IP Library Granted Patent US 8,044,401
Granted Patent B2
US 8,044,401 · App. 12/163,074 · Granted Oct 25, 2011

Thin film transistor, method of fabricating the same, organic light emitting diode display device including the same and method of fabricating the same

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,044,401
App. No.
12/163,074
Granted
Oct 25, 2011
Kind
B2
Abstract

A thin film transistor includes a substrate, a semiconductor layer disposed on the substrate, including a channel region and source and drain regions and crystallized using a metal catalyst, a gate electrode disposed to correspond to a predetermined region of the semiconductor layer, a gate insulating layer disposed between the gate electrode and the semiconductor layer to insulate the semiconductor layer from the gate electrode, and source and drain electrodes electrically connected to the source and drain regions of the semiconductor layer, respectively. The metal catalyst within 150 Å from a surface of the semiconductor layer in a vertical direction is formed to have a concentration exceeding 0 and not exceeding 6.5×E 17 atoms per cm 3 in the channel region of the semiconductor layer. An organic light emitting diode (OLED) display device includes the thin film transistor.

Claims (32)

1. A thin film transistor, comprising:

a substrate;

a semiconductor layer disposed on the substrate, including a channel region and source and drain regions, and crystallized using a metal catalyst;

a gate electrode disposed to correspond to a predetermined region of the semiconductor layer;

a gate insulating layer disposed between the gate electrode and the semiconductor layer to insulate the semiconductor layer from the gate electrode; and

source and drain electrodes electrically connected to the source and drain regions of the semiconductor layer,

wherein the metal catalyst is present in the channel region of the semiconductor layer at a concentration exceeding 0 and not exceeding 6.5×E 17 atoms per cm 3 within 150 Å in a vertical direction,

wherein the vertical direction starts from a surface of the semiconductor layer that is on an opposite side of the substrate and extends towards the substrate, and

wherein the metal catalyst is present in the channel region at a concentration exceeding 6.5×E 17 atoms per cm 3 , at a depth exceeding 150 Å in the vertical direction.

2. The transistor of claim 1 , wherein the channel region of the semiconductor layer has a concentration gradient in which the concentration of the metal catalyst within 150 Å from the surface of the semiconductor layer increases in proportion to the distance from the surface of the semiconductor layer.

3. The transistor of claim 1 , wherein the semiconductor layer is crystallized by a Super Grain Silicon (SGS) method.

4. The transistor of claim 1 , wherein the thin film transistor has a current leakage value I off (A/μm) per unit length 1 μm exceeding 0 and not exceeding 4.0 E 13 A/μm.

5. An organic light emitting diode (OLED) display device, comprising:

a substrate;

a semiconductor layer disposed on the substrate, including a channel region and source and drain regions, and crystallized using a metal catalyst;

a gate electrode disposed to correspond to the channel region of the semiconductor layer;

a gate insulating layer disposed between the gate electrode and the semiconductor layer to insulate the semiconductor layer from the gate electrode;

source and drain electrodes electrically connected to the source and drain regions of the semiconductor layer, respectively;

a first electrode electrically connected to one of the source and drain electrodes;

an organic layer including a light emitting layer disposed on the first electrode; and

a second electrode disposed on the organic layer,

wherein the metal catalyst is present in the channel region of the semiconductor layer at a concentration exceeding 0 and not exceeding 6.5×E 17 atoms per cm 3 within 150 Å in a vertical direction,

wherein the vertical direction starts from a surface of the semiconductor layer that is on an opposite side of the substrate and extends towards the substrate, and

wherein the metal catalyst is present in the channel region at a concentration exceeding 6.5×E 17 atoms per cm 3 , at a depth exceeding 150 Å in the vertical direction.

6. The OLED display device of claim 5 , wherein the channel region of the semiconductor layer has a concentration gradient in which the concentration of the metal catalyst within 150 Å from the surface of the semiconductor layer increases in proportion to the distance from the surface of the semiconductor layer.

7. The OLED display device of claim 5 , wherein the semiconductor layer is crystallized by an SGS method.

8. The OLED display device of claim 5 , wherein the thin film transistor has a current leakage value I off (A/μm) per unit length 1 μm exceeding 0 and not exceeding 4.0 E 13 A/μm.

9. A semiconductor layer of a thin film transistor including a channel region and source and drain regions, and crystallized using a metal catalyst; wherein the metal catalyst is present in the channel region of the semiconductor layer at a concentration exceeding 0 and not exceeding 6.5×E 17 atoms per cm 3 within 150 Å from a surface of the semiconductor layer that is on an opposite side of the substrate in a vertical direction extending towards the substrate,

wherein the metal catalyst is present in the channel region at a concentration exceeding 6.5×E 17 atoms per cm 3 , at a depth exceeding 150 Å in the vertical direction.

10. The semiconductor layer of claim 9 , wherein the channel region has a concentration gradient in which a concentration of the metal catalyst within 150 Å from the surface of the semiconductor layer increases in proportion to the distance from the surface of the semiconductor layer.

11. The semiconductor layer of claim 9 , wherein the semiconductor layer is crystallized by a Super Grain Silicon (SGS) method.

12. The semiconductor layer of claim 9 , having a current leakage value I off (A/μm) per unit length 1 μm exceeding 0 and not exceeding 4.0 −13 A/μm.

Assignments (3)
MERGER Recorded Aug 29, 2012
From: SAMSUNG MOBILE DISPLAY CO., LTD.
To: SAMSUNG DISPLAY CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 028868/0359 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 12, 2008
From: SAMSUNG SDI CO., LTD.
To: SAMSUNG MOBILE DISPLAY CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 022010/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 30, 2008
From: YANG, TAE-HOON; PARK, BYOUNG-KEON; SEO, JIN-WOOK; LEE, KI-YONG; LEE, KIL-WON
To: SAMSUNG SDI CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 021206/0941 →