JP2007121833A - Inspecting method and inspection pattern for electrooptical device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an inspecting method for an electrooptical device, which can precisely inspect optical characteristics even when a pixel size becomes narrow and, preferably, facilitates automation of inspection and can physically measure various functional films formed on a substrate. <P>SOLUTION: The inspecting method for the electrooptical device uses an inspection pattern 150 formed by forming a metal film pattern 129 formed at the same time with a metal film in a display area on an organic film pattern 115 formed at the same time with an organic film in the display area for inspection of a functional member formed by stacking a metal film on an organic film. Optical characteristics of the functional member are measured by irradiating an island-shaped part 150a formed by forming the metal film pattern 129 on the island-shaped organic film pattern 115a with inspection light and a film thickness of the organic film and/or metal film of the functional member is measured by scanning a surface of a projection part 150b formed by forming a metal film pattern 129b partly on an organic film pattern 115b with a probe. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an inspection method and an inspection pattern for an electro-optical device.

Conventionally, a manufacturing process of an electro-optical device such as a liquid crystal device or an EL device includes an inspection process for evaluating characteristics of the formed metal film or semiconductor element. In this inspection process, an inspection element called a TEG (Test Element Group) or the like is formed in advance on a substrate constituting the electro-optical device, and characteristic evaluation is performed using various inspection devices. Is done. For example, in the manufacturing process of an active matrix liquid crystal device, inspection of TFT elements constituting pixel switching elements and drive circuits is performed. Further, in a manufacturing process in which a semiconductor process or the like is performed in a large substrate state in which a large number of substrates for a plurality of electro-optical devices can be obtained, as described in Patent Document 1, for example, outside an effective region for forming a substrate for electro-optical devices By forming the TEG in the non-effective area, restrictions on the TEG formation area can be avoided and inspection can be performed easily.
JP 2001-337344 A

  By the way, in the reflection type liquid crystal device or the transflective type liquid crystal device, in addition to the characteristic inspection of the switching element etc., the optical characteristics and the cross-sectional shape of the reflection layer provided in the pixel region are measured in the manufacturing process. ing. Conventionally, the characteristic inspection of the reflective layer has been performed using pixels formed in the display region. For example, in the measurement of the reflective characteristic, the reflective layer provided in one pixel is irradiated with laser light, and the reflectivity is measured. And the distribution of reflected light. Such an inspection method can be performed without any problem as long as the pixel size is about 80 μm × 130 μm. However, as the pixel size becomes smaller as the definition becomes higher, the reflective layer in the pixel becomes smaller than the measurement range. Therefore, it becomes difficult to perform accurate measurement. In addition, the narrowing of the pixel size makes it difficult to align the measuring device, which causes a problem that automatic measurement cannot be performed.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems of the prior art, and can implement optical characteristics with high accuracy even when the pixel size is narrowed, and preferably it is easy to automate inspection, It is an object of the present invention to provide an inspection method for an electro-optical device capable of performing physical measurement of various functional films formed on a substrate, and an inspection pattern used therefor.

In order to solve the above-described problem, the present invention provides an inspection method for an electro-optical device including a functional member formed by laminating an organic film and a metal film on a substrate in a display area, and the outside of the display area An island-shaped organic film pattern formed simultaneously with the organic film on the substrate, and an island-shaped metal film formed simultaneously with the metal film while being laminated on the island-shaped organic film pattern An island-shaped portion having a pattern, and the organic film pattern is extended from the edge of the island-shaped portion to the outside in a direction intersecting with each other. A plurality of protrusions in which the metal film pattern is partially formed are provided on the metal film pattern, and an optical characteristic of the functional member is measured by irradiating the metal film pattern with inspection light. The surface of the protruding portion of the It provides a test method for an electro-optical device characterized by measuring the thickness of a film and / or a metal film.
According to this inspection method, inspection patterns (island portions and protrusions) for measuring the optical characteristics of the functional member and the film thickness of the organic film and / or metal film constituting the functional member are displayed in the display area. Therefore, the degree of freedom of the size and shape of the inspection pattern is improved, and high-precision inspection can be quickly performed without directly inspecting narrow pixels. In addition, the inspection does not cause a defect in the display area. Furthermore, since both the optical measurement and the film thickness measurement can be performed with one inspection pattern, the area where the inspection pattern is provided can be saved, and the degree of freedom in the arrangement of the inspection pattern is thereby improved. Furthermore, since the protrusions for film thickness measurement are arranged in directions that intersect each other with respect to the island-shaped parts, measurement of the protrusions can be carried out without changing the arrangement of the substrate, and the inspection process is automated. Will also be easier.

In the inspection method for the electro-optical device according to the aspect of the invention, it is preferable that the organic film and the organic film pattern are made of the same material, and the metal film and the metal film pattern are made of the same material.
In the inspection method of the electro-optical device according to the aspect of the invention, it is preferable that the direction in which the surface of the predetermined protrusion is scanned with a probe is a direction that intersects and crosses the protrusion direction of the predetermined protrusion. If the probe is scanned in such a direction, the surface of the organic film pattern and the surface of the metal film pattern can be scanned in one scan, and a large amount of information can be acquired efficiently.

  In the inspection method of the present invention, when an electro-optical device is manufactured using a large substrate obtained by planarly arranging a plurality of substrate regions to be the substrates, the above-described large substrate provided on the large substrate outside the substrate region. The optical characteristics and film thickness can also be measured using islands and protrusions. According to this inspection method, since the functional member can be efficiently inspected in the state of a large substrate, the manufacturing efficiency of the electro-optical device can be improved.

In the inspection method of the present invention, the functional member has a concavo-convex surface formed by arranging a plurality of concavo-convex portions on the surface of the organic film, and the metal film is provided with a concavo-convex shape following the concavo-convex surface. A reflective layer,
The concavo-convex surface is formed on the surface of the organic film pattern of the island-shaped portion, and the concavo-convex shape following the concavo-convex surface is given to the surface of the metal film pattern formed on the organic film pattern, It is also possible to adopt a method in which an uneven shape is also provided on the surface of the metal film pattern of the protruding portion. That is, the inspection method of the present invention can be suitably used for the inspection of the reflective layer of a reflective or transflective electro-optical device. Since the same scattering means as that of the reflective layer is applied to the inspection pattern, the inspection of the reflective layer can be performed accurately.

  In the inspection method of the present invention, the predetermined protrusion has the uneven surface formed on the surface of the organic film pattern in a region where the organic film pattern and the metal film pattern overlap in a plane, and the metal on the uneven surface It can also be set as the method by which the uneven | corrugated shape is provided to the film | membrane pattern. By adopting such an inspection method, it becomes possible to know the film thickness of the organic film before forming the uneven surface even after the formation of the uneven surface, and it becomes easy to find defective formation of the organic film.

  In the inspection method of the present invention, the metal film pattern of the predetermined protrusion is disposed in the center of the organic film pattern of the protrusion in a direction intersecting with the protrusion direction of the predetermined protrusion, A method of measuring the film thickness of the organic film and / or the metal film by scanning the surface of the predetermined protrusion with a probe can be used. By adopting such an inspection method, many boundary portions between the metal film pattern and the organic film pattern in the protruding portion can be secured on the protruding portion surface, so that film thickness measurement using the protruding portion can be performed easily and efficiently. Become.

  In the inspection method of the present invention, the metal film pattern of the predetermined protrusion is extended onto the substrate outside the organic film pattern via the organic film pattern of the predetermined protrusion. The thickness of the metal film can also be measured by scanning the region on the substrate including the metal film pattern arranged outside the organic film pattern with the probe. With such an inspection method, the film thickness of the metal film pattern itself can be measured very easily, so that accurate inspection including the film thickness of the organic film and the metal film is possible.

  In the inspection method of the present invention, the island-shaped portion has a substantially rectangular shape in plan view, and the protrusion is provided along a part of one edge of the island-shaped portion, and is adjacent to the protrusion. The metal film pattern is extended from the side edge of the island-shaped portion on the substrate in substantially the same direction as the projecting portion, and the metal film pattern is extended from the island-shaped portion onto the substrate; A method of measuring the thickness of the organic film and the metal film by scanning the surface of the protruding portion with the probe can be used. With such an inspection method, the film thickness of the metal film pattern itself can be measured very easily, so that accurate inspection including the film thickness of the organic film and the metal film is possible.

  In the inspection method of the present invention, the island-shaped portion has a substantially rectangular shape in a plan view, and the protruding portions are respectively provided at two adjacent end portions of the island-shaped portion. The thickness of the organic film and / or the metal film can be measured as the part. With such an inspection method, the film thickness can be measured on the protruding portion without depending on the arrangement of the substrate and the film thickness measuring device.

  In the inspection method of the present invention, the island-shaped portion has a substantially rectangular shape in a plan view, and at least one protrusion is provided at each side end of the island-shaped portion, and the protrusion is defined as the predetermined portion. It is preferable to measure the film thickness of the organic film and / or the metal film as the protruding portion. By setting it as such an inspection method, the film thickness measurement with respect to a protrusion part can be performed more efficiently easily and rapidly.

The inspection pattern of the present invention is an inspection pattern that can be applied to an electro-optical device having a functional member formed by laminating an organic film and a metal film on a substrate in a display region, and the substrate outside the display region An island-shaped organic film pattern formed simultaneously with the organic film, and an island-shaped metal film pattern formed simultaneously with the metal film and stacked on the island-shaped organic film pattern. The island-shaped portion includes the organic film pattern extending outward from the edge of the island-shaped portion in a direction intersecting with each other, and the metal is formed on the extended organic film pattern. A plurality of protrusions in which a film pattern is partially formed are provided.
According to this test pattern, the measurement of the optical characteristics of the functional member and the thickness measurement of the organic film and / or metal film constituting the functional member can be easily and efficiently performed.

  In the inspection pattern of the present invention, the uneven surface is formed on the organic film pattern of the island-shaped portion, and the uneven shape following the uneven surface is given to the metal film pattern formed on the organic film pattern. It can also be configured. According to such an inspection pattern, the scattering reflection layer of the electro-optical device can be easily and efficiently inspected. Moreover, the said uneven | corrugated shape is good also as a structure by which the said uneven | corrugated shape is provided only to the said metal film pattern of the position which overlaps with the said organic film pattern planarly.

  Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings, taking an example in which the present invention is applied to a method for manufacturing a liquid crystal device, which is a typical electro-optical device. In addition, in each figure, in order to make each layer and each member the size which can be recognized on drawing, the scale is varied for every layer and each member.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B each show a plan view of a liquid crystal device viewed from the side of the counter substrate together with each component formed on the liquid crystal device, and FIG. It is a section lineblock diagram which meets a HH 'line. 1A, the TFT array substrate 10 of the liquid crystal device 100 (electro-optical device) is provided with a sealing material 52 along the edge of the counter substrate 20, and the sealing material 52 and the TFT array substrate 10 are connected to each other. The counter substrate 20 is bonded with a predetermined interval.

A data line driving circuit 101 is formed on the lower edge of the TFT array substrate 10 in the figure, and a scanning line driving circuit 104 is formed on each edge located in the horizontal direction in the figure. A number of terminals 102 are formed in the overhanging region where the data line driving circuit 101 is formed on the TFT array substrate 10. A plurality of wirings for electrically connecting the scanning line driving circuits 104 provided on both sides of the image display area 10a on the TFT array substrate 10 opposite to the data line driving circuit 101 with respect to the image display area 10a. 105 is formed. In a region corresponding to the four corner portions of the counter substrate 20, an inter-substrate conductive material 106 for establishing electrical continuity between the TFT array substrate 10 and the counter substrate 20 is formed.
If the delay of the scanning signal supplied to the scanning line is not a problem, the scanning line driving circuit 104 may be only on one side, and the data line driving circuit 101 is arranged on both sides of the image display region 10a. There may be.

  As shown in FIG. 1B, the TFT array substrate 10 and the counter substrate 20 are bonded to each other through a predetermined gap by a sealing material 52, and the liquid crystal 50 is held in these gaps. The sealing material 52 is an adhesive made of a photo-curing resin, a thermosetting resin, or the like for bonding the TFT array substrate 10 and the counter substrate 20 around them, and keeps the distance between the substrates constant. Gap materials such as glass fiber and glass beads are blended. Further, a backlight (illuminating device) 120 that uses an LED (light emitting diode) or a cold cathode tube as a light source is disposed on the back side (the lower side in the drawing) of the liquid crystal device 100.

  On the liquid crystal 50 side of the TFT array substrate 10, pixel electrodes 9 made of a transparent conductive material such as ITO (indium tin oxide) are formed in a matrix, and an alignment film 16 is formed to cover the pixel electrodes 9. A light shielding film 53 for parting out of the periphery made of a light shielding material is formed on the liquid crystal 50 side of the counter substrate 20 and inside the sealing material 52, and formed on the TFT array substrate 10 inside the light shielding film 53. A grid-like light shielding film (black matrix) 23 corresponding to the vertical and horizontal boundary regions of the pixel electrode 9 is formed. On the upper layer side of the light shielding films 23 and 53, the counter electrode 21 made of a transparent conductive material such as ITO is formed in a solid shape, and an alignment film 26 is formed to cover the counter electrode 21.

  Although not shown in FIG. 1B, the liquid crystal device 100 of the present embodiment is a color liquid crystal device used as a color display device of an electronic device such as a mobile computer, a mobile phone, and a liquid crystal television. An RGB color filter is provided on the counter substrate 20 on the liquid crystal 50 side corresponding to each pixel electrode 9.

  Next, FIG. 2 is a circuit configuration diagram of the TFT array substrate 10 constituting the liquid crystal device 100. As shown in FIG. 2, in the image display area of the liquid crystal device 100, a plurality of scanning lines 3a, a plurality of data lines 6a extending in a direction intersecting the scanning lines 3a, and each scanning line 3a extend in parallel. Capacitor lines 3b are respectively wired, and a sub-pixel D is formed in a region surrounded by the scanning lines 3a and the data lines 6a. In each of the sub-pixels D, a pixel electrode 9 and a TFT 30 as a pixel switching element are formed. A data line 6 a to which an image signal is supplied is electrically connected to the source of the TFT 30. A scanning line 3a is electrically connected to the gate. The pixel electrode 9 is electrically connected to the drain of the TFT 30, and the TFT 30 is switched by a scanning signal supplied from the scanning line 3a, whereby an image signal supplied from the data line 6a is transmitted at a predetermined timing. The image signal is held between the electrodes facing each other with the liquid crystal sandwiched therebetween. In order to prevent leakage of the image signal written in the pixel electrode 9, a storage capacitor 70 is added in parallel with the pixel electrode 9, and one electrode constituting the storage capacitor 70 is connected to the capacitor line 3b. Electrically connected.

  FIG. 3 is a plan configuration diagram of the TFT array substrate 10 in one pixel region of the image display region 10a. The image display area 10a has a configuration in which the sub-pixels D (D1 to D3) that form one display unit of the liquid crystal device 100 are arranged in a matrix in a plan view. Corresponding to the planar area, a color filter is provided in which three colored portions of R (red), G (green), and B (blue) are periodically arranged, and 1 corresponding to the three colored portions. The set of sub-pixels D1 to D3 constitutes one pixel that displays a mixture of three colors of light.

Further, the sub-pixel D constituting each pixel has a transmissive display area Dt and a reflective display area Dr provided by partitioning a planar area having a rectangular shape in plan view. Among these regions, the reflective display region Dr is formed with a reflective layer 29 serving as a light reflecting means so as to reflect incident light and use it as display light. On the other hand, the transmissive display area Dt transmits the illumination light of the backlight 120 shown in FIG.
In each planar region of the sub-pixels D1 to D3, a pixel electrode 9 having a rectangular shape in plan view and a reflection layer (light reflecting means) 29 that overlaps with a partial region of the pixel electrode 9 in a planar manner are formed. . The formation region of the reflective layer 29 corresponds to the reflective display region Dr, and the region on the pixel electrode 9 that does not overlap the reflective layer 29 corresponds to the transmissive display region Dt.

  A data line 6a and a scanning line 3a are formed so as to extend along the vertical and horizontal boundaries of the pixel electrode 9, and a TFT (thin film transistor) 30 is formed in the vicinity of the intersection of the data line 6a and the scanning line 3a. ing. The TFT 30 includes a semiconductor layer 30s, a source electrode 36a, a drain electrode 36b, and a gate electrode 30g. The drain electrode 36a is connected to the pixel electrode 9 (and the reflective layer 29) via a contact hole (not shown). ) And are electrically connected. The pixel electrode 9 is formed so as to cover the reflective layer 29, and the reflective layer 29 constitutes a part of an electrode for applying an electric field to the liquid crystal. Although not shown, the storage capacitor 70 shown in FIG. 2 is formed for each dot.

  Next, FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional configuration diagram of the TFT array substrate 10 and corresponds to the line J-J ′ in FIG. 3. In the cross-sectional structure shown in FIG. 4, a base insulating film 11 made of silicon oxide or the like is formed on the inner surface side (liquid crystal 50 side) of a substrate main body 10A having translucency such as glass, quartz, and plastic. On the film 11, a semiconductor layer 30s made of a polysilicon thin film patterned into a predetermined planar shape is formed. The semiconductor layer 30s is a low-temperature polysilicon thin film obtained by crystallizing an amorphous silicon thin film by a laser crystallization method.

  A gate insulating film 2 is formed on the base insulating film 11 including the semiconductor layer 30s, and a gate electrode 30g is formed so as to face the semiconductor layer 30s with the gate insulating film 2 interposed therebetween. In the semiconductor layer 30s constituting the TFT 30, a channel region 30a is formed in a region facing the gate electrode 30g, and a low concentration source region 30d and a low concentration drain region 30e are formed on both sides of the channel region 30a. Has been. A high concentration source region 30b is formed outside the low concentration source region 30d, and a high concentration drain region 30c is formed outside the low concentration drain region 30e. As shown in FIG. 3, the gate electrode 30g is formed by branching the scanning line 3a.

  A first interlayer insulating film 12 is formed on the gate insulating film 2 including the gate electrode 30g. The contact hole 12a reaches the semiconductor layer 30s through the first interlayer insulating film 12 and the gate insulating film 2, 12b is opened. The source electrode 36a constituting the TFT 30 is electrically connected to the high concentration source region 30b of the semiconductor layer 30s through the contact hole 12a, and the drain electrode 36b is connected to the high concentration drain of the semiconductor layer 30s through the contact hole 12b. The region 30c is electrically connected. As shown in FIG. 3, the source electrode 36a is formed by branching a part of the data line 6a to the pixel electrode 9 side, and the drain electrode 36b partially overlaps the semiconductor layer 30s in a plane. It is the rectangular island-shaped electrically conductive film distribute | arranged to.

A second interlayer insulating film 13 made of silicon oxide or the like is formed in a region on the first interlayer insulating film 12 including the source electrode 36a (data line 6a) and the drain electrode 36b, and the second interlayer insulating film 13 is formed. A contact hole 13a is formed so as to pass through and reach the drain electrode 36b.
An organic film 15 made of a translucent resin material such as acrylic resin is formed so as to cover the second interlayer insulating film 12. A contact hole 15b is formed through the organic film 15, and the contact hole 15b forms an opening continuous with the contact hole 13a. A large number of recesses 15 a are formed on the surface of the organic film 15 at random in a plan view and adjacent to each other.

  A reflective layer (light reflecting means) 29 made of a light-reflective metal film such as aluminum or silver is formed on the surface of the organic film in which the recesses 15a are formed. The reflective layer 29 made of a thin metal film has a concavo-convex shape following the shape of the concavo-convex surface of the organic film 15 in which the concave portion 15a is formed, and has a concave portion 29a corresponding to the concave portion 15a on its surface. A part of the reflective layer 29 is embedded in the opening made of the contact holes 13a and 15b, and is electrically connected to the drain electrode 36b located on the bottom of the opening.

  A rectangular pixel electrode 9 made of a transparent conductive material such as ITO is formed in a region on the organic film 15 including the reflective layer 29. A part of the pixel electrode 9 is formed by the contact holes 13a and 15b. Embedded in the opening. Further, as shown in FIG. 1B, an alignment film 16 of a type (polyimide or the like) corresponding to the characteristics of the liquid crystal 50 is formed on the pixel electrode 9. An optical film 17 such as a polarizing plate or a retardation plate is disposed on the outer surface side of the substrate body 10A.

  The counter substrate 20 is formed by laminating at least a color filter 24, a counter electrode 21, and an alignment film (not shown) on the inner surface side (liquid crystal 50 side) of a transparent substrate body 20A similar to the previous substrate body 10A. The configuration is provided. In this embodiment, since the pixel drive switching element is the TFT 30, the counter electrode 21 of the counter substrate 20 is a flat solid conductive film made of a light-transmitting conductive material such as ITO. An optical film 27 such as a retardation plate or a polarizing plate corresponding to the optical film 17 on the TFT array substrate 10 side is disposed on the outer surface side of the counter substrate 20.

(Manufacturing method of liquid crystal device)
FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view showing how the TFT array substrate 10 shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 is manufactured from a large substrate. FIG. 6 is an enlarged plan view showing the region 10R shown in FIG.
In manufacturing the liquid crystal device 100, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the TFT array substrate 10 is formed with various components using a semiconductor process or the like in the state of a large-sized substrate 10e that can take a large number of sheets. Manufactured by individually cutting from the large substrate 10e. Although FIG. 5 shows the case where 16 pieces are taken, the number of TFT array substrates that can be taken from one large substrate differs depending on the dimensions of the TFT array substrate 10 and the large substrate 10e.

  In the large substrate 10e, rectangular substrate regions 10s arranged in a tile shape are regions that are cut out as the TFT array substrate 10, and are in a lattice shape with diagonal lines surrounding the substrate region 10s to be the TFT array substrate 10. The region is a first cut-off region 10g that is removed at the time of cutting. In the present embodiment, a frame-shaped second cut-out area 10f surrounding the cut-out area 10g is provided. In FIGS. 5 and 6, the ratios of the cut-off areas 10 g and 10 f are enlarged to make the drawings easy to see.

  As shown in FIG. 6, among the cut-off areas 10g and 10f, the first cut-out area 10g adjacent to the substrate area 10s is used as it is by performing the process of forming the pixel switching TFT 30 and the like. An inspection TFT 130 as a pattern, a plurality of inspection terminals 131 connected to the inspection TFT 130, and the like are formed. Usually, the inspection TFTs 130 formed in the first cut-off region 10g are provided in one-to-one correspondence with one TFT array substrate 10. In addition, various terminals may be provided along the periphery of the substrate region 10s.

  In the case of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, an inspection pattern for inspecting the optical characteristics and the formation state of the reflective layer 29 provided in the sub-pixel D in either or both of the cut-off regions 10g and 10f. At least one 150 is provided. As shown in FIG. 6, the inspection pattern 150 is provided in any of the first cut-out area 10g, the second cut-out area 10f, or the position straddling the first cut-out area 10g and the second cut-out area 10f. It may be done. In some cases, it may be arranged outside the area to be the image display area 10a in the substrate area 10s.

  In the case of providing in the first cut-out area 10g, in addition to the form provided near the intersection of the first cut-out area 10g extending in a lattice shape as in the inspection pattern 150 at the center of the right end in FIG. The inspection pattern 150 may be arranged on the surface. Since the inspection pattern 150 functions sufficiently if it has a width of about 100 to 200 μm, the inspection pattern 150 can be formed at any position with almost no limitation in consideration of the width of the cut-off area 10 g. However, if the inspection pattern 150 is arranged on the outer periphery of the first cut-off region 10g or outside the first cut-out region 10g as shown in FIG. 6, the planar dimension of the inspection pattern 150 can be easily increased, and the inspection can be performed easily and smoothly. Become.

  FIG. 7 is a plan configuration diagram of the inspection pattern 150. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional configuration diagram taken along the line A-A ′ of FIG. 7. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional configuration diagram taken along line B-B ′ of FIG. 7. As shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, the test pattern 150 includes an island-like portion 150a having a substantially square shape in plan view arranged at the center thereof, and extends outward from the center of each side edge of the island-like portion 150a. And four projecting portions 150b. The inspection pattern 150 has a laminated structure in which a metal film pattern 129 having a substantially cross shape in plan view is formed on the organic film pattern 115 having a cross shape in plan view.

  The island-shaped portion 150a is formed by laminating a metal film pattern 129a having a substantially square shape in plan view on the organic film pattern 115a in a portion having a substantially square shape in plan view on the organic film pattern 115. It is the composition which consists of. Further, the protruding portion 150b extends from the metal film pattern 115a of the island-shaped portion 150a on the organic film pattern 115b of the substantially rectangular shape in plan view that extends from the organic film pattern 115a of the island-shaped portion 150a. In this configuration, the metal film pattern 129a having a substantially rectangular shape in plan view is laminated.

  As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the test pattern 150 is formed on the circuit layer 111 formed on the substrate body 10E of the large substrate 10e. In the circuit layer 111, the TFT 30 for pixel switching, the drive circuits 101 and 104, and the like are formed, and the cut-off regions 10g and 10f where the inspection pattern 150 is provided are included in the cross-sectional structure of the subpixel shown in FIG. Each insulating film (the base insulating film 11, the gate insulating film 2, the first interlayer insulating film 12, and the second interlayer insulating film 13) is laminated.

  In the inspection pattern 150, the lower organic film pattern 115 is formed at the same time as the organic film 15 formed in the subpixel D, and the upper metal film pattern 129 is formed in the subpixel D. The reflective layer 29 formed inside is formed at the same time in the same process. That is, the test pattern 150 is formed at the same time outside the substrate region 10 s in the step of forming the organic film 15 and the reflective layer 29 in the sub-pixel D after forming the circuit layer 111.

  A concave portion similar to the surface of the organic film 15 of the sub-pixel D is formed in a partial surface region of the organic film pattern 115 constituting the inspection pattern 150. Therefore, the metal film pattern 129 formed on the concave portion is formed. Is provided with an uneven shape that follows the shape of the uneven surface. Specifically, the concavo-convex surface is selectively formed in a planar region that planarly overlaps the metal film pattern 129 among the surface region of the organic film pattern 115, and is the surface of the organic film pattern 115, A region located outside the metal film pattern 129 is a flat surface without unevenness. Under such a configuration, the inspection pattern 150 has an island-like portion 150 a having the same configuration as that of the reflective layer 29 in the reflective display region Dr of the sub-pixel D. The protruding portion 150b has the same structure as the reflective layer 29 in the region where the metal film pattern 129b is formed, while the organic film pattern 115b not covered with the metal film pattern 129b is provided on both sides of the metal film pattern 129b. It has become.

  The inspection pattern 150 having the above configuration is used in the inspection method according to the present invention for measuring optical characteristics and film thickness in the state of the large substrate 10e. The measurement of the optical characteristics is performed by irradiating the island-shaped portion 150a having the same configuration as the reflective layer 29 of the sub-pixel D with inspection light such as laser light, and measuring the intensity and distribution of the reflected light. Data (reflectance) related to the optical characteristics of the reflective layer (functional member) 29 formed in the image display area 10a can be obtained.

  In measuring the optical characteristics of the reflective layer, conventionally, the reflective layer 29 formed on the sub-pixel D is directly irradiated with laser light or the like to perform reflectance measurement. Then, the reflective layer 29 becomes smaller than the measurement spot of the inspection light, or it becomes difficult to accurately position the measurement spot with respect to the reflective layer 29. On the other hand, in the present invention, since the reflectance is measured using the inspection pattern 150 provided outside the substrate region 10s, the inspection pattern 150 having an appropriate size according to the specifications of the measuring apparatus is formed. Therefore, accurate reflectance measurement can be easily performed. In addition, since no laser beam or the like is irradiated onto the substrate region 10 s serving as the TFT array substrate 10, an unexpected problem does not occur in the TFT array substrate 10.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the protrusion 150b has a metal film pattern 129b partially formed on the surface of the organic film pattern 115b, and the metal film pattern 129b is formed on the surface of the organic film pattern 115b. An uneven shape that follows the selectively formed uneven surface is provided. The protrusion 150b is scanned using the probe so that the surface thereof straddles the organic film pattern 115b and the metal film pattern 129b, and further straddles the organic film pattern 115b and the circuit layer 111. Scan. Thereby, from the step height between the organic film pattern 115b and the circuit layer 111, it is possible to obtain a film thickness when a material for forming the organic film 15 is disposed (for example, when applying a liquid resin material). From the step height between the metal film pattern 129b and the circuit layer 111, the total film thickness of the organic film 15 and the reflective layer 29 actually formed in the sub-pixel D can be obtained.

  As described above, by measuring the film thickness of the organic film 15 and the reflective layer 29 using the protrusion 150b in which the metal film pattern 129b is partially formed on the organic film pattern 115b, the subpixel D is directly measured. Each of the above film thicknesses can be obtained without performing the inspection, and the inspection does not cause any unexpected trouble in the TFT array substrate 10. In addition, since the inspection pattern 150 has a large degree of freedom, there is an advantage that the projection 150b can be measured on a sample of an appropriate size according to the specification of the measuring apparatus.

  Furthermore, since the protruding portion 150b is provided at a position along the four sides of the island-shaped portion 150a so as to surround the island-shaped portion 150a, the scanning direction of the probe of the measuring device is either the vertical direction or the horizontal direction in FIG. Even so, the film thickness can be measured without rotating the large substrate 10e. Note that if the protrusion 150b is provided at least along two adjacent sides of the island-shaped portion 150a, the measurement can be performed without rotating the large substrate 10e. By providing the position along each side of the portion 150a, the positioning of the probe of the measuring device and the protruding portion 150b is facilitated. In addition, since measurement at a plurality of locations can be performed quickly, it also contributes to a reduction in variation in measured values. Further, in the case where the protruding portions 150b are provided on the four sides of the island-shaped portion 150a as described above, the protruding portions 150b located on the two opposite sides of the island-shaped portion 150a are arranged at symmetrical positions with respect to the island-shaped portion 150a. preferable. With such an arrangement, film thickness measurement using the two protruding portions 150b can be performed quickly, and automation of the measurement is facilitated.

  If the optical characteristics at the island-shaped portion 150a are good and the film thickness at the protruding portion 150b is within a normal range in the inspection results of the optical characteristics and the film thickness, the sub-pixel D formed on each TFT array substrate 10 has a normal range. After the TFT array substrate 10 is cut out from the large substrate 10e on the assumption that the reflective layer 29 is good, the TFT array substrate 10 determined to be non-defective is used for assembling the liquid crystal device 100. On the other hand, if the measurement results of the optical characteristics and film thickness are out of the normal range, the characteristics of the reflective layer 29 of the sub-pixel D are also considered to be defective, and the corresponding large substrate 10e (or the vicinity of the inspection pattern 150). The TFT array substrate 10) is discarded.

By the way, the inspection TFT 130 and the inspection terminal 131 provided in the first cut-off area 10g are brought into contact with an inspection electrode such as an inspection probe in contact with the inspection terminal 131 in the state of the large substrate 10e. Used to inspect. In the inspection result, if the electrical characteristics of the inspection TFT 130 are good, the TFT array substrate 10 formed on the corresponding TFT array substrate 10 is considered good, and the TFT array substrate 10 is cut out from the large substrate 10e. After that, the TFT array substrate 10 determined to be non-defective is used for assembling the liquid crystal device 100. On the other hand, if there is a defect in the inspection TFT 130, the corresponding TFT array substrate 10 is discarded because there is a defect in the pixel switching TFT 30 formed on the TFT array substrate 10 corresponding thereto.
In the state where the substrate region 10s is cut out from the large substrate 10e, the inspection TFT 130, the inspection terminal 131, and other terminals are completely removed from the TFT array substrate 10.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the inspection pattern 150 having the same configuration as that of the reflective layer 29 of the sub-pixel D is provided outside the image display region 10 a, and the optical characteristics of the reflective layer 29 are obtained using the inspection pattern 150. And measurement of the film thickness of the constituent members, it is easy and quick in the state of the large substrate 10e even when it is difficult to perform measurement on the sub-pixel D due to high definition of pixels. It is possible to perform an inspection.

  The TFT array substrate 10 is inspected after each component is formed in the state of the large substrate 10e, and then cut out from the large substrate 10e. The inspection pattern 150 used for the inspection is not necessary after the liquid crystal device 100 is completed. In view of such a point, in the present embodiment, the inspection pattern 150 that is not required after the liquid crystal device 100 is completed is outside the substrate region 10s cut out as the TFT array substrate 10 (the cut-off region 10g, 10f). Therefore, the inspection pattern 150 can be formed with a required size, and the characteristics of the TFT array substrate 10 are not impaired. Further, the portion of the TFT array substrate 10 occupied by the inspection pattern 150 can be omitted from the outer peripheral area of the image display area 10a, and in the liquid crystal device 100, the outer peripheral area of the image display area 10a, which is called a frame area, can be narrowed.

(Second Embodiment)
FIG. 10A is a plan configuration diagram of an inspection pattern 152 that can be used in place of the inspection pattern 150 according to the first embodiment, and FIG. 10B is DD ′ of FIG. It is a section lineblock diagram which meets a line. The inspection pattern 152 according to the present embodiment is obtained by changing the shape of the metal film pattern 129 in the inspection pattern 150 shown in FIG. The inspection pattern 152 includes an island-shaped portion 152a having a substantially square shape in plan view and a projecting portion 152b extending from each side of the island-shaped portion 152a, and has the same planar shape as that of the first embodiment. On this organic film pattern 115, a structure is formed by laminating a metal film pattern 229 in which a portion protruding outward is longer than the metal film pattern 129 according to the first embodiment.

  In the present embodiment, the metal film pattern 229b partially provided on the organic film pattern 115b of the protruding portion 152b passes through the organic film pattern 115b from the island-shaped portion 152a side, and further, the circuit outside the organic film pattern 115b. It extends over the layer 111. The island-shaped portion 152a has a structure in which a metal film pattern 229a having a substantially square shape in plan view is stacked on an organic film pattern 115a having a substantially square shape in plan view, and the island-like portion 150a of the inspection pattern 150 according to the first embodiment. It is the same composition.

  If the inspection pattern 152 having the above-described configuration is used, when measuring the film thickness using the protrusion 152b, the metal layer pattern 229b extending outside the organic film pattern 115b and the circuit layer 111 are measured to measure the step. It becomes possible to measure the film thickness of the film pattern 129b (the sub-pixel reflection layer 29) itself. And since the film thickness of the area | region where the organic film pattern 115b and the metal film pattern 129b overlap planarly among the protrusion part 152b, and the area | region (area | region which does not form an uneven surface) can be measured, the above-mentioned From the film thickness of the metal film pattern 129b itself, the film thickness difference between the region where the uneven surface in the organic film pattern 115 is formed and the other region can be calculated, and the formation of the uneven surface on the organic film 15 of the sub-pixel D. You can also know the state. Of course, optical characteristics can be measured by irradiating the island-shaped portion 152a with inspection light.

(Third embodiment)
FIG. 11A is a plan configuration diagram of an inspection pattern 153 that can be used in place of the inspection pattern 150 according to the first embodiment, and FIG. 11B is an EE ′ view of FIG. It is a section lineblock diagram which meets a line. The inspection pattern 153 according to the present embodiment is obtained by changing the shape of the metal film pattern 129 in the inspection pattern 150 shown in FIG. The inspection pattern 153 includes an island-shaped portion 153a having a substantially square shape in plan view and a projecting portion 153b extending from each side of the island-shaped portion 153a, and has the same planar shape as that of the first embodiment. Unlike the metal film pattern 129 according to the first embodiment, the organic film pattern 115 has a structure in which a metal film pattern 329 having two protruding portions is formed.

  In the present embodiment, the metal film pattern 329b partially provided on the organic film pattern 115b of the protrusion 153b is the same as the protrusion 150b of the inspection pattern 150 according to the first embodiment, but the protrusion 153b A plane substantially the same as that of the metal film pattern 329b outward from the metal film pattern 329a of the island-shaped part 153a at a position adjacent to the projecting part 153b in the extending direction of the side edge of the provided island-shaped part 153a. A metal film pattern 329 c having a shape is extended and formed on the circuit layer 111 outside the organic film pattern 115. The island-shaped portion 153a has a structure in which a metal film pattern 329a having a substantially square shape in plan view is stacked on an organic film pattern 115a having a substantially square shape in plan view. It is the same composition.

  If the inspection pattern 153 having the above-described configuration is used, the step between the metal film pattern 329c extending outside the organic film patterns 115a and 115b and the circuit layer 111 is measured when measuring the film thickness using the protrusion 153b. Thus, the film thickness of the metal film pattern 329c (the sub-pixel reflection layer 29) itself can be measured. Then, by measuring the film thickness using the protruding portion 153b, the film thickness of the region where the organic film pattern 115b and the metal film pattern 329b overlap in a planar manner and the region outside the region (region where the uneven surface is not formed) are measured. Therefore, from the film thickness of the metal film pattern 329c itself, the film thickness difference between the region where the uneven surface is formed in the organic film pattern 115 and the other region can be calculated, and the organic film 15 of the sub-pixel D can be calculated. It is also possible to know the formation state of the concavo-convex surface. Of course, the optical characteristics can be measured by irradiating the island-shaped portion 153a with the inspection light.

(Electronics)
FIG. 12 is a perspective configuration diagram of a mobile phone which is an example of an electronic apparatus provided with the liquid crystal device according to the above embodiment in a display portion. The mobile phone 1300 includes a liquid crystal device of the present invention in a small size display portion 1301. And a plurality of operation buttons 1302, a mouthpiece 1303, and a mouthpiece 1304.

  The liquid crystal device of the above embodiment is not limited to the mobile phone, but an electronic book, a personal computer, a digital still camera, a liquid crystal television, a viewfinder type or a monitor direct-view type video tape recorder, a car navigation device, a pager, an electronic notebook, It can be suitably used as an image display means for calculators, word processors, workstations, videophones, POS terminals, touch panel-equipped devices, etc. In any electronic device, the liquid crystal device constituting the display unit performs accurate inspection. It has become highly reliable.

  The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, but it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to such examples. For example, in the above embodiment, when a functional member having a structure in which a reflective layer (metal film) 29 is laminated on the organic film 15 is used as a functional member to be inspected, the optical characteristics and film thickness are measured using the inspection pattern 150. As described above, the functional member is not limited to the scattering reflection layer, and any functional member to be inspected may be used as long as it is a laminate of an organic film and a metal film formed on the TFT array substrate 10. Is possible. Further, the shapes and combinations of the constituent members shown in the above-described examples are merely examples, and various modifications can be made based on design requirements and the like without departing from the gist of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan configuration diagram and a cross-sectional configuration diagram of the liquid crystal device according to the first embodiment. FIG. FIG. 2 is a plan configuration diagram illustrating an enlarged pixel region. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional configuration diagram taken along line J-J ′ in FIG. 3. The plane block diagram which shows the manufacturing method of the TFT array substrate using a large sized substrate. The plane block diagram which expands and shows a part of large sized board | substrate. The figure which expands and shows the test | inspection pattern shown in FIG. FIG. 8 is a sectional configuration view taken along the line A-A ′ of FIG. 7. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional configuration diagram taken along line B-B ′ of FIG. 7. The plane block diagram and cross-sectional block diagram of the test | inspection pattern which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. The plane block diagram and cross-sectional block diagram of the test | inspection pattern which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. FIG. 11 is a perspective configuration diagram illustrating an example of an electronic device.

Explanation of symbols

  100 liquid crystal device (electro-optical device), 10 TFT array substrate, 20 counter substrate, 10a image display region, 10e large substrate, 10g first cut-off region, 10f second cut-off region, 10s substrate region, 15 organic film, 29 Reflective layer (metal film), 115, 115a, 115b Organic film pattern, 129, 129a, 129b, 229, 229a, 229b, 329, 329a, 329b, 329c Metal film pattern, 150, 152, 153 Inspection pattern

Claims (14)

An inspection method for an electro-optical device provided with a functional member formed by laminating an organic film and a metal film on a substrate in a display region,
On the substrate outside the display area, an island-shaped organic film pattern formed simultaneously with the organic film, and a layer formed on the island-shaped organic film pattern and formed simultaneously with the metal film An island-shaped portion having an island-shaped metal film pattern, and the organic film pattern extends outward from an edge of the island-shaped portion in a direction crossing each other. A plurality of protrusions in which the metal film pattern is partially formed on the organic film pattern,
The metal film pattern is irradiated with inspection light to measure optical characteristics of the functional member, and the surface of the predetermined protrusion is scanned with a probe among the plurality of protrusions, and the organic film and / or metal film A method for inspecting an electro-optical device, characterized by measuring a film thickness of the electro-optical device.   2. The inspection method for an electro-optical device according to claim 1, wherein the organic film and the organic film pattern are made of the same material, and the metal film and the metal film pattern are made of the same material.   3. The electro-optical device according to claim 1, wherein a direction in which the surface of the predetermined protrusion is scanned with a probe is a direction that intersects and crosses the protrusion direction of the predetermined protrusion. Inspection method. When manufacturing an electro-optical device using a large substrate obtained by planarly arranging a plurality of substrate regions to be the plurality of substrates,
4. The optical property and the film thickness are measured using the island-shaped portion and the protruding portion provided on the large substrate outside the substrate region. 5. The inspection method of the electro-optical device according to claim. The functional member is a scattering reflection layer in which an uneven surface formed by planarly arranging a plurality of uneven portions on the surface of the organic film is formed, and an uneven shape that follows the uneven surface is provided on the metal film,
The concavo-convex surface is formed on the surface of the organic film pattern of the island-shaped portion, and the concavo-convex shape following the concavo-convex surface is given to the surface of the metal film pattern formed on the organic film pattern, 5. The electro-optical device inspection method according to claim 1, wherein an uneven shape is also provided on a surface of the metal film pattern of the protruding portion.   In the predetermined protrusion, the uneven surface is formed on the surface of the organic film pattern in a region where the organic film pattern and the metal film pattern overlap in a plane, and an uneven shape is imparted to the metal film pattern on the uneven surface. 6. The inspection method for an electro-optical device according to claim 5, wherein:   The metal film pattern of the predetermined protrusion is disposed at the center of the organic film pattern of the protrusion in a direction intersecting the protrusion direction of the predetermined protrusion, and the surface of the predetermined protrusion is The inspection method for an electro-optical device according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the organic film and / or the metal film is measured by scanning with a probe. The metal film pattern of the predetermined protrusion is extended on the substrate outside the organic film pattern via the organic film pattern of the predetermined protrusion,
2. The film thickness of the metal film is measured by scanning a region on the substrate including the metal film pattern arranged outside the organic film pattern with the probe. The inspection method for an electro-optical device according to claim 6. The island-shaped portion has a substantially rectangular shape in plan view, and the protruding portion is provided along a part of one edge of the island-shaped portion, and from the edge of the island-shaped portion adjacent to the protruding portion. On the substrate, the metal film pattern extends in substantially the same direction as the protruding portion,
The film thickness of the organic film and the metal film is measured by scanning the metal film pattern extending on the substrate from the island-shaped part and the surface of the protruding part with the probe. The inspection method for an electro-optical device according to claim 1.   The island-shaped portion has a substantially rectangular shape in plan view, and the projecting portions are respectively provided at two adjacent end portions of the island-shaped portion, and the organic film and / or the projecting portion as the predetermined projecting portion. The method for inspecting an electro-optical device according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the metal film is measured.   The island-shaped portion has a substantially rectangular shape in plan view, and at least one protrusion is provided at each side end of the island-shaped portion, and the organic film and the protrusion are used as the predetermined protrusion. 10. The electro-optical device inspection method according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the metal film is measured. An inspection pattern that can be applied to an electro-optical device having a functional member formed by laminating an organic film and a metal film on a substrate in a display region,
On the substrate outside the display region, an island-shaped organic film pattern formed simultaneously with the organic film and an island formed simultaneously with the metal film and laminated with the island-shaped organic film pattern An island-shaped portion having a metal film pattern, and the organic film pattern is extended to the outside from the edge of the island-shaped portion so as to cross each other. An inspection pattern comprising a plurality of protrusions in which the metal film pattern is partially formed on the organic film pattern.   The uneven surface is formed on the organic film pattern of the island-shaped portion, and an uneven shape that follows the uneven surface is given to the metal film pattern formed on the organic film pattern. 12. Inspection pattern according to 12.   14. The inspection pattern according to claim 13, wherein, in the protruding portion, the uneven shape is given only to the metal film pattern at a position overlapping with the organic film pattern in a planar manner.

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