IP Library Granted Patent US 7,351,618
Granted Patent B2
US 7,351,618 · App. 11/444,184 · Granted Apr 1, 2008

Method of manufacturing thin film transistor substrate

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,351,618
App. No.
11/444,184
Granted
Apr 1, 2008
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method of manufacturing a thin film transistor (TFT) substrate to minimize a rugged surface of an organic layer overlapping with a storage electrode is provided. The method includes forming a passivation layer on a substrate having a storage electrode and an organic layer covering the passivation layer, forming a concave portion by partially removing a portion of the organic layer that overlaps with the storage electrode, planarizing a rugged pattern located on the bottom of the concave portion, and forming an opening extending to a surface of the passivation layer by removing the planarized organic layer from the concave portion.

Claims (39)

1. A method of manufacturing a thin film transistor substrate, the method comprising:

forming a passivation layer on a substrate having a storage electrode;

forming an organic layer covering the passivation layer;

forming a concave portion in the organic layer by partially removing a portion of the organic layer that overlaps the storage electrode;

planarizing a rugged pattern located on a bottom surface of the concave portion; and

forming an opening extending to a surface of the passivation layer by removing the planarized organic layer from the concave portion.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein planarizing comprises performing ashing to reduce the rugged pattern.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein ashing is performed using oxygen plasma.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein ashing using the oxygen plasma is performed in an atmosphere including a gas mixture of nitrogen and hydrogen.

5. The method of claim 2 , further comprising dry etching the concave portion before ashing, wherein the organic layer remains on the bottom surface of the concave portion after dry etching.

6. The method of claim 2 , further comprising etching the rugged pattern to reduce a height difference between a protrusion and a recess of the rugged pattern before ashing.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein etching of the rugged pattern includes dry etching using a gas mixture of SF 6 and O 2 or a gas mixture of SF 6 and N 2 .

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the concave portion comprises performing patterning using a mask including a slit having a size less than a resolution of light used for exposure or a mask including a semitransparent layer.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the opening comprises performing a dry etch using a gas mixture of SF 6 and O 2 or a gas mixture of SF 6 and N 2 .

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the organic layer covering the passivation layer has a thickness of about 2.5 μm through about 3.5 μm.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein a remaining portion of the organic layer in the concave portion having the rugged pattern has a thickness of about 0.5 μm through about 1.5 μm.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising forming a pixel electrode in the opening, the pixel electrode covering a portion of the passivation layer that overlaps the storage electrode.

13. A method of manufacturing a thin film transistor substrate, the method comprising:

forming a gate wire on a substrate, the gate wire comprising a gate line, a gate electrode and a storage electrode;

forming a gate insulating layer covering the gate wire;

forming a semiconductor layer and a data wire comprising a data line, a source electrode, and a drain electrode by sequentially forming an amorphous silicon layer and a data conductive layer on the gate insulating layer;

forming a passivation layer on the data wire;

forming an organic layer covering the passivation layer;

forming a concave portion in the organic layer by partially removing a portion of the organic layer that overlaps the storage electrode;

planarizing a rugged pattern located on a bottom surface of the concave portion; and

forming an opening extending to a surface of the passivation layer by removing the planarized organic layer from the concave portion.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein planarizing comprises performing ashing to reduce the rugged pattern.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein ashing is performed using oxygen plasma.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein ashing using the oxygen plasma is performed in an atmosphere including a gas mixture of nitrogen and hydrogen.

17. The method of claim 14 , further comprising dry etching the concave portion before ashing, wherein the organic layer remains on the bottom surface of the concave portion after dry etching.

18. The method of claim 14 , further comprising etching the rugged pattern to reduce a height difference between a protrusion and a recess of the rugged pattern before ashing.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein etching of the rugged pattern includes dry etching using a gas mixture of SF 6 and O 2 or a gas mixture of SF 6 and N 2 .

20. The method of claim 13 , wherein forming the concave portion comprises performing patterning using a mask including a slit having a size less than a resolution of light used for exposure or a mask including a semitransparent layer.

21. The method of claim 13 , wherein forming the opening comprises performing a dry etch using a gas mixture of SF 6 and O 2 or a gas mixture of SF 6 and N 2 .

22. The method of claim 13 , wherein the organic layer covering the passivation layer has a thickness of about 2.5 μm through about 3.5 μm.

23. The method of claim 13 , wherein a remaining portion of the organic layer in the concave portion having the rugged pattern has a thickness of about 0.5 μm through about 1.5 μm.

24. The method of claim 13 , further comprising forming a pixel electrode in the opening, the pixel electrode covering a portion of the passivation layer that overlaps the storage electrode.

25. The method of claim 13 , wherein forming the semiconductor layer and the data wire comprises removing the amorphous silicon layer and the data conductive layer that overlap the storage electrode.

26. The method of claim 13 , wherein the passivation layer and the conductive layer are formed by performing an etch process using a single mask.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 17, 2012
From: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
To: SAMSUNG DISPLAY CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 029045/0860 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 31, 2006
From: CHO, EOU-SIK; KIM, JANG-SOO
To: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS, CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 017948/0449 →