Organic Thin Film Transistor with Separated Data and Transparent Electrodes
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Solution Overview
Problem
The manufacturing process of organic thin film transistors is complex and costly due to the need for multiple masks, which is not effectively addressed by the buried data wire structure, and the high resistance of indium tin oxide or indium zinc oxide electrodes is not suited for data wires.
Innovation Solution
A display device with a novel structure featuring an insulating substrate, gate wires, a transparent electrode layer, data wires crossed insulatedly with gate wires, and an organic semiconductor layer, where the data wires are electrically connected to the transparent electrode layer, and a passivation layer is used to improve the transistor characteristics, reducing the number of masks required in the manufacturing process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a buried data wire structure is used to reduce resistance, then electrical conductivity is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase due to complicated processes and multiple masks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the data wire function from the transparent electrode layer by using a separate metal layer for data wires, while the transparent electrode layer only forms source and drain electrodes. This separation allows the transparent electrode to have optimized work function without being constrained by data wire conductivity requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes the transparent electrode layer serve multiple functions: forming source and drain electrodes with appropriate work function, while allowing separate metal data wires to handle conductivity requirements. This multi-functional approach resolves the conflict between work function optimization and conductivity requirements.
2Manufacturing precision
If multiple masks are used to achieve precise transistor structure, then manufacturing precision is improved, but manufacturing cost and process complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the formation of source electrode, drain electrode, and data wire patterns into a single photolithography step by using a combined mask that defines all three structures simultaneously. This merging of operations reduces the number of separate masking steps while maintaining manufacturing precision.
Data Source
AI summary
A display device includes an insulating substrate; a plurality of gate wires formed on the insulating substrate, the plurality of gate wires including a gate electrode; a gate insulating layer covering the plurality of gate wires; a transparent electrode layer formed on the gate insulating layer, the transparent electrode layer including a source electrode and a drain electrode disposed about the gate electrode and spaced apart from each other to define a channel region disposed therebetween; a plurality of data wires covering a predetermined portion of the transparent electrode layer and being crossed insulatedly with the plurality of gate wires to define pixels; and an organic semiconductor layer formed on the channel region for each pixel, a predetermined portion of the organic semiconductor layer being operatively connected with the source electrode, the drain electrode, and the gate electrode to form a transistor having an improved characteristic and a novel structure.