JP5654577B2 - Halftone mask and manufacturing method thereof - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a halftone mask that can be provided with multiple transflective portions using a single translucent material, and a method of manufacturing the same.

  Generally, a liquid crystal display device displays an image by adjusting the light transmittance of a liquid crystal having dielectric anisotropy using an electric field. For this purpose, the liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal display panel that displays an image, a drive circuit that drives the liquid crystal display panel, and a backlight assembly that provides light to the liquid crystal display panel.

  The liquid crystal display panel includes a color filter substrate and a thin film transistor substrate bonded with a sealing material with a liquid crystal interposed therebetween.

  The color filter substrate includes a black matrix, a color filter, and a common electrode stacked on an insulating substrate.

  The thin film transistor substrate includes a gate line and a data line formed to intersect with each other on the lower insulating substrate, and a thin film transistor connected between the gate line, the data line, and the pixel electrode. The thin film transistor supplies a data signal from the data line to the pixel electrode in response to a scan signal from the gate line.

  Such a thin film transistor substrate is formed using a number of mask processes, and in order to reduce the mask process, the process of forming the source and drain electrodes and the semiconductor pattern is performed in a single mask process using a halftone mask. Form.

In this case, the halftone mask includes a blocking region that blocks ultraviolet rays, a semi-transmissive region that partially transmits ultraviolet rays, and a transmissive region that transmits ultraviolet rays. The semi-transmission region of such a halftone mask may be formed by multiple semi-transmission portions having different transmittances. In order to form a multiple semi-transmissive portion, a large number of semi-transmissive materials having different transmittances are used.
For example, in order to implement a multiple transmission part having three or more different transmittances, three semi-permeable materials having different transmittances are required. That is, in order to form a halftone mask having three or more multiple semi-transmissive portions, the number of semi-transmissive materials has to be increased correspondingly.

  In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a halftone mask that can include multiple transflective portions using a single translucent material, and a method of manufacturing the same.

  In order to achieve the above technical problem, a halftone mask according to the present invention includes a substrate, a transmission region that is formed on the substrate and transmits light of a predetermined wavelength band to be irradiated, and one semitransparent material. A semi-transmission region having a multiple semi-transmission portion that transmits a plurality of light of a predetermined wavelength band irradiated on the substrate with different transmittances according to the thickness or the number of stacked layers of the semi-transmission material. It is characterized by including.

  Here, the halftone mask further includes a blocking region having a blocking layer formed between at least two of the semi-transmissive materials.

  Here, the halftone mask may further include a blocking region having a blocking layer formed on or under the at least two semi-transparent materials.

Here, the translucent materials are Cr, Si, Mo, Ta, Ti, Al, Zr, Sn, Zn, In, Mg, Hf, V, Nd, Ge, spinel (MgO—Al ₂ O ₃ ), sialon. Any single substance of (Si ₃ N ₄ ), a composite substance in which at least two of them are mixed, or the single substance or the composite substance is added with CO _x , O _x , N _x , C _x , F _x , B _x (wherein subscripts x, y, and z are natural numbers and represent the number of each chemical element) are added to the material.
The semi-transmission region is formed with a semi-transmission material on the substrate to transmit X% light, and is formed to be thicker than the semi-transmission material, and transmits Y% light. It includes a second semi-transmission part and a third semi-transmission part in which the semi-transmission material is laminated in two layers and transmits Z% of light.

  In order to solve the above technical problem, in the method of manufacturing a halftone mask according to the present invention, after a first semi-transparent material, a blocking layer, and a photoresist are stacked on a substrate, a necessary region of the blocking layer is exposed. The photoresist is exposed and developed to remove the exposed blocking layer and the first semi-transmissive material in order, and the photoresist is formed on the substrate on which the first semi-transmissive material and the blocking layer are formed. After laminating, exposing and developing the photoresist so that a necessary region of the blocking layer is exposed, and removing the exposed blocking layer;

  Removing the exposed blocking layer, and sequentially stacking a second semi-transmissive material and a photoresist to form a blocking region in which a blocking layer is formed between the first and second semi-transmissive materials; Exposing and developing the photoresist so that a necessary region of the second semi-transmissive material is exposed, and removing the exposed second semi-transmissive material and the blocking layer in order; A first semi-transmission portion in which a semi-transmission material is formed; a second semi-transmission portion in which a second semi-transmission material is formed on the substrate; and a third semi-layer in which the first and second semi-transmission materials are stacked. Forming a semi-transmissive region including a transmissive portion.

  Here, the first semipermeable material and the second semipermeable material are formed of the same semipermeable material, and the first semipermeable material and the second semipermeable material are formed to have different thicknesses. It is characterized by.

The translucent material includes Cr, Si, Mo, Ta, Ti, and Al as main elements, and is a composite material in which at least two of them are mixed, or the main elements include CO _x , O _x , N _x. It is characterized in that at least one of the above substances is added.

  The halftone mask according to the present invention includes a semi-transmissive region having multiple semi-transmissive portions having three or more different transmittances using one semi-transmissive material, and a blocking layer between at least two semi-transmissive materials. And a blocking region formed.

  As described above, since one or more semi-transparent materials can be provided with three or more multiple semi-transmissive portions having different transmittances, it is not necessary to increase the semi-transmissive materials according to the multiple transmittance. That is, it is possible to implement a halftone mask having multiple semi-transmissive portions without increasing the number of semi-transmissive materials.

It is sectional drawing which shows the halftone mask which concerns on the Example of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the manufacturing method of the halftone mask which concerns on the Example of this invention shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the manufacturing method of the halftone mask which concerns on the Example of this invention shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the manufacturing method of the halftone mask which concerns on the Example of this invention shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the manufacturing method of the halftone mask which concerns on the Example of this invention shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the manufacturing method of the halftone mask which concerns on the Example of this invention shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the manufacturing method of the halftone mask which concerns on the Example of this invention shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the manufacturing method of the halftone mask which concerns on the Example of this invention shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the manufacturing method of the halftone mask which concerns on the Example of this invention shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the manufacturing method of the halftone mask which concerns on the Example of this invention shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the manufacturing method of the halftone mask which concerns on the Example of this invention shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the manufacturing method of the halftone mask which concerns on the Example of this invention shown in FIG.

  Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a halftone mask according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the halftone mask 100 includes a blocking region S <b> 1, transflective regions S <b> 2, S <b> 3, S <b> 4 having multiple transflective portions, and a transmissive region S <b> 5 on a substrate 102.

  The substrate 102 may be a transparent substrate that can completely transmit light of a predetermined wavelength band irradiated on the substrate 102. For example, the substrate 102 can be formed of quartz, but any transparent material that can transmit light can be used. Is possible.

  The semi-transmissive regions S2, S3, and S4 include multiple semi-transmissive portions so as to transmit light of a predetermined wavelength band irradiated on the substrate 102 with different transmittances. Such semi-transmissive regions S2, S3, and S4 may be formed with photoresist patterns having different thicknesses after the development process by partially transmitting ultraviolet rays during the exposure process in the photoresist process.

  Specifically, the semi-transmissive regions S2, S3, and S4 include three or more semi-transmissive portions having different transmittances using one semi-transmissive material. For example, the semi-transmissive regions S2, S3, and S4 are formed of the first semi-transmissive material 112 and the first semi-transmissive portion S3 that transmits X% of the irradiated light and the second semi-transmissive material 114. A second semi-transmissive portion S2 that transmits Y% of the irradiated light, and a third semi-transmissive portion S4 that is formed by stacking the first and second semi-transmissive materials 112 and 114 and transmits Z% of ultraviolet rays; , Can be included.

  In this case, each of the first and second semipermeable materials 112 and 114 is formed of the same semipermeable material, and the first semipermeable material 112 formed in the first semipermeable portion S3 is the second semipermeable portion. The thickness is smaller than that of the second semipermeable material 114 formed in S2. Here, X%, Y%, and Z% mean transmittances that transmit 10 to 90% of the irradiated light, respectively.

  As described above, a single semipermeable material is used, and three or more multiple semitransmissive portions having different transmittances can be formed according to the thickness or the number of laminated layers of the semipermeable materials.

The first and second semi-permeable materials 112 and 114 are mainly composed of Cr, Si, Mo, Ta, Ti, and Al, a compound in which at least two of these main elements are bonded, or the main elements are CO _x , O _x. , N _x is preferably a bonded compound. The subscript is a natural number that varies depending on the main element to be bound.

As the composition of the first and second translucent materials 112 and 114, various materials that can transmit only a part of the irradiated light of a predetermined wavelength band can be used. In the present invention, Cr _x O _y , Cr _x CO _y , Cr _x O _y N _z , Si _x O _y , Si _x O _y N _z , Si _x CO _y , Si _x CO _y N _z , MO _x Si _y , MO _x O _y , MO _x O _y N _z , MO _x CO _y , MO _x O _y N _z , MO _x Si _y O _z , MO _x Si _y O _z N MO _x Si _y CO _z N, Mo _x Si _{y CO z, Ta x O y,} Ta x O y N z, Ta x CO y, Ta x O y N z, Al x O y, Al x CO y, Al x O y N z, Al x CO y N z , Ti _x O _y , Ti _x O _y N _z , Ti _x CO _y , or a combination thereof may be used to form the first and second translucent materials 112 and 114.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 1, the semi-transmissive region may be formed to include the first to third semi-transmissive portions as the semi-transmissive portions having different transmittances. You may form the 1st thru | or nth semi-transmissive part as a semi-transmissive part.

  In the blocking area S1, the photoresist pattern remains after the development process by blocking the ultraviolet rays during the exposure process. For this purpose, the blocking region S1 is formed by sequentially stacking the first semi-transmissive material 112, the blocking layer 110, and the second semi-transmissive material 114 on the substrate 102 to block ultraviolet rays. That is, in the blocking region S1, the blocking layer 110 is formed between the first and second semipermeable materials 112 and 114.

  A process of forming a halftone mask including the transmissive region S5, the blocking region S1, and the semi-transmissive regions S2, S3, and S4 will be described with reference to FIGS.

  2 to 10 are cross-sectional views showing a method of manufacturing the halftone mask according to the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG.

  Referring to FIG. 2, a first semi-transmissive material 112, a blocking layer 110, and a photoresist 120 are sequentially stacked on a substrate 102 using a sputtering method, a chemical vapor deposition method, or the like.

Specifically, the first semi-transmissive material 112 includes Cr, Si, Mo, Ta, Ti, and Al as main elements, a compound in which at least two of these main elements are bonded, or CO _x , O _x , A compound having at least one N _x bonded thereto is preferred. The subscript is a natural number that varies depending on the main element to be bound.

As the composition of the first translucent material 112, various materials that can transmit only a part of the irradiated light of a predetermined wavelength band can be used. In the present invention, Cr _x O _y , Cr _x CO _y , Cr _x O _y N _z , Si _x O _y , Si _x O _y N _z , Si _x CO _y , Si _x CO _y N _z , MO _x Si _y , MO _x O _y , MO _x O _y N _z , MO _x CO _y , MO _x O _y N _z , MO _x Si _y O _z , MO _x Si _y O _z N MO _x Si _y CO _z N, Mo _x Si _{y CO z, Ta x O y,} Ta x O y N z, Ta x CO y, Ta x O y N z, Al x O y, Al x CO y, Al x O y N z, Al x CO y N z , Ti _x O _y , Ti _x O _y N _z , Ti _x CO _y , or a combination thereof may be used to form the first semipermeable material 112. Here, the subscripts x, y, and z are natural numbers and represent the number of chemical elements.

The blocking layer 110 may be formed of a material that can block ultraviolet rays. For example, the blocking layer 110 may be formed of a film made of Cr and Cr _x O _y .

  Referring to FIG. 3, after the photoresist 120 formed on the blocking layer 110 is drawn by laser beam irradiation, the drawn photoresist 120 is developed, and the transmissive region S5 and the second semi-transmissive portion S2 are developed. The blocking layer 110 is exposed at the position where it is formed.

  Referring to FIG. 4, using the photoresist 120 left on the blocking layer 110 as a mask, the exposed blocking layer 110 is removed by an etching process to expose the first semi-transmissive material 112.

  Referring to FIG. 5, the exposed first semi-transmissive material 112 is removed by an etching process using the photoresist 120 left on the blocking layer 110 as a mask. Thereafter, the photoresist 120 remaining on the blocking layer 110 is removed by a strip process. As a result, the first semi-transmissive material 112 and the blocking layer 110 are stacked and formed at the position where the blocking region S1, the first and third semi-transmissive portions S3 and S4 are formed, and the transmissive region S5 and the second semi-transmissive portion S2. The substrate 102 is exposed at the position where the film is formed.

  Referring to FIG. 6, after the photoresist 120 is stacked on the substrate 102 on which the first semi-transmissive material 112 and the blocking layer 110 are formed, the photoresist 120 is drawn by laser beam irradiation. Thereafter, the drawn photoresist 120 is developed, and the blocking layer 110 is exposed at the position where the third semi-transmissive portion S4 is formed.

  Referring to FIG. 7, the exposed blocking layer 110 is removed by an etching process using the photoresist 120 left on the substrate 102 on which the first semi-transmissive material 112 and the blocking layer 110 are formed as a mask. Thereafter, the photoresist 120 remaining on the substrate 102 is removed by a strip process.

  Referring to FIG. 8, a second semi-transmissive material 114 and a photoresist 120 are sequentially stacked on a substrate 102 by using a sputtering method, a chemical vapor deposition method, or the like.

  Here, the second semi-permeable material 114 is formed of the same material as the first semi-permeable material 112, but is thicker than the first semi-permeable material 112, and therefore has a different transmission from the first semi-permeable material 114. Will have a rate.

Specifically, the second translucent material 114 is a compound in which Cr, Si, Mo, Ta, Ti, and Al are main elements, and at least two of these main elements are bonded, or the main elements are CO _x , O _x , A compound having at least one N _x bonded thereto is preferred. The subscript is a natural number that varies depending on the main element to be bound.

As the composition of the second translucent material 114, various materials that can transmit only a part of the irradiated light of a predetermined wavelength band can be used. In the present invention, Cr _x O _y , Cr _x CO _y , Cr _x O _y N _z , Si _x O _y , Si _x O _y N _z , Si _x CO _y , Si _x CO _y N _z , MO _x Si _y , MO _x O _y , MO _x O _y N _z , MO _x CO _y , MO _x O _y N _z , MO _x Si _y O _z , MO _x Si _y O _z N MO _x Si _y CO _z N, Mo _x Si _{y CO z, Ta x O y,} Ta x O y N z, Ta x CO y, Ta x O y N z, Al x O y, Al x CO y, Al x O y N z, Al x CO y N z , Ti _x O _y , Ti _x O _y N _z , Ti _x CO _y , or a combination thereof may be used to form the second semipermeable material 114. Here, the subscripts x, y, and z are natural numbers and represent the number of chemical elements.

  Referring to FIG. 9, the photoresist 120 formed at the position where the transmissive region S5 and the first semi-transmissive region S3 are formed is drawn and then developed to expose the second semi-transmissive material 114. Specifically, the photoresist 120 formed at the position where the transmissive region S5 and the first semi-transmissive portion S3 are formed is drawn by laser beam irradiation, and the drawn photoresist region is developed and removed. As a result, the photoresist 120 remains on the second semi-transmissive material 114 formed at the position where the blocking region S1, the second semi-transmissive portion S2, and the third semi-transmissive portion S4 are formed. The second semi-transmissive material 114 is exposed at the position where the semi-transmissive portion S3 is formed.

  Referring to FIG. 10, the exposed second semi-transmissive material 114 is removed using the photoresist 120 left on the second semi-transmissive material 114 as a mask. Thereby, a transmissive region S5 where the substrate 102 is exposed is formed, and the blocking layer 110 is exposed at a position where the first semi-transmissive portion S3 is formed.

  Referring to FIG. 11, the blocking layer 110 exposed on the substrate 102 is removed, thereby forming a first semi-transmissive portion S3 formed of the first semi-permeable material 112.

  Referring to FIG. 12, the photoresist 120 remaining on the substrate 102 is removed by a strip process. As a result, a blocking region S1 in which the blocking layer 110, the first semi-transmissive material 112, and the second semi-transmissive material 114 are stacked on the substrate 102 is formed, and the first semi-transmissive material 112 is stacked on the substrate 102. The first semi-transmissive portion S3 is formed, the second semi-transmissive portion S4 is formed by laminating the second semi-transmissive material 114 on the substrate 102, and the first semi-transmissive material 112 and the second semi-transmissive material 114 are formed on the substrate 102. Is formed, and a transmission region S5 where the substrate 102 is exposed is formed.

  While the foregoing detailed description has described the invention with reference to the preferred embodiment of the invention, it should be understood that those skilled in the art or those having ordinary knowledge in the art will be It will be apparent that various modifications and changes may be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

102 Substrate 110 Blocking layer 112 First translucent material 114 Second translucent material 120 Photoresist

Claims (6)

A substrate,
A transmission region formed on the substrate and transmitting light of a predetermined wavelength band to be irradiated;
One semi-transparent material is used, and a plurality of semi-transparent portions that transmit light of a predetermined wavelength band irradiated on the substrate with a plurality of different transmittances depending on the thickness or the number of stacked layers of the semi-transparent materials. A translucent region, and
The translucent region is
A semi-transparent material is formed on the substrate, and a first semi-transmissive portion that transmits X% of light;
A second semi-transmissive portion that is formed thicker than the semi-transmissive material and transmits Y% of light;
Wherein are laminated in a semi-transparent material two layers, seen including a third semi-transmission part where light is Z% transmittance, a,
The half-tone mask, wherein the third semi-transmissive portion is in direct contact with two layers of the semi-transmissive material .   The halftone mask according to claim 1, further comprising a blocking region having the blocking layer formed between the stacked semi-transmitting materials.   The halftone mask of claim 1, further comprising a blocking region having a blocking layer formed on an upper portion or a lower portion of the translucent material. The translucent material is any one of Cr, Si, Mo, Ta, Ti, Al, Zr, Sn, Zn, In, Mg, Hf, V, Nd, Ge, MgO—Al ₂ O ₃ , and Si ₃ N ₄ . A single substance, a composite substance in which at least two of them are mixed, or at least one of CO _x , O _x , N _x , C _x , F _x , and B _x is added to the single substance or the composite substance The halftone mask according to claim 1, wherein the subscript x is a natural number and represents the number of each chemical element. After laminating a first semi-transparent material, a blocking layer, and a photoresist on the substrate, the photoresist is exposed and developed so that a necessary region of the blocking layer is exposed, and the exposed blocking layer, the first half layer is exposed. Removing permeate in sequence;
After laminating a photoresist on the substrate on which the first translucent material and the blocking layer are formed, the photoresist is exposed and developed so that a necessary area of the blocking layer is exposed, and the exposed blocking is performed. Removing the layer;
Removing the exposed blocking layer, and sequentially stacking a second semi-transmissive material and a photoresist to form a blocking region in which a blocking layer is formed between the first and second semi-transmissive materials; ,
Exposing and developing the photoresist so that a necessary region of the second semi-transmissive material is exposed, and sequentially removing the exposed second semi-transmissive material and a blocking layer;
A first semi-transmissive portion having a first semi-transmissive material formed on the substrate; a second semi-transmissive portion having a second semi-transmissive material formed on the substrate; and the first and second semi-transmissive materials. Forming a semi-transmissive region including the laminated third semi-transmissive portion,
The first semipermeable material and the second semipermeable material are formed of the same semipermeable material, and the first semipermeable material and the second semipermeable material are formed to have different thicknesses, and the third semipermeable material . A method of manufacturing a halftone mask , wherein the first semi-transmissive material and the second semi-transmissive material are in direct contact with each other in a transmissive portion . The translucent material is any one of Cr, Si, Mo, Ta, Ti, Al, Zr, Sn, Zn, In, Mg, Hf, V, Nd, Ge, MgO—Al ₂ O ₃ , and Si ₃ N ₄ . A single substance, a composite substance in which at least two of them are mixed, or at least one of CO _x , O _x , N _x , C _x , F _x , and B _x is added to the single substance or the composite substance 6. The method of manufacturing a halftone mask according to claim 5, wherein the subscript x is a natural number and represents the number of each chemical element.

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