IP Library Granted Patent US 7,838,916
Granted Patent B2
US 7,838,916 · App. 11/565,714 · Granted Nov 23, 2010

Thin-film transistor, electronic circuit, display unit, and electronic device

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,838,916
App. No.
11/565,714
Granted
Nov 23, 2010
Kind
B2
Abstract

A thin-film transistor includes a gate electrode, a source electrode, a drain electrode, a semiconductor layer, and a gate insulating layer for insulating the source electrode and the drain electrode from the gate electrode, wherein the gate insulating layer includes composite particles in which a hydrophobic compound is provided on the surfaces of insulating inorganic particles.

Claims (19)

1. A thin-film transistor comprising:

a semiconductor layer;

a gate electrode; and

a gate insulating layer disposed between the semiconductor layer and the gate electrode, the gate insulating layer including an insulating polymer and a plurality of particles dispersed in the insulating polymer,

wherein at least one of the plurality of particles includes an inorganic insulating particle and a hydrophobic compound provided on a surface of the inorganic insulating particle.

2. The thin-film transistor according to claim 1 , wherein the semiconductor layer is primarily composed of an organic semiconductor material.

3. The thin-film transistor according to claim 1 , wherein the hydrophobic compound is a coupling agent having a hydrophobic structure.

4. The thin-film transistor according to claim 1 , wherein the hydrophobic compound has a reactive group that can be reacted with the insulating polymer.

5. The thin-film transistor according to claim 1 , wherein the hydrophobic compound is at least one of a silane coupling agent, a titanate coupling agent, an organic phosphoric acid coupling agent, and a silyl peroxide coupling agent.

6. The thin-film transistor according to claim 1 , wherein an inorganic element included in the hydrophobic compound is the same as an inorganic element that is contained in the one of the plurality of particles.

7. The thin-film transistor according to claim 1 , wherein the insulating inorganic particles have a granular or acicular shape.

8. The thin-film transistor according to claim 1 , wherein the one of the plurality of particles is primarily composed of an inorganic oxide.

9. The thin-film transistor according to claim 1 , wherein the inorganic oxide is at least one selected from silicon oxide, aluminum oxide, zirconium oxide, cerium oxide, zinc oxide, cobalt oxide, lead zirconate titanate, lead titanate, titanium oxide, and tantalum oxide.

10. The thin-film transistor according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of particles have an average particle diameter in the range of 5 to 30 nm.

11. The thin-film transistor according to claim 1 , wherein the content of the plurality of particles in the gate insulating layer is 15 weight percent or more.

12. The thin-film transistor according to claim 1 , wherein the insulating polymer includes polymethylmethacrylate as a main component.

13. An electronic circuit comprising the thin-film transistor according to claim 1 .

14. A display unit comprising the electronic circuit according to claim 13 .

15. An electronic device comprising the display unit according to claim 14 .

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 13, 2018
From: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
To: E INK CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 047072/0325 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 1, 2006
From: MORIYA, SOICHI; KAWASE, TAKEO
To: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 018571/0263 →