub-pixels are divided into 810R, 810G, and 810B based on their light emission. The emitted colors may be distinguished by the wavelength of light emitted from the light-emitting layer, or the light emitted from the sub-pixels may be selectively transmitted or color-converted using a color filter or the like. Each sub-pixel includes a reflective electrode 802 serving as a first electrode on an interlayer insulating layer 801, an insulating layer 803 covering the edge of the reflective electrode 802, an organic compound layer 804 covering the first electrode and the insulating layer, a transparent electrode 805 serving as a second electrode, a protective layer 806, and a color filter 807.

[0084] A transistor and a capacitor may be disposed below or inside the interlayer insulating layer 801. The transistor and the first electrode may be electrically connected via a contact hole (not shown) or the like.

[0085] The insulating layer 803 may also be called a bank or a pixel separation film. The insulating layer 803 covers the edges of the first electrodes and is disposed to surround the first electrodes. The portions of the first electrodes not covered by the insulating layer 803 are in contact with the organic compound layer 804 and become light-emitting regions.

[0086] The organic compound layer 804 includes a hole injection layer 841 , a hole transport layer 842 , a first light-emitting layer 843 , a second light-emitting layer 844 , and an electron transport layer 845 .

[0087] The second electrode may be a transparent electrode, a reflective electrode, or a semi-transparent electrode.

[0088] The protective layer 806 reduces the penetration of moisture into the organic compound layer. Although the protective layer is illustrated as a single layer, it may be a multi-layer structure. Each layer may include an inorganic compound layer and an organic compound layer.

[0089] The color filters 807 are divided into 807R, 807G, and 807B depending on their colors. The color filters may be formed on a planarization film (not shown). A resin protective layer (not shown) may be disposed on the color filters. The color filters may be formed on a protective layer 806. The color filters may be provided on an opposing substrate such as a glass substrate and then bonded thereto.

[0090] The display device 800 in FIG. 5B (corresponding to the light-emitting device 100 described above) includes an organic light-emitting element 826 and a TFT 818 as an example of a transistor. A substrate 811 made of glass, silicon, or the like is provided with an insulating layer 812 on top of it. An active element such as a TFT 818 is disposed on the insulating layer, along with a gate electrode 813, a gate insulating film 814, and a semiconductor layer 815 of the active element. The TFT 818 also includes a semiconductor layer 815, a drain electrode 816, and a source electrode 817. An insulating film 819 is provided on top of the TFT 818. An anode 821 constituting the organic light-emitting element 826 and the source electrode 817 are connected via a contact hole 820 provided in the insulating film.

[0091] The electrical connection method between the electrodes (anode, cathode) included in the organic light-emitting element 826 and the electrodes (source electrode, drain electrode) included in the TFT is not limited to the mode shown in Fig. 5B. In other words, it is sufficient that either the anode or the cathode is electrically connected to either the TFT source electrode or the drain electrode. TFT stands for thin film transistor.

[0092] 5B shows the organic compound layer as a single layer, the organic compound layer 822 may be a multi-layer structure. A first protective layer 824 and a second protective layer 825 are provided on the cathode 823 to reduce deterioration of the organic light-emitting element.

[0093] Although the display device 800 of FIG. 5B uses transistors as switching elements, other switching elements may be used instead.

[0094] Further, the transistor used in the display device 800 of FIG. 5B is not limited to a transistor using a single crystal silicon wafer, and may be a thin film transistor having an active layer on an insulating surface of a substrate. Examples of the active layer include non-single crystal silicon such as single crystal silicon, amorphous silicon, and microcrystalline silicon, and non-single crystal oxide semiconductors such as indium zinc oxide and indium gallium zinc oxide. Note that a thin film transistor is also called a TFT element.

[0095] The transistor included in the display device 800 of FIG. 5B may be formed in a substrate such as a silicon substrate. Here, being formed in the substrate means manufacturing a transistor by processing the substrate itself such as a silicon substrate. That is, having a transistor in the substrate can also be regarded as the substrate and the transistor being integrally formed.

[0096] The organic light-emitting element according to the present embodiment is controlled in emission luminance by a TFT which is an example of a switching element, and an image can be displayed by the respective emission luminances by providing a plurality of organic light-emitting elements in a plane. Here, the switching element according to the present embodiment is not limited to a TFT, and may be a transistor formed of low-temperature polysilicon or an active matrix driver formed on a substrate such as a silicon substrate. Being on the substrate can also mean being in the substrate. Whether to provide a transistor in the substrate or use a TFT is selected according to the size of the display portion. For example, if the size is about 0.5 inches, an organic light-emitting element may be provided on a silicon substrate.

[0097] FIGS. 6A to 6C are schematic views showing an example of an image forming apparatus using the light-emitting device 100 of the present embodiment. The image forming apparatus 926 shown in FIG. 6A includes a photoreceptor 927, an exposure light source 928, a developing unit 931, a charging unit 930, a transferrer 932, a conveying unit 933 (in the configuration of FIG. 6A, a conveying roller), and a fixing unit 935. The above-described light-emitting device 100 can be used as the exposure light source 928 of the image forming apparatus 926.

[0098] Light 929 is emitted from an exposure light source 928, and an electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of the photoconductor 927. The light-emitting device 100 can be applied to this exposure light source 928. The developing unit 931 contains toner or the like as a developer and can function as a developing device that applies the developer to the exposed photoconductor 927. The charging unit 930 charges the photoconductor 927. The transfer unit 932 transfers the developed image to a recording medium 934. The transport unit 933 transports the recording medium 934. The recording medium 934 can be, for example, paper or film. The fixing unit 935 fixes the image formed on the recording medium.

[0099] 6B and 6C are schematic diagrams showing an exposure light source 928 in which a plurality of light-emitting sections 936 are arranged along the longitudinal direction of a long substrate. The light-emitting device 100 can be applied to these light-emitting sections 936. In other words, a plurality of pixels are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the substrate. A direction 937 is parallel to the axis of the photosensitive member 927. This column direction is the same as the axial direction of the photosensitive member 927 when it rotates. This direction 937 can also be called the long axis direction of the photosensitive member 927.

[0100] FIG. 6B shows a configuration in which the light-emitting units 936 are arranged along the longitudinal axis direction of the photoconductor 927. FIG. 6C shows a modified example of the arrangement of the light-emitting units 936 shown in FIG. 6B, in which the light-emitting units 936 are arranged alternately in the column direction in the first and second columns. The light-emitting units 936 are arranged at different positions in the row direction in the first and second columns. In the first column, multiple light-emitting units 936 are arranged at intervals, and in the second column, light-emitting units 936 are arranged at positions corresponding to the gaps between the light-emitting units 936 in the first column. Multiple light-emitting units 936 are also arranged at intervals in the row direction. The arrangement of the light-emitting units 936 shown in FIG. 6C can be described as, for example, a grid-like arrangement, a houndstooth arrangement, or a checkerboard pattern.

[0101] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a display device using the light-emitting device 100 of this embodiment. The display device 1000 may include a touch panel 1003, a display panel 1005, a frame 1006, a circuit board 1007, and a battery 1008 between an upper cover 1001 and a lower cover 1009. The touch panel 1003 and the display panel 1005 are connected to flexible printed circuits FPCs 1002 and 1004. An active element such as a transistor is disposed on the circuit board 1007. The battery 1008 may not be disposed if the display device 1000 is not a portable device, and even if it is a portable device, it does not need to be disposed in this position. The light-emitting device 100 can be applied to the display panel 1005. Light-emitting elements disposed in the light-emitting device 100 that functions as the display panel 1005 are connected to active elements such as transistors disposed on the circuit board 1007 and operate.

[0102] The display device 1000 shown in FIG. 7 may be used as a display unit of a photoelectric conversion device (which may also be called an imaging device) that has an optical unit with multiple lenses and an imaging element that receives light that has passed through the optical unit and photoelectrically converts it into an electrical signal. The photoelectric conversion device may have a display unit that displays information acquired by the imaging element. The display unit may be a display unit exposed to the outside of the photoelectric conversion device or a display unit located within a viewfinder. The photoelectric conversion device may be a digital camera or a digital video camera.

[0103] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a photoelectric conversion device using the light-emitting device 100 of this embodiment. The photoelectric conversion device 1100 may include a viewfinder 1101, a rear display 1102, an operation unit 1103, and a housing 1104. The photoelectric conversion device 1100 may also be called an imaging device. The light-emitting device 100 of this embodiment can be applied to the viewfinder 1101 or the rear display 1102, which are display units. In this case, the light-emitting device 100 may display not only an image to be captured, but also environmental information, imaging instructions, and the like. The environmental information may include the intensity of external light, the direction of external light, the speed at which the subject moves, the possibility that the subject will be blocked by an obstruction, and the like.

[0104] Since the timing suitable for capturing an image is often very short, it is better to display information as soon as possible. Therefore, a light-emitting device 100 in which pixels including light-emitting elements using an organic light-emitting material such as an organic EL element are arranged may be used in a viewfinder 1101 or a rear display 1102. This is because organic light-emitting materials have a fast response speed. A light-emitting device 100 using an organic light-emitting material is more suitable than a liquid crystal display device for these devices, which require a high display speed.

[0105] The photoelectric conversion device 1100 has an optical section (not shown). The optical section has multiple lenses, and forms an image on a photoelectric conversion element (not shown) housed in a housing 1104 that receives light that has passed through the optical section. The focus of the multiple lenses can be adjusted by adjusting their relative positions. This operation can also be performed automatically.

[0106] The light emitting device 100 may be applied to a display unit of an electronic device. In this case, the light emitting device 100 may have both a display function and an operation function. Examples of the portable terminal include a mobile phone such as a smartphone, a tablet, and a head-mounted display.

[0107] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an electronic device using the light-emitting device 100 of this embodiment. The electronic device 1200 has a display unit 1201, an operation unit 1202, and a housing 1203. The housing 1203 may have a circuit, a printed circuit board having the circuit, a battery, and a communication unit. The operation unit 1202 may be a button or a touch panel type reaction unit. The operation unit 1202 may be a biometric recognition unit that recognizes a fingerprint to perform unlocking, etc. A portable device having a communication unit can also be called a communication device. The light-emitting device 100 of this embodiment can be applied to the display unit 1201.

[0108] 10A and 10B are schematic diagrams illustrating an example of a display device using the light-emitting device 100 of this embodiment. FIG. 10A illustrates a display device such as a television monitor or a PC monitor. The display device 1300 has a frame 1301 and a display unit 1302. The light-emitting device 100 of this embodiment can be applied to the display unit 1302. The display device 1300 may have a base 1303 that supports the frame 1301 and the display unit 1302. The base 1303 is not limited to the form shown in FIG. 10A . For example, the lower side of the frame 1301 may also serve as the base 1303. The frame 1301 and the display unit 1302 may be curved. The radius of curvature may be 5000 mm or more and 6000 mm or less.

[0109] FIG. 10B is a schematic diagram illustrating another example of a display device using the light-emitting device 100 of this embodiment. The display device 1310 of FIG. 10B is configured to be bendable and is a so-called foldable display device. The display device 1310 has a first display unit 1311, a second display unit 1312, a housing 1313, and a bending point 1314. The light-emitting device 100 of this embodiment can be applied to the first display unit 1311 and the second display unit 1312. The first display unit 1311 and the second display unit 1312 may be a single display unit without any joints. The first display unit 1311 and the second display unit 1312 can be separated by the bending point. The first display unit 1311 and the second display unit 1312 may display different images, or the first display unit and the second display unit may display a single image.

[0110] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of an illumination device using the light-emitting device 100 of this embodiment. The illumination device 1400 may include a housing 1401, a light source 1402, a circuit board 1403, an optical film 1404, and a light diffusion unit 1405. The light-emitting device 100 of this embodiment can be applied to the light source 1402. The optical film 1404 may be a filter that improves the color rendering of the light source. The light diffusion unit 1405 can effectively diffuse light from the light source, such as for lighting up, and deliver the light over a wide area. If necessary, a cover may be provided on the outermost part. The illumination device 1400 may include both the optical film 1404 and the light diffusion unit 1405, or only one of them.

[0111] The lighting device 1400 is, for example, a device that illuminates a room. The lighting device 1400 may emit white, daylight white, or any other color from blue to red. It may have a dimming circuit that adjusts the light intensity. The lighting device 1400 may have a power supply circuit connected to the light-emitting device 100 that functions as the light source 1402. The power supply circuit is a circuit that converts AC voltage to DC voltage. White has a color temperature of 4200 K, and daylight white has a color temperature of 5000 K. The lighting device 1400 may also have a color filter. The lighting device 1400 may also have a heat sink. The heat sink dissipates heat from within the device to the outside, and examples of the heat sink include metal with a high specific heat, liquid silicon, etc.

[0112] FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of an automobile having a tail lamp, which is an example of a vehicle lamp using the light-emitting device 100 of this embodiment. The automobile 1500 may have a tail lamp 1501, and may be configured to turn on the tail lamp 1501 when braking or the like is performed. The light-emitting device 100 of this embodiment may be used as a headlamp as a vehicle lamp. An automobile is an example of a mobile body, and the mobile body may be a ship, a drone, an aircraft, a railroad vehicle, an industrial robot, or the like. The mobile body may have a body and a lamp provided thereon. The lamp may indicate the current location of the body.

[0113] The light emitting device 100 of this embodiment can be applied to a tail lamp 1501. The tail lamp 1501 may have a protective member that protects the light emitting device 100 that functions as the tail lamp 1501. The protective member may be made of any material as long as it has a certain degree of strength and is transparent, but may be made of polycarbonate or the like. The protective member may also be made by mixing a furandicarboxylic acid derivative, an acrylonitrile derivative, or the like with polycarbonate.

[0114] The automobile 1500 may have a body 1503 and a window 1502 attached thereto. The window may be a window for checking the front and rear of the automobile, or may be a transparent display such as a head-up display. The light-emitting device 100 of this embodiment may be used in the transparent display. In this case, the constituent materials of the electrodes and the like of the light-emitting device 100 are made of transparent materials.

[0115] 13A and 13B , a further application example of the light emitting device 100 of this embodiment will be described. The light emitting device 100 can be applied to systems that can be worn as a wearable device, such as smart glasses, a head-mounted display (HMD), or smart contact lenses. An image capturing and displaying device used in such an application example includes an image capturing device capable of photoelectrically converting visible light and a light emitting device capable of emitting visible light.

[0116] 13A illustrates glasses 1600 (smart glasses) according to one application example. An imaging device 1602 such as a CMOS sensor or a SPAD is provided on the front side of a lens 1601 of the glasses 1600. Furthermore, the light-emitting device 100 of this embodiment is provided on the back side of the lens 1601.

[0117] The glasses 1600 further include a control device 1603. The control device 1603 functions as a power source that supplies power to the image capture device 1602 and the light emitting device 100 according to each embodiment. The control device 1603 also controls the operations of the image capture device 1602 and the light emitting device 100. The lens 1601 is formed with an optical system for focusing light onto the image capture device 1602.

[0118] FIG. 13B illustrates glasses 1610 (smart glasses) according to one application example. The glasses 1610 include a control device 1612, which is equipped with an imaging device corresponding to the imaging device 1602 and a light-emitting device 100. A lens 1611 includes an optical system for projecting light emitted from the imaging device in the control device 1612 and the light-emitting device 100, and an image is projected onto the lens 1611. The control device 1612 functions as a power source for supplying power to the imaging device and the light-emitting device 100 and controls the operation of the imaging device and the light-emitting device 100. The control device 1612 may also include a gaze detection unit that detects the gaze of the wearer. Infrared light may be used for gaze detection. The infrared light-emitting unit emits infrared light toward the eyeball of a user gazing at a displayed image. An imaging unit having a light-receiving element detects the emitted infrared light reflected from the eyeball, thereby obtaining an image of the eyeball. By providing a reduction means for reducing the amount of light from the infrared light emitting section to the display section in a plan view, degradation of image quality is reduced.

[0119] The gaze of the user relative to the displayed image is detected from an image of the eyeball obtained by capturing infrared light. Any known method can be used for gaze detection using the image of the eyeball. As an example, a gaze detection method based on the Purkinje image formed by reflection of irradiated light on the cornea can be used.

[0120] More specifically, gaze detection processing is performed based on the pupil-corneal reflex method, which calculates a gaze vector representing the direction (rotation angle) of the eyeball based on the pupil image and Purkinje image included in the captured image of the eyeball, thereby detecting the user's gaze.

[0121] The light emitting device 100 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure may include an imaging device having a light receiving element, and may control the display image based on user line of sight information from the imaging device.

[0122] Specifically, the light-emitting device 100 determines a first field of view area where the user gazes and a second field of view area other than the first field of view area based on the line-of-sight information. The first field of view area and the second field of view area may be determined by a control device of the light-emitting device 100, or may be determined by an external control device and received. In the display area of ​​the light-emitting device 100, the display resolution of the first field of view area may be controlled to be higher than the display resolution of the second field of view area. In other words, the resolution of the second field of view area may be lower than that of the first field of view area.

[0123] The display area includes a first display area and a second display area different from the first display area, and a high-priority area is determined from the first display area and the second display area based on line-of-sight information. The first display area and the second display area may be determined by a control device of the light-emitting device 100, or may be determined by an external control device and received. The resolution of the high-priority area may be controlled to be higher than the resolution of areas other than the high-priority area. In other words, the resolution of an area with a relatively low priority may be lowered.

[0124] Note that AI may be used to determine the first field of view area and areas with high priority. The AI ​​may be a model configured to estimate the angle of gaze and the distance to an object in the line of sight from the image of the eyeball, using as training data an image of the eyeball and the actual direction in which the eyeball in the image was looking. The AI ​​program may be included in the light-emitting device 100, the imaging device, or an external device. If included in an external device, it is transmitted to the light-emitting device 100 via communication.

[0125] When display control is performed based on visual recognition detection, the smart glasses can be applied to smart glasses that further include an imaging device for capturing images of the outside world. The smart glasses can display captured outside information in real time.

[0126] The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the following claims are appended to apprise the public of the scope of the invention.

[0127] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-100746, filed June 21, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Claims

1. A light-emitting device including a substrate on which are arranged a pixel region having a plurality of pixels each including a light-emitting element, and a peripheral region including a circuit for causing the light-emitting elements to emit light, wherein the pixel region has transistors isolated by an isolation region having a trench structure at a first depth from the surface of the substrate, and the peripheral region has transistors isolated by an isolation region having a trench structure at a second depth from the surface, and the first depth is greater than the second depth.

2. The light emitting device according to claim 1, wherein the first depth is at least 300 nm deeper than the second depth.

3. A light emitting device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the aspect ratio of the depth divided by the width in the short direction in each of the groove structure of the first depth and the groove structure of the second depth is 1 or more.

4. A light-emitting device as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the groove structure of the first depth includes a first portion from the surface to a third depth and a second portion from the third depth to the first depth, the width of the second portion in the short side direction at the third depth is smaller than the width of the first portion in the short side direction, and the second portion extends from a part of the first portion at the third depth.

5. The light emitting device according to claim 4, wherein the length from the third depth to the first depth is equal to or greater than the length from the surface to the third depth.

6. The light emitting device according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the second depth is the same as the third depth.

7. A light-emitting device described in any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the amount of protrusion from the surface of the insulator embedded in the groove structure of the first depth is the same as the amount of protrusion from the surface of the insulator embedded in the groove structure of the second depth.

8. A light-emitting device described in any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the amount of protrusion from the surface of the insulator embedded in the groove structure of the first depth and the amount of protrusion from the surface of the insulator embedded in the groove structure of the second depth are different from each other.

9. A light emitting device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the width in the lateral direction of the groove structure of the first depth is wider than the width in the lateral direction of the groove structure of the second depth.

10. A light-emitting device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that a transistor isolated by an isolation region having a trench structure at a fourth depth from the surface is arranged in the peripheral region, and the fourth depth is deeper than the second depth.

11. A light-emitting device as described in any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the peripheral area includes a control circuit that performs digital signal processing in accordance with input data, a vertical scanning circuit and a horizontal scanning circuit for scanning the plurality of pixels in accordance with the control circuit, a column DAC circuit that converts digital image data supplied from the control circuit into analog signal voltages, and a column driver circuit that supplies brightness signal data in accordance with the analog signal voltages to the plurality of pixels.

12. The light-emitting device described in claim 10, characterized in that the peripheral area includes a control circuit that performs digital signal processing in accordance with input data, a vertical scanning circuit and a horizontal scanning circuit for scanning the plurality of pixels in accordance with the control circuit, a column DAC circuit that converts digital image data supplied from the control circuit into analog signal voltages, and a column driver circuit that supplies luminance signal data in accordance with the analog signal voltages to the plurality of pixels, and the control circuit has transistors that are isolated by an isolation region having a trench structure of the second depth.

13. The light emitting device according to claim 12, wherein the vertical scanning circuit includes transistors isolated by an isolation region having a trench structure of the second depth.

14. The light emitting device according to claim 13, wherein the vertical scanning circuit further comprises a transistor isolated by an isolation region having a trench structure of the fourth depth.

15. The light emitting device according to any one of claims 12 to 14, wherein the horizontal scanning circuit includes transistors isolated by an isolation region having a trench structure of the second depth.

16. The light emitting device according to any one of claims 12 to 15, wherein the column DAC circuit includes transistors isolated by an isolation region having a trench structure of the fourth depth.

17. The light emitting device according to any one of claims 12 to 16, wherein the column driver circuit includes transistors isolated by an isolation region having a trench structure of the fourth depth.

18. The light emitting device according to any one of claims 10, 12 to 17, wherein the first depth and the fourth depth are the same depth.

19. A display device comprising a light-emitting device according to any one of claims 1 to 18 and an active element connected to said light-emitting device.

20. A photoelectric conversion device comprising an optical unit having a plurality of lenses, an image sensor that receives light that has passed through the optical unit, and a display unit that displays an image, wherein the display unit displays an image captured by the image sensor, and the device comprises a light-emitting device according to any one of claims 1 to 18.

21. An electronic device comprising: a housing in which a display unit is provided; and a communication unit provided in the housing for communicating with the outside, wherein the display unit has a light-emitting device according to any one of claims 1 to 18.

22. A lighting device having a light source and at least one of a light diffusing section and an optical film, wherein the light source has a light emitting device according to any one of claims 1 to 18.

23. A mobile body having a body and a lighting fixture provided on the body, wherein the lighting fixture has a light-emitting device according to any one of claims 1 to 18.

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