Active matrix displays and other electronic devices having plastic substrates

1. A method of manufacturing a thin film electronic device, the method comprising the acts of:

applying a plastic coating to a rigid carrier substrate using a wet casting process, the plastic coating forming a plastic substrate and comprising a transparent plastic material doped with a UV absorbing additive;

curing the plastic coating thereby drawing the UV absorbing additive to an interface between the rigid carrier and the plastic coating and enhance UV energy absorption at the interface;

after the curing act, forming thin film electronic elements over the plastic substrate; and

releasing the rigid carrier substrate from the plastic substrate,

wherein the transparent plastic material is non-birefringent, and wherein the UV absorbing additive comprises dopant molecules that are more spherical than rod-like molecules to avoid creating a birefringence in the plastic substrate.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the UV absorbing additive comprises:

2-(2H-benzotriazol-2-yl)-4,6-bis(1-methyl-1-phenylethyl)phenol.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the UV absorbing additive further comprises: stilbene.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the UV absorbing additive further comprises: stilbene substituted with electron donating and withdrawing groups.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the UV absorbing additive further comprises: ethyl-p-dimethylamino benzoate.

6. The method of claim 2 , wherein the UV absorbing additive further comprises: 2,5-diphenyloxazole.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the UV absorbing additive comprises stilbene.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the UV absorbing additive comprises stilbene substituted with electron donating and withdrawing groups.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the UV absorbing additive comprises:

ethyl-p-dimethylamino benzoate.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the UV absorbing additive comprises:

2,5-diphenyloxazole.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plastic material comprises polycarbonate.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the plastic material further comprises silicone.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plastic material comprises a silicone.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the act of UV curing of the plastic coating thereby to draw the UV absorbing additive to the boundary between the rigid carrier and the plastic coating, before forming thin film electronic elements.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the thin film electronic elements comprise thin film transistors.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the rigid carrier substrate comprises a glass substrate.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the release is by a laser process.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the UV absorbing additive has an absorption peak within the band 300 nm to 360 nm of absorption coefficient more than 104 cm −1 .

19. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the acts of:

forming a further rigid carrier substrate, and

display forming a display layer over the thin film electronic elements, wherein the display forming act includes the act of mounting the rigid carrier substrate and the further rigid carrier substrate with electro-optic material sandwiched therebetween to form an active matrix display device.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the wet casting process is by spin coating, and the thin film electronic elements further comprise thin film transistors, and the rigid carrier substrate is a glass substrate, and the release is by a laser process.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the UV absorbing additive comprises: stilbene.

22. The method of claim 20 , wherein the UV absorbing additive comprises: stilbene substituted with electron donating and withdrawing groups.

23. The method of claim 20 , wherein the UV absorbing additive comprises: ethyl-p-dimethylamino benzoate.

24. The method of claim 20 , wherein the UV absorbing additive comprises: 2,5-diphenyloxazole.

25. The method of claim 20 , wherein the plastic material comprises silicone.

26. The method of claim 20 , further comprising UV curing of the plastic coating.

27. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wet casting process comprises a spin-on process.

28. A product of the process of claim 1 , comprising a plastic coating substrate comprising a transparent plastic material and a UV absorbing additive and thin film electronic elements over the plastic substrate.

29. The product of claim 28 , wherein the UV absorbing additive comprises:

2-(2H-benzotriazol-2-yl)-4,6-bis(1-methyl-1-phenylethyl)phenol.

30. The product of claim 28 , wherein the UV absorbing additive comprises stilbene.

31. The product of claim 28 , wherein the UV absorbing additive comprises stilbene substituted with electron donating and withdrawing groups.

32. The product of claim 28 , wherein the UV absorbing additive comprises:

ethyl-p-dimethylamino benzoate.

33. The product of claim 28 , wherein the UV absorbing additive comprises:

2,5-diphenyloxazole.

34. The product of claim 28 , wherein the plastic material is non-birefringent.

35. The product of claim 28 , wherein the plastic material comprises polycarbonate.

36. The product of claim 28 , wherein the plastic material comprises a silicone.

37. The product of claim 28 , wherein the UV absorbing additive has an absorption peak within the band 300 nm to 360 nm of absorption coefficient more than 104 cm −1 .

38. The product of claim 28 , wherein the thin film electronic elements comprise thin film transistors.

39. The product of claim 28 , further comprising:

a further rigid carrier substrate, and

a display layer formed over the thin film electronic elements, wherein the display layer comprises the first rigid carrier substrate and the further rigid carrier substrate mounted with electro-optic material sandwiched therebetween to form an active matrix display device.

40. The method of claim 1 , further comprising substantial UV curing of the plastic coating.