Method to produce a display screen with a matrix of transistors provided with an optical mask

Abstract

Method for producing a display screen with a matrix of transistors provided with an optical mask. This method consists of depositing on a substrate (100) a layer of black polyimide (102) absorbing the visible light and followed by a layer of photosensitive resin, of insolating the resin through a mask masking the channels of the transistors to be embodied, of eliminating the zones insolated with the resin and the sub-adjacent zones of the polyimide, of depositing an ITO layer (106) on the unit, of eliminating the rest of the resin and the ITO surmounting said resin so as to form the drains/sources of the transistors, of successively depositing a layer of hydrogenated amorphous silicon (110), a layer of silicon nitride (112) and a layer of aluminium (114), then of photoengraving the stack of these layers so as to form the gate of the transistors, and finally to render passive the unit with a layer of silicon (116).

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to provide a method to produce an active matrix display screen based on capacitors and thin layers of transistors, said transistors being provided with an optical mask. The present invention is applicable in particular to the embodiment of liquid crystal display circuits.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Circuits with thin layers of transistors (T.L.T) are mainly used in the production of active matrix display screens. In this type of screen, an electronic memory formed of memory points distributed over the entire surface of the screen stores the video signal throughout the duration of the image. The electrooptical transducer (for example, a liquid crystal) is in contact with each memory point and is excited throughout the duration of an image, whereas, in systems without any electronic memory, the transducer is only excited during the duration of a line. The optical effect and the authorized multiplexing rate are accordingly much more significant.

The TLTs make it possible to embody such an electronic memory on a glass substrate. Each memory point is situated at the crossing of one line and one connection column and is constituted of two parallel transistors and a capacitor. In the case where the transducer is a liquid crystal, the armatures of the capacitor may be constituted by the electrodes of the liquid crystal cell itself. The memory point is thus brought back to two TLTs and one capacitor, one of the armatures of said capacitor being constituted by an electrode disposed on the wall of the cell which contains the TLTs, the other armature being constituted by the counter-electrode disposed on the other wall of the cell.

Such a structure is represented on FIG. 1 wherein FIG. 1A is a top view of one point of the active matrix and FIG. 1B is a sectional view along the line b--b of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 1A shows a conductive column 2 and a conductive line 4 constituting the addressing columns and lines of the points of the active matrix, two TLTs 6 and 7 in parallel, and one transparent electrode 8 constituting one of the armatures of the capacitors or elementary display points of the active matrix.

Each column 2 is provided with a cross 10 and each electrode 8 with a finger 12. The crossings of the line 4 with the column 2 and the cross 10 defining the drains D of the TLTs and the crossing of the line 4 with the finger 12 define the source S of the TLTs. The part of the line 4 situated between the column 2 and the cross 10 constitute the gate G of the TLTs.

FIG. 1B shows firstly a lower insulating and transparent wall 20 bearing the column 2, the finger 12 of the elementary display point and the cross 10; these conductive elements 2, 10 and 12 are covered by a layer of hydrogenated amorphous silicon 22 and then an insulating gate layer 24 supporting the conductive lines 4. This unit is covered with a self-aligning layer 26 intended to be in contact with the electro-optical material 28 (liquid crystal).

In addition, the display screen includes a transparent counter-electrode 30 supported by an upper insulating transparent wall 32.

For color display, colored filters 34, usually about three (red, blue and green), need to be provided on the counter-electrode 30 and be in contact with the material 28.

Next to the active matrixes, other circuits may be embodied with TLTs and, for example, all or part of the registers to be offset.

This screen is intended to be lit up via the rear with fluorescent tubes and display is designed to be observed via the lower face, as shown on part B of FIG. 1. The gate metal, namely the one constituting the lines 4, ensures protection of the TLTs 6 against the rear light of the display screen. On the other hand, the "underside" of the TLTs is exposed to the ambient observation light. If this light is intense, a photo-current is generated in the amorphous silicon layer 22 reducing the contrast of the screen as the Ion/Ioff ratio diminishes; Ion and Ioff respectively represent the currents delivered by the transistors of one displayed point and one non-displayed point.

By using amorphous silicon of low thickness (<50 nm), this photo-current is attenuated but is nevertheless adequate so as to reduce the contrast. Also, an optical mask needs to be provided under the transistors so as to use the screen with the ambient light and thus ensuring a constant image.

In order to make an optical mask absorbing the light under the TLTs, a metal is generally used which is engraved. As the optical mask is a conductor, a passivation layer is required. Such a structure is described in the article in Japan Display 1983, p. 211 by Canon.

This technique requires the use of two depositings under vacuum, which is relatively constricting, as well as a specific masking level so as to define the form and location of the optical mask under the transistors. This additional masking level strictly requires self-aligning accuracy of this mask with respect to the source and drain contact of the transistors. Accordingly, this technique is complex and delicate.

The object therefore of the invention is to overcome these drawbacks by providing an optical mask of the "underside" of the transistors with an active matrix, while reducing the number of masking levels and by ensuring a self-positioning of these optical masks with respect to the sources and drains of the transistors.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the object of the invention is to provide a method to produce an active matrix display screen formed of points each constituted by a transistor consisting of thin layers and a capacitor and comprising conductive lines and columns for the addressing of the points, said method consisting of:

a) depositing on an electric insulating substrate a layer of a first electric insulating material absorbing the visible light and soluble in the developer of a positive photosensitive resin,

b) depositing a layer of said resin on the absorbing layer,

c) insolating the resin through a negative mask masking the channels of the transistors to be embodied,

d) eliminating the insolated zones of the resin and the sub-adjacent zones of the absorbing layer with said developer,

e) depositing a layer of a first transparent conductive material on the unit,

f) eliminating the rest of the resin and the first conductive material covering said resin so as to form the sources and drains of the transistors in the first conductive material,

g) depositing a layer of hydrogenated amorphous layer on the unit,

h) depositing a layer of a second electric insulating material on the silicon layer,

i) depositing a layer of a second conductive material on the layer of the second insulating material,

j) photoengraving the stack formed by the layers of the second conductive material, the second insulating material and the silicon so as to form the grid of the transistors, and

k) rendering passive the unit by depositing a layer of a third electric insulating material.

The method of the invention does not comprise any critical stage and solely comprises two masking levels. It makes it possible to suppress the photo-current of the thin-layered transistors due to the ambient lighting of the display screen.

The method of the invention also makes it possible to use a relatively thick (>200 nm) amorphous silicon layer, which provides a more improved material and in particular control of its less critical thickness.

In addition, the channel of the transistors is laid on an absorbing and electrically insulating material block which also serves as a passivation material. This is particularly advantageous when the insulating substrate is made of glass. In fact, there is no longer any risk of pollution of the amorphous silicon by the ions contained in the glass of the substrate. Accordingly, a low-priced glass can be used, such as lime/sodium glass, thus reducing the cost of the display screen.

Advantageously, the absorbing material is a polymerizable resin containing opaque colorings, the polylmerization of this resin in particular being effected immediately before depositing the hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer.

The object of the invention is also to provide an active matrix display screen obtained by the previously described method. According to the invention, this matrix is formed on an electric insulating substrate and comprises points, conductive lines and columns for addressing of the points, each point being constituted by a capacitor and a thin-layered transistor mainly including an optical mask made of an electric insulating material situated under the channel of the transistor and directly on the substrate, one source and one drain both self-positioned with respect to the optical mask and in direct contact with the substrate, as well as a gate surmounting the optical mask and separated from the latter by the stacked hydrogenated amorphous silicon and an electric insulating material, the amorphous silicon being in contact with the source and the drain.

The technique for producing the sources and drains in the method of the invention, known as the "lift-off" technique, ensures a self-positioning of the sources and drains of the transistors with respect to the optical mask of the latter. Furthermore, if the thickness of the absorbing material and the first conductive material, in which the sources and drains of the transistors are defined, is selected carefully and correctly, a plane structure is obtained under the hydrogenated amorphous silicon, that is a step-free structure, it being a known fact that the passages of steps can be sources of defects in the transistors and with the environments of addressing lines and columns.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention shall appear more readily from a reading of the following description, given by way of explanation and being in no way restrictive, with reference to the annexed figures.

FIGS. 1A and 1B show a top plan view of one point of the active matrix and a sectional view of the various stages of the prior art method, respectively,

FIGS. 2A-1E show a sectional view of the various stages of the method of the invention applied to the production of a liquid crystal display screen,

FIG. 3 shows a top view of the front face of a display screen obtained by the method of the invention,

FIG. 4 shows a top view of the front face of a display screen obtained by the methods according to the prior Art.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

So as to simplify the description relating to the production according to the invention of a display screen with reference to FIG. 2, this figure is solely given for the production of a thin-layered transistor of one point of an active matrix of this display screen.

The first stage for producing an optically masked thin-layered transistor consists, as shown on part A of FIG. 2, of depositing with a plate whirler on a lime/sodium type glass substrate 100 a layer of polyimide 102 containing colorings from the family of anthraquinones, azo compounds and phthalocyanines so as to render this polyimide layer opaque and then of prepolymerizing the latter at 150.degree. C. for 30 minutes. The polyimide is preferably the one commercialized by BREWER SCIENCE, P.O. Box GG ROLLA, Mo. 65401, USA.

Then onto the black polyimide layer a layer of positive photosensitive resin is deposited (for example, the SHIPLEY 1350H type) which is dried at 100.degree. C. for 30 minutes. This resin is then insolated through a negative mask 105 ensuring masking of the channel of the transistor to be embodied, this insolation being effected with ultraviolets rays. Then the exposed resin is developed, the aim of this being to eliminate the exposed resin and to solubilize the polyimide not protected by the exposed resin. The structure obtained is the one represented on part B. Thus, the future channel of the transistor has been delimited. The developer used is, for example, the SHIPLEY MF 312 developer.

With the resin mask 104 still in place, a transparent conductive layer 106 is deposited by evaporation, such layer being, for example, a layer of tin and indium oxide, and possibly a layer of metal 108, such as chromium, so as to subsequently obtain the level 1 of the plane structure (FIG. D). To this effect, the overall thickness of the layers 106 and 108 needs to be equal to the thickness of the polyimide layer 102. For example, the layer 102 may have a thickness of 1000 nm, the layer 106 a thickness of 700 nm and the layer 108 a thickness of 300 nm.

The layers 106 and 108 are deposited on the unit of the structure, that is on the exposed parts of the structure 100 and on the remaining resin 104.

Then the resin 104 is dissolved in the BREWER SCIENCE stripper, thus eliminating the metals 106 and 108 deposited on the resin. Thus, the respective source and drain contacts S and D of the thin-layered transistor are obtained and the channel of the transistor is laid bare, as shown on part D of FIG. 2. Then an annealing under vacuum is subsequently carried out up to a temperature of about 400.degree. C. so as to polymerize all the remaining black polyimide 102 without resulting in any significant loss of the absorbance of this material.

Production of the transistor is continued, as shown on part E of FIG. 2, by depositing a layer of hydrogenated amorphous silicon 110, a layer of silicon nitride 112 and finally a layer of aluminium 114 on the unit of the structure. The layers 110 and 112 are obtained by means of plasma enhanced chemical vapor depositing (PECVD), the aluminium 114 being deposited by evaporation or pulverization. Then an engraving is carried out of the stack of the layers 114, 112, 110 and 108 by conventional means so as to define the gate of the transistor.

The final stage of the method consists of rendering passive the unit of the structure by depositing a layer of silicon nitride 116.

The method described with reference to FIG. 2 is compatible with the method for producing an active matrix display screen described in the document EP-A-O-103-523 and in the document FR-A-2 571 893.

During production of a complete display screen, the negative mask 105 used to mask the channel of the transistors is also used to mask one of the armatures of the capacitors, as well as the conductive columns of the display screen to be embodied. These armatures 8 and columns 2 (FIGS. 1, 3) are then formed at the same time as the source and drain contacts of the transistors by means of the "lift-off" technique. In addition, the addressing lines 4 of the display screen are simultaneously formed at the gate of the transistor in the conductive layer 114.

To this effect, FIG. 3 shows a top view of the front face of one part of a display screen obtained by the method of the invention. This figure also shows the addressing columns 2, the ITO transparent electrodes 8, the crosses 10 integral with the columns 2, and the fingers 12 of the display points integral with the electrodes 8.

The method of the invention makes it possible to cover all the zones around the electrodes 8 and the columns 2, respectively equipped with their fingers 12 and crosses 10 the columns 2, respectively equipped with their fingers 12 and crosses 10, with black polyimide 102. It is then possible to deposit an optical mask, symbolized by the dot-and-dash lines shown on FIG. 3 and bearing the reference 120, on the counter-electrode 30 (FIG. 1) slightly wider than the columns 2 without resulting in any critical alignment of the counter-electrode 30 with respect to the active matrix, so that the elementary display points 8 transmit the light.

The opening percentage of the display screen corresponding to the light transmission percentage is the ratio of the actual effective surface area to display on the total screen surface. By virtue of the method of the invention, the effective surface area 121 is equal to the surface of the electrodes 8. In this case, the opening percentage is 71%.

In a conventional case shown on FIG. 1, there is no black polyimide around the elementary display points. Also, it is necessary to provide on the counter-electrode 30 an optical mask 120a symbolized by the dot-and-dash lines, said mask being wider than the columns 2, as shown on FIG. 4, indeed covering with a thickness e of about 10 microns the electrodes 8 and thus the elementary display points, due to the alignment tolerances between the counter-electrode and the active matrix. This covering e then reduces the effective surface area 123 of the elementary display point. In this case, the opening percentage of the screen is 63%.

Claims

1. Active matrix display screen formed on an electric insulating substrate and comprising display points and conductive lines and columns for addressing the display points, each display point being constituted by a capacitor and a thin-film transistor having a surface and essentially including a hydrogenated amorphous silicon semiconductor defining a channel, an optical opaque mask made of an electric insulating material absorbing light and situated under the semiconductor and directly on the substrate, a source contact and drain contact both self-positioned with respect to the optical opaque mask and in direct contact with the substrate and with the semiconductor, a gate surmounting the semiconductor, an electric insulating material between the gate and the semiconductor, and a passivation layer formed on the transistor surface.

2. Screen according to claim 1, wherein the optical mask comprises a polymerized resin containing opaque dyes.

3. Screen according to claim 2, wherein the resin is a polyimide.

4. Screen according to claim 1, wherein the optical mask, the source contact, and the drain contact are arranged for forming a plane structure.

5. Screen according to claim 1, wherein the insulating material absorbing light is also around an armature of the capacitors and the columns.