CN101114126A

CN101114126A - Method for forming ITO pattern

Info

Publication number: CN101114126A
Application number: CNA200610061913XA
Authority: CN
Inventors: 杨会良
Original assignee: BYD Co Ltd
Current assignee: BYD Co Ltd
Priority date: 2006-07-28
Filing date: 2006-07-28
Publication date: 2008-01-30

Abstract

The invention provides a method of forming an ITO design, comprising the following steps: A1.spreading photosensitive photoresist on a substrate; B1.Removing the photosensitive photoresist which is prone to form the ITO design on the substrate through exposure; C1.Plating ITO membrane on the substrate; D1. Processing exuviations of the substrate and removing the surplus photosensitive photoresist and the ITO membrane attaching on the photosensitive photoresist, thus getting the needed substrate of the ITO design. The invention does not need etching steps of the ITO membrane, dramatically reduces production cost, avoids phenomena of short circuit and open circuit, improves product quality and avoids corrosion of equipments by acid liquid and danger caused by the acid liquid.

Description

A kind of formation method of ITO pattern

[technical field]

The present invention relates to a kind of ITO method of patterning, particularly a kind of formation method that is used for flat-panel screens ITO pattern of on a planar substrates, forming.

[background technology]

ITO, promptly tin indium oxide (indium-tin oxide) is a kind of transparent electrode material.Ito thin film has the permeability of good electrical conductivity and visible light, is widely used in the plane and shows as in the LCD high-tech products such as (LCD).

In the plane shows, for the figure that obtains wanting, ITO need be etched into specific pattern, whether the conducting by IC drive controlling ITO electrode to be, thus the display effect of each pixel (pixel) in the control plane display.

The generation type of ITO pattern roughly comprises the following step at present:

Shown in Figure 1A, the mode with sputter in vacuum coating equipment forms ITO rete 11 on substrate 10.

Shown in Figure 1B, evenly be coated with one deck photonasty photoresist 12 on ITO rete 11.

Shown in Fig. 1 C, use light shield 13 to pass through step patterning photonasty photoresists 12 such as exposure, development to form patterning photographic layer 12.

Shown in Fig. 1 D, with etching method with the design transfer of patterning photographic layer 12 to ITO layer 11 to form needed patterning ITO structure.

Shown in Fig. 1 E, remove patterning photographic layer 12 with liquid parting.

Yet the formation method of this traditional ITO pattern but has following three problems:

(1) when forming the ITO pattern, owing to need by ITO etching procedure patterning ITO layer, this has just increased cost of manufacture;

(2) when forming the ITO pattern, because ITO film etching is unclean, short circuit can appear in figure, and ITO film etching is excessive, figure variation or disconnected then by erosion, cause open circuit or etching excessive, influenced product quality; And

(3), therefore understand etching apparatus and cause danger because the ITO etching solution is an acid solution.

[summary of the invention]

Fundamental purpose of the present invention is exactly in order to address the above problem, and proposes a kind of formation method of ITO pattern, reduces the manufacturing course of numerous and diverse costliness, reduces manufacturing cost and improves product quality.

For achieving the above object, the invention provides a kind of formation method of ITO pattern, may further comprise the steps:

A1, on substrate coating photonasty photoresist;

B1, remove by exposure, the photonasty photoresist that desire on the substrate is formed on the part of ITO pattern that develops;

C1, on this substrate, plate the ITO film;

D1, this substrate is carried out demoulding handle, remaining photonasty photoresist and ITO rete attached thereto are removed, obtain the substrate of required ITO pattern.

Wherein, the photonasty photoresist in the described steps A 1 preferably adopts positive photoresist.

The photonasty photoresist thickness of coating is 1.0～1.1um in the described steps A 1.

Substrate in the described steps A 1 is glass substrate or flexible base, board.

Substrate in the described steps A 1 can also directly be a colored filter substrate.

The coating temperature of plating ITO film preferably is less than or equal to 230 ℃ among the described step C1.

What plating ITO film adopted among the described step C1 is the vacuum magnetic-control sputtering plated film.

Demoulding among the described step D1 is handled the used preferred KOH solution of liquid parting, and the concentration of described KOH solution is 5%.

The present invention will desire the substrate portion of sputter ITO and expose out by evenly be coated with the photonasty photoresist on substrate by exposure, development step, the part of desire plating ITO film is then covered by this photonasty photoresist; This substrate is placed vacuum coating equipment, sputter ITO film; This substrate is carried out demoulding handles, this photonasty photoresist and ITO rete attached thereto are removed, thereby obtain the substrate of required ITO pattern, specifically have following beneficial effect:

1, this method does not need the etch step of ITO rete, thereby has significantly reduced production cost.

2, this method does not need the etch step of ITO rete, has avoided because ITO film etching is unclean, and figure the phenomenon of short circuit occurs and because ITO film etching is excessive, figure variation or disconnected by erosion, cause open circuit or etching excessive, thereby improved the quality of product.

3, this method does not need the etch step of ITO rete, thereby has avoided corrosion and its danger that causes to equipment of harsh liquid.

Feature of the present invention and advantage will be elaborated in conjunction with the accompanying drawings by embodiment.

[description of drawings]

Figure 1A to Fig. 1 E is the basic step synoptic diagram that prior art forms ITO pattern method;

Fig. 2 A to Fig. 2 D is the basic step synoptic diagram of ITO pattern formation method proposed by the invention;

Fig. 3 is the basic procedure synoptic diagram of ITO pattern formation method proposed by the invention.

[embodiment]

See also Fig. 2 A to Fig. 2 D, it is the basic step synoptic diagram of ITO pattern formation method of the present invention, and Fig. 3 is the basic procedure synoptic diagram of ITO pattern formation method of the present invention, may further comprise the steps:

In step 31, at first be ready to substrate 20, the substrate that substrate 20 can display (for example LCD, OLED display) panel also can be a colored filter substrate, can be glass substrate or flexible base, board (for example plastic base), carry out step 32 then;

In step 32, shown in Fig. 2 A, on substrate 20, evenly be coated with photonasty photoresist 21, this photonasty photoresist 21 is a positive photoresist, mode adequate relief with spin coating or roller coat is formed on this substrate 20, and the photoresist dropper moves around along long axis direction, photoresist is splashed between the gap of two roller bearings cylindraceous, by rolling photoresist is evenly distributed on the glue spreader, then on the substrate with the photoresist transfer.The thicknesses of layers of photonasty photoresist 21 need be taken into account protection and the etching time that desire is kept the ITO part, is generally 1.0～1.1um, is preferably 1um.Also can be further by preliminary drying with the solvent evaporation in this photonasty photoresist 21, increase the bounding force of substrate 20 and this photonasty photoresist 21 simultaneously.Carry out step 33 then;

In step 33, shown in Fig. 2 B, the substrate portion that to not desire sputter ITO film with light shield 22 covers, and make the substrate portion of desiring sputter ITO make photonasty photoresist 21 degradeds of this part through UV-irradiation, the photonasty photoresist 21 that will be degraded by developing is again removed, because scattering by taking place behind the light shield 22 in ultraviolet light, therefore from cross section perpendicular to substrate 20, photonasty photoresist 21 corresponding to its below can be trapezoidal degraded and removes, and this photonasty photoresist 21 that stays is down trapezoidal arrangement.Carry out step 34 then;

In step 34, shown in Fig. 2 C, to place vacuum coating equipment through the substrate after developing, by the method sputter ITO rete 23 of magnetron sputtering, the thickness of this ITO rete 23 is much smaller than the thickness of this photonasty photoresist 21, and the thickness of ITO rete is different according to the difference of resistance, resistance is more little, the ITO rete is thick more, as: face resistance be the ITO thicknesses of layers of 100 Ω/ at 25 ± 5nm, face resistance is that the ITO thicknesses of layers of 5 Ω/ is at 350 ± 20nm.And in the cross section perpendicular to substrate 20, this photonasty photoresist 21 is down trapezoidal arrangement, therefore, can make these photonasty photoresist 21 lateral parts still expose out after having plated the ITO film.Simultaneously, because this photonasty photoresist 21 is made up of organic principle, so temperature should be controlled at below 230 ℃ during plated film.Carry out step 35 then;

In step 35, shown in Fig. 2 D, the substrate that has plated the ITO film is carried out demoulding handle, be about to remaining photonasty photoresist and ITO rete removal attached thereto, obtain the substrate of required ITO pattern.Liquid parting is that concentration is 5% KOH solution, and this liquid parting constantly corrodes this photonasty photoresist 21 exposed parts, and simultaneously, because the continuous erosion of this photonasty photoresist 21, the ITO rete 23 of its top breaks away from substrate 20.Can also remove with other alkali lye after the positive photoresist sensitization, be that KOH is more cheap with KOH on the one hand, is that removal effect is good on the other hand.Because the present invention is a sideetching, so concentration of lye is high slightly, and can accelerate striping speed suitably to the alkali lye heating.

Because through UV-irradiation with after developing, from cross section perpendicular to substrate 20, this photonasty photoresist 21 that stays is down trapezoidal arrangement, and usually the line width of ITO pattern is also had certain requirement, so when light shield 22 is set, should note the spacing between light shield 22 and the substrate, guarantee that the line width of ITO pattern meets the requirements.

In sum, the present invention can significantly reduce the production cost in the ITO etching processing procedure, promotes the quality of product effectively, can guarantee safety in production simultaneously and prevent equipment corrosion.In fact be one to have the modification method of industry applications, novelty and progressive concurrently.

Do not breaking away under the disclosed spirit, the equivalence that the present invention is carried out changes or modification, all should be included in the scope of claims.

Claims

1. the formation method of an ITO pattern is characterized in that may further comprise the steps:

A1, on substrate coating photonasty photoresist;

C1, on this substrate, plate the ITO film;

2. the formation method of ITO pattern as claimed in claim 2 is characterized in that: the photonasty photoresist in the described steps A 1 is a positive photoresist.

3. the formation method of ITO pattern as claimed in claim 1 or 2 is characterized in that: the photonasty photoresist thickness of coating is 1.0～1.1um in the described steps A 1.

4. the formation method of ITO pattern as claimed in claim 3 is characterized in that: the substrate in the described steps A 1 is glass substrate or flexible base, board.

5. the formation method of ITO pattern as claimed in claim 3 is characterized in that: the substrate in the described steps A 1 is a colored filter substrate.

6. as the formation method of each described ITO pattern in the claim 1 to 3, it is characterized in that: the coating temperature of plating ITO film is less than or equal to 230 ℃ among the described step C1.

7. the formation method of ITO pattern as claimed in claim 6 is characterized in that: what plating ITO film adopted among the described step C1 is the vacuum magnetic-control sputtering plated film.

8. the formation method of ITO pattern as claimed in claim 6 is characterized in that: it is KOH solution that the demoulding among the described step D1 is handled used liquid parting.

9. the formation method of ITO pattern as claimed in claim 8 is characterized in that: the concentration of described KOH solution is 5%.