Process for removing an organic layer during fabrication of an organic electronic device and the organic electronic device formed by the process
A process for forming an organic electronic device includes the steps of: (a) forming a first conductive member and a conductive lead over a substrate, wherein the first conductive member and conductive lead are spaced apart from each other; (b) forming an organic layer over the substrate, the first conductive member, and the conductive lead; (c) forming a patterned conductive layer over the organic layer, wherein the patterned conductive layer includes a second conductive member, and the patterned conductive layer creates an exposed portion of the organic layer and an unexposed portion of the organic layer; and (d) dry etching at least the exposed portion of the organic layer to expose a portion of the conductive lead using at least one oxygen-containing gas, wherein dry etching is performed at a pressure in a range of approximately 0.01 to 7.5 mTorr.
1. A process for forming an organic electronic device comprising the steps of:
forming a first conductive member and a conductive lead over a substrate, wherein the first conductive member and conductive lead are spaced apart from each other;
forming an organic layer over the substrate, the first conductive member, and the conductive lead;
forming a patterned conductive layer over the organic layer, wherein:
the patterned conductive layer includes a second conductive member; and
the patterned conductive layer creates an exposed portion of the organic layer and an unexposed portion of the organic layer; and
dry etching at least the exposed portion of the organic layer to expose a portion of the conductive lead using feed gas comprising, by volume percent, 1 to 100 percent oxygen-containing gas, 0 to 50 percent halogen-containing gas, 0 to 40 percent inert gas, and 0 to 30 percent reducing gas, wherein dry etching is performed at a pressure in a range of approximately 0.01 to 7.5 mTorr.
2. The process of claim 1 , wherein dry etching is performed during more than one step.
3. The process of claim 2 , wherein the gas in at least a second step comprises at least one inert gas selected from the group consisting of N 2 , He, and Ar at 50 to 100 volume percent and optionally a reducing gas at 0 to 50 volume percent.
4. The process of claim 3 , wherein a reducing gas is used during the second step.
5. The process of claim 1 , wherein the gas further comprises a halogen-containing gas.
6. The process of claim 5 , wherein the gas comprises at least about 10 percent by volume an oxygen-containing gas comprising O 2 , the halogen-containing gas comprising CF 4 at 4 to 20 volume percent, and an inert gas comprising Ar at 10 to 20 volume percent.
7. The process of claim 6 , wherein no reducing gas is used.
8. The process of claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises a polymeric film.
9. The process of claim 1 , wherein the organic layer comprises at least one material that is a charge transport, anti-quenching, light-emitting, or photodetector material.
10. The process of claim 1 , wherein the organic electronic device is a light-emitting diode, light-emitting display, radiation sensitive device, photoconductive cell, photovoltaic cell, photoresistor, photoswitch, photodetector, phototransistor, or phototube.
11. The process of claim 1 , wherein the device is an organic light-emitting diode display.
12. A process for forming an organic electronic device comprising the steps of:
forming an organic layer comprising organic material over a substrate;
removing the organic layer at a first area of the substrate corresponding to the pixel array; and
dry etching using at least one oxygen-containing gas the organic layer at a second area of the substrate which lies outside the pixel array, wherein:
removing the organic layer at the first area and dry etching at the second area are performed as separate steps; and
dry etching is performed at a pressure in a range of approximately 0.01 to 7.5 mTorr using feed gas comprising, by volume percent, 1 to 100 percent oxygen-containing gas.
13. The process of claim 12 , wherein removing the organic layer is performed using laser ablation.
14. The process of claim 12 , wherein dry etching is performed during more than one step.
15. The process of claim 14 , wherein the gas in at least a second step comprises at least one inert gas selected from the group consisting of N 2 , He, and Ar at 50 to 100 volume percent and optionally a reducing gas at 0 to 50 volume percent.
16. The process of claim 15 , wherein a reducing gas is used during the second step.
17. The process of claim 12 , wherein the gas further comprises a halogen-containing gas.
18. The process of claim 17 , wherein the gas comprises at least about 10% by volume an oxygen-containing gas comprising O 2 , the halogen-containing gas comprising CF 4 at 4 to 20 volume percent, and an inert gas comprising Ar at 10 to 20 volume percent.
19. The process of claim 12 , wherein the substrate comprises a polymeric film.
20. The process of claim 12 , wherein the organic layer comprises at least one material that is a charge transport, anti-quenching, light-emitting, or photodetector material.
21. The process of claim 12 , wherein the organic electronic device is a light-emitting diode, light-emitting display, radiation sensitive device, photoconductive cell, photovoltaic cell, photoresistor, photoswitch, photodetector, phototransistor, or phototube.
22. The process of claim 12 , wherein the device is an organic light-emitting diode display.