TWI502784B - Manufacturing method of electrode substrate for electroluminescent device and manufacturing method of electroluminescent device - Google Patents

Description

Method for producing electrode substrate of electroluminescence device and system for electroluminescence device Method

The present invention relates to a method for fabricating an electrode substrate, and more particularly to an electrode substrate for an electroluminescent device and a method for fabricating the same.

Organic Light-Emitting Diode (OLED) has been widely used in various types of light-emitting devices such as liquid crystal display backlights and organic due to its high luminous efficiency, mercury-free (Hg) and surface light source. On the LED display. A conventional organic light-emitting diode light-emitting device uses a transparent conductive material such as indium tin oxide (ITO) to form an electrode to reduce the influence on the light-emitting effect. However, in general, the resistivity of the transparent conductive material is still higher than that of the metal conductive material. Therefore, when the organic light-emitting diode light-emitting device enlarges the corresponding electrode due to the design of a large-area surface light source, the transparent electrode is likely to occur. The impedance is high and the problem of poor uniformity of illumination is caused.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a method for fabricating an electrode substrate of an electroluminescence device and a method for fabricating the same, which use a crystallized transparent conductive pattern as a mask to form a metal electrode pad and a metal auxiliary electrode. Improve uniformity of illumination, simplify process, improve process yield, and improve stability and reliability of electrical connection of electrode substrates.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a method of fabricating an electrode substrate for an electroluminescent device, comprising the following steps. First, a substrate is provided. Then, at least one first electrode and at least one second electrode are formed on the substrate. Next, a metal layer is formed to cover the first electrode, the second electrode, and the substrate. Thereafter, an amorphous transparent conductive layer is formed on the metal layer. Next, a non-crystalline transparent conductive layer is subjected to a patterning process to form an amorphous transparent conductive pattern. Then, the amorphous transparent conductive pattern is subjected to a crystallization process to convert the amorphous transparent conductive pattern into a crystallized transparent conductive pattern. Thereafter, the etched transparent conductive pattern is used as a mask, and the metal layer not covered by the crystallization transparent conductive pattern is removed to form at least one first metal electrode pad and at least one metal auxiliary electrode on the first electrode, and At least one second metal electrode pad is formed on the second electrode.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a method of fabricating an electroluminescent device comprising the following steps. First, a substrate is provided. Then, at least one first electrode and at least one second electrode are formed on the substrate. Next, a metal layer is formed to cover the first electrode, the second electrode, and the substrate. Thereafter, an amorphous transparent conductive layer is formed on the metal layer. Next, a non-crystalline transparent conductive layer is subjected to a patterning process to form an amorphous transparent conductive pattern. Then, the amorphous transparent conductive pattern is subjected to a crystallization process to convert the amorphous transparent conductive pattern into a crystallized transparent conductive pattern. Thereafter, the etched transparent conductive pattern is used as a mask, and the metal layer not covered by the crystallization transparent conductive pattern is removed to form at least one first metal electrode pad and at least one metal auxiliary electrode on the first electrode, and At least one second metal electrode pad is formed on the second electrode. Then, a light emitting layer is formed on the first electrode, and a third electrode is formed on the light emitting layer. The third electrode is electrically connected to the second electrode such that the second electrode drives the luminescent layer between the first electrode and the third electrode through the third electrode.

100‧‧‧electrode substrate for electroluminescent device

110‧‧‧Substrate

110A‧‧‧Upper surface

110B‧‧‧ lower surface

120‧‧‧ Crystalline transparent conductive layer

120A‧‧‧first electrode

120C‧‧‧second electrode

130‧‧‧metal layer

130A‧‧‧First metal electrode pad

130B‧‧‧Metal auxiliary electrode

130C‧‧‧Second metal electrode pad

140‧‧‧Amorphous transparent conductive layer

140P‧‧‧Amorphous transparent conductive pattern

141P‧‧‧crystallized transparent conductive pattern

150‧‧‧Insulation

160‧‧‧Lighting layer

170‧‧‧ third electrode

180‧‧‧Packaging materials

190‧‧‧ cover

200‧‧‧ electroluminescent device

Z‧‧‧Vertical projection direction

1 to 8 are schematic views showing a method of fabricating an electrode substrate of an electroluminescent device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

9 and 10 are schematic views showing a method of fabricating an electroluminescent device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Please refer to Figures 1 to 8. 1 to 8 are schematic views showing a method of fabricating an electrode substrate of an electroluminescent device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 3 is a top view, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A' of FIG. 3, and FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional line B-B' along the eighth figure. A schematic cross-sectional view of the drawing. For the convenience of description, the drawings of the present invention are only for the purpose of understanding the present invention, and the detailed proportions thereof can be adjusted according to the design requirements. The method for fabricating the electrode substrate of the electroluminescent device of the present embodiment includes the following steps. First, as shown in Fig. 1, a substrate 110 is provided having an upper surface 110A and a lower surface 110B. The substrate 110 may include a rigid substrate such as a glass substrate and a ceramic substrate or a flexible substrate such as a plastic substrate or other suitable material. Then, a crystalline transparent conductive layer 120 is formed on the upper surface 110A of the substrate 110. The crystalline transparent conductive layer 120 preferably may include indium tin oxide (ITO), indium zinc oxide (IZO), aluminum zinc oxide (AZO) or other suitable transparent conductive material. In addition, the crystalline transparent conductive layer 120 is preferably formed directly on the substrate 110 by a physical vapor deposition process such as a sputtering process, but the invention is not limited thereto. In other preferred embodiments of the present invention, the crystal transparent conductive layer 120 may be formed by other suitable processing methods such as a transfer method, or an amorphous transparent conductive layer may be formed on the substrate 110, followed by subsequent crystallization. A process such as high temperature annealing or laser annealing causes crystallization of the amorphous transparent conductive layer to form the crystalline transparent conductive layer 120.

Then, as shown in FIG. 2, the crystalline transparent conductive layer 120 is patterned to form at least one first electrode 120A and at least one second electrode 120C on the substrate 110. The patterning process can include a yellow process, an etch process, or other suitable patterning process. In this embodiment, The first electrode 120A is preferably an anode electrode and the second electrode 120C is preferably a cathode electrode. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the first electrode 120A can be regarded as an anode electrode and The electrode 120C serves as a cathode electrode. In addition, as shown in FIG. 3, the first electrode 120A is preferably paired with two second electrodes 120C. The shape of the first electrode 120A may be an I-shape, and the two second electrodes 120C may be Set to the left and right sides, but not limited to this. It should be noted that, in addition to the above-described patterning of the crystalline transparent conductive layer 120 to form the first electrode 120A and the second electrode 120C, the first electrode 120A and the second electrode 120C may also be transparent to a non-crystalline first. The conductive layer is patterned and then formed by a crystallization process.

As shown in FIG. 4, after the first electrode 120A and the second electrode 120C are formed, a metal layer 130 is formed to cover the first electrode 120A, the second electrode 120C, and the substrate 110. The metal layer 130 may preferably comprise silver, aluminum, copper, magnesium, molybdenum, a composite layer of the above materials or an alloy of the above materials, but is not limited thereto. Then, an amorphous transparent conductive layer 140 is formed on the metal layer 130. The amorphous transparent conductive layer 140 may comprise indium tin oxide, indium zinc oxide, aluminum zinc oxide or other suitable transparent conductive material. Next, as shown in FIG. 5, the amorphous transparent conductive layer 140 is subjected to a patterning process to form an amorphous transparent conductive pattern 140P. The patterning process preferably includes a yellow process and an etch process, but is not limited thereto. For example, when the amorphous transparent conductive layer 140 is formed using indium tin oxide, the etching process described above may preferably be a wet etching process using oxalic acid. Since oxalic acid has a better etching selectivity ratio between indium tin oxide and a general metal, it is less likely to break into the metal layer 130 and the first electrode 120A located under the metal layer 130 when the amorphous transparent conductive pattern 140P is formed. The second electrode 120C.

Then, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the amorphous transparent conductive pattern 140P is subjected to a crystallization process to convert the amorphous transparent conductive pattern 140P into a crystallized transparent conductive pattern 141P. This crystallization process can include high temperature annealing, laser annealing, or other suitable crystallization process. Next, as shown in FIG. 7, the crystallized transparent conductive pattern 141P is used as a mask and will not be crystallized. The metal layer 130 covered by the transparent conductive pattern 141P is removed to form at least one first metal electrode pad 130A and at least one metal auxiliary electrode 130B on the first electrode 120A, and at least one second metal is formed on the second electrode 120C. Electrode pad 130C. It should be noted that the manner of removing the metal layer 130 not covered by the crystallized transparent conductive pattern 141P may be a wet etching process, but is not limited thereto. Since the crystallized transparent conductive pattern 141P or the first electrode 120A and the second electrode 120C are both crystalline and transparent conductive materials, the crystallized transparent conductive pattern 141P and the first electrode are less likely to be etched when the metal layer 130 is etched. The 120A and the second electrode 120C are damaged. By the above-described process steps, the electrode substrate 100 of the electroluminescent device shown in Figs. 7 and 8 can be formed. Since the electrode substrate 100 of the electroluminescent device of the present embodiment is formed by using the crystallized transparent conductive pattern 141P as a mask to form the first metal electrode pad 130A, the second metal electrode pad 130C, and the metal auxiliary electrode 130B, This can achieve the effect of simplifying the process and improving the yield of the process.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, in the electrode substrate 100 of the electroluminescent device of the present embodiment, the first metal electrode pad 130A and the second metal electrode pad 130C are respectively associated with the first electrode 120A and the second electrode. 120C contacts and is electrically connected. The first metal electrode pad 130A and the second metal electrode pad 130C are preferably disposed on both sides of the electrode substrate 100 of the electroluminescent device for electrically connecting with other external circuits or external components to input driving signals. The first metal electrode pad 130A, the metal auxiliary electrode 130B, and the second metal electrode pad 130C are formed by using the crystallized transparent conductive pattern 141P as a mask, and thus the first metal electrode pad 130A, the metal auxiliary electrode 130B, and the second metal electrode The pad 130C is covered by the crystallized transparent conductive pattern 141P in a vertical projection direction Z perpendicular to the substrate 110. The design of the first metal electrode pad 130A, the metal auxiliary electrode 130B, and the second metal electrode pad 130C is covered by the crystallization transparent conductive pattern 141P to improve the stability and reliability of the electrical connection of the electrode substrate 100 of the electroluminescent device. effect. In addition, the first metal electrode pad 130A is integrally formed and electrically connected to the metal auxiliary electrode 130B, and the metal auxiliary electrode 130B preferably surrounds at least one side of the first electrode 120A, thereby compensating the first metal electrode pad 130B. The negative effect of the high resistance value of one electrode 120A, but the invention is not limited thereto, and the visual design needs to adjust the shape and distribution position of the metal auxiliary electrode 130B to achieve the desired electrical compensation effect. Please note that since the crystallized transparent conductive pattern 141P is formed by patterning and crystallization by an amorphous transparent conductive layer (not shown in FIGS. 7 and 8), it is compared with the directly formed crystalline transparent conductive layer. (Fig. 7 and Fig. 8 are not shown). For the first electrode 120A and the second electrode 120C formed by patterning, the sheet resistance of the first electrode 120A and the second electrode 120C is less than or equal to crystallization. The sheet resistance of the transparent conductive pattern 141P.

Please refer to Figure 9 and Figure 10. 9 and 10 are schematic views showing a method of fabricating an electroluminescent device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 9 is a top view, and Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line C-C' of Fig. 9. The method of fabricating the electroluminescent device of the present embodiment includes the following steps. First, as shown in the above and the first to eighth figures, the first electrode 120A and the second electrode 120C, the metal layer 130, the crystallized transparent conductive pattern 141P, and the first metal are sequentially formed on the upper surface 110A of the substrate 110. The electrode pad 130A, the metal auxiliary electrode 130B, and the second metal electrode pad 130C. The details of the process steps and the characteristics of each material in this section have been described above, and therefore will not be described here. Next, as shown in FIG. 9 and FIG. 10, after the first metal electrode pad 130A, the metal auxiliary electrode 130B, and the second metal electrode pad 130C are formed, a light-emitting layer 160 is formed on the first electrode 120A, and is illuminated. A third electrode 170 is formed on the layer 160. The third electrode 170 is electrically connected to the second electrode 120C such that the second electrode 120C drives the light emitting layer 160 between the first electrode 120A and the third electrode 170 through the third electrode 170. In other words, the second electrode 120C and the third electrode 170 can be regarded as an integral cathode electrode, but not limited thereto. Further, the light emitting layer 160 may include an organic light emitting material, an inorganic light emitting material, or other suitable light emitting material. The method for fabricating the electroluminescent device of the present embodiment further includes forming an insulating layer 150, an encapsulating material 180, and a cap plate 190 on the substrate 110 to form electroluminescence as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. Device 200. The insulating layer 150 is formed between the first electrode 120A and the second electrode 120C to avoid contact with the first electrode 120A when the third electrode 170 is formed. Packaging material The 180 series is used to bond the cover 190 to the substrate 110 for the purpose of protecting the light-emitting layer 160. Since the metal auxiliary electrode 130B preferably surrounds at least one side of the first electrode 120A, the negative influence caused by the high resistance value of the first electrode 120A can be compensated for, thereby improving the uniformity of illumination of the electroluminescent device 200. Effect. In addition, the third electrode 170 may use a transparent or non-transparent conductive material as needed to cause the electroluminescent device 200 to produce a luminescent effect upward or/downward (toward the lower surface 110B of the substrate 110).

In summary, the method for fabricating the electrode substrate of the electroluminescent device of the present invention and the method for fabricating the electroluminescence device use the crystallized transparent conductive pattern as a mask to form a metal electrode pad and a metal auxiliary electrode. Simplify the process and increase the yield of the process. In addition, the invention further utilizes the metal auxiliary electrode to compensate for the influence of the higher resistance value of the transparent electrode, thereby achieving the effect of improving the uniformity of illumination of the electroluminescent device. In addition, the present invention also improves the stability and reliability of the electrical connection of the electrode substrate of the electroluminescent device by covering the first metal electrode pad, the metal auxiliary electrode and the second metal electrode pad with the crystallization transparent conductive pattern. effect.

100‧‧‧electrode substrate for electroluminescent device

110‧‧‧Substrate

120A‧‧‧first electrode

120C‧‧‧second electrode

130‧‧‧metal layer

130A‧‧‧First metal electrode pad

130B‧‧‧Metal auxiliary electrode

130C‧‧‧Second metal electrode pad

141P‧‧‧crystallized transparent conductive pattern

Z‧‧‧Vertical projection direction

Claims (10)

A method for fabricating an electrode substrate of an electroluminescent device, comprising the steps of: providing a substrate; forming at least a first electrode and at least a second electrode on the substrate; forming a metal layer covering the first electrode, the first a second electrode and the substrate; forming an amorphous transparent conductive layer on the metal layer; performing a patterning process on the amorphous transparent conductive layer to form an amorphous transparent conductive pattern; and performing the amorphous transparent conductive pattern on the amorphous conductive conductive pattern a crystallization process for converting the amorphous transparent conductive pattern into a crystallized transparent conductive pattern; and removing the metal layer not covered by the crystallized transparent conductive pattern by using the crystallized transparent conductive pattern as a mask, At least one first metal electrode pad and at least one metal auxiliary electrode are formed on the first electrode, and at least one second metal electrode pad is formed on the second electrode. The method for fabricating an electrode substrate of an electroluminescent device according to claim 1, wherein the step of forming the first electrode and the second electrode further comprises patterning a crystalline transparent conductive layer formed on the substrate . The method of fabricating an electrode substrate for an electroluminescent device according to claim 2, wherein the crystalline transparent conductive layer is directly formed on the substrate by a physical vapor deposition process. The method of fabricating an electrode substrate for an electroluminescent device according to claim 1, wherein a sheet resistance of the first electrode and the second electrode is less than or equal to a sheet resistance of the crystallized transparent conductive pattern. The method of manufacturing the electrode substrate of the electroluminescent device of claim 1, wherein the first metal electrode pad is electrically connected to the metal auxiliary electrode, and the metal auxiliary electrode surrounds the first electrode At least one side of the pole. A method for fabricating an electroluminescent device, comprising the steps of: providing a substrate; forming at least a first electrode and at least a second electrode on the substrate; forming a metal layer covering the first electrode, the second electrode, and Forming a non-crystalline transparent conductive layer on the metal layer; performing a patterning process on the amorphous transparent conductive layer to form an amorphous transparent conductive pattern; performing a crystallization process on the amorphous transparent conductive pattern to Converting the amorphous transparent conductive pattern into a crystallized transparent conductive pattern; using the crystallized transparent conductive pattern as a mask, removing the metal layer not covered by the crystallized transparent conductive pattern for the first electrode Forming at least one first metal electrode pad and at least one metal auxiliary electrode, and forming at least one second metal electrode pad on the second electrode; forming a light emitting layer on the first electrode; and forming a light emitting layer on the light emitting layer a third electrode, wherein the third electrode is electrically connected to the second electrode, so that the second electrode is driven by the third electrode The light emitting layer between the electrode and the third electrode. The method of fabricating an electroluminescent device according to claim 6, wherein the forming of the first electrode and the second electrode further comprises patterning a crystalline transparent conductive layer formed on the substrate. The method of fabricating an electroluminescent device according to claim 7, wherein the crystalline transparent conductive layer is directly formed on the substrate by a physical vapor deposition process. The method of fabricating the electroluminescent device of claim 6, wherein the sheet resistance of the first electrode and the second electrode is less than or equal to the sheet resistance of the crystallized transparent conductive pattern. The method of fabricating an electroluminescent device according to claim 6, wherein the first metal electrode pad is electrically connected to the metal auxiliary electrode, and the metal auxiliary electrode surrounds at least one side of the first electrode.