IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,177,291
Granted Patent B2
US 11,177,291 · App. 17/224,305 · Granted Nov 16, 2021

Displays with silicon and semiconducting oxide thin-film transistors

Inventors: Hiroshi Osawa (Sunnyvale, CA); Kyung-Wook Kim (Saratoga, CA); Ming-Chin Hung (San Jose, CA); Shih Chang Chang (Cupertino, CA); Yu-Cheng Chen (San Jose, CA)
Assignee: Apple Inc.
H01L27/1225G02F1/1368G02F1/13624H01L27/1222H01L27/1251H01L27/1255H01L27/3262H01L27/3272G02F1/13452G02F1/13454G02F1/13685G02F2202/104H01L29/7869
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,177,291
App. No.
17/224,305
Granted
Nov 16, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

An electronic device may include a display having an array of display pixels on a substrate. The display pixels may be organic light-emitting diode display pixels or display pixels in a liquid crystal display. In an organic light-emitting diode display, hybrid thin-film transistor structures may be formed that include semiconducting oxide thin-film transistors, silicon thin-film transistors, and capacitor structures. The capacitor structures may overlap the semiconducting oxide thin-film transistors. Organic light-emitting diode display pixels may have combinations of oxide and silicon transistors. In a liquid crystal display, display driver circuitry may include silicon thin-film transistor circuitry and display pixels may be based on oxide thin-film transistors. A single layer or two different layers of gate metal may be used in forming silicon transistor gates and oxide transistor gates. A silicon transistor may have a gate that overlaps a floating gate structure.

Claims (44)

1. A display having an array of pixels, the display comprising:

a substrate;

a buffer layer formed over the substrate;

thin-film transistor structures for the array of pixels, wherein the buffer layer is interposed between the substrate and the thin-film transistor structures, wherein the thin-film transistor structures include a silicon transistor and an oxide transistor, wherein the silicon transistor comprises a polysilicon channel and a first gate, wherein the polysilicon channel is interposed between the buffer layer and the first gate, wherein the oxide transistor comprises a semiconducting oxide layer and a second gate, wherein the semiconducting oxide layer is interposed between the buffer layer and the second gate; and

a light shield that is interposed between the substrate and at least one of the silicon transistor and the oxide transistor.

2. The display defined in claim 1 , wherein the buffer layer is interposed between the light shield and the silicon transistor.

3. The display defined in claim 1 , further comprising:

a gate insulator layer that is interposed between the polysilicon channel and the first gate.

4. The display defined in claim 1 , further comprising:

a dielectric layer, wherein the first gate is interposed between the dielectric layer and the polysilicon channel.

5. The display defined in claim 1 , wherein the buffer layer is formed from an inorganic material.

6. The display defined in claim 1 , wherein the substrate is a polymer substrate.

7. The display defined in claim 1 , wherein the light shield is interposed between the substrate and the silicon transistor.

8. The display defined in claim 1 , further comprising:

an electrode for one of the pixels, wherein the electrode is electrically connected to the semiconducting oxide layer.

9. The display defined in claim 8 , further comprising:

at least one dielectric layer that is interposed between the electrode and the semiconducting oxide layer.

10. The display defined in claim 9 , wherein the at least one dielectric layer comprises a first dielectric layer and a second dielectric layer and wherein a layer of metal is interposed between the first dielectric layer and the second dielectric layer.

11. The display defined in claim 10 , wherein a first metal via portion electrically connects the layer of metal to the semiconducting oxide layer and wherein a second metal via portion electrically connects the layer of metal to the electrode.

12. The display defined in claim 11 , wherein the first and second dielectric layers are first and second organic dielectric layers.

13. A display having an array of pixels, the display comprising:

a substrate;

a buffer layer formed over the substrate;

thin-film transistor structures for the array of pixels, wherein the buffer layer is interposed between the substrate and the thin-film transistor structures, wherein the thin-film transistor structures include a silicon transistor and an oxide transistor, wherein the silicon transistor comprises a polysilicon channel and a first gate, wherein the polysilicon channel is interposed between the buffer layer and the first gate, wherein the oxide transistor comprises a semiconducting oxide layer and a second gate, wherein the semiconducting oxide layer is interposed between the buffer layer and the second gate; and

a light shield that is interposed between the substrate and the buffer layer, wherein the light shield overlaps at least one of the silicon transistor and the oxide transistor.

14. The display defined in claim 13 , wherein the light shield overlaps the silicon transistor.

15. The display defined in claim 13 , wherein the buffer layer is formed from an inorganic dielectric material.

16. The display defined in claim 13 , further comprising:

a planarization layer that is formed over the thin-film transistor structures.

17. The display defined in claim 16 , further comprising:

an anode that is formed over the planarization layer;

a cathode that is formed over the anode; and

organic light-emitting diode emissive material that is interposed between the anode and the cathode.

18. The display defined in claim 17 , wherein the anode is electrically connected to the semiconducting oxide layer through the planarization layer.

19. A display having an array of pixels, the display comprising:

a substrate;

a buffer layer formed over the substrate;

thin-film transistor structures for the array of pixels, wherein the buffer layer is interposed between the substrate and the thin-film transistor structures, wherein the thin-film transistor structures include a silicon transistor and an oxide transistor, wherein the silicon transistor comprises a polysilicon channel and a first gate, wherein the polysilicon channel is interposed between the buffer layer and the first gate, wherein the oxide transistor comprises a semiconducting oxide layer and a second gate, wherein the second gate is interposed between the buffer layer and the semiconducting oxide layer; and

a light shield that is interposed between the substrate and at least one of the silicon transistor and the oxide transistor.

20. The display defined in claim 19 , further comprising:

a gate insulator layer with a first portion that is interposed between the first gate and the polysilicon channel and a second portion that is interposed between the second gate and the buffer layer;

a first dielectric layer with a third portion and a fourth portion, wherein the first gate is interposed between the polysilicon channel and the third portion and wherein the fourth portion is interposed between the second gate and the semiconducting oxide layer;

an electrode for one of the pixels; and

second and third dielectric layers that are interposed between the semiconducting oxide layer and the electrode.

Continuity (8)
Continuation 16917601 · Jun 30, 2020
Continuation 16678599 · Nov 8, 2019
Continuation 16125973 · Sep 10, 2018
Continuation 15727475 · Oct 6, 2017
Continuation 14249716 · Apr 10, 2014
Continuation In Part 14228070 · Mar 27, 2014
Provisional Application 61869937 · Aug 26, 2013
Related Publication 20210225890A1 · Jul 22, 2021
Cited By (6)
US 12,396,263 US 12,414,378 US 12,532,615 US 12,536,969 US 12,543,440 US 12,707,717