Meeting the Rising Demand for Improved UHD … Muir _Amorphyx... · Meeting the Rising Demand for Improved UHD Backplane Performance ... could support UHD TV redefining the economics

®

Please do not distribute without written permission of Amorphyx

Meeting the Rising Demand for Improved UHD Backplane Performance

An overview of Amorphyx Technology

Sean Muir, VP Device Technology

SEMI & CSMC Webinar on Emerging Amorphous

Metal Thin Film Technologies for Electronics

®


Outline

Amorphyx and the UHD Market UHD Backplanes and Amorphous Metal Non-Linear Resistor

Technology What is an AMLCD backplane?

Introducing the AMNR

AMNR Conduction Mechanisms

AMNR Backplane Circuitry

AMNR Switch Performance

Backplane/AMLCD Simulations based on Empirical Models

Remaining Challenges and Development Methodology

Process Advantages of the AMNR over Competing Technologies Questions

2

®

Please do not distribute without written permission of Amorphyx3

Advancing amorphous metal thin-film electronics

Company: Our Roots

Cowell et al. Adv. Mater. 2011, 23, 74–78

®

Please do not distribute without written permission of Amorphyx4

The flat panel display (FPD) industry is a large market facing many materials science challenges. >$100B industry opportunity

FPD issues•features•manufacturing cost •selling price

•These issues are all amplified for Ultra High Definition (UHD) production!

Company: Market Opportunity

“Demand for UHD TVs is exceeding previous

expectations…current adoption rates are

similar to those of 1080p TVs back in the mid-

2000s…By the end of the decade, UHD will

become standard in screen sizes larger than

40 inches.”

Ultra High-Definition TV Displays: Global Market Forecast 2012-

2020, David Watkins, Service Director, Connected Home Devices,

Strategy Analytics, May 2014

®


Technology: What is an AMLCD backplane?

5

Backlight

PolarizerBackplaneLiquid Crystal

Color Filter

Polarizer Switch

Every sub-pixel on an Active Matrix display requires its own switch.

Activating the switch allows the sub-pixel brightness to be adjusted.

Switches should behave uniformly and reliably across the backplane.

®


6

Technology: Introducing the AMNR

Substrate

Gate

Insulator

Semiconductor

Etch Stopn+ n+

Source Drain

800nm

TFT

Substrate

Lower Electrode

Insulator

Upper Electrode

400nm

TFD

Substrate

Insulator

Amorphous metal electrode

Contact 1 Contact 2200nm

AMNR

Thin-film TransistorCurrent switch of choice.• a-Si• LTPS• IGZO

Thin-film DiodeAttempted previously by Willem den Boer.• Si3N4

Amorphous Metal Non-linear Resistor• Amorphous metal• Thin metal oxide

®


Technology: AMNR ConductionFowler-Nordheim Tunneling

• Extremely low off currents (0 until V >> barrier height)

• Conducting electrons injected from electrodes (electrode limited conduction)

• Very low electron/material interaction in “hot-electron” regime

• Low light/temperature sensitivity

• Reliability advantage

7

Frenkel-Poole Conduction

• Conducting electrons injected from traps in insulator (bulk limited conduction)

• High electron/material interaction

• Conduction starts at V > trap depth

• High light/temperature sensitivity

®


Technology: AMNR Sub-pixel Circuit

8

Based on Dual-Select AMLCD drive schemes Pioneered by Willem den Boer (Amorphyx advisory board) Reduce switch uniformity issues

Data line

Select line

CS

CLC

Common ground

TFT

TFTA

MN

RA

MN

R CLC

Data line

Select line 2

Select line 1

AMNR

Pixel

AMNR

®


Technology: AMNR Switch Performance

Well understood I-V Performance

• Ultra-smooth amorphous metal technology creates the ability to model device characteristics through linearization

9

Very Low Leakage Current below 5V No storage capacitor needed

y = 61.707x - 1.3784R² = 0.9999

y = -62.149x - 1.3805R² = 0.9999

-12.00

-11.00

-10.00

-9.00

-8.00

-7.00

-0.20 -0.10 0.00 0.10 0.20lo

g[I/

(V +

∆φ

)2]

1 / (V + ∆φ)

25 x 25 µm AMNR, F-N Fitting

-13

-12

-11

-10

-9

-8

-7

-6

-5

-10.00-8.00 -6.00 -4.00 -2.00 0.00 2.00 4.00 6.00 8.00 10.00

log[

I]

Voltage

25 x 25 µm AMNR Dual Sweep

OFF OFF

ONON

®


Technology: Sub-pixel Array Simulations

Simulations, based on empirical device models, suggest no storage capacitor needed in AMNR based sub-pixels

10

Simulation of four sampling frames of two sub-pixels in a 10 x 10 array. RMS voltage across the LC capacitor does not change.

Sampling pulse of an individual sub-pixel

®


Technology: Remaining Challenges

Complete transition from ALD to PECVD based insulator.

11

Data from 100 x 100 µm tunnel area devices

®


Technology: Remaining Challenges

12

Reliability:

• Running life tests at continuous currents of 100nA to define interdependencies with device characteristics.

• Pulsed reliability rather than constant current.

Technology Transfer:

• University to industrial partner facility.

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45

Vo

ltag

e at

10

0 n

A C

on

stan

t C

urr

ent

Time (Hours)

100 x 100 µm AMNR, Litho

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

0 5 10 15 20 25

Vo

ltag

e at

10

0 n

A C

on

stan

t C

urr

ent

Time (Hours)

25 x 25 µm AMNR, Litho

®


Technology: Development Methodology

13

• “Software” version release model

Amorphous Metal

ALD Insulator

PECVD Insulator Circuit

Models

Device Integration

Industry Partners

AMNR Version Release

®


Technology: Development Methodology

14

-12.00

-8.00

-4.00

0.00

4.00

8.00

12.00

1/1 1/31 3/2 4/1 5/1Date

Neg. V Low Mod. Pos. V Low Mod. Neg. V High Mod. Pos. V High Mod.

25 x 25 µm Photolithography version release

100 x 100 µm Shadow Mask version release

Version release performance is monitored across time.

Modeled voltages for AMNR version releases Shadow-masked devices

1x1mm to 50x50µm size reduction

Photolithography 50x50µm to 5x5µm size

reduction.

®


Technology: AMNR Process AdvantagesAmorphyx technology reduces the number of process steps and process complexity over conventional α-Si TFTs

15

Process Area α-Si AMNR

Lithography Steps 5 3 or 4*

Etch Wet/Dry Wet

Etch Stop Yes** No

PECVD Layers 4 or 5** 2

Insulator Thickness >200 nm <80 nm

Insulator Index*** Si3N4 > 2 Al2O3 ~ 1.7

Sputter 3 3

Registration Tolerance

Low High*Vertical Alignment Cell = 3 masks, IPS = 4 masks

** With an etch stop layer there are 4 PECVD layers

***Index at 600 nm, Corning Eagle XG ® index = 1.51 @ 600 nm

®


Technology: AMNR Process Advantages

Amorphyx AMNR technology addresses issues that caused past diode based display efforts to fail

16

Issue Past TFD AMNR

Step Coverage Poor Good

Reliability Untested/Poor Tested/Good

Temperature Sensitivity

High Low

Light Sensitivity

High None

Leakage High Very Low

Flexibility Low High

®


Thank you.

17

Questions?

®


Backup

18

®


Amorphyx Quotes

19

“[We are] pursuing an opportunity to work with

Amorphyx in determining whether the…AMNR

technology can deliver its promise of UHD TV

performance at lower cost than amorphous silicon. If

it can, the AMNR could support UHD TV redefining the

economics of large-area LCD production.”

Director of Materials and Device Applications Lab –

Tier 1 Display Manufacturer

"The LCD panel is 80% of the cost of a

TV…cost reduction is what drew [our]

attention to Amorphyx."

Vice President Product Development – Asian

TV Manufacturer

"The Amorphyx AMNR has the potential to enable the

first meaningful reduction in LCD backplane cost in

many years."

Director of R&D, Office of the President – Tier 2 Display

Manufacturer

“Flexible glass represents a potential path to

thinner displays, avoiding the use of HF etching

(to thin existing flat glass), as well as a potential

path to...expanding the value and capability of

displays for new and existing markets. If

Amorphyx can scale this technology to

producing display backplanes on [flexible] glass,

the AMNR could be a critical enabler to the

future of flexible displays.”

Manager Technology Strategy, Glass

Technologies Group - Major Glass Manufacturer

®


Differentiation: Competing Technologies

SemiconductorContent

Device Complexity

ManufacturingComplexity

Switching Speed

Current Handling Capability

Sensitivity to Light,

TemperatureFlexible

AMNR None Low Low Very Fast Medium None, Low Very

a-SiAmorphous

siliconMedium Medium Medium Medium High, High Limited

LTPSAmorphous silicon with

laser annealingHigh High Fast High High, High Limited

MOTFTMetal oxide

semiconductorHigh High Fast High High, High Limited

TFD None Low Low Medium Medium High, High Limited

20

®


Intellectual PropertyExclusive worldwide license to Oregon State University intellectual properties

• Granted US8436337 (coverage in red)

• Applications PCT/US2013/067443, US14066945 (AMNR)

• Application US14004736 (Nanolaminates)

• Additional patent filings based on AMNR display application, thin films, and manufacturing processes

• Trade secrets, know-how

Identifying and filing provisional patents in all 4 areas

21

Materials and Devices• Amorphous metal-based electronic

devices (MIM, MIMIM)• Stoichiometries for amorphous metal

electrodes in electronic devices• AMNR• Nanolaminate metamaterials• PECVD Al2O3

Manufacturing Process• PECVD Al2O3

AMNR-LCD• Physical Layout• Drive scheme

In-Cell Touch• Drive scheme• Process

Documents

Meeting the Rising Demand for Improved UHD … Muir _Amorphyx... · Meeting the Rising Demand for Improved UHD Backplane Performance ... could support UHD TV redefining the economics