Abstract:
An organic electro luminescence device includes a gate line for supplying a gate signal, a data line for supplying image information that crosses the gate line, a pixel area adjacent to where the gate line and the data line cross over each other, an organic emitting layer formed in the pixel area, a switching unit for switching image information supplied from the data line in response to the gate signal supplied from the gate line, a driving unit for applying an electric field across the organic emitting layer according to the image information supplied through the switching unit and a power line for providing the driving unit with a source voltage, wherein at least one of the gate line, data line and power line is a three-layer structure having an intermediate layer made of copper.

Description:
The present invention claims the benefit of the Korean Patent Application No. 2001-89298 filed in Korea on Dec. 31, 2001, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to an organic electro luminescence device, and more particularly, an organic electro luminescence device with low-resistance wiring. 
     2. Description of the Background Art 
     An organic electro luminescence display using an electro-luminescence (EL) device is seen as the next generation display device after the cathode ray tube (CRT) and a liquid crystal display (LCD). Its applicability is wide spread and an EL device is used as a display in devices such as portable terminals, car navigation systems (CNS), game machines, notebook computers, and wall-type televisions. Generally, an organic electro luminescence display includes a matrix of electro luminescence devices each including an organic emitting layer positioned between a positive electrode and a negative electrode. Light is emitted from the organic emitting layer when a voltage is applied across the positive electrode and the negative electrode. 
     More specifically, the positive electrode is formed by sputtering indium-tin-oxide (ITO) on a glass substrate having switching and drive circuits and then patterning the ITO such that the electrode is connected to a drive circuit. An organic emitting layer including a hole transport layer, an emitting layer, and an electron transport layer are then formed on the ITO film. A negative electrode is then formed on the organic emitting layer. The negative electrode is a metal having low work function so as to readily supply electrons to the organic emitting layer. The ITO of the positive electrode has a high electrical conductivity so that holes can be readily supplied to the organic emitting layer. Further, the ITO has high light transmittance so that light emitted from the organic emitting layer can be transmitted through the positive electrode. Thus, when positive and negative voltages are applied to the positive electrode and to the negative electrode, respectively, the holes injected from the positive electrode and the electrons injected from the negative electrode cause the organic emitting layer to emit light. 
     In an organic electro luminescence display, unit pixels each containing an organic emitting layer are disposed in a matrix form. The organic emitting layers of the unit pixels are selectively driven through thin film transistors disposed in each of the respective unit pixels to display an image. The organic electro luminescence display described above will be described in more detail with reference to accompanying FIG. 1 showing an equivalent circuit for configuring and operating the thin film transistors in accordance with a voltage driving method. 
     As shown in FIG. 1, each unit pixel includes a first thin film transistor  10  and a second thin film transistors  20 , and an organic luminescence device  30 . The unit pixel is defined by a gate line Gn for supplying a gate signal to the gate of the first thin film transistor  10  in a row direction, a data line Dm for supplying a data signal to the source of the first thin film transistor  10  in a column direction, a power line Pm for supplying electric power to the source of the second thin film transistor  20  in a column direction and a gate line of another pixel area in a row direction. The first thin film transistor  10  includes a gate electrode  11  connected to the gate line Gn to be supplied with the gate signal, a source electrode  12  connected to the data line Dm to be supplied with the data signal, and a drain electrode  13  connected to a gate electrode  21  of the second thin film transistor  20 . The second thin film transistor  20  includes the gate electrode  21  connected to the drain electrode  13  of the first thin film transistor  10 , a drain electrode  22  connected to a pixel electrode, and a source electrode  23  connected to the power line Pm. The organic luminescence device  30  includes an organic emitting layer  31  positioned between a cathode electrode (not shown) and an anode electrode (not shown), wherein the organic emitting layer  31  includes a hole transport layer (not shown), an emitting layer (not shown), and an electron transport layer (not shown). In addition, a capacitor  40  is included in which one electrode is connected to the power line Pm and the other electrode is connected both to the drain electrode  13  of the first thin film transistor  10  and to the gate electrode  21  of the second thin film transistor  20 . 
     Hereinafter, the operation of the equivalent circuit for the unit pixel of the organic electro luminescence display device shown in FIG. 1 will be described in detail as follows. When the gate signal is applied to the gate electrode  12  from the gate line Gn, the first thin film transistor  10  is turned on, and therefore, the data signal supplied from the data line Dm is supplied to the gate electrode  21  of the second thin film transistor  20  through the source electrode  12  and the drain electrode  13  of the first thin film transistor  10 . Thus, the potential of the gate electrode  21  becomes the same as that of the data line Dm. 
     The degree of turn on for the second thin film transistor  20  is decided by the potential supplied to the gate electrode  21 , and therefore, electric current corresponding to the potential supplied to the gate electrode  21  is supplied to the organic luminescence device  30  from the power line Pm. The organic luminescence device  30  emits light according to the amount of electric current supplied. Thus, the brightness of the light emitted from the organic luminescence device  30  is determined by the value or voltage of the data signal, which is applied through the data line Dm. 
     Generally, in a display device having a matrix form, a gate signal is supplied to the first gate line and then to the rest of the gate lines sequentially such that an image is displayed on the screen after the sequence is completed across the display. The capacitor  40  in a unit pixel stays charged to the potential of the data signal to maintain the luminescence of the organic luminescence device  30  in the unit pixel until another data signal is supplied corresponding to another gate signal from the gate line Gn of the unit pixel. Thus, the amount of light from each unit pixel can be changed each time a gate signal is sequentially applied across the display to all of the gate lines Gn. 
     FIG. 2 depicts an equivalent circuit diagram of an organic electro luminescence device for configuring and operating the thin film transistors according to a current driving method. As shown in FIG. 2, a unit pixel includes a first thin film transistor  210  and a second thin film transistors  220  for switching, a third thin film transistor  230  and a fourth thin film transistor  240  for driving, and an organic luminescence device  250 . The area of the unit pixel is divided by gate line Gn for supplying a gate signal to the unit pixel, and is in between the data line Dm for supplying the data signal to the unit pixel and the power line Pm for supplying electric power to the source of the fourth transistor  240  of the unit pixel. 
     When a gate signal is supplied from the gate line Gn, the first switching thin film transistor  210  is turned on, and therefore, the data signal supplied from the data line Dm is supplied to the source electrode  232  and to the gate electrode  231  of the third thin film transistor  230  through the source electrode  212  and drain electrode  213  of the first thin film transistor  210 . At the same time, the gate signal is also applied to the gate electrode  221  of the second thin film transistor  220  from the gate scan line Gn such that the second thin film transistor  220  is also turned on. The amount of current flowing through the drain electrode  233  and the source electrode  232  of the third thin film transistor  230  from the power line Pm is determined by the data signal supplied to the source electrode  232  and to the gate electrode  231  of the third thin film transistor  230 . In addition, the same amount of current is supplied to the organic luminescence device  250  through the source electrode  242  and the drain electrode  243  of the fourth thin film transistor  240  from the power line Pm. Therefore, the third thin film transistor  230  and fourth thin film transistor  240  operate as current mirrors in driving the organic luminescence device  250 . The brightness or intensity of the light emitted from the organic luminescence device  250  is proportionate to the amount of current supplied to the organic luminescence device, and the amount of current supplied to the organic luminescence device  250  is determined by the value or voltage of the data signal supplied from the data line Dm. Thus, the brightness or intensity of the light is determined by the data signal supplied from the data line Dm during the application of a gate signal from the gate line Gn. 
     However, in the organic electro luminescence displays as described above, the length of the gate line, data line, and the power line plays a role in displaying an image uniformly in terms of the images brightness arcross the display. The resistance along a gate line, data line and power line has more effect on the image uniformity in larger displays, since these lines are longer in larger displays. For example, the difference in brightness in a large organic electro luminescence display increases along a direction parallel with the gate line in the case of each pixel having 2-TFTs to drive an organic electro luminescence device with voltage. In another example, the difference in brightness in a large organic electro luminescence display increases in a direction parallel with the data line in the case of each pixel having 4-TFTs to drive an organic electro luminescence device with current. 
     Therefore, copper (Cu), that is, metal of low resistance is used as the wires in order to minimize the resistance of the gate line, data line, and power line. However, copper has low adhesion to insulating layers. Further, copper tends to diffuse into insulating layers, which significantly degrades the dielectric properties of the insulating layers. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, the present invention is directed to an organic electro luminescence device that substantially obviates one or more of the problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art. 
     An object of the present invention is to provide an organic electro luminescence device which is able to improve image quality of a display by minimizing the resistance of the gate line, and/or both the data line and the power line without degrading the dielectric properties of the insulating layers or the adhesion of the lines to the insulating layers. 
     Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings. 
     To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, there is provided an organic electro luminescence device including a gate line for supplying a gate signal, a data line for supplying image information that crosses the gate line, a pixel area adjacent to where the gate line and the data line cross each other, an organic emitting layer formed in the pixel area, a switching unit for switching image information supplied from the data line in response to the gate signal supplied from the gate line, a driving unit for applying an electric field across the organic emitting layer according to the image information supplied through the switching unit and a power line for providing the driving unit with a source voltage, wherein at least one of the gate line, data line and power line is a three-layer structure having an intermediate layer made of copper. 
     In another aspect, the an organic electro luminescence device includes a gate line for supplying a gate signal, a data line for supplying image information that crosses the gate line, a pixel area adjacent to where the gate line and the data line cross each other, an organic emitting layer formed in the pixel area, a switching unit for switching image information supplied from the data line in response to a gate signal supplied from the gate line, a driving unit for applying electric field across the organic emitting layer according to the image information applied through the switching unit and a power line, which is a first three-layer structure including an intermediate layer made of copper, for providing the driving unit with source voltage. 
    
    
     The foregoing and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principle of the invention. In the drawings: 
     FIG. 1 depicts an equivalent circuit of an organic electro luminescence display device in accordance with a voltage driving method; 
     FIG. 2 depicts an equivalent circuit of an organic electro luminescence display device in accordance with a current driving method; 
     FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing an organic electro luminescence device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 4, FIG.  5  and FIG. 6 are views depicting cross sections of a three-layer wiring structure in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and 
     FIG. 7 a  through FIG. 7 l  are cross-sectional views showing a process for fabricating an organic luminescence device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in FIG. 3, FIG. 4, FIG. 5, FIG.  6  and FIGS. 7 a - 7   l.    
     FIG. 3 is showing a cross section of an organic electro luminescence device according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 3, the organic electro luminescence device of this example includes an active layer  320  of a thin film transistor and a lower storage electrode  321  of a capacitor Cst formed on a barrier layer  301 , which is formed on an entire surface of a transparent substrate  300 . A gate insulating layer  323  is formed on the active layer  320 . A gate electrode  330 , which is made of a three-layers including a Cu layer as an intermediate layer, is formed on the gate insulating layer  323 . A first interlayer insulator  325  is formed across the barrier layer  301  and on the gate electrode  330  and the lower storage electrode  321 . A power line  340 , which is made of a three-layers including a Cu layer as an intermediate layer, is formed overlapping the lower storage electrode  321  with the first interlayer insulator  325  positioned between the power line  340  and the lower storage electrode  321 . A second interlayer insulator  327  is formed on the power line  340  and across the first interlayer insulator  325 . A drain electrode  350  of the thin film transistor is contacted to a drain area  323 A, which is formed on an edge of the active layer  320  and includes impurity ions injected therein. A source electrode  360  of the thin film transistor is contacted to the power line  340  and to the source area  323 B, which is formed on the other edge of the active layer  320 . A passivation layer  328  is formed on the drain electrode  350  and the source electrode  360  as well as across the second interlayer insulator  327 . An anode electrode  370  is formed on the passivation layer  328  in contact with the drain electrode  350 . A third interlayer insulator  329  is formed on a portion of the anode electrode  370  and across the passivation layer  328 . An organic emitting layer  372  is formed on the anode electrode  370 . An cathode electrode  375  is formed on the organic emitting layer  372  and across the third interlayer insulator  329 . 
     The barrier layer  301  blocks impurities within the substrate  300  from being discharged into the active layer  320  of the thin film transistor. The barrier layer  301 , the gate insulating layer  323 , the first interlayer insulator  325 , the second interlayer insulator  327 , and the third interlayer insulator  329  can be made of a field oxide, such as Si 0   x  having a low dielectric constant that does not change due to high temperatures. The power line  340 , the gate electrode  330 , the source electrode  360 , and the drain electrode  350  are constructed as three-layer structures having Cu layer as an intermediate layer such that the Cu layer is encapsulated by the other two layers. 
     As shown in FIG. 4, a first layer  410   a  for improving adhesiveness with insulating layers can be formed on the lower parts of the power line, gate electrode, source electrode, and drain electrodes. An intermediate layer  420   a  made of Cu is formed on the first layer  410   a . A second layer  430   a  is formed on and about the sides of the Cu intermediate layer to prevent Cu from being diffused into surrounding insulating layers. 
     The first layer  410   a  can be made of one of titanium (Ti), titanium nitride layer (TiN), tungsten (W), molybdenum (Mo) and chrome (Cr), for example. The second layer  430   a  can be made of one of titanium (Ti), titanium nitride layer (TiN), tungsten (W), molybdenum (Mo), and chrome (Cr), for example. The first layer  410   a  and the second layer  430   a  can be made of the same or different metal materials from each other. 
     The first layer  410   a  improves the adhesiveness with a lower insulator layer, and the second layer  430   a  together with the first layer  410   a  encapsulates the intermediate layer  420   a  such that the copper of the intermediate layer  420   a  does not diffuse into an insulating layer. Such a three-layer wiring structure has low resistance, good adhesion to surrounding insulating layers and prevents the insulating characteristics of surrounding insulating layers from degrading. Although it is not shown in FIG. 3, this three-layer wiring structure can be used simultaneously in both the gate line and the data line, as well as in the gate electrode, the source electrode, drain electrode, the power line and any combination thereof. 
     The three-layer wiring structure of the present invention can be any of configuration that entirely encapsulates an intermediate copper layer. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, in a wiring structure in which the intermediate layer  420   b  is on the first layer  410   b , a second layer  430   b  can be on top of both the first and intermediate layers, as well as at the sides of both the first and intermediate layers. In other words, the width of the intermediate layer, which is formed on upper part of the first layer, is narrower than the width of the first layer with the second layer on top of and about each of the first and intermediate layers, as shown in FIG.  5 . In another example, as shown in FIG. 6, the first layer  410   c  and the intermediate layer  420   c  can be formed to have the same width with the second layer  430   c  only on top surface of the intermediate layer and about the sides of both the first and intermediate wiring layers. 
     A fabrication method of the organic luminescence device according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 7 a  through FIG. 7 l.    
     As shown in FIG. 7 a , silicon oxide layer is deposited on a transparent substrate  300  having an insulating property, such as glass, to form a barrier layer  301 . 
     As shown in FIG. 7 b , a semiconductor layer is patterned on the barrier layer  301  to form an active layer  320  of the thin film transistor and the lower electrode  321  of the capacitor Cst at the same time. The semiconductor layer is formed of poly silicon by depositing amorphous silicon and then heating the amorphous silicon with a laser, for example. 
     As shown in FIG. 7 c , a gate insulating layer  323  is formed on the active layer  320  on a center portion of the active layer  320 . A first wiring layer and an intermediate wiring layer are successively formed on the gate insulating layer  323 . A second wiring layer is formed to encapsulate the intermediate wiring layer, and thereby, the gate electrode  330  of the thin film transistor is formed. Copper is used as the intermediate wiring layer while one of titanium (Ti), titanium nitration layer (TiN), tungsten (W), molybdenum (Mo) and chrome (Cr) is used as the first and second wiring layer, for example. In the alternative, each of the first wiring layer and the second wiring layers can have a different one of titanium (Ti), titanium nitration layer (TiN), tungsten (W), molybdenum (Mo) and chrome (Cr), for example. 
     As shown in FIG. 7 d , an impurity ion such as boron (B) is injected into each side of the active layer  320  using the gate electrode  330  as a mask, thereby forming the source area  323 B and the drain area  323 A. The impurity ions can be first injected at a low density using the mask, that is, the gate to form the source area and the drain area of low density. Then, a photoresist mask that determines distance from the gate for the low density source and drain areas to a high density area can be used with a secondary high density ion injection to thereby form high density source and drain areas. Thus, a thin film transistor having a lightly doped drain (LDD) structure can be formed if desired. 
     As shown in FIG. 7 e , a first interlayer insulator  325  is formed on the gate electrode  330 , source area  323 B, the drain area  323 A and the lower storage electrode  321  of the capacitor. 
     In addition, as shown in FIG. 7 f , a power line  340  is laminated on the upper part of the first interlayer insulator  325  such that the power line  340  overlaps the lower storage electrode  321  of the capacitor with the first interlayer insulator  325  therebetween. The power line  340  is formed in a similar manner to that of the gate electrode  330  of the thin film transistor in that the power line  340  is formed of a three-layer wiring structure having a copper layer as the intermediate layer. 
     As shown in FIG. 7 g , the second interlayer insulator  327  is formed on first interlayer insulator  325  and on the power line  340 . Then, the second interlayer  327  and the first interlayer insulator  325  are etched selectively so that the source area  323 B, the drain are  323 A, and some of the power line  340  can are exposed to form a first contact hole C 1 , a second contact hole C 2 , and a third contact hole C 3 , respectively 
     As shown in FIG. 7 h , a drain electrode  350 , which contacts to the drain area  323 A through the second contact hole C 2 , has a predetermined cross sectional length on the second inter layer  327 . A source electrode  360 , which is apart from the drain electrode  350 , extends from the first contact hole C 1  to the third contact hole C 3  such that the source area  323 B is connected to the power line  340 . In this example, the source electrode  360  and drain electrode  350  are formed in a manner similar to that of the gate electrode and the power line in that a three-layer wiring structure is used. 
     As shown in FIG. 7 i , a passivation layer  328  is formed on the source electrode  360 , the drain electrode  350  and the second interlayer insulator  327 . Then, the passivation layer  328  is etched so that some of the drain electrode  350 , which is contacted to the drain area  323 A, is exposed to form a fourth contact hole C 4 . 
     As shown in FIG. 7 j , an anode electrode  370  is patterned such that the anode electrode  370  can be contacted to the drain area  323 A through the fourth contact hole C 4  and extends across the upper part of the passivation layer  328  towards the pixel area. 
     As shown in FIG. 7 k , a third interlayer insulator  329  is formed on the upper part of the passivation layer  328  including the anode electrode  370  such that only an edge of the anode electrode  370  is not exposed. Then, the organic emitting layer  372  is patterned on the exposed part of the anode electrode  370  and on the upper part of the third interlayer insulator  329  located near the edge of the anode electrode  370 . The organic emitting layer  372  can include a hole transport layer, an emitting layer, and a electron transport layer. 
     As shown in FIG. 7 l , the cathode electrode  375  of the organic luminescence device is formed on the upper surface of the third interlayer insulator  329  and on the organic emitting layer  372 . 
     In forming the source electrode, drain electrode, the gate electrode, and the power line, the wiring layers can be formed by separately patterning the respective wiring layers, or formed by patterning the first and intermediate wiring layers together, and then forming the second wiring layer that is subsequently patterned. 
     The organic electro luminescence device according to the present invention forms three-layer wiring structure using a copper layer as the intermediate layer, and thereby, the resistance of the gate line, the data line, and the power line can be minimized. In addition, the degradation of the dielectric properties of insulators due to copper diffusion into the insulators is prevented by the first and second wiring layers, which encapsulate the copper layer. In addition, the first and second wiring layers have good adhesion to adjacent insulating layers. 
     It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the organic electro luminescence device of the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, it is intended that the present invention cover the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.