Multilayer overhang roof for oled sub-pixel circuit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025261519-A1
Application number	US-202519040816-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 29, 2025
Priority date	Feb 14, 2024
Publication date	Aug 14, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

Embodiments described herein relate to sub-pixel circuits and methods of forming sub-pixel circuits that may be utilized in a display such as an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display. A method of forming a sub-pixel circuit includes depositing an anode over a substrate; depositing a pixel isolation structures (PIS) layer over the substrate; removing one or more portions of the PIS layer to form a plurality of first PIS and second PIS; planarizing the first PIS and the second PIS; depositing a first structure layer, a first metal-containing layer of a second structure layer, and a second metal-containing layer of the second structure layer over the substrate; disposing and patterning a first resist over the second structure layer; and removing portions of the second structure layer to form a second structure and portions of the first structure layer to form a first structure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A sub-pixel, comprising:
adjacent overhang structures disposed over a substrate, wherein the overhang structures define the sub-pixel and comprise:
a second structure disposed over a first structure, wherein the second structure includes a second metal-containing layer disposed over a first metal-containing layer, the second structure including a bottom surface having a second width that is greater than a first width of a top surface of the first structure;
an organic light emitting (OLE) material disposed between the adjacent overhang structures; and a cathode disposed over the OLE material between the adjacent overhang structures.

2 . The sub-pixel of claim 1 , wherein the first structure comprises amorphous silicon (a-Si).

3 . The sub-pixel of claim 1 , wherein:
a first metal-containing material is sputtered to form the first metal-containing layer; and a second metal-containing material is sputtered to form the second metal-containing layer.

4 . The sub-pixel of claim 1 , wherein:
the second metal-containing layer comprises chromium; and the first metal-containing layer comprises at least one of titanium or chromium oxide.

5 . The sub-pixel of claim 1 , wherein:
the second structure includes a third metal-containing layer, wherein the first metal-containing layer is disposed over the third metal-containing layer.

6 . The sub-pixel of claim 5 , wherein:
a first metal-containing material is sputtered to form the third metal-containing layer; a second metal-containing material is sputtered to form the first metal-containing layer; and the first metal-containing material is sputtered to form the second metal-containing layer.

7 . The sub-pixel of claim 5 , wherein:
the third metal-containing layer comprises chromium; the first metal-containing layer comprises at least one of titanium or chromium oxide; and the second metal-containing layer comprises chromium.

8 . A sub-pixel circuit, comprising:
a plurality of overhang structures disposed over a substrate, wherein adjacent overhang structures of the plurality of overhang structures define sub-pixels, each sub-pixel comprising:
adjacent overhang structures, wherein each overhang structure comprises a second structure disposed over a first structure, wherein the second structure includes a second metal-containing layer disposed over a first metal-containing layer, the second structure including a bottom surface having a second width that is greater than a first width of a top surface of the first structure;
an organic light emitting (OLE) material disposed between the adjacent overhang structures; and
a cathode disposed over the OLE material between the adjacent overhang structures.

9 . The sub-pixel circuit of claim 8 , wherein the first structure comprises amorphous silicon (a-Si).

10 . The sub-pixel circuit of claim 8 , wherein:
a first metal-containing material is sputtered to form the first metal-containing layer; and a second metal-containing material is sputtered to form the second metal-containing layer.

11 . The sub-pixel circuit of claim 8 , wherein:
the second metal-containing layer comprises chromium; and the first metal-containing layer comprises at least one of titanium or chromium oxide.

12 . The sub-pixel circuit of claim 8 , wherein:
the second structure includes a third metal-containing layer, wherein the first metal-containing layer is disposed over the third metal-containing layer.

13 . The sub-pixel circuit of claim 12 , wherein:
a first metal-containing material is sputtered to form the third metal-containing layer; a second metal-containing material is sputtered to form the second metal-containing layer; and the first metal-containing material is sputtered to form the first metal-containing layer.

14 . The sub-pixel circuit of claim 12 , wherein:
the third metal-containing layer comprises chromium; the first metal-containing layer comprises at least one of titanium or chromium oxide; and the second metal-containing layer comprises chromium.

15 . A method of forming a sub-pixel circuit, comprising:
depositing an anode over a substrate; depositing a pixel isolation structure (PIS) layer over the substrate; removing one or more portions of the PIS layer to form a plurality of first PIS and second PIS; planarizing the first PIS and the second PIS; depositing a first structure layer, a first metal-containing layer of a second structure layer, and a second metal-containing layer of the second structure layer over the substrate; disposing and patterning a first resist over the second structure layer; and removing portions of the second structure layer to form a second structure and portions of the first structure layer to form a first structure.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein:
depositing the first metal-containing layer comprises sputtering a first metal-containing material; and depositing the second metal-containing layer comprises sputtering a second metal-containing material.

17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein:
the second metal-containing layer comprises chromium; and the first metal-containing layer comprises at least one of titanium or chromium oxide.

18 . The method of claim 15 , wherein:
the second structure includes a third metal-containing layer, wherein the first metal-containing layer is deposited over the third metal-containing layer, and the method further comprising: depositing the third metal-containing layer over the first structure layer.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein:
depositing the third metal-containing layer comprises sputtering a first metal-containing material; depositing the first metal-containing layer comprises sputtering a second metal-containing material; and depositing the second metal-containing layer comprises sputtering the first metal-containing material.

20 . The method of claim 18 , wherein:
the third metal-containing layer comprises chromium; the first metal-containing layer comprises at least one of titanium or chromium oxide; and the second metal-containing layer comprises chromium.

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Lee Jungmin
• Haas Dieter
• MCDANIEL Gregory Max
• Lin Yu-Hsin

Classifications

• H10K59/35

  comprising red-green-blue [RGB] subpixels · CPC title

• H10K59/1201

  Manufacture or treatment · CPC title

• H10K59/122 Primary

  Pixel-defining structures or layers, e.g. banks · CPC title