Etchant composition, and method of fabricating metal pattern and thin film transistor array panel using the same

1. An etchant composition comprising about 40 to about 65 wt % of phosphoric acid, about 2 to about 5 wt % of nitric acid, about 2 to about 20 wt % of acetic acid, about 0.1 to about 2 wt % of a compound containing phosphate, about 0.1 to about 2 wt % of a compound simultaneously containing an amino group and a carboxyl group, and a remaining weight percent of water for the total weight of the etchant composition.

2. The etchant composition of claim 1 further comprising about 0.1 to about 2 wt % of an organic acid excluding acetic acid.

3. The etchant composition of claim 2 , wherein the organic acid excluding acetic acid is at least one material selected from the group consisting of butanoic acid, citric acid, formic acid, gluconic acid, glycolic acid, malonic acid, oxalic acid, pentanoic acid, and a water-soluble organic acid excluding acetic acid.

4. The etchant composition of claim 2 further comprising at least one material selected from the group consisting of an etch control agent, a surfactant, a metal ion sequestering agent, a corrosion inhibitor, and a pH control agent.

5. The etchant composition of claim 2 , wherein the water is deionized water.

6. The etchant composition of claim 2 , wherein the compound containing phosphate is a material where one, two, or three hydrogen atoms in phosphoric acid are substituted by alkali metals or alkali earth metals.

7. The etchant composition of claim 6 , wherein the compound containing phosphate is at least one material selected from the group consisting of sodium dihydrogen phosphate and potassium dihydrogen phosphate.

8. The etchant composition of claim 6 , wherein the compound simultaneously containing an amino group and a carboxyl group is at least one material selected from an alanine-based compound, an aminobutyric acid-based compound, a glutamic acid-based compound, a glycine-based compound, an iminodiacetic acid-based compound, a nitrilotriacetic acid-based compound, and a sarcosine-based compound.

9. A method of forming a metal pattern, the method comprising the steps of:

depositing a metal layer comprising copper or a copper alloy;

forming a photoresist pattern on the metal layer;

etching the metal layer by using the photoresist pattern as a mask; and

removing the photoresist pattern,

wherein the step of etching the metal layer is conducted using an etchant composition comprising about 40 to about 65 wt % of phosphoric acid (H 3 PO 4 ), about 2 to about 5 wt % of nitric acid (HNO 3 ), about 2 to about 20 wt % of acetic acid (CH 3 COOH), about 0.1 to about 2 wt % of a compound containing phosphate, about 0.1 to about 2 wt % of a compound simultaneously containing an amino group and a carboxyl group, and a remaining weight percent of water for the total weight of the etchant composition.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the etchant composition further comprises about 0.1 to about 2 wt % of an organic acid excluding acetic acid.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the organic acid excluding acetic acid is at least one material selected from the group consisting of butanoic acid, citric acid, formic acid, gluconic acid, glycolic acid, malonic acid, oxalic acid, pentanoic acid, and a water-soluble organic acid excluding acetic acid.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the compound simultaneously containing an amino group and a carboxyl group is at least one material selected from an alanine-based compound, an aminobutyric acid-based compound, a glutamic acid-based compound, a glycine-based compound, an iminodiacetic acid-based compound, a nitrilotriacetic acid-based compound, and a sarcosine-based compound.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the etchant composition etches a single-layered structure based on copper or a copper alloy and a multi-layered structure of two or more layers based on the copper or copper alloy.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the etchant composition further comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of an etch control agent, a surfactant,a metal ion sequestering agent, a corrosion inhibitor, and a pH control agent.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the water is deionized water.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein the compound containing phosphate is a material where one, two, or three hydrogen atoms in phosphoric acid are substituted by alkali metals or alkali earth metals.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the compound containing phosphate is at least one material selected from the group consisting of sodium dihydrogen phosphate and potassium dihydrogen phosphate.

18. A method of fabricating a thin film transistor array panel, the method comprising the steps of:

forming gate lines on an insulation substrate;

forming data lines crossing the gate lines and having source electrodes, and drain electrodes facing the source electrodes;

forming a semiconductor layer around the source and drain electrodes; and

forming pixel electrodes contacting the drain electrodes,

wherein at least one of the steps of forming the gate lines and forming the data lines comprises the sub-steps of:

depositing a metal layer comprising copper or a copper alloy onto the insulation substrate; and

etching the metal layer by using an etchant composition comprising about 40 to about 65 wt % of phosphoric acid (H 3 PO 4 ), about 2 to about 5 wt % of nitric acid (HNO 3 ), about 2 to about 20 wt % of acetic acid (CH 3 COOH), about 0.1 to about 2 wt % of a compound containing phosphate, about 0.1 to about 2 wt % of a compound simultaneously containing an amino group and a carboxyl group, and a remaining weight percent of water for the total weight of the etchant composition.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the step of forming the gate lines comprises the sub-steps of:

depositing a metal layer comprising copper or a copper alloy onto the insulation substrate;

etching the metal layer by using an etchant composition comprising about 40 to about 65 wt % of phosphoric acid (H 3 PO 4 ), about 2 to about 5 wt % of nitric acid (HNO 3 ), about 2 to about 20 wt % of acetic acid (CH 3 COOH), about 0.1 to about 2 wt % of a compound containing phosphate, about 0.1 to about 2 wt % of a compound simultaneously containing an amino group and a carboxyl group, and a remaining weight percent of water for the total weight of the etchant composition, thereby forming the gate lines or the data lines;

coating a photoresist film onto the gate lines;

exposing the photoresist film to light illuminated from the rear of the insulation substrate by using the metal layer as a mask, and developing the etched photoresist film to thereby form a photoresist pattern; and

applying heat or light to the photoresist pattern.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the etchant composition further comprises about 0.1 to about 2 wt % of an organic acid excluding acetic acid.