Patents by Inventor Tohru Sonoda

Tohru Sonoda has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9246101
    Abstract: A deposition mask is used to pattern a thin film 3 on a substrate 10 by depositing deposition particles through a plurality of openings K having a stripe pattern. The deposition mask includes a frame 65; a plurality of mask layers 70 provided in the frame so as to overlap each other; and a support layer 71 provided between the mask layers 70. Each of the mask layers 70 is formed by arranging a plurality of mask wires 72 in a stripe pattern in a tensioned state, and the support layer 71 is formed by arranging a plurality of support wires 74 in a tensioned state so as to cross the mask wires 72. A plurality of gaps 73 in each of the plurality of mask layers 70 overlap each other to form a plurality of through gaps 73a that linearly extend through all of the plurality of mask layers 70. The openings K are formed by the through gaps 73a.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tohru Sonoda, Nobuhiro Hayashi, Shinichi Kawato
  • Patent number: 9240572
    Abstract: A vapor deposition device includes a vapor deposition source (60) having a plurality of vapor deposition source openings (61) that discharge vapor deposition particles (91), a limiting unit (80) having a plurality of limiting openings (82), and a vapor deposition mask (70) in which a plurality of mask openings (71) are formed only in a plurality of vapor deposition regions (72) where the vapor deposition particles that have passed through a plurality of limiting openings reach. The plurality of vapor deposition regions are arranged along a second direction that is orthogonal to the normal line direction of the substrate (10) and the movement direction of the substrate, with non-vapor deposition regions (73) where the vapor deposition particles do not reach being sandwiched therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2016
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shinichi Kawato, Satoshi Inoue, Tohru Sonoda, Satoshi Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 9231210
    Abstract: A vapor deposition source (60), a plurality of limiting plates (81) and a vapor deposition mask (70) are disposed in this order. A substrate spaced apart from the vapor deposition mask at a fixed interval is moved relative to the vapor deposition mask. Vapor deposition particles (91) discharged from vapor deposition source openings (61) of the vapor deposition source pass through between neighboring limiting plates, pass through mask openings (71) formed in the vapor deposition mask, and adhere to the substrate, whereby coating films (90) are formed. The limiting plates limit the incidence angle of the vapor deposition particles that enter the mask openings, as viewed in the relative movement direction of the substrate. In this way, an organic EL element can be formed on a large-sized substrate without increasing the pixel pitch or reducing the aperture ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shinichi Kawato, Nobuhiro Hayashi, Tohru Sonoda, Satoshi Inoue
  • Publication number: 20150357600
    Abstract: In an organic EL display device (electroluminescent device) equipped with an organic EL element (electroluminescent element), the organic EL element is encapsulated by a TFT substrate (substrate), a counter substrate, and a sealing resin. A desiccant layer and a highly-moisture-permeable layer are laminated in this order on the organic EL element. The highly-moisture-permeable layer is in direct contact with the sealing resin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2014
    Publication date: December 10, 2015
    Inventors: Tohru SONODA, Takeshi HIRASE, Tetsuya OKAMOTO, Tohru SENOO
  • Publication number: 20150214504
    Abstract: A barrier film configured to reduce degradation of an organic EL element includes a first inorganic film, a second inorganic film, and a third inorganic film which are provided in order from a base substrate, a first organic film between the first inorganic film and the second inorganic film, and a second organic film between the second inorganic film and the third inorganic film. The first organic film has a plurality of first through holes formed therein so that the first inorganic film is in contact with the second inorganic film through the first through holes. The second organic film has a plurality of second through holes formed therein so that the second inorganic film is in contact with the third inorganic film through the second through holes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2013
    Publication date: July 30, 2015
    Inventors: Tohru Sonoda, Takeshi Hirase, Tetsuya Okamoto, Tohru Senoo, Yuki Yasuda
  • Patent number: 9093399
    Abstract: An OLED comprising a substrate with a plurality of pixel regions of first to third colors disposed within a display area, and a functional material layer comprising an organic emissive layer disposed at each of the plurality of pixel regions, wherein first to third partition parts are disposed on the substrate within the display area, first to third frame-like structures are disposed on the substrate outside the display area, the pixel region of the first color is disposed within a first demarcation region demarcated by the first partition part, the pixel region of the second color is disposed within a second demarcation region demarcated by the second partition part, the pixel region of the third color is disposed within a third demarcation region demarcated by the third partition part, and the first to third demarcation regions are connected to the to the interior of the first to third frame-like structures, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2015
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tohru Sonoda, Emi Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 9093646
    Abstract: A vapor deposition device (50) in accordance with the present invention is a vapor deposition device for forming a film on a film formation substrate (60), including: a vapor deposition source (91) which has a plurality of injection holes (92) from which vapor deposition particles are to be injected towards the film formation substrate (60), the plurality of injection holes (92) being arranged in a line or in a plurality of lines; a vapor deposition crucible (93) for supplying the vapor deposition particles to the vapor deposition source (91) via a pipe (94), the pipe being connected to the vapor deposition source (91) on a side where one end of the line(s) of the plurality of injection holes (92) is located; moving means for moving the film formation substrate (60) relative to the vapor deposition source(s) (91); and a rotation mechanism (100) for rotating the vapor deposition source (91).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2015
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tohru Sonoda, Shinichi Kawato, Satoshi Inoue, Satoshi Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 9093648
    Abstract: An anode 2 is formed on an element substrate 1. By using a film-forming solution containing a stacking material that forms an organic layer 43, a film is formed on a donor substrate 10 to pattern a transfer layer 11, thereby fabricating a transfer substrate 12. The transfer substrate 12 and the element substrate 1 are placed so as to face each other with spacers 13 interposed therebetween, such that the surface of the transfer substrate 12, which has the transfer layer 11 formed thereon, faces the element substrate 1 having the anode 2 formed thereon. The transfer substrate 12 and the element substrate 1 facing each other are held under vacuum conditions. The transfer substrate 12 is heated by a heat source 15 under the vacuum conditions to transfer the transfer layer 11 to the element substrate 1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2015
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hideki Uchida, Tokiyoshi Umeda, Tohru Sonoda
  • Patent number: 9076989
    Abstract: A masking film (13) is formed so as to have an opening in a display region (R1) (luminescent region) and a sealing region. Subsequently, luminescent layers (8R, 8G, and 8B) having a stripe pattern are formed. Then, the masking film (13) is peeled off, so that the luminescent layers (8R, 8G, and 8B) patterned with high resolution are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tohru Sonoda, Shinichi Kawato, Satoshi Inoue, Satoshi Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 9076977
    Abstract: On the TFT substrate (10), a vapor deposition layer is formed by use of a vapor deposition device (50) which includes (i) a vapor deposition source (85) having injection holes (86) and (ii) a vapor deposition mask (81) having openings (82) through which vapor deposition particles injected from the injection holes (86) are deposited so as to form the vapor deposition layer. The TFT substrate (10) has a plurality of pixels two-dimensionally arranged in a pixel region (AG), and terminals of a plurality of wires (14), which are electrically connected with the plurality of pixels, are gathered outside a vapor deposition layer formation region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tohru Sonoda, Shinichi Kawato, Satoshi Inoue, Satoshi Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 9055653
    Abstract: A deposition apparatus 50 forms a thin film 3 in a predetermined pattern on a substrate 10 for an organic EL display. A first correction plate 81 and a second correction plate 82 are placed between a shadow mask 60 and a deposition source 53 that emits deposition particles. Each of the correction plates 81, 82 has a plurality of blade plates 83 and a frame 84 that supports the plurality of blade plates 83. The blade plates 83 are placed so as to be tilted with respect to the shadow mask 60, and to extend parallel to each other with an opening 86 between adjoining ones of the blade plates 83 as viewed in a direction perpendicular the deposition mask 60.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tohru Sonoda, Nobuhiro Hayashi, Shinichi Kawato, Satoshi Inoue
  • Patent number: 9018835
    Abstract: An organic EL device (1) includes: a substrate (11); a plurality of lower electrodes (14) formed on the substrate (11) and corresponding to luminescence regions, respectively; a dividing wall (17) formed so as to surround the luminescence regions; light-emitting layers (19) formed on the lower electrodes (14) in the luminescence regions, respectively; and an upper electrode (20) formed on the dividing wall (17) and the light-emitting layers (19). The dividing wall (17) is conductive and electrically connected to the upper electrode (20).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroshi Sugimoto, Tohru Sonoda
  • Patent number: 8969111
    Abstract: An IZO layer (113) is formed on an a-ITO layer (112), and resist patterns (202R, 202G) having different film thicknesses are formed in at least sub-pixels (71R, 71G). The a-ITO layer (112) and the IZO layer (113) are etched by utilizing (i) a reduction in thickness of the resist patterns (202R, 202G) by ashing and (ii) a change in etching tolerance due to transformation from the a-ITO layer (112) into a p-ITO layer (114).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tohru Sonoda, Shoji Okazaki, Hiromitsu Katsui, Tetsunori Tanaka
  • Patent number: 8962077
    Abstract: A vapor deposition particle emitting device (30) includes a hollow rotor (40) provided with a first and a second nozzle sections (50 and 60), a rolling mechanism, and heat exchangers (52 and 62), and when the rolling mechanism causes the rotor (40) to rotate, the heat exchangers (52 and 62) switch between cooling and heating in accordance with placement of the nozzle section so that that one of the nozzle sections which faces outward has a temperature lower than a temperature at which vapor deposition material turns into gas and the other nozzle section has a temperature equal to or higher than the temperature at which the vapor deposition material turns into the gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Satoshi Inoue, Shinichi Kawato, Tohru Sonoda
  • Patent number: 8951816
    Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention is a film forming method comprising: arranging a surface of a film formation substrate 10 including an absorption layer 12 on a first substrate 11 and a material layer 13 containing a film formation material and a surface of a film-formation target substrate 20 including a first layer 23 over a second substrate 22, so as to face each other; forming a second layer 13a containing the film formation material over the first layer 23 by performing first heat treatment on the material layer 13; and forming a third layer 13b containing the film formation material over the second layer 13a by performing second heat treatment on the material layer 13. In the second heat treatment, energy with a density higher than that in the first heat treatment is applied to the material layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignees: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd., Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Rena Tsuruoka, Hisao Ikeda, Takuya Tsurume, Tohru Sonoda, Satoshi Inoue
  • Patent number: 8946686
    Abstract: An organic EL display device (10) includes: an insulating substrate (20); a first planarizing film (21) formed on the insulating substrate (20) and made of a resin; a first electrode (13) formed on the first planarizing film (21); an organic EL layer (17) formed on the first electrode (13); a second electrode (14) formed on the organic EL layer (17); and a second planarizing film (22) formed between the first electrode (13) and the first planarizing film (21), and covering the first planarizing film (21). The second planarizing film (22) is made of a resin having a lower hygroscopic property than the resin forming the first planarizing film (21).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroshi Sugimoto, Tohru Sonoda
  • Patent number: 8906718
    Abstract: On a surface of a substrate (3) on which surface a vapor-deposited film is to be formed, a photoresist (13) is formed so as to have an opening in a sealing region including a display region (R1) which sealing region is formed by a sealing resin (11) of a frame shape. Then, luminescent layers (8R, 8G, and 8B) having a striped pattern are formed. Subsequently, the photoresist (13) is removed with the use of an exfoliative solution so as to form the luminescent layers (8R, 8G, and 8B) patterned with high definition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tohru Sonoda, Shinichi Kawato, Satoshi Inoue, Satoshi Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 8907445
    Abstract: A film formation substrate (200) is a film formation substrate having a plurality of vapor deposition regions (24R and 24G) (i) which are arranged along a predetermined direction and (ii) in which respective vapor-deposited films (23R and 23G) are provided. The vapor-deposited film (24R) has inclined side surfaces 23s which are inclined with respect to a direction normal to the film formation substrate (200). A width, in the predetermined direction, of the vapor-deposited film (23R) is larger than the sum of (i) a width, in the predetermined direction, of the vapor deposition region (24R) and (ii) a width, in the predetermined direction, of a region (29) between the vapor deposition region (24R) and the vapor deposition region (24G).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tohru Sonoda, Shinichi Kawato, Satoshi Inoue, Satoshi Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 8900675
    Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention is a deposition method for forming a layer 13a containing a deposition material on a deposition target surface of a second substrate, comprising the steps of forming an absorbing layer 12 over one surface of a first substrate 11; forming a material layer 13 containing the deposition material over the absorbing layer; performing first heat treatment on the material layer from the other surface of the first substrate to a temperature lower than the sublimation temperature of the deposition material so as to remove an impurity 14 in the material layer 13; disposing the one surface of the first substrate and the deposition target surface of the second substrate to face each other; and performing second heat treatment on the material layer from the other surface of the first substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignees: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd., Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takahiro Ibe, Tomoya Aoyama, Rena Tsuruoka, Satoshi Inoue, Tohru Sonoda
  • Publication number: 20140345527
    Abstract: A vapor deposition device (50) in accordance with the present invention is a vapor deposition device for forming a film on a film formation substrate (60), the vapor deposition device including a vapor deposition source (80) that has an injection hole (81) from which vapor deposition particles are injected, a vapor deposition particle crucible (82) for supplying the vapor deposition particles to the vapor deposition source (80), and a rotation motor (86) for changing a distribution of the injection amount of the vapor deposition particles by rotating the vapor deposition source (80).
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2014
    Publication date: November 27, 2014
    Inventors: Tohru SONODA, Shinichi KAWATO, Satoshi INOUE, Satoshi HASHIMOTO