Patent DE-10361010-A1 (DE)
Title: Organic electroluminescent device has two substrates, organic electroluminescent diode, gate and data lines, power supply line, switching and driving TFTs, connecting electrode, and electrical connecting pattern
Inventor: PARK JAE-YONG
IPC: H01L27/32
Filed: 2003-12-23
Abstract: Organic electroluminescent display has first and second substrates; an organic electroluminescent diode; a gate line; a data line; a power supply line; a switching thin film transistor with a first semiconductor layer; a driving thin film transistor with a second semiconductor layer; a connecting electrode; and an electrical connecting pattern for electrically connecting the connecting electrode and the organic electroluminescent diode. First and second substrates are spaced apart from and facing each other; an organic electroluminescent diode is on an inner surface of the second substrate. A gate line (214) is formed on an inner surface of the first substrate in a first direction. A data line (314) is formed in a second direction crossing the first. A power supply line (230) is spaced apart from the data line and formed in the second direction; with a switching TFT (T s) at a crossing portion of the gate and data lines, and including a first semiconductor layer (254) made of amorphous silicon. The electroluminescent device also includes a driving TFT (T d) at a crossing portion of the switching TFT and the power supply line, and a second semiconductor layer (258) made of amorphous silicon; a connecting electrode (306) connected to the driving TFT and made of the same material as the data line; and an electrical connecting pattern corresponding to the connecting electrode and for electrically connecting the electrode to the organic electroluminescent diode. The power supply line is made of the same material as the gate line. It has a power supply link line (316) near a crossing portion of the gate line and the power supply line. The switching and driving TFTs further include first and second gate insulating layers, respectively. The first gate insulating layer (250) has the same shape as the first semiconductor layer. The second gate insulating layer (251) has the same shape as the second semiconductor layer. An independent claim is also included for a method of manufacturing an array substrate for an organic electroluminescent device including an array element on a first substrate and an organic electroluminescent diode on a second substrate, which comprises: (1) forming a gate electrode, a gate pad (226), a power electrode and a power supply pad (234) by depositing a first metal material on a substrate and then patterning the first metal material using a first mask process; (2) forming a gate insulating layer, a semiconductor layer (242), a semiconductor material pattern, a first pattern and a second pattern by depositing a first insulating material, amorphous silicon and doped amorphous silicon on the substrate including the gate electrode, the gate pad, the power electrode and the power supply pad and patterning the first insulating material, the amorphous silicon and the doped amorphous silicon using a second mask pattern, where the semiconductor layer is disposed over the gate electrode and includes the amorphous silicon and the doped amorphous silicon, the semiconductor material pattern extends from the semiconductor layer and has a power electrode contact hole (271) exposing the power electrode, the first pattern has a gate pad contact hole exposing the gate pad, and the second pattern has a power supply pad contact hole exposing the power supply pad; (3) forming an electrical connecting pattern by depositing a second insulating material on the semiconductor layer, the semiconductor material pattern, the first pattern and the second pattern and then patterning the second insulating material using a third mask process, where the electrical connecting pattern has a columnar shape and corresponds to the organic electroluminescent diode; (4) forming a source electrode, a drain electrode, a connecting electrode, a data pad (310), a gate pad electrode (318) and a power supply pad electrode (322) by depositing a second metal material on the substrate including the electrical connecting pattern and then patterning the second metal material using a fourth mask process; and (5) forming a passivation layer having four openings by depositing a third insulating material on the substrate including the source electrode, the drain electrode, the connecting electrode, the data pad, the gate pad electrode and the power supply pad electrode and then patterning the third insulating material using a fifth mask process. The source and drain electrodes are formed on the semiconductor layer and spaced apart from each other. The source electrode is connected to the power electrode via the power electrode contact hole. The connecting electrode extends from the drain electrode and covers the electrical connecting pattern. The gate pad electrode is connected to the gate pad via the gate pad contact hole. The power supply pad electrode is connected to the power supply pad via the power supply pad contact hole. The gate electrode, the semiconductor layer, the source electrode and the drain electrode form a thin film transistor. The first opening exposes the connecting electrode. The second opening exposes the data pad. The third opening exposes the gate pad electrode. The fourth opening exposes the power supply pad electrode.