The method for making of the metallic reflector of liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS) display device
Technical field
The present invention relates to technical field of semiconductors, specifically a kind of method for making of metallic reflector of liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS) display device.
Background technology
Liquid crystal on silicon (Liquid Crystal on Silicon, LCOS) be a kind of novel reflective LCD device, different with common liquid crystals is, LCOS directly realizes driving circuit in conjunction with CMOS technology on silicon chip, and adopt the CMOS technology that the active pixel matrix is produced on the silicon substrate, thereby has the little and high-resolution characteristic of size.The LCOS display device is made up of a lot of pixel (pixel) unit, is the primary structure of a LCOS pixel cell in the LCOS display device of prior art as shown in Figure 1: at first be layer-of-substrate silicon 101; Above the layer-of-substrate silicon 101 drive circuit layer 102, because of the present invention does not relate to the inner structure of driving circuit, so this one deck is repeated no more; Top again one deck is a metallic reflector 103, and metal wherein adopts aluminium usually; Metallic reflector top exists a space, and inside is filled with liquid crystal material 111, so this one deck is called as liquid crystal packed layer 104; Be glass-encapsulated layer 105 topmost.
Desirable LCOS should be smooth, smooth and very high reflectivity is arranged, can guarantee the consistance of good liquid crystal arrangement and thickness of liquid crystal layer like this, and non-warping light, it is smooth that this just needs that wherein metallic reflector must be suitable, can accurately control reflected light path, this is a very The key factor for high-end application such as projection TVs.
In U.S. Pat 6,437, structure of a kind of LCOS with a plurality of capacitors and preparation method thereof is disclosed in 839.The step of wherein making the aluminium reflection horizon as shown in Figure 2 comprises substantially: at first deposit the aluminium of one deck as metallic reflector on drive circuit layer; On this metal aluminium lamination, etch required pattern then; (Inter Metal Dielectric IMD) fills up the groove that etches to deposit dielectric layer between layer of metal again; By chemically mechanical polishing (Chemical Mechanical Polishing, CMP), the IMD layer that is deposited is carried out planarization process, the metallic reflector that exposes initial deposition, so just removed the above IMD material of metal level, only in the groove of metal aluminium lamination, remain with the IMD material of adequate thickness, thereby finished the making in reflection horizon.
But, in the above-mentioned technology,, cause reflectivity to reduce if, when being ground to layer on surface of metal, will on layer on surface of metal, cause cut by the IMD material on the CMP removal metal level; Some prior art also is added with one deck monox protective seam on the metal aluminium lamination, but when the CMP treatment step is ground to the monox protective seam that is positioned on the metal level, because of silica material softer, so the spherical recess (global dishing) that is caused by CMP will be reflected on the metallic reflector through the monox protective seam, and then cause the problem of metallic reflector surface irregularity, make the monox protective seam really not play a protective role; In a word, the process using CMP of prior art directly removes the IMD material or only adopts mono-layer oxidized silicon protective seam, all can produce adverse influence to the quality of metallic reflector.
Summary of the invention
In order to address the above problem, spy of the present invention provides a kind of method for making of liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS) display device, and purpose is to produce high-quality metallic reflector in LCOS technology.
To achieve these goals, technical scheme of the present invention is:
A kind of method for making of metallic reflector of liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS) display device is at first finished internal drive circuits and finish the making of insulation course on drive circuit layer on the silicon wafer substrate, this method also comprises the steps: then
A, on described insulation course deposition as the metal of metallic reflector;
B, deposit compound block protective layer on described metal level, described compound block protective layer is a double-decker, and it is hard layer at the middle and upper levels, and lower floor is a soft layer;
C, described compound block protective layer, metallic reflector and insulation course are carried out etching, realize patterning, and expose drive circuit layer upper surface;
D, at dielectric layer between plated metal on the described compound block protective layer, and fill the groove that etches;
E, described metal intermetallic dielectric layer is carried out chemically mechanical polishing, and stop at the upper surface of described compound block protective layer;
F, remove described compound block protective layer, expose the upper surface of metallic reflector by etching method.
Because the present invention has deposited compound block protective layer on metallic reflector, this compound block protective layer is last hard soft double-decker down, when wafer is carried out CMP, CMP just stops when running into harder restraining barrier, upper strata, and the softer protective seam of lower floor then can play a protective role to metallic reflector; And then adopt etching method to remove the restraining barrier, thus avoided the harmful effect of CMP to metallic reflector, guaranteed the surfacing of metallic reflector, thereby can produce LCOS with high-quality metallic reflector.
Description of drawings
Fig. 1 is the inner structure synoptic diagram of a pixel in the LCOS display device of prior art;
Fig. 2 makes the step of metallic reflector for prior art;
Fig. 3 makes the step of metallic reflector for the present invention;
Fig. 4 a~4f is the diagrammatic cross-section by the LCOS display device of the inventive method making.
Embodiment
Below in conjunction with Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, embodiments of the invention are described in detail.
Please see Figure shown in the 4a, in the process of preparation liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS) display device, at first on silicon wafer substrate, finish structures such as internal drive circuits, 401 layers among Fig. 4 a just comprise silicon base and driving circuit, 402 layers is insulation course, just begins to prepare metallic reflector 403 afterwards.
Please so at first be steps A simultaneously referring to the step synoptic diagram of Fig. 3, deposition one deck be as the metal of metallic reflector 403 on insulation course 402, and preferred metal material is aluminium (Al), but is not limited to aluminium.
Be step B then, this step is a key point of the present invention, promptly deposits one deck compound block protective layer on metallic reflector 403 again.This compound block protective layer comprises protective seam 404 and restraining barrier 405, is two-layer composite, at first is deposition layer protective layer 404 on metal level, and material is silicon dioxide (SiO
2), thickness is 500~2000 dusts; Then at SiO
2On the layer, deposition one deck restraining barrier 405, material is silicon nitride (Si3N4), its thickness is 100~4000 dusts normally.The thickness of silicon nitride layer should be able to satisfy the requirement that forms spacer (spacer) between electro-conductive glass in this LCOS structure and the metallic reflector.
Because the silicon nitride layer on upper strata is hard than the silicon oxide layer of lower floor, so, can play the effect that stops the CMP step at the middle and upper levels in the CMP process, and the effect of buffering can be played by lower floor, metallic reflector below protecting better; The effect that so just makes compound block protective layer to have to stop CMP has the effect of protection metallic reflector again; be unlikely to as conventional art, the spherical recess that forms in the CMP process caused the problem of metallic reflector surface irregularity through the monox protective seam.
Then be step C, shown in Fig. 4 b, in order to obtain being used for the metallic reflection layer pattern of each pixel, do to know as those skilled in the art, need on silicon nitride layer, to apply photoresist, develop, expose, utilize dry method or wet etch process then, realize patterning, the channel bottom that this pattern etched will expose the upper surface of drive circuit layer 401.
After this be step D, shown in Fig. 4 c, intermetallic dielectric (IMD) layer 406 that deposition one deck is thicker on compound block protective layer its objective is the space between the pattern on the metallic reflector 403 is filled.The material of this IMD layer is monox normally, can use high-density plasma (HDP) to deposit obtains, and should guarantee that the space between the metallic reflection layer pattern is filled fully, that is, wherein neither allow defectives such as cavity and will guarantee that the IMD material has enough thickness.
Step e; shown in Fig. 4 d; CMP technology by prior art; the IMD that will be positioned on the silicon nitride layer 405 grinds away; only keep the IMD in the space between the pattern, and lapped face is polished smooth, in polishing process; during harder silicon nitride layer 405, CMP technology stops in running into compound block protective layer.
Be step F then, the purpose of this step is that the CMP compound block protective layer of metallic reflector more than 403 all etched away, and exposes metallic reflector 403 at last.This step is specially: at first remove compound block protective layer silicon nitride layer 405 at the middle and upper levels by wet method or dry etching, shown in Fig. 4 e.When adopting wet etching, common employed mordant is the phosphoric acid solution of boiling, and for example 180 ℃ of following concentration is that 85% phosphoric acid can be as the selective corrosion agent of the relative monox of silicon nitride; Also can adopt dry etching.Removing protective seam then shown in Fig. 4 f is silicon oxide layer 404, can use wet method or dry etching equally; When adopting wet etching, employed mordant can be the hydrofluorite (HF) of dilution, wherein can also add ammonium fluoride (NH
4F), promptly obtain buffered hydrofluoric acid.Because the material of IMD layer is all SiO in this protective seam 404 and the space
2Thickness in order to ensure IMD material in the metallic reflection interlayer space, even can prevent by the mode of control etching period because excessive corrosion makes between the metallic reflection layer pattern IMD layer in the space cross thin penetrating, because keep under the constant situation SiO at etching condition
2Etch-rate also remain unchanged, so can control the etched degree of depth of IMD material in the space by the length of control etching period, guaranteeing exposing metallic reflector, and don't can be to the IMD material excessive corrosion between the metallic reflection layer pattern.For example, in the present embodiment, be the hydrofluorite (HF) of dilution if adopt the mordant of wet etching, wherein can also add ammonium fluoride (NH
4F), promptly obtain buffered hydrofluoric acid.
In addition, the present invention behind the CMP, the SiN layer before removing be between step e, the F also design a selectable SiO is arranged
2Dry etch step after the CMP polishing of having finished step e, can adopt the method for dry etching that residue IMD is corroded earlier, and then optionally remove compound block protective layer.With in like manner aforementioned,, also need adopt the mode of etching period control in order to prevent the IMD excessive corrosion.
It should be noted that the compound block protective layer in the present embodiment also can be other lamination layer structures, but wherein should comprise a hard layer at least.
After finishing the making of above-mentioned metallic reflector, also to carry out all the other processing procedures of LCOS certainly, because of little, so do not repeat them here with protection scope of the present invention relation.
Because the present invention has adopted compound block protective layer 404 and 405, this compound block protective layer is last hard soft double-decker down, when wafer is carried out CMP, just stop to carry out CMP when running into harder restraining barrier 405, upper strata, the softer protective seam 404 of lower floor then can play buffering, protective effect to metallic reflector; And then adopt etching method to remove compound block protective layer 404 and 405, thus avoided that CMP has guaranteed the surfacing of metallic reflector 403 to the harmful effect of metallic reflector 403 in the conventional art, improved the total quality of LCOS.
Although the present invention describes with reference to its specific preferred implementation, but it should be appreciated by those skilled in the art, under the situation that does not break away from the spirit and scope of the present invention that are defined by the following claims, can carry out the various modifications of form and details to it.