Patent Application
20190074303
This application claims priority from and the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2017-0113555, filed on Sep. 5, 2017, which is hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes as if fully set forth herein.
Exemplary embodiments of the invention relate generally to display devices. More specifically, exemplary embodiments relate to thin film transistor substrates, methods of manufacturing a thin film transistor substrate, and display devices including a thin film transistor substrate.
A thin film transistor substrate included in a display device may include thin layers such as an insulation layer, a conductive layer, a semiconductor layer, or the like. A chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process may be performed so as to form the thin layers. When the thin layers are formed by the CVD process, which requires relatively high temperature, a selection range of base substrates may be limited or the base substrate may be deformed or damaged thereby decreasing a quality of the display device.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for understanding of the background of the inventive concepts, and, therefore, it may contain information that does not constitute prior art.
Methods according to exemplary implementations provide a method of manufacturing a thin film transistor substrate and a method of manufacturing a display device including the thin film transistor substrate for improving a characteristic of a thin film transistor.
Devices constructed according to exemplary implementations provide a thin film transistor substrate including a thin film transistor having an improved characteristic.
A method of manufacturing a thin film transistor substrate according to an exemplary embodiment may include forming a gate electrode on a base substrate, forming a gate insulation layer on the base substrate, the gate insulation layer covering the gate electrode, performing a simultaneous ultraviolet ray irradiation and thermal treatment (SUT) process by irradiating an ultraviolet ray at the gate insulation layer and supplying heat to the gate insulation layer at substantially the same time, forming an active pattern on the gate insulation layer, the active pattern overlapping the gate electrode, and forming a source electrode and a drain electrode on the gate insulation layer, the source electrode and the drain electrode being electrically connected to the active pattern.
The SUT process may be performed after forming the gate insulation layer and before forming the active pattern.
The gate electrode, the gate insulation layer, the active pattern, the source electrode and the drain electrode may be formed by a sputtering process.
The gate insulation layer may include a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other. The ultraviolet ray may be irradiated at the first surface and the heat may be supplied to the second surface.
The SUT process may be performed at a temperature in a range of 100° C. to about 250° C.
The ultraviolet ray may have a wavelength in a range of 185 nm to 370 nm.
The SUT process may be performed for a duration in a range of 1 minute to 3 hours.
The SUT process may be performed in an oxygen atmosphere or a moisture atmosphere.
The method may further include forming an etch-stop layer on the active pattern before forming the source electrode and the drain electrode.
The method may further include forming a first electrode on the base substrate and forming the second electrode on the gate insulation layer, the second electrode overlapping the first electrode. A resistive random access memory (RRAM) may be defined by the first electrode, the gate insulation layer, and the second electrode.
The gate insulation layer may include a first region located between the gate electrode and the active pattern and a second region located between the first electrode and the second electrode. The SUT process may be performed in the first region and may not be performed in the second region.
The ultraviolet ray may be irradiated at the first region and may not be irradiated at the second region.
The first electrode may be formed together with the gate electrode, and the second electrode may be formed together with the source electrode and the drain electrode.
An exemplary embodiment of a thin film transistor substrate may include a base substrate, a gate electrode disposed on the base substrate, a gate insulation layer disposed on the base substrate and covering the gate electrode, an active pattern disposed on the gate insulation layer and overlapping the gate electrode, and a source electrode and a drain electrode disposed on the gate insulation layer and electrically connected to the active pattern. The gate insulation layer includes a first region and a second region, the first region being located between the gate electrode and the active pattern. A contact angle against a water droplet of the first region may be in a range from about 1 degree to about 40 degree.
The thin film transistor substrate may include a first electrode disposed on the base substrate and a second electrode disposed on the second region of the gate insulation layer and overlapping the first electrode. The resistive random access memory (RRAM) may be defined by the first electrode, the second region of the gate insulation layer, and the second electrode.
The contact angle against the water droplet of the first region may be less than a contact angle against a water droplet of the second region.
An amount of oxygen included in the first region may be greater than an amount of oxygen included in the second region.
An exemplary embodiment of a method of manufacturing a display device may include forming a gate electrode on a base substrate, forming a gate insulation layer on the base substrate, the gate insulation layer covering the gate electrode, performing a simultaneous ultraviolet ray irradiation and thermal treatment (SUT) process by irradiating an ultraviolet ray at the gate insulation layer and supplying heat to the gate insulation layer at substantially the same time, forming an active pattern on the gate insulation layer, the active pattern overlapping the gate electrode, forming a source electrode and a drain electrode on the gate insulation layer, the source electrode and the drain electrode being electrically connected to the active pattern, forming a pixel electrode electrically connected to the drain electrode, forming a pixel defining layer on the pixel electrode, the pixel defining layer exposing a portion of the pixel electrode, forming an organic light emitting layer on the exposed pixel electrode, and forming a common electrode on the organic light emitting layer and the pixel defining layer.
The SUT process may be performed after forming the gate insulation layer and before forming the active pattern.
The gate electrode, the gate insulation layer, the active pattern, the source electrode and the drain electrode may be formed by a sputtering process.
In the methods of manufacturing the thin film transistor substrate and the display device according to exemplary embodiments, the SUT process, which is irradiating the ultraviolet ray to the gate insulation layer and supplying the heat to the gate insulation layer at substantially the same time, may be performed thereby improving a quality of the thin film transistor.
The thin film transistor substrate according to exemplary embodiments may include the gate insulation layer having an improved insulation characteristic thereby improving a quality of the thin film transistor.
Additional features of the inventive concepts will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the inventive concepts. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.
The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the invention, and together with the description serve to explain the inventive concepts.
In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of various exemplary embodiments or implementations of the invention. As used herein “embodiments” and “implementations” are interchangeable words that are non-limiting examples of devices or methods employing one or more of the inventive concepts disclosed herein. It is apparent, however, that various exemplary embodiments may be practiced without these specific details or with one or more equivalent arrangements. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring various exemplary embodiments. Further, various exemplary embodiments may be different, but do not have to be exclusive. For example, specific shapes, configurations, and characteristics of an exemplary embodiment may be used or implemented in another exemplary embodiment without departing from the inventive concepts.
Unless otherwise specified, the illustrated exemplary embodiments are to be understood as providing exemplary features of varying detail of some ways in which the inventive concepts may be implemented in practice. Therefore, unless otherwise specified, the features, components, modules, layers, films, panels, regions, and/or aspects, etc. (hereinafter individually or collectively referred to as “elements”), of the various embodiments may be otherwise combined, separated, interchanged, and/or rearranged without departing from the inventive concepts.
The use of cross-hatching and/or shading in the accompanying drawings is generally provided to clarify boundaries between adjacent elements. As such, neither the presence nor the absence of cross-hatching or shading conveys or indicates any preference or requirement for particular materials, material properties, dimensions, proportions, commonalities between illustrated elements, and/or any other characteristic, attribute, property, etc., of the elements, unless specified. Further, in the accompanying drawings, the size and relative sizes of elements may be exaggerated for clarity and/or descriptive purposes. When an exemplary embodiment may be implemented differently, a specific process order may be performed differently from the described order. For example, two consecutively described processes may be performed substantially at the same time or performed in an order opposite to the described order. Also, like reference numerals denote like elements.
When an element, such as a layer, is referred to as being “on,” “connected to,” or “coupled to” another element or layer, it may be directly on, connected to, or coupled to the other element or layer or intervening elements or layers may be present. When, however, an element or layer is referred to as being “directly on,” “directly connected to,” or “directly coupled to” another element or layer, there are no intervening elements or layers present. To this end, the term “connected” may refer to physical, electrical, and/or fluid connection, with or without intervening elements. Further, the D1-axis, the D2-axis, and the D3-axis are not limited to three axes of a rectangular coordinate system, such as the x, y, and z-axes, and may be interpreted in a broader sense. For example, the D1-axis, the D2-axis, and the D3-axis may be perpendicular to one another, or may represent different directions that are not perpendicular to one another. For the purposes of this disclosure, “at least one of X, Y, and Z” and “at least one selected from the group consisting of X, Y, and Z” may be construed as X only, Y only, Z only, or any combination of two or more of X, Y, and Z, such as, for instance, XYZ, XYY, YZ, and ZZ. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.
Although the terms “first,” “second,” etc. may be used herein to describe various types of elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used to distinguish one element from another element. Thus, a first element discussed below could be termed a second element without departing from the teachings of the disclosure.
Spatially relative terms, such as “beneath,” “below,” “under,” “lower,” “above,” “upper,” “over,” “higher,” “side” (e.g., as in “sidewall”), and the like, may be used herein for descriptive purposes, and, thereby, to describe one elements relationship to another element(s) as illustrated in the drawings. Spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of an apparatus in use, operation, and/or manufacture in addition to the orientation depicted in the drawings. For example, if the apparatus in the drawings is turned over, elements described as “below” or “beneath” other elements or features would then be oriented “above” the other elements or features. Thus, the exemplary term “below” can encompass both an orientation of above and below. Furthermore, the apparatus may be otherwise oriented (e.g., rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations), and, as such, the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly.
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular exemplary embodiments and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, the singular forms, “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Moreover, the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,” and/or “including,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. It is also noted that, as used herein, the terms “substantially,” “about,” and other similar terms, are used as terms of approximation and not as terms of degree, and, as such, are utilized to account for inherent deviations in measured, calculated, and/or provided values that would be recognized by one of ordinary skill in the art.
Various exemplary embodiments are described herein with reference to sectional and/or exploded illustrations that are schematic illustrations of idealized exemplary embodiments and/or intermediate structures. As such, variations from the shapes of the illustrations as a result, for example, of manufacturing techniques and/or tolerances, are to be expected. Thus, exemplary embodiments disclosed herein should not necessarily be construed as limited to the particular illustrated shapes of regions, but are to include deviations in shapes that result from, for instance, manufacturing. In this manner, regions illustrated in the drawings may be schematic in nature and the shapes of these regions may not reflect actual shapes of regions of a device and, as such, are not necessarily intended to be limiting.
Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure is a part. Terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense, unless expressly so defined herein.
Hereinafter, thin film transistor substrates, methods of manufacturing a thin film transistor substrate, and methods of manufacturing a display device in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure will be explained in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
A thin film transistor substrate and a method of manufacturing the thin film transistor substrate according to an embodiment will be explained with reference to
Referring to
Then, a buffer layer 115 may be formed on the base substrate 110. The buffer layer 115 may prevent impurities from being diffused to the base substrate 110. The buffer layer 115 may improve a flatness of an entire surface of the base substrate 110. In other words, when the base substrate 110 has a relatively uneven top surface, the buffer layer 115 may fill in the unevenness while having a flat top surface on the base substrate 110. Alternatively, the buffer layer 115 may be omitted.
Then, a gate pattern may be formed on the buffer layer 115. The gate pattern may include a gate line (not illustrated) and a gate electrode 121 protruding from the gate line. For example, a first conductive layer may be formed on the buffer layer 115, and the first conductive layer may be etched to form the gate electrode 121.
Referring to
In a conventional method of manufacturing a thin film transistor substrate, a gate insulation layer may be formed by a chemical vapor deposition process (e.g., a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) process). When the gate insulation layer is formed by the chemical vapor deposition process, problems such as a limited selection range of material, necessity of a relatively high processing temperature, formation of by-products after the process, or the like may occur. Specifically, in order to form a flexible thin film transistor substrate, a substrate having a relatively high glass transition temperature may be selected as a base substrate for the flexible thin film transistor substrate due to a relatively high processing temperature.
Referring to
In an exemplary embodiment, as illustrated in
In another exemplary embodiment, the ultraviolet ray UV LIGHT may be irradiated at the bottom surface of the gate insulation layer 131, and the heat HEAT may be supplied to the top surface of the gate insulation layer 131. In still another exemplary embodiment, the ultraviolet ray UV LIGHT may be irradiated at the top and bottom surfaces of the gate insulation layer 131, and the heat HEAT may be supplied to the top and bottom surfaces of the gate insulation layer 131.
A gate insulation layer 132 that is irradiated by an ultraviolet ray and thermally treated may be formed by performing the SUT process on the gate insulation layer 131. Here, the reference number 131 in
The gate insulation layer 132, irradiated by an ultraviolet ray and thermally treated, may have a contact angle against a water droplet in a range from about 1 degree to about 40 degree. The contact angle is an angle formed when a liquid is in thermodynamic equilibrium on a solid surface and is a measure of the wettability of a solid surface. Further, the contact angle against the water droplet is the contact angle between a water droplet and a solid surface. Having a small contact angle implies displaying an excellent wettability and a high surface energy and having hydrophilicity. On the other hand, having a large contact angle implies displaying a poor wettability and a low surface energy and having hydrophobicity. When the gate insulation layer 132 has a contact angle against a water droplet in a range from about 1 degree to about 40 degree, the gate insulation layer 132 may have hydrophilicity.
The gate insulation layer 132, irradiated by an ultraviolet ray and thermally treated, may include a relatively large amount of oxygen. When the SUT process is performed, oxygen radicals having high reactivity may be consistently supplied to the gate insulation layer 132. Accordingly, a large amount of oxygen may be included in the gate insulation layer 132.
Referring to
The active pattern may include an oxide semiconductor, an amorphous silicon, a polysilicon, or the like. Here, the oxide semiconductor may include at least one of zinc (Zn), indium (In), gallium (Ga), tin (Sn), and a mixture thereof. For example, the oxide semiconductor may include indium-gallium-zinc oxide (IGZO).
Referring to
The buffer layer 115, the gate insulation layer 131 and 132, and the etch-stop layer 150 may be formed of silicon compounds, metal oxide, or the like. For example, the buffer layer 115, the gate insulation layer 131 and 132, and the etch-stop layer 150 may include silicon oxide, silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, aluminum oxide, tantalum oxide, hafnium oxide, zirconium oxide, titanium oxide, or the like. These may be used alone or in combination.
Referring to
The gate electrode 121, the source electrode 161, and the drain electrode 162 may include metal such as aluminum, aluminum alloy, tungsten, copper, nickel, chromium, molybdenum, titanium, platinum, tantalum, ruthenium, metal alloy thereof, nitride thereof, conductive metal oxide, or the like. A thin film transistor may be defined by the gate electrode 121, the gate insulation layer 132, the active pattern 140, the source electrode 161, and the drain electrode 162.
In an exemplary embodiment, the gate electrode 121, the gate insulation layer 132, the active pattern 140, the source electrode 161, and the drain electrode 162 may be formed by a sputtering process. For example, the base substrate 110 may be disposed inside a sputtering chamber (not illustrated), and the gate electrode 121, the gate insulation layer 132, the active pattern 140, the source electrode 161, and the drain electrode 162 may be sequentially formed on the base substrate 110.
In a conventional method of manufacturing a thin film transistor substrate, a gate electrode, an active pattern, a source electrode, and a drain electrode may be formed by a sputtering process, and a gate insulation layer may be formed by a chemical vapor deposition process. In this case, after forming the gate electrode in a sputtering chamber, the gate insulation layer may be formed by moving the base substrate into a chemical vapor deposition chamber, and then, the active pattern, the source electrode, and the drain electrode may be formed by moving the base substrate into the sputtering chamber again. Therefore, a manufacturing process of the thin film transistor substrate may be complicated.
However, as explained above, according to an exemplary embodiment of the is present disclosure, the gate electrode 121, the gate insulation layer 132, the active pattern 140, the source electrode 161, and the drain electrode 162 may be formed by the sputtering process, and the gate electrode 121, the gate insulation layer 132, the active pattern 140, the source electrode 161, and the drain electrode 162 may be formed in the sputtering chamber without moving the base substrate 110. Therefore, a manufacturing process of the thin film transistor substrate may be simplified.
Hereinafter, a display device and a method of manufacturing the display device according to an exemplary embodiment will be explained with reference to
A display device according to an exemplary embodiment may include a thin film transistor substrate substantially the same as or similar to the thin film transistor substrate according to an exemplary embodiment. Therefore, a method of manufacturing a display device may include a manufacturing method substantially the same as or similar to the method of manufacturing a thin film transistor substrate according to an exemplary embodiment with reference to
Referring to
Referring to
Then, the pixel defining layer 175 may be formed on the passivation layer 165 and the pixel electrode 170. The pixel defining layer 175 may include transparent insulation material. For example, the pixel defining layer 175 may include organic material such as polyacrylate based resin, polyimide based resin, or silica related inorganic material.
Then, a portion of the pixel defining layer 175 may be etched to form an opening that exposes the pixel electrode 170. The opening of the pixel defining layer 175 may have a sidewall inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the base substrate 110. An organic light emitting layer 180 in
Referring to
First, the organic light emitting layer 180 may be formed on the pixel electrode 170, the sidewall of the opening of the pixel defining layer 175, and an upper surface of the pixel defining layer 175. The organic light emitting layer 180 may be substantially uniformly formed according to a profile of the opening on the exposed pixel electrode 170, the sidewall of the opening of the pixel defining layer 175, and the upper surface of the pixel defining layer 175. The organic light emitting layer 180 may be formed of low molecular organic material, high molecular organic material, or the like respectively emitting red light, green light and blue light. Further, the organic light emitting layer 180 may have a multi-layered structure including a light emitting layer, a hole injection layer, a hole transport layer, an electron transport layer, an electron injection layer, or the like.
Then, the common electrode 190 may be formed on the organic light emitting layer 180. The common electrode 190 may include transparent conductive material, transflective conductive material, reflective conductive material, or the like. The common electrode 190 may be substantially uniformly formed on the organic light emitting layer 180.
Hereinafter, a thin film transistor substrate and a method of manufacturing the thin film transistor substrate according to an exemplary embodiment will be explained with reference to
Referring to
Then, a buffer layer 215 may be formed on the base substrate 210, and a gate pattern may be formed on the buffer layer 215. The gate pattern may include the gate electrode 221 and the first electrode 222. The gate electrode 221 may be located in the thin film transistor region TFT, and the first electrode 22 may be located in the resistive random access memory region RRAM.
In an exemplary embodiment, the gate electrode 221 and the first electrode 222 may be simultaneously formed. For example, a first conductive layer may be formed on the buffer layer 215, and the first conductive layer may be etched to simultaneously form the gate electrode 221 and the first electrode 222.
Then, the gate insulation layer 231 covering the gate electrode 221 and the first electrode 222 may be formed on the buffer layer 215.
Referring to
The SUT process may be only performed in a first region 232 of the gate insulation layer 231, and may not be performed in a second region 233 of the gate insulation layer 231. Here, the first region 232 may correspond to the thin film transistor region TFT, and the second region 233 may correspond to the resistive random access memory region RRAM.
In an exemplary embodiment, the ultraviolet ray may be irradiated at the first region 232, and may not be irradiated at the second region 233. For example, a mask (not illustrated) including an opening portion and a blocking portion may be disposed over the gate insulation layer 231, and the ultraviolet ray may be irradiated at the gate insulation layer 231 through the mask. Here, the opening portion may be located to correspond to the first region 232, and the blocking portion may be located to correspond to the second region 233. In this case, an ultraviolet ray irradiated at the first region 232 may pass through the opening portion, and an ultraviolet ray irradiated at the second region 233 may be blocked by the blocking portion.
An amount of oxygen included in the first region 232 may be greater than an amount of oxygen included in the second region 233. When the SUT process is performed to a thin film, oxygen radicals may be consistently supplied to the thin film. Accordingly, the oxygen radicals may be supplied to the first region 232 to which the SUT process is performed thereby increasing the amount of oxygen of the first region 232.
A contact angle against a water droplet of the first region 232 may be less than contact angle against a water droplet of the second region 233. When an amount of oxygen included in a thin film increases, a surface of the thin film may have hydrophilicity. Accordingly, the first region 232 to which the SUT process is performed may be relatively hydrophilic, and the contact angle against the water droplet of the first region 232 may decrease. For example, the contact angle against the water droplet of the first region 232 may be in a range from about 1 degree to about 40 degree, and the contact angle against the water droplet of the second region 233 may be in a range from about 40 degree to about 90 degree.
Referring to
Referring to
In an exemplary embodiment, the source electrode 261, the drain electrode 262, and the second electrode 263 may be simultaneously formed. For example, a second conductive layer may be formed on the first region 232 and the second region 233 of the gate insulation layer 231, and the second conductive layer may be etched to simultaneously form the source electrode 261, the drain electrode 262, and the second electrode 263. The thin film transistor may be defined by the gate electrode 221, the first region 232 of the gate insulation layer 231, the active pattern 240, the source electrode 261, and the drain electrode 262. Further, the resistive random access memory may be defined by the first electrode 222, the second region 233 of the gate insulation layer 231, and the second electrode 263.
In an exemplary embodiment, the resistive random access memory may be located inside a pixel region of the thin film transistor substrate, and may compose a pixel circuit together with the thin film transistor. In this case, a pixel may include the thin film transistor and a memory, so that a display device may consume relatively low power when displaying a still image. In another embodiment, the resistive random access memory may be located in a driving region of the thin film transistor substrate which includes a driving circuit to drive the pixel.
Hereinafter, a thin film transistor substrate and a method of manufacturing a thin film transistor substrate according to an exemplary embodiment will be explained with reference to
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
Then, the insulation interlayer 350 and the gate insulation layer 332 may be partially etched to form contact holes respectively exposing portions of the active pattern 340. Then, the source electrode 361 and the drain electrode 362 electrically connected to the active pattern 340 may be formed on the insulation interlayer 350. For example, a second conductive layer filling the contact holes may be formed on the insulation interlayer 350, and the second conductive layer may be etched to form the source electrode 361 and the drain electrode 362.
Hereinafter, characteristics of a thin film transistor substrate according to an embodiment may be explained with reference to
Referring to
Referring to
The thin film transistor substrate and the display device according to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied to a display device included in a computer, a notebook, a mobile phone, a smartphone, a smart pad, a PMP, a PDA, an MP3 player, or the like.
Although certain exemplary embodiments and implementations have been described herein, other embodiments and modifications will be apparent from this description. Accordingly, the inventive concepts are not limited to such embodiments, but rather to the broader scope of the appended claims and various obvious modifications and equivalent arrangements as would be apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-2017-0113555 | Sep 2017 | KR | national |
