Abstract
Organic light emitting diode (OLED) displays are a serious competitor to liquid crystal displays in view of their superior picture quality, higher contrast, faster on/off response, thinner profile, and high power efficiency. For large area and/or high-resolution applications, an active matrix OLED (AMOLED) addressing scheme is vital. The active matrix backplane can be made with amorphous silicon (a-Si), polysilicon, or organic technology, all of which suffer from threshold voltage (VT) shift and/or mismatch problems, causing temporal or spatial variations in the OLED brightness. In addition, the efficiency of the OLED itself degrades over time. Despite these shortcomings, there has been considerable progress in development of AMOLED displays using circuit solutions engineered to provide stable and uniform brightness. Indeed the design of AMOLED pixel circuits, particularly in low-mobility TFT technologies such as a-Si, is challenging due to the stringent requirements of timing, current matching, and low voltage operation. While circuit solutions are necessary, they are not sufficient. Process improvements to enhance TFT performance are becoming inevitable. This paper will review pertinent material requirements of AMOLED backplanes along with design considerations that address pixel architecture, contact resistance, and more importantly, the VT-stability and associated gate overdrive voltage, VGS-VT. In particular, we address the question of whether conventional PECVD can be deployed for high mobility and high VT-stability TFTs, and if micro-/nano-crystalline silicon could provide the solution.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
M. Hack, J.J. Brown, SID J. of Info. Display 18, 3, 16 (2002).
G. Gu and S.R. Forrest, IEEE J. of Selected Topics in Quantum Electronic, 4, 83 (1998).
J.H. Jung et al. Dig. Tech. Papers of SID’05 36, , 538 (2005).
K.-H. Bock, Proc. IEEE 93, 1400 (2005).
J. Blochwitz-Nimoth, J. Brandt, M. Hoffman, J. Birnstock, M. Pfeiffer, G. He, P. Wellmann, K.Leo, Dig. Tech. Papers of SID’04 35, 1000 (2004).
A. Nathan et al., Dig. Tech. Papers of SID’04 35, 1508 (2004)..
R.M.A. Dawson et al., Dig. Tech. Papers of SID’04 30, 438 (1999).
A. Kumar, A. Nathan, G.E. Jabbour, IEEE Trans. Electron Devices 52, 2386 (2005).
M.-H. Lu, M.S. Weaver, T.X. Zhou, M. Rothman, R.C. Kwong, M. Hack, J.J. Brown, Appl. Phys.Letts, 81, 3921(2002).
T. Tsujimura et al., Dig. Tech. Papers of SID’03 34, 6(2003).
J.J. Lih, C.F. Sung, M.S. Weaver, M. Hack, J.J. Brown, Dig. Tech. Papers of SID’03 4, 14 (2003).
T. Chuman, S. Ohta, S.Miyaguchi, H.Satoh, T.Tanabe, Y.Okuda, M.Tsichida, Dig. Tech. Papers of SID’04 35, 45 (2004).
D. Striakhilev, A. Nathan, P. Servati, Y. Vygranenko, C.H. Lee, A. Sazonov, IEEE J. of Display Tech. (2006), to appear.
R.A. Street, “Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon”, (Cambridge University Press, 1991).
K.S. Karim, A. Nathan, M. Hack, W.I. Milne, IEEE Electron Device Letts. 25, 188 (2004).
K. Sakariya, P. Servati, D. Striakhilev, A. Nathan in Electronics on Unconventional Substrates--Electrotextiles and Giant-Area Flexible Circuits, edited by M.S. Shur, P.M. Wilson and D. Urban (Mater. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. 736, Warrendale, PA, 2002), publ.#D7.15.1.
S. Jafarabadiashtiani, G. Chaji, S. Sambandan, D.Striakhilev, P. Servati, A. Nathan, Dig. Tech. Papers of SID’05 36, 316 (2005).
M. J. Powell, C. van Berkel, and J. R. Hughes, Appl. Phys. Letts. 54, 1323 (1989).
S.M. Jahinuzzaman, A. Sultana, K. Sakariya, P. Servati, and A. Nathan, App. Phys. Letts, 87,. 23502 (2005).
K. Sakariya, P. Servati, and A. Nathan, IEEE Trans. on Electron Devices 51, 2019(2004).
J.L. Sanford, F. Libsch, Tech. Papers of SID’03 34,. 10 (2003).
A. Nathan, G.R. Chaji, and S.J. Ashtiani, IEEE J. of Display Tech. 1, 267 (2005).
P. Servati, S. Tao, E. Horne, D. Striakhilev, A. Nathan in Flexible Electronics 2004-Materials and Device Technology, edited by N. Fruehauf, B. R. Chalamala, B. E. Gnade and J. Jang (Mater. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. 814, Warrendale, PA, 2004) publ.#I6.13.1.
S.O. Kasap, Principles of Electronic Materials and Devices, McGraw Hill, 2006.
K.M. Lim et al., Solid-State Electronics, 49 1107 (2005).
S. Wagner, H.Gleskova, I-Chun Cheng, M. Wu, Thin Solid Films, 430, 15 (2003).
J. Puigdollers et al., J. Non-Crystalline Solids 299–302 400 (2002).
X.Y. Chen, W.Z. Shen, H. Chen, R. Zhang, and Y.L. He, Nanotechnology 17, 595 (2006).
J. Seto, J. Appl. Phys., 46, 5247 (1975).
C.H. Lee, A. Sazonov, and A. Nathan, Appl. Phys. Letts. 86, 222106 (2005).
C.H. Lee, A.Sazonov, and A.Nathan, IEEE IEDM Tech. Dig., 915 (2005).
I. Cheng and S. Wagner, Appl. Phys. Lett. 80, 440 (2002) .
S. Kasouit, P.Roca i. Cabarrocas, R. Vanderhaghen, Y. Bonnassieux, M. Elyaakoubi; I.D. French, J. Non-Crystalline Solids 338–340, 369 (2004).
S. Kasouit, P.Roca .i. Cabarrocas, R. Vanderhaghen, Y. Bonnassieux, M. Elyaakoubi, I.D. French, Thin Solid Films 427, 67 (2004).
C.H. Lee, D. Striakhilev, A. Nathan, J. Vac. Sci. Tech. A. 22, 991 (2004).
C.H. Lee, D. Striakhilev, S. Tao, A. Nathan, IEEE Electron Device Letts 26, 637 (2005).
C.H. Lee, D. Striakhilev, A. Nathan, IEEE Trans. on Electron Devices (2006), submitted.
T. Matsui, A. Matsuda and M. Kondo in Amorphous and Nanocrystalline Silicon Science and Technology—2004, edited by G. Ganguly, M. Kondo, E. A. Schiff, R. Carius and R. Biswas (Mater. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. 808 , Warrendale, PA ,2004) publ.#A8.1.1.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Nathan, A., Striakhilev, D., Chaji, R. et al. Backplane Requirements for Active Matrix Organic Light Emitting Diode Displays. MRS Online Proceedings Library 910, 901 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1557/PROC-0910-A16-01-L09-01
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1557/PROC-0910-A16-01-L09-01