KR20050068192A - The organic electro-luminescence device and method for fabricating of the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an organic light emitting device, and more particularly, to a method of manufacturing an organic light emitting device.

In the organic light emitting device according to the present invention, a separator and a barrier are formed at the boundary of the pixel area.

In forming an insulating film (means for isolating the first electrode (anode electrode of the organic light emitting part) configured for each pixel region) positioned below the partition wall, these (baffles and insulating film) are subjected to one mask process through diffraction exposure. It is characterized in that the production at the same time.

In this case, since the mask process can be reduced in fabricating the organic light emitting device, there is an advantage that the process time can be shortened and the process cost can be reduced.

Description

The organic electroluminescent device and method for manufacturing the same

The present invention relates to an organic light emitting device, and more particularly, to a structure and a manufacturing method of an organic light emitting device manufactured through a simplified process.

In general, organic light emitting diodes inject electrons and holes into the light emitting layer from the electron injection electrodes and the hole injection electrodes, respectively, to inject the injected electrons. ) Is a device that emits light when the exciton, which is a combination of holes and holes, drops from the excited state to the ground state.

Due to this principle, unlike a conventional thin film liquid crystal display device, since a separate light source is not required, there is an advantage in that the volume and weight of the device can be reduced.

The method of driving the organic light emitting device may be divided into a passive matrix type and an active matrix type.

The passive matrix type organic light emitting device has a simple structure and a simple manufacturing method. However, the passive matrix type organic light emitting device has a high power consumption and a large area of the display device, and the opening ratio decreases as the number of wirings increases.

Therefore, the passive matrix type organic light emitting display device is used for a small display device, whereas the active matrix type organic light emitting display device is used for a large display device.

Hereinafter, a configuration of a conventional active matrix organic light emitting diode will be described with reference to FIG. 1.

1 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the configuration of an organic light emitting device according to the related art.

As illustrated, the organic light emitting diode 10 includes a thin film transistor (T) array portion 14 on the transparent first substrate 12 and a first electrode 46 on the thin film transistor array portion 14. ), An organic emission layer 50, and a second electrode 52.

In this case, the light emitting layer 46 expresses the colors of red (R), green (G), and blue (B). In a general method, a separate light emitting red, green, and blue light is generated for each pixel (P). Organic materials are patterned and used.

The first substrate 12 is bonded to the second substrate 28 having the moisture absorbent 22 and the sealant 26, thereby completing the encapsulated organic light emitting device 10.

At this time, the moisture absorbent 22 is for removing moisture and oxygen that can penetrate into the capsule, and a part of the substrate 28 is etched and the moisture absorbent 22 is filled in the etched portion and fixed with a tape 25. .

2 is a view schematically showing a planar configuration of an organic light emitting device having a cross-sectional configuration as described above.

As shown, a gate line GL and a data line DL are formed on the substrate 12 to vertically intersect to define the pixel region P. As shown in FIG.

Although not shown, a switching element and a driving element connected thereto are formed at an intersection point of the gate line GL and the data line DL, and a power line connected to the driving element in a direction parallel to the data line DL. PL, power line) is configured.

In this case, the power line PL may be configured to be parallel to the gate line GL in some cases.

A light emitting part is formed in the pixel area P. For convenience, a second electrode (20, cathode electrode of FIG. 1) is not illustrated, and the first electrode 46 and the anode electrode independently configured for each pixel area P are illustrated. (anode electrode) and only the light emitting layer 50 thereon is shown.

In general, the first electrode 46 is formed by depositing a material having a large work function such as indium-tin-oxide (ITO) through a vacuum device such as a sputter and then patterning the same. The light emitting layer is formed by a printing and inkjet method in the form of a solution in the case of a polymer, and is formed by a deposition method in the case of a low molecule.

By the way, the light emitting layer 50 generally forms a partition wall SP corresponding to a boundary of the pixel area P, and the light emitting layer 50 is applied to each pixel area P by using the partition wall SP. It is formed sequentially for each material that shows green and blue color.

In addition, an inorganic insulating layer 48 is formed below the partition SP to cover side surfaces of the first electrodes 46 adjacent to both sides. The inorganic insulating film 48 generally has a larger area than the partition wall, and covers the edge portion of the first electrode 16 to prevent oxidation of the light emitting layer corresponding to the edge portion of the first electrode.

In particular, the existence of such a partition wall SP is an essential configuration in the inkjet method or the printing method.

This is because the partition SP serves to prevent the organic material from spreading to the adjacent pixel region P. FIG.

Hereinafter, the structure of the thin film transistor array unit included in the above-described one pixel area will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 3.

3 is an enlarged plan view illustrating a structure of a thin film transistor array unit configured under the organic light emitting unit.

In general, the active matrix thin film transistor array unit includes a switching element T _S , a driving element T _D , and a storage capacitor C _{ST for} each of a plurality of pixels defined in the substrate 12. According to a characteristic, the switching element T _S or the driving element T _D may be formed of a combination of one or more thin film transistors, respectively.

In this case, the substrate 12 uses a transparent insulating substrate, and the material may be, for example, glass or plastic.

As shown in the drawing, a gate wiring GL formed in one direction and spaced apart from each other by a predetermined interval is formed, and a data wiring DL intersecting the gate wiring GL with an insulating film interposed therebetween.

At the same time, a power supply line PL spaced apart from the data line DL and intersects with the gate line GL is formed.

The switching element T _S and the driving element T _D include gate electrodes 26 and 28, active layers 16 and 18, source electrodes 34 and 38, and drain electrodes 36 and 40, respectively. Thin film transistors are used.

In the above configuration, the gate electrode 26 of the switching element T _S is connected to the gate line GL, and the source electrode 34 is connected to the data line DL.

The drain electrode 36 of the switching element T _S is connected to the gate electrode 28 of the driving element T _D through the contact hole CHI.

The source electrode 38 of the driving element T _D is connected to the power line PL and the contact hole CH2.

In addition, the drain electrode 40 of the driving element T _D is configured to contact the first electrode 46 configured in the pixel region P.

The power supply line PL and the first electrode 20, which is a polycrystalline silicon layer under the power line PL, overlap each other with an insulating layer therebetween to form a storage capacitor C _ST .

In the above-described configuration, a partition wall (SP in FIG. 2) is formed corresponding to an upper portion of the data line DL and the power supply line PL, and the partition wall (SP in FIG. 2) is specified for each pixel area P. FIG. It serves to isolate the organic light emitting layer that emits color.

As described above, an inorganic insulating layer covering the edge portion of the first electrode is further formed below the partition wall.

Hereinafter, referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the cross-sectional structure of the organic light emitting diode including the partition as described above will be described.

4A, 4B, and 5 are cross-sectional views taken along line III-III, IV-IV, and V-V of FIG. 3.

As illustrated, the active layer 16 corresponds to the driving region D and the switching region S on the substrate 100 in which the driving region D, the switching region S, and the pixel region P are defined. And a thin film transistor including gate electrodes 26 and 28, source electrodes 34 and 38, and drain electrodes 36 and 40, respectively.

In this case, the thin film transistor positioned in the switching region _S is called a switching element T _S , and the thin film transistor positioned in the driving region _D is called a driving element T _D.

The source electrode 34 of the switching element T _S is connected to the data line DL of FIG. 3, and the drain electrode 36 is connected to the gate electrode 28 of the driving element T _D. do.

The source electrode 38 of the driving element T _D is connected to the power line PL and the drain electrode 40 is a first electrode 46 of the organic light emitting part independently patterned in the pixel area. electrode).

An insulating film 48 is formed on the boundary of the pixel region P including the first electrode 46, that is, the data line DL and the power supply line PL, and a partition wall is formed on the insulating film 48. SP) is configured.

The light emitting layer 50 is formed to correspond to the pixel area P inside the partition SP, and a second electrode 52 (cathode electrode) is formed on the light emitting layer 50.

As described above, the conventional organic electroluminescent device constructed requires a plurality of mask processes in manufacturing the thin film transistor array portion and the light emitting portion including the insulating film 48 and the partition wall SP.

Hereinafter, a method of forming the thin film transistor array unit will be briefly described for each mask process. (Referring to FIGS. 4A, 4B, and 5, a case where a p-type polycrystalline thin film transistor is used as a switching element and a driving element will be described. do.)

First mask process: active pattern formation (driving area and switching area)

Second Mask Process: Gate Electrode Formation (Drive Area and Switching Area)

Third mask process: contact hole formation for exposing the gate electrode of the driving region.

Fourth Mask Process: Power Wire Formation Process.

Fifth mask process: A contact hole formation process for exposing an active pattern and a power supply wiring.

Sixth Mask Process: Source and Drain Electrode Formation Process.

7th mask process: The process of exposing a drain electrode (driving area).

As described above, the thin-film transistor array portion may be formed by performing a seven mask process. (This is different depending on the process and the type of the thin film transistor.)

An organic light emitting diode is formed on the thin film transistor array unit, which will be described below with reference to FIGS. 6A to 6E.

As shown in FIG. 6A, a first electrode 46 (anode electrode) is formed to correspond to the pixel region P of the substrate.

An inorganic insulating layer 47 is formed by depositing one selected from the group of inorganic insulating materials including silicon nitride (SiO ₂ ) on the entire surface of the substrate 12 on which the first electrode 46 is formed.

 A photoresist is applied on the entire surface of the substrate 12 on which the inorganic insulating film 47 is formed to form a PR layer 80.

As shown in FIG. 6B, the PR layer 80 is exposed and developed to form a PR pattern 82 positioned corresponding to the boundary of the pixel region P. As shown in FIG.

A process of etching the inorganic insulating film exposed between the PR patterns 82 is performed.

As shown in FIG. 6C, a buffer layer 48 is disposed to correspond to the boundary of the pixel region P and cover the edge portion of the first electrode adjacent to the pixel region P. FIG.

Next, as shown in FIG. 6D, an organic film 90 is formed by applying a photosensitive organic insulating material to the entire surface of the substrate on which the patterned buffer layer is formed.

A process of patterning the organic layer 90 in a second mask process is performed to form a partition wall SP on the buffer layer 48.

The partition SP may be formed by performing an exposure and development process in the same manner as the first mask process.

In this case, as mentioned above, the buffer layer 48 should be formed while covering one side of the first electrode 46 so that the edge portion of the first electrode 16 is not exposed. Otherwise, the light emitting portion is weakened by the edge portion of the first electrode 46, causing deterioration.

The partition wall SP is formed to a height of 1 μm or more, and in the case of coating a polymer, a shape in which the light emitting material becomes thick near the partition SP occurs, so that the distance between the insulating film and the partition wall K is large. The better.

In other words, the thicker the light emitting material is, the farther from the pixel area SP, the better.

As shown in FIG. 6E, after forming the partition SP, an organic emission layer 50 is formed in each pixel region P, and a second electrode 52 is formed on the organic emission layer 50. Form.

The second electrode is formed of one selected from the group of conductive metals having a small work function including a double metal of aluminum (Al), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and lithium fluorine / aluminum (LIF / Al).

When the organic light emitting layer 50 is formed by a coating method, a mask process is not necessary, and a mask process is not required even when the second electrode 52 is formed on the entire surface of the substrate.

Therefore, when forming the barrier rib SP and the insulating film 48 below, at least two mask processes are required, as described above, since the barrier rib SP should be configured as far as possible between the insulating film 48 and the barrier rib SP. .

Therefore, it can be concluded that the organic EL device according to the related art requires at least 9 masks by combining the process of forming the thin film transistor array unit and the process of forming the light emitting unit.

However, as described above, the larger the number of processes in manufacturing the device, the higher the probability of defects in the process and the lower the production yield due to the delay in the process time, resulting in a lower price competitiveness of the product due to an increase in process costs.

The present invention has been proposed for the purpose of solving the above-mentioned problem, and is characterized in that it is formed by one mask process using diffraction exposure when patterning the insulating film of the partition and its lower portion.

By using diffraction exposure, it is possible to form a partition on the insulating film and the insulating film at a distance from the insulating film in one mask process.

Therefore, since the process can be simplified, the probability of product defects can be lowered by that amount, and the process time can be shortened and the process cost can be lowered.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing an organic light emitting display device, the method including: forming a gate line and a data line on a substrate to vertically intersect a plurality of pixel regions; Forming a switching element and a driving element positioned at the intersection of the gate line and the data line, the switching element comprising a gate electrode, an active layer, a source electrode, and a drain electrode; Forming a first electrode in a pixel area while being in contact with the drain electrode of the driving element; Stacking an inorganic insulating film and an organic insulating film on the entire surface of the substrate on which the first electrode is formed; The organic insulating film and the inorganic insulating film are patterned by the same mask process, and an insulating layer covering the first pixel electrode adjacent to the boundary of the pixel area is disposed on the insulating layer and spaced apart from the periphery of the insulating layer in a plane. Forming a partition located therein; Forming a light emitting layer on the exposed first electrode corresponding to the pixel area; And forming a second electrode on the light emitting layer.

A source electrode of the switching element is connected to the data line, a drain electrode of the switching element is connected to the gate electrode of the driving element, and a power line in contact with the drain electrode of the driving element is further formed. do.

The first electrode is an anode electrode for injecting holes, the second electrode is a cathode electrode for injecting electrons, and the anode electrode is a work function such as indium tin oxide (ITO). (work function) is formed by selecting from a large group of materials, the cathode electrode containing a double metal of aluminum (Al), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), lithium fluorine / aluminum (LIF / Al) It is formed as a selected one of the small conductive metal groups.

The organic insulating layer is formed by selecting from a group of photosensitive organic insulating materials including benzocyclobutene (BCB) and an acrylic resin.

The inorganic insulating layer is formed by selecting from an inorganic insulating material group including silicon nitride (SiN _X ) and silicon oxide (SiO ₂ ), and the partition wall is formed at a position away from the first electrode.

The forming of the insulating layer and the barrier rib may include stacking an organic insulating layer on the inorganic insulating layer, and then applying a mask corresponding to both sides of the pixel area to correspond to the transmissive part and the transflective part and corresponding to the transmissive part in the pixel area. Positioning the organic insulating layer on top; Exposing a lower organic insulating layer through the mask; Wherein the exposed organic insulating film is developed to expose the inorganic insulating film of the pixel region, and a portion covering a portion of the first electrode is formed low on the upper portion of the inorganic insulating film corresponding to the boundary of the pixel region, and the rest is high. Forming a dust-sensitive photosensitive pattern; Removing the exposed inorganic insulating film to expose a lower first electrode; Performing a process of removing only a portion of the photosensitive pattern from the surface, removing a photosensitive pattern of a portion covering a portion of the first electrode to expose an inorganic insulating layer below the photosensitive pattern, wherein the photosensitive pattern is a high patterned upper portion of the inorganic insulating layer Forming a partition.

A slit is formed in the transflective portion of the mask to diffract the passed light.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing an organic light emitting display device, the method comprising: forming gate lines and data lines that vertically cross a substrate and define a plurality of pixel regions; Forming a switching element and a driving element positioned at the intersection of the gate line and the data line, the switching element comprising a gate electrode, an active layer, a source electrode, and a drain electrode; Forming a first electrode in a pixel area while being in contact with the drain electrode of the driving element; Stacking an organic insulating layer on the entire surface of the substrate on which the first electrode is formed; Patterning the organic insulating film to form an insulating film covering the first pixel electrode adjacent to the boundary of the pixel region, and a partition wall disposed on the insulating film and planarly spaced apart from the periphery of the insulating film; Forming a light emitting layer on the exposed first electrode corresponding to the pixel area; And forming a second electrode on the light emitting layer.

The source electrode of the switching device is connected to the data line, and the drain electrode of the switching device is connected to the gate electrode of the driving device.

In the forming of the insulating layer and the partition wall, after forming the organic insulating layer, a mask corresponding to both sides of the pixel area and having a transmissive part corresponding to both sides of the pixel area and having a transmissive part corresponding to the pixel area is disposed on the organic insulating layer. Positioning; Exposing a lower organic insulating layer through the mask; Developing the exposed organic insulating layer to expose the first electrode of the pixel region, and to form a low-level insulating layer covering a portion of the first electrode and a partition formed with the remaining high height.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

First Embodiment

In the present invention, in forming an insulating film (inorganic insulating film) positioned at the boundary of the pixel region and a partition wall (organic insulating film) positioned at a plane distance from the insulating film on the insulating film, a single mask process using diffraction exposure is performed. It is characterized by producing.

Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, a process of forming a partition wall formed on the insulating film and the insulating film will be described.

7A to 7E are cross-sectional views illustrating a process of forming the partition wall formed on the insulating film and the insulating film in accordance with the process procedure of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 7A, a transparent first electrode 102 is formed on the substrate 100.

Next, one selected from the group of inorganic insulating materials including silicon oxide (SiO ₂ ) and silicon nitride (SiN _X ) is deposited on the first electrode 102 to form an inorganic insulating layer 104.

A photosensitive organic material is coated on the inorganic insulating layer 104 to form a photosensitive layer 106. Photosensitive organic materials include benzocyclobutene (BCB) and acrylic resins.

At this time, the first region G1 including a part of both sides of the first electrode 102 on both sides of the first electrode 102 and the first region G1 in plan view are located inside the first region G1. ) Defines a second area G2 at a predetermined distance K.

As shown in FIG. 7B, the mask M including the transmissive part F1, the transflective part F2, and the blocking part F3 is positioned on an upper portion of the substrate 100 on which the photosensitive layer 106 is formed. .

Corresponding to the transflective portion F2, a slit constitutes a configuration.

In this case, the transmissive portion F1 is positioned corresponding to the first electrode 102, and the transflective portion F2 is positioned corresponding to the separation distance K between the first region G1 and the second region G2. The blocking unit F3 is positioned to correspond to the second area G2.

The process of exposing the lower photosensitive layer 106 by irradiating light to the upper portion of the mask (M) is performed. Next, a process of developing the exposed photosensitive layer 106 corresponding to the transmissive portion F1 and the transflective portion F2 is performed.

As shown in FIG. 7C, a photosensitive pattern 108 exists in correspondence with the first region G1, and the photosensitive pattern 108 has an initial portion H1 corresponding to the second region G2. While maintaining the height as it is, the portion H2 corresponding to the separation distance K between the second region G2 and the first region G1 remains at a low height from which a portion is removed from the surface.

This phenomenon is to use the diffraction characteristics of the light by forming a slit in the transflective portion of the mask, because the light intensity is reduced as the light passes through the diffraction (light intensity) is a result of only part of the photosensitive layer exposed on the surface.

As described above, the inorganic insulating layer 104 positioned corresponding to the first electrode 102 is exposed between the photosensitive patterns 108 having the stepped pattern.

The process of patterning the exposed inorganic insulating film 104 is performed.

As shown in FIG. 7D, the first electrode 102 is exposed between the photosensitive patterns 108.

Next, exposing the lower patterned inorganic insulating layer 104 by removing the photosensitive pattern 108 of the portion K corresponding to the spaced distance between the first region G1 and the second region G2. To this end, an ashing process is performed to remove the photosensitive pattern from the surface by using a dry etching process.

In this case, as shown in FIG. 7E, the photosensitive pattern existing between the first region G1 and the second region G2 is removed to expose the lower inorganic insulating layer 104. A partition wall SP in which a photosensitive pattern remains in a rod shape may be formed on the inorganic insulating layer 104.

When the process as described above is completed, since the inorganic insulating film 104 covers both sides of the first electrode 102, the first electrode even if the light emitting layer is located on the upper side corresponding to both sides of the first electrode 102. Since the separation distance K between the inorganic insulating film 104 and the partition SP is substantially planar, the light emitting layer is formed in the vicinity of the partition SP. Since the position is outside the electrode 102, the image quality is not affected.

Hereinafter, a method of manufacturing the organic light emitting diode including the insulating film and the partition wall will be described with reference to FIGS. 8, 9, and 10.

 8A to 8H, 9A to 9H, and 10A to 10H are cross-sectional views illustrating a method of manufacturing an organic light emitting diode according to the present invention, according to a process sequence.

(Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line III-III, IV-IV, and V-V in Fig. 2.)

8A, 9A, and 10A illustrate the first and second mask processes, the switching region S, the driving region D, the light emitting region E, and the pixel region on the substrate 200. Define (P).

On the substrate 200 in which the plurality of regions S, D, E, and P are defined, one selected from the group of inorganic insulating materials including silicon nitride (SiN _X ) and silicon oxide (SiO ₂ ) is deposited to form a buffer layer. Form a (202, buffer layer).

After depositing amorphous silicon (a-Si: H) on the entire surface of the substrate 200, a dehydrogenation process and a crystallization process using heat are formed, and a polycrystalline silicon layer is formed and then patterned using a first mask process to switch. Polycrystalline active patterns 204 and 206 are formed in the region S and the driving region D, respectively. At the same time, a polycrystalline pattern 208 for the storage capacitor is formed.

This is generally formed by extending the polycrystalline active pattern 204 of the driving region D. FIG.

The polycrystalline active patterns 204 and 206 are defined as a first active area A1 and a second active area A2, respectively.

Subsequently, a gate insulating film 116 is formed on the entire surface of the substrate 200 on which the polycrystalline active patterns 204 and 206 are formed, and the gate insulating film 210 corresponding to the first region A1 of the polycrystalline active patterns 204 and 206 is formed. Gate electrodes 212 and 214 are formed on the second mask process, respectively.

In this case, as illustrated, the gate insulating layer 210 may be formed by removing all of the exposed portions of the gate electrodes 212 and 214, or may be left as it is. In this case, the gate electrodes 212 and 214 function as an etch stop layer on the lower layer.

The gate insulating layer 210 is formed by depositing one selected from a group of inorganic insulating materials including silicon nitride (SiN _X ) and silicon oxide (SiO ₂ ), and the gate electrodes 212 and 214 are formed of aluminum (Al) and aluminum alloy. And copper (Cu), tungsten (W), tantalum (Ta), and molybdenum (Mo).

8B, 9B, and 10B illustrate a third mask process, the first interlayer insulating layer 216 is formed on the entire surface of the substrate on which the gate electrode is formed in the switching region and the driving region.

Next, a process of doping impurity ions into the first region A1 of the polycrystalline active patterns 204 and 206 is performed.

In this case, the switching region S and the driving region D generally dop p + ions, and the polycrystalline pattern 208 for the storage capacitor may also dop n + ions.

In such a case, a mask process may be added because a blocking pattern for blocking one of the two impurity ions is necessary.

Next, the aforementioned conductive metal is deposited on the entire surface of the substrate on which the first interlayer insulating layer is formed and patterned by a third mask process to form a power line 218.

Next, the second interlayer insulating layer 220 is formed on the entire surface of the substrate 200 on which the power line 218 is formed by depositing one selected from the group of inorganic insulating materials mentioned above.

8C, 9C, and 10C illustrate a fourth mask and a five mask process, wherein the second interlayer insulating film 220 and the first interlayer insulating film 216 below are patterned by using a four mask process. The process of exposing the second active region A2 and the power line 218 of the polycrystalline active patterns 202 and 204 formed in the switching region S and the driving region D, respectively, is performed.

Next, the above-mentioned conductive metal is deposited on the entire surface of the substrate 200 on which the second interlayer insulating film 230 is formed and patterned using a 5 mask process to expose the polycrystals of the switching region S and the driving region D. Source electrodes 222 and 226 and drain electrodes 224 and 228 in contact with the active layers 204 and 206 are formed. At the same time, the data line DL connected to the source electrode 222 of the switching region S is formed.

In this case, the drain electrode 224 of the switching region S is in contact with the gate electrode 214 of the driving region D, and the source electrode 226 of the driving region D is connected to the power line 218. Contact.

Next, the protective film 230 is formed by depositing one selected from the group of inorganic insulating materials including silicon nitride (SiN _X ) and silicon oxide (SiO ₂ ) on the entire surface of the substrate 200.

8D to 8F, 9A to 9F, and 10F to 10F show a sixth mask process, a seventh mask process, and an eight mask process, and the protective film is patterned by a sixth mask process. A process of exposing the drain electrode of the driving region is performed.

Next, a transparent first electrode 234 contacting the exposed drain electrode 228 is formed by a seventh mask process.

The insulating layer 236 is formed by depositing one selected from the group of inorganic insulating materials including silicon nitride (SiN _x ) and silicon oxide (SiO ₂ ) on the transparent first electrode 234.

In this case, an area including both sides of the pixel area P, that is, a portion including the data line DL and the power line 218, is defined as a first area G1 and is planarly centered on the first area G2. An area having a distance K from the first area G1 is defined as a second area G2.

Next, the photosensitive layer 240 is coated by applying one selected from the group of organic insulating materials including benzocyclobutene (BCB) and acrylic resin (resin) having photosensitivity on the insulating layer 236. Form.

The eighth mask M including the transmissive part F1, the transflective part F2, and the blocking part F3 is positioned on the spaced upper portion of the substrate 200 on which the photosensitive layer 240 is formed.

Corresponding to the transflective portion F2, a slit constitutes a configuration.

In this case, the transmissive portion F1 is positioned corresponding to the first electrode 234, and the transflective portion F2 is positioned corresponding to the separation distance K of the first region G1 and the second region G2. The blocking unit F3 is positioned to correspond to the second area G2.

The process of exposing the lower photosensitive layer 240 by irradiating light to the upper portion of the mask (M). Next, a process of developing the exposed photosensitive layer 240 corresponding to the transmissive portion F1 and the transflective portion F2 is performed.

As shown in FIGS. 8E, 9E and 10E, a photosensitive pattern 242 is present corresponding to the first region G1, and the photosensitive pattern 242 corresponds to the second region G2. While the portion H1 maintains the initial height as it is, the portion H2 corresponding to the separation distance K between the second region G2 and the first region G1 remains at a low height with a portion removed from the surface. do.

This phenomenon is to use the diffraction characteristics of the light by forming a slit in the transflective portion of the mask, because the light intensity is reduced as the light passes through the diffraction (light intensity) is a result of only part of the photosensitive layer exposed on the surface.

As described above, the insulating layer 236 positioned corresponding to the first electrode 234 is exposed between the photosensitive patterns 242 that are stepped.

The process of removing the exposed insulating layer 236 is performed.

8F, 9F, and 10F, the first electrode 234 is exposed between the photosensitive patterns 242.

As shown in FIGS. 8G, 9G, and 10G, the photosensitive pattern 242 of the portion K corresponding to the spaced distance between the first region G1 and the second region G2 is removed to form a lower portion. In order to expose the patterned inorganic insulating film 104, an ashing process of removing the photosensitive pattern from the surface by using a dry etching process is performed.

In this way, the photosensitive pattern existing between the first region G1 and the second region G2 is removed to expose the lower patterned insulating layer 236 and the upper portion of the patterned insulating layer 236. The barrier rib SP in which the photosensitive pattern remains in the shape of a bar may be formed.

When the process as described above is completed, since the inorganic insulating film 104 covers both sides of the first electrode 234, the first electrode even if the light emitting layer is positioned on the upper side corresponding to both sides of the first electrode 234. Since the separation distance K between the insulating layer 236 and the barrier rib SP that is planarly patterned is considerable, the thickness of the light emitting layer is formed near the barrier rib SP. Since the position is out of the first electrode 234, the image quality is not affected.

Next, as illustrated in FIGS. 8H, 9H, and 10H, the organic emission layer 238 is formed in correspondence with the pixel region P. Next, as shown in FIG.

The emission layer 238 is sequentially formed in the pixel area P for each material emitting red, green, and chuck colors.

Next, the second electrode 240 is formed on the entire surface of the substrate 200 on which the emission layer 238 is formed.

The second electrode 240 deposits a metal having a low work function such as aluminum (Al) to form a second electrode (cathode) 168.

In this case, the light emitting layer 238 may be configured as a single layer or a multi-layer, in the case of a multi-layer structure, the hole transport layer 238b is further formed between the main light emitting layer 238a and the first electrode 234, and the main light emitting layer ( The electron transport layer 238c of the 238a and the second electrode 240 is further configured.

The material forming the second electrode 240 may be formed of one selected from aluminum (Al), calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg) or a double metal layer of lithium fluorine / aluminum (LIF / Al).

Through the process as described above it can be produced an organic light emitting device according to the present invention.

Hereinafter, a modification of the second embodiment of the first embodiment of the present invention will be described.

Second Embodiment

A feature of the second embodiment of the present invention is that the same material is used to form an insulating layer which is located at the boundary of the pixel region and covers one side of the first electrode, and a partition wall formed on the top thereof with a planar spacing distance thereon. It is done.

11A to 11B are cross-sectional views illustrating a process of manufacturing the barrier rib and the inorganic insulating film positioned below the barrier rib in one mask process according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 11A, a transparent first electrode 302 is formed on the substrate 300.

Next, a photosensitive organic material is coated on the first electrode 302 to form the photosensitive layer 306. Photosensitive organic materials include benzocyclobutene (BCB) and acrylic resins.

In this case, a first region G1 including portions of both sides of the first electrode 302 on both sides of the first electrode 302 and a first region G1 planarly located inside the first region G1. ) Defines a second area G2 at a predetermined distance K.

Next, the mask M including the transmissive part F1, the transflective part F2, and the blocking part F3 is positioned on an upper portion of the substrate 100 on which the photosensitive layer 306 is formed.

Corresponding to the transflective portion F2, a slit constitutes a configuration.

In this case, the transmissive part F1 is positioned corresponding to the first electrode 302, and the transflective part F2 is positioned corresponding to the separation distance K of the first region G1 and the second region G2. The blocking unit F3 is positioned to correspond to the second area G2.

The process of exposing the lower photosensitive layer 306 by irradiating light to the upper portion of the mask (M). Next, a process of developing the exposed photosensitive layer 306 corresponding to the transmissive portion F1 and the transflective portion F2 is performed.

As shown in FIG. 11B, a photosensitive pattern 308 is present corresponding to the first region G1, and the photosensitive pattern 108 has an initial portion H1 corresponding to the second region G2. While maintaining the height as it is, the portion H2 corresponding to the separation distance K between the second region G2 and the first region G1 remains at a low height from which a portion is removed from the surface.

This phenomenon is to use the diffraction characteristics of the light by forming a slit in the transflective portion of the mask, because the light intensity is reduced as the light passes through the diffraction (light intensity) is a result of only part of the photosensitive layer exposed on the surface.

As described above, the first electrode 302 is exposed between the photosensitive patterns 308 that are stepped.

When the above-described process is completed, since the photosensitive pattern corresponding to the low level difference on both sides of the first electrode 302 becomes a shape covering both sides of the first electrode 302, both sides of the first electrode 302 Even if the light emitting layer is positioned on the corresponding upper portion, the light emitting layer is not affected by the first electrode 302, and the photosensitive pattern having a high level in plan is the partition SP.

In this case, since the photosensitive pattern covering the first electrode and the separation distance K of the partition wall SP correspond to each other, even if a light emitting layer is formed in the vicinity of the partition wall SP, this is a position away from the first electrode 302. This will not affect the image quality.

Through the above-described first and second embodiments, the organic light emitting diode according to the present invention can be manufactured.

As described above, the organic light emitting diode according to the present invention is disposed in correspondence with a boundary of a pixel region in which the first electrode (anode electrode) is formed, and an insulating layer covering the side surface of the first electrode and a partition wall formed on the insulating layer. In the formation, the number of processes can be reduced as compared with the conventional method because it can be manufactured by the first mask process using diffraction exposure.

Therefore, the process time can be shortened and the process defect rate can be lowered, thereby improving the productivity.

In addition, there is an effect that can improve the price competitiveness of the product by reducing the manufacturing cost due to the process shortening.

1 is a plan view schematically showing one pixel of a conventional organic light emitting diode,

2 is a view schematically showing a planar configuration of an organic light emitting device,

3 is an enlarged plan view illustrating a thin film transistor array unit corresponding to one pixel of an organic light emitting diode;

4A, 4B, and 5 are cross-sectional views taken along line III-III, IV-IV, and V-V of FIG. 3,

6A through 6E are cross-sectional views illustrating a method of fabricating an insulating film pattern of a barrier rib and a barrier lower part according to a conventional process in a two-mask process.

7A to 7E are cross-sectional views illustrating a method of fabricating an insulating film pattern between a partition wall and a partition bottom part in a single mask process according to the present invention.

8A to 8H and 9A to 9H and 10A to 10H are cross-sectional views illustrating a process of manufacturing an organic light emitting diode according to the present invention, in accordance with a process sequence.

11A to 11C are cross-sectional views illustrating a process of manufacturing the barrier rib and the inorganic insulating film positioned below the barrier rib in one mask process according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

<Brief description of the main parts of the drawing>

100 substrate 102 first electrode

104: inorganic insulating film 106: organic insulating film

M: Mask

Claims (19)

Forming gate wirings and data wirings vertically intersecting on the substrate to define a plurality of pixel regions; Forming a switching element and a driving element positioned at the intersection of the gate line and the data line, the switching element comprising a gate electrode, an active layer, a source electrode, and a drain electrode; Forming a first electrode in a pixel area while being in contact with the drain electrode of the driving element; Stacking an inorganic insulating film and an organic insulating film on the entire surface of the substrate on which the first electrode is formed; The organic insulating film and the inorganic insulating film are patterned by the same mask process, and an insulating layer covering the first pixel electrode adjacent to the boundary of the pixel area is disposed on the insulating layer and spaced apart from the periphery of the insulating layer in a plane. Forming a partition located therein; Forming a light emitting layer on the exposed first electrode corresponding to the pixel area; Forming a second electrode on the light emitting layer Organic electroluminescent device manufacturing method comprising a. The method of claim 1, And a source electrode of the switching element is connected to the data line, and a drain electrode of the switching element is connected to the gate electrode of the driving element. The method of claim 1, And a power line contacting the drain electrode of the driving device. The method of claim 1, The first electrode is an anode electrode (hole electrode) for injecting holes, the second electrode is a cathode electrode (cathode electrode) for injecting electrons manufacturing method of an organic light emitting device. The method of claim 4, wherein The anode electrode is formed by selecting a material group having a large work function such as indium tin oxide (ITO), and the cathode electrode is made of aluminum (Al), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and lithium. A method of manufacturing an organic light emitting device, wherein the work function including a double metal of fluorine / aluminum (LIF / Al) is formed as one selected from a group of conductive metals having a small work function. The method of claim 1, And the organic insulating layer is selected from a group of photosensitive organic insulating materials including benzocyclobutene (BCB) and acrylic resin. The method of claim 1, The inorganic insulating film is formed by selecting an inorganic insulating material group including silicon nitride (SiN _X ) and silicon oxide (SiO ₂ ). The method of claim 1, And the partition wall is formed at a position away from the first electrode. The method of claim 1, Forming the insulating layer and the partition wall Stacking an organic insulating layer on the inorganic insulating layer, and placing a mask corresponding to both sides of the pixel region, and having a mask corresponding to both sides of the pixel region and corresponding to the pixel region on the organic insulating layer; Exposing a lower organic insulating layer through the mask; Wherein the exposed organic insulating film is developed to expose the inorganic insulating film of the pixel region, and a portion covering a portion of the first electrode is formed low on the upper portion of the inorganic insulating film corresponding to the boundary of the pixel region, and the rest is high. Forming a dust-sensitive photosensitive pattern; Removing the exposed inorganic insulating film to expose a lower first electrode; Performing a process of removing only a portion of the photosensitive pattern from the surface, removing a photosensitive pattern of a portion covering a portion of the first electrode to expose an inorganic insulating layer below the photosensitive pattern, wherein the photosensitive pattern is a high patterned upper portion of the inorganic insulating layer Forming the bulkhead Organic electroluminescent device manufacturing method comprising a. The method of claim 9, The slit is formed in the semi-transmissive portion of the mask, the organic electroluminescent device manufacturing method to diffract the passed light. Forming gate wirings and data wirings vertically intersecting on the substrate to define a plurality of pixel regions; Forming a switching element and a driving element positioned at the intersection of the gate line and the data line, the switching element comprising a gate electrode, an active layer, a source electrode, and a drain electrode; Forming a first electrode in a pixel area while being in contact with the drain electrode of the driving element; Stacking an organic insulating layer on the entire surface of the substrate on which the first electrode is formed; Patterning the organic insulating film to form an insulating film covering the first pixel electrode adjacent to the boundary of the pixel region, and a partition wall disposed on the insulating film and planarly spaced apart from the periphery of the insulating film; Forming a light emitting layer on the exposed first electrode corresponding to the pixel area; Forming a second electrode on the light emitting layer Organic electroluminescent device manufacturing method comprising a. The method of claim 11, And a source electrode of the switching element is connected to the data line, and a drain electrode of the switching element is connected to the gate electrode of the driving element. The method of claim 11, And a power line contacting the drain electrode of the driving device. The method of claim 11, The first electrode is an anode electrode (hole electrode) for injecting holes, the second electrode is a cathode electrode (cathode electrode) for injecting electrons manufacturing method of an organic light emitting device. The method of claim 14, The anode electrode is formed by selecting a material group having a large work function such as indium tin oxide (ITO), and the cathode electrode is made of aluminum (Al), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and lithium. A method of manufacturing an organic light emitting device, wherein the work function including a double metal of fluorine / aluminum (LIF / Al) is formed as one selected from a group of conductive metals having a small work function. The method of claim 11, And the organic insulating layer is selected from a group of photosensitive organic insulating materials including benzocyclobutene (BCB) and an acrylic resin. The method of claim 11, And the partition wall is formed at a position away from the first electrode. The method of claim 11, Forming the insulating layer and the partition wall After forming the organic insulating layer, placing a mask corresponding to both sides of the pixel area and having a transmissive part corresponding to both sides of the pixel area and corresponding to the pixel area on the organic insulating layer; Exposing a lower organic insulating layer through the mask; Developing the exposed organic insulating layer to expose the first electrode of the pixel region, and to form a low-level insulating layer covering a portion of the first electrode and a partition formed with the remaining high height; Organic electroluminescent device manufacturing method comprising a. The method of claim 18, The slit is formed in the semi-transmissive portion of the mask, the organic electroluminescent device manufacturing method to diffract the passed light.