Thin-film semiconductor substrate, light-emitting panel, and method of manufacturing the thin-film semiconductor substrate

Abstract

A thin-film semiconductor substrate includes a top-gate first TFT, a top-gate second TFT, and a data line (source line), in which the first TFT has a first semiconductor layer, a first gate insulating film, a first gate electrode, a first source electrode, a first drain electrode, and a first protection layer, the second TFT has a second semiconductor layer, a second gate insulating film, a second gate electrode, a second source electrode, a second drain electrode, and a second protection layer, the data line is connected to the first source electrode, the first drain electrode is an extension of the second gate electrode, and the second gate electrode is thinner than the data line.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A thin-film semiconductor substrate, comprising:
 a substrate; 
 a first semiconductor element and a second semiconductor element that are above the substrate; and 
 a data line above the substrate, 
 wherein the first semiconductor element includes:
 a first semiconductor layer; 
 a first gate insulating film above the first semiconductor layer; 
 a first gate electrode above the first gate insulating film; 
 a first source electrode and a first drain electrode each connected to a corresponding part of the first semiconductor layer; and 
 a first protection layer above the first gate electrode, the second semiconductor element includes: 
 a second semiconductor layer; 
 a second gate insulating film above the second semiconductor layer; 
 a second gate electrode above the second gate insulating film; 
 a second source electrode and a second drain electrode each connected to a corresponding part of the second semiconductor layer; and 
 a second protection layer above the second gate electrode, 
 
 one of the first source electrode and the first drain electrode is an extension of the second gate electrode, 
 the second gate electrode is formed of a same layer as the one of the first source electrode and the first drain electrode,  
 the data line is connected to an other of the first source electrode and the first drain electrode, 
 the second protection layer is continuous from above the second gate electrode to above the one of the first source electrode and the first drain electrode, and 
 the second gate electrode is thinner than the data line. 
 
     
     
       2. The thin-film semiconductor substrate according to  claim 1 , further comprising
 a first gate line connected to the first gate electrode, 
 wherein the first gate electrode has approximately the same thickness as the first gate line, and is thinner than the data line. 
 
     
     
       3. The thin-film semiconductor substrate according to  claim 2 , further comprising
 a second gate line stacked above the first gate line. 
 
     
     
       4. The thin-film semiconductor substrate according to  claim 1 , further comprising
 a power line connected to one of the second source electrode and the second drain electrode, 
 wherein the power line has approximately the same thickness as the data line. 
 
     
     
       5. A light-emitting panel, comprising:
 the thin-film semiconductor substrate according to  claim 1 ; 
 an anode above the thin-film semiconductor substrate; 
 a light-emitting layer above the anode; 
 a cathode above the light-emitting layer; and 
 a bank that sandwiches the light-emitting layer laterally, 
 wherein the bank is disposed above the data line. 
 
     
     
       6. The light-emitting panel according to  claim 5 ,
 wherein the bank has sidewalls with a two-stage shape. 
 
     
     
       7. The light-emitting panel according to  claim 5 ,
 wherein, when a region corresponding to the light-emitting layer sandwiched by the bank in a planar view of the light-emitting panel is a light-emitting region, (1) the first gate electrode and the one of the first source electrode and the first drain electrode in the first semiconductor element and the second gate electrode in the second semiconductor element are in the light-emitting region, and (2) the data line is outside the light-emitting region. 
 
     
     
       8. A method of manufacturing a thin-film semiconductor substrate, the method comprising:
 forming a first semiconductor layer and a second semiconductor layer above a substrate; 
 forming a gate insulating layer above the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer; 
 forming openings in the gate insulating layer to expose a portion of the first semiconductor layer and a portion of the second semiconductor layer; 
 forming a first metal layer above the gate insulating layer to cover the portion of the first semiconductor layer and the portion of the second semiconductor layer exposed through the openings in the gate insulating layer; 
 patterning the first metal layer to form a first gate electrode, a second gate electrode, one of a first drain electrode and a first source electrode, and one of a second drain electrode and a second source electrode; 
 patterning the gate insulating layer using the patterned first metal layer as a mask pattern to form a first gate insulating film between the first semiconductor layer and the first gate electrode, and a second gate insulating film between the second semiconductor layer and the second gate electrode; 
 forming a passivation layer above the first gate electrode, the first drain electrode, the second source electrode, and the second gate electrode; 
 forming openings in the passivation layer to expose a portion of the first semiconductor layer and a portion of the second semiconductor layer; 
 forming a second metal layer above the passivation layer to cover the portion of the first semiconductor layer and the portion of the second semiconductor layer exposed through the openings in the passivation layer, the second metal layer being thicker than the first metal layer; and 
 patterning the second metal layer to form an other of the first drain electrode and the first source electrode, an other of the second drain electrode and the second source electrode, and a data line connected to the other of the first drain electrode and the first source electrode, 
 wherein, in the patterning the first metal layer, the first metal layer is patterned to form the one of the first drain electrode and the first source electrode and the second gate electrode connected with each other, and 
 wherein the second gate electrode is formed of a same layer as the one of the first drain electrode and the first source electrode. 
 
     
     
       9. A light-emitting panel, comprising:
 a substrate;   a first semiconductor element and a second semiconductor element that are above the substrate;   a data line above the substrate;   an anode;   a cathode;   a light-emitting layer,   wherein   the first semiconductor element includes:
 a first semiconductor layer; 
 a first gate insulating film above the first semiconductor layer; 
 a first gate electrode above the first gate insulating film; and 
 a first source electrode and a first drain electrode each connected to a corresponding part of the first semiconductor layer, 
   the second semiconductor element includes:
 a second semiconductor layer; 
 a second gate insulating film above the second semiconductor layer; 
 a second gate electrode above the second gate insulating film; and 
 a second source electrode and a second drain electrode each connected to a corresponding part of the second semiconductor layer, 
   the first semiconductor element and the second semiconductor element are electrically connected to each other,   the data line is connected to one of the first source electrode and the first drain electrode,   an other of the first source electrode and the first drain electrode is thinner than the data line,   a wiring electrically connecting the first semiconductor element and the second semiconductor element extends in a first wiring layer,   the data line extends in a second wiring layer, and   the second wiring layer is disposed above the first wiring layer.    
     
     
       10. The light-emitting panel according to claim 9, further comprising
 a power line connected to one of the second source electrode and the second drain electrode,   wherein an other of the second source electrode and the second drain electrode is below the light-emitting layer, or is closer to a region below the light-emitting layer than the one of the second source electrode and the second drain electrode, and   the other of the second source electrode and the second drain electrode is thinner than the data line.    
     
     
       11. The light-emitting panel according to claim 9,
 wherein the first semiconductor element further includes a first protection layer above the first gate electrode,   the second semiconductor element further includes a second protection layer above the second gate electrode, and   the second protection layer is continuous from above the second gate electrode to above the one of the first source electrode and the first drain electrode.    
     
     
       12. The light-emitting panel according to claim 9,
 wherein the one of the first source electrode and the first drain electrode is connected to the second gate electrode.    
     
     
       13. The thin-film semiconductor substrate according to claim 1, wherein
 the one of the first drain electrode and the first source electrode, and the second gate electrode are connected by a wiring that is formed in the same layer as the second gate electrode and the one of the first drain electrode and the first source electrode.    
     
     
       14. The thin-film semiconductor substrate according to claim 1, wherein, when a region corresponding to a light-emitting layer sandwiched by a bank in a planar view of the thin-film semiconductor substrate is a light-emitting region, (1) the first gate electrode and the one of the first source electrode and the first drain electrode in the first semiconductor element and the second gate electrode in the second semiconductor element are in the light-emitting region, and (2) the data line is outside the light-emitting region.  
     
     
       15. The light-emitting panel according to claim 9, wherein in a planar view of the light-emitting panel, (1) the first gate electrode and the other of the first source electrode and the first drain electrode in the first semiconductor element overlap in the light-emitting layer, and (2) the data line does not overlap the light-emitting layer.