US006617774B1

(12)

United States Patent

(10) Patent N0.:

K s n0k1 et al

45 Date of Patent‘

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(54)

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9, 2003

THIN-FILM ELECTRON EMITTER DEVICE

5,990,605 A

HAVING MULTLLAYEREI) ELECTRON

6,316,873 B1 * 11/2001 Ito et al. ................... .. 313/309

EMISSION AREAS

(75)

US 6,617,774 B1

* 11/1999 Yoshikawa et al. ....... .. 313/309

FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS

Inventors: Toshiaki Kusunoki, TokoroZaWa (JP); Mutsumi Suzuki, Kodaira (JP)

JP JP

4-289644 7-65710

10/1992 3/1995

JP

10-92299

4/1998

(73) Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd., Tokyo (JP) * cited by examiner

(*)

Notice:

Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this patent is extended or adjusted under 35

U.S.C. 154(b) by 0 days.

(21) Appl. N0.: 09/546,690 (22) Filed: Apr. 10, 2000 (51)

Primary Examiner—Nimeshkumar D. Patel

Assistant Examiner—Sikha Roy (74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Mattingly, Stanger & M91119 PC (57) ABSTRACT

(52)

Int. c1.7 ............................ .. H01J 1/30; H01J 9/02; H01L 29/06 US. Cl. ..................... .. 313/311; 313/496; 313/306;

In Order to provide a thin-?lm electron emitter device of a structure Wherein electric connection betWeen a top elec node and top electrode busline can be Secured and also to

313/326; 257/10

provide a display apparatus using the thin-?lm electron

(58)

Field of Search ............................... .. 313/306 310

emitter device’ the top electrode busline thin on its Connec'

313/311 309 495 326 444 496. 2157/10’ ’

(56)

’

’

’

’

’

tion side With the top electrode is formed on a ?eld insulator Which is thicker than an insulator forming electron emission

References Cited

areas and Which is formed around the insulator, and the top electrode covers the top electrode busline to be connected

U-S~ PATENT DOCUMENTS 8/1999

With said thin part of said top electrode busline.

5,936,257 A

*

5,962,959 A

* 10/1999 Iwasaki et a1. ........... .. 313/310

Kusunoki et al. ........... .. 257/10

15B 14

13

16 Claims, 24 Drawing Sheets

12

15A 11

158 5A

U.S. Patent

Sep. 9, 2003

Sheet 1 0f 24

US 6,617,774 B1

FIG. 1 (PROCESS PI BASE ELECTRODE PATTERNING (FIGS.2a-2b)

)

(PROCESS P2 ANODIC OXIDATION OF TUNNELING INSULATOR (FIGS. 3a-3D)

)

T (PROCESS P3 PHOTORESIST R1 PATTERNING (FIGS. 461-411)

)

I (PROCESS P4 ANODIC OXIDATION OF FIELD INSULATOR (FIGS.5a-5b) I

)

(PROCESS P5 PROTORESIST R2 PATTERNIIIO (FIGS. 6a-6b)

)

(PROCESS P6 LOWER TOP ELECTRODE BUSLINE FILM DEPOSITION (FIGS. 7a-7b)

v

( PROCESS P7 LIFT OFF PATTFERNING OF LOWER TOP ELECTRODE BUSLINE (FIGS. 8a-8b)

@IOCESS P8 PHOTORESISF R3 PATTERNING (FIGS. 9a-9b)

)

(PROCESS P9 UPPER TOP EILECTRODE BUSLINE FILM DEPOSITION (FIGS. IOa-IOb)

)

)

T (PROCESS P10 LIFT OFF PATTERNING OF UPPER TOP ELECTRODE BUSLINE (FIGS. IIa-IIDI) V

( PROCESS P11 PROTORESIST R4 PATTERNING (FIGS. 12a-12b)

)

(PROCESS P12 UPPER TOP ELECTRODE BUSLINE FILM DEPOSITION (FIGS. 13614311) I)

(PROCESS P13 PROTORESIST R5 PATTERNING (FIGS. 14a-14b)

I)

(PROCESS P14 ETCHING OF UPPER TOP ELECTRODE BUSLINE (FIGS. 15a-1Sb)

( PPIOCESS P15 PROTORESIST R6 PATTERNING (FIGS. I6a-16b)

I)

I

(PROCESS P16 TOP ELECTRODE FILM DEPOSITION (FIGS. I7a-I7b) I (PROCESS P17 LIFT OFF PATTEFINING OF TOP ELECTRODE (FIGS. I8a-I8b)

)

) )

U.S. Patent

IHB

US 6,617,774 B1

FIG. 2a

FIG. 2b

FIG. 3a

FIG. 3b

-—HIB

U.S. Patent

Sep. 9, 2003

Sheet 3 0f 24

FIG. 4a 2}

US 6,617,774 B1

FIG. 4b

@J/ R‘

12R

R1

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5

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FIG. 5a

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FIG. 5b

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11

U.S. Patent

Sep. 9, 2003

Sheet 4 0f 24

US 6,617,774 B1

FIG. 6b

FIG. 6a

R2 12

I I

VIB ——-~ "1’l

FIG. 7a

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15A

m M BV V

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&(\70

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.1

\ R 2

% [11

U.S. Patent

Sep. 9, 2003

Sheet 5 0f 24

US 6,617,774 B1

FIG. 8b

FIG. 9a

FIG. 9b R3

15A

m M

11

U.S. Patent

Sep. 9, 2003

Sheet 6 6f 24

US 6,617,774 B1

FIG. 10a

FIG. 1013

R3

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WWW 158

FIG. 11a .4

FIG. 11b

15A

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15B

15A 12

V/

U.S. Patent

Sep. 9, 2003

Sheet 7 0f 24

US 6,617,774 B1

F/G. 12a

F/G. 12b 15A

J

R4

l\ l < 1

R4

12

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FIG. 13a ,4

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U.S. Patent

Sep. 9, 2003

FIG. 14a

Sheet 8 0f 24

US 6,617,774 B1

FIG. 14b

WWW/i7 AVW/I/

FIG. 15a

V7

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FIG. 15b

U.S. Patent

Sep. 9, 2003

Sheet 9 0f 24

US 6,617,774 B1

F/G. 16a 158 12

FIG. 16b R6

15A 15B

El

11

12

15A

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55 15A 56

FIG. 17b

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U.S. Patent

Sep. 9, 2003

Sheet 10 0f 24

FIG. 18a

US 6,617,774 B1

FIG. 18b 15A 11

Iunn

7

m

FIG. 19

U.S. Patent

Sep. 9, 2003

Sheet 11 0f 24

US 6,617,774 B1

FIG. 20 ( PROCESS P21 BASE ELECTRODE PATTERNING (FIGS. 2a-2b)

)

(PROCESS P22 ANODIC OXIDATION OF TDNNELING INSULATOR LAYER (FIGS. Sea-Cw

(PROCESS P23 PHOTORESIST R11 PATTERNING (FIGS. 21a-21b)

CPROCESS P24 PHOTORESIST R12 PATTEIIINING (FIGS. 22a-22b) (PROCESS P25 ANODIC OXIDATION OF FIELD INSULATOR (FIGS. 23a—23b)

(PROCESS P26 LOWER TOP ELECTRODE BIISLINE DEPOSITION (FIGS, 24a—24b) I (PROCESS P27 LIFT OFF OF PHOTORESIST R12 (FIGS. 25a-25b)

I (PROCESS P28 PHOTORESIST R13 PATTERNING (FIGS. 26a—26b) I CPROCESS P29 UPPER TOP ELECTRODE BUSLINE DEPOSITION (FIGS. 27a-27b)

I (PROCESS P30 LIFT OFF OF PHOTORESIST R13 (FIGS. 288-28b)

I (PROCESS P31 TOP ELECTRODE DEPOSITION (FIGS. 29a~29b) I QPROCESS P32 LIFT OFF OF PHOTORESIST R11 (FIGS. 30a—30b)

VU Q

U.S. Patent

Sep. 9, 2003

Sheet 12 0f 24

US 6,617,774 B1

FIG. 21a

FIG. 21b

FIG. 22a

FIG. 22b

XXIB

R12

kg XXHB ———--@-—-——--%—-—xxns

@1

kgf /11

U.S. Patent

Sep. 9, 2003

Sheet 14 0f 24

US 6,617,774 B1

FIG. 25a

FIG. 25b

FIG. 26a

FIG. 26b

R11

R13

4%, \&

12

§/

11

U.S. Patent

Sep. 9, 2003

Sheet 15 0f 24

US 6,617,774 B1

FIG. 27a R11

FIG. 27b

Dn 3

7% /////////////////////////

A

R13 5B

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158

FIG 28a

FIG. 28b

R11

,2 %/Z % XVHIB

158

J

U.S. Patent

Sep. 9, 2003

Sheet 16 0f 24

US 6,617,774 B1

FIG. 29a R11

FIG. 29b

15A

15B

13

/

V/7& %E

/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /
%-% .Z.

FIG. 3019

15A

U.S. Patent

Sep. 9, 2003

Sheet 17 0f 24

US 6,617,774 B1

FIG. 31 12

13

15B

/15A

FIG. 32 (PROCESS P33 BASE ELECTRODE PATTERNING (FIGS. 33a-33c)

)

(PROCESS P34 FIELD INSULATOR FORT/TAILOR (FIGS. 348~34CI

)

@ROCESS P35 TUNNELING INSULATOR FORMATION (ROS. 35a-35c)

)

(PROCESS P36 TOP ELECTRODE BUSLINEIFILM DEPOSITION (FIGS. 36a—36c) @ROCESS P37 WET ETCHING OF UPPER TOP ELECTRODE BUSLINE FILM (FIGS.37a-37CD

(PROCESS P38 wET ETCHING OF LOwER TOiP ELECTRODE BUSLINE FILM (FIGS.38a-38CD (PROCESS P39 TOP ELECTRODE DEPOSITION AND PATTERNING (FIGS. 3921-390) J

U.S. Patent

Sep. 9, 2003

US 6,617,774 B1

Sheet 18 0f 24

11

FIG. 33a

V/A WM

FIG. 33b XXXHIB

F/G. 330 W

g/é. /é // / %

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FIG. 3419

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FIG. 34c

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