KR100968341B1 - Thin film transistor array substrate and manufacturing method of the same - Google Patents

Abstract

 The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a thin film transistor array substrate that can simplify the substrate structure and manufacturing process.

       A gate pattern includes a gate electrode of a thin film transistor, a gate line to which the gate electrode is connected, and a gate pad to which the gate line is connected; A source / drain pattern including a source electrode and a drain electrode of the thin film transistor, a data line to which the source electrode is connected, and a data pad to which the data line is connected; A gate insulating pattern formed to insulate the gate pattern and the source / drain pattern in an area except the pixel area along a matrix pattern including the gate pattern and the source / drain pattern; A semiconductor pattern formed on the gate insulating pattern and partially removed from the thin film transistor region and the gate line region; And a transparent electrode pattern including a pixel electrode formed in the pixel region and connected to the drain electrode, a gate pad protection electrode formed on the gate pad, the data pad and a source electrode, and a data protection electrode formed on the data line. It is done.

Description

Thin Film Transistor Array Substrate and Method for Manufacturing the Same {THIN FILM TRANSISTOR ARRAY SUBSTRATE AND MANUFACTURING METHOD OF THE SAME}             

1 is a plan view showing a portion of a thin film transistor array substrate included in a conventional liquid crystal display device.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the thin film transistor array substrate of FIG. 1 taken along the line II ′. FIG.

3A to 3D are plan views illustrating the thin film transistor array substrate illustrated in FIG. 2.

4 is a plan view showing a thin film transistor array substrate according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II ′ of the thin film transistor array substrate of FIG. 4.

6A and 6B are plan and cross-sectional views illustrating a first mask process in the method of manufacturing the thin film transistor array substrate according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

7A and 7B are plan and cross-sectional views illustrating a second mask process in the method of manufacturing the thin film transistor array substrate according to the first embodiment of the present invention.                 

8A and 8B are plan and cross-sectional views illustrating a third mask process in the method of manufacturing the thin film transistor array substrate according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

9A to 9D are cross-sectional views for describing in detail a second mask process at a portion cut along line III-III ′ shown in FIG. 7A.

10 is a plan view illustrating a thin film transistor array substrate according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the thin film transistor array substrate of FIG. 10 taken along a line IV-IV '.

12A and 12B are a plan view and a cross-sectional view for describing a second mask process in the method of manufacturing the thin film transistor array substrate according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

         <Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

2, 52: gate line 4, 58: data line

6, 80 thin film transistor 8, 54 gate electrode

10, 60: source electrode 12, 62: drain electrode

14, 92: active layer 16: the first contact hole

18, 72: pixel electrodes 20, 78, 110: storage capacitor

22, 66: storage electrode 24: second contact hole

26, 82: gate pad portion 28, 56: gate pad

30: third contact hole 32, 74: gate pad protective electrode                 

34, 84: data pad portion 38: fourth contact hole

40, 76, 124: data pad protective electrode

42, 88: lower substrate 44: gate insulating film

48, 94: ohmic contact layer 70: channel portion

68: semiconductor pattern and source / drain pattern removal region

The present invention relates to a thin film transistor array substrate and a method of manufacturing the same, and more particularly, to a method of manufacturing a thin film transistor array substrate that can reduce the number of mask process.

A conventional liquid crystal display device displays an image by adjusting the light transmittance of a liquid crystal using an electric field. To this end, the liquid crystal display includes a liquid crystal panel in which liquid crystal cells are arranged in a matrix, and a driving circuit for driving the liquid crystal panel.

The liquid crystal panel includes a thin film transistor array substrate and a color filter array substrate facing each other, a spacer positioned to maintain a constant cell gap between the two substrates, and a liquid crystal filled in the cell gap.

The thin film transistor array substrate includes a gate line and a data line, a thin film transistor formed of a switch element at each intersection of the gate lines and the data lines, a pixel electrode formed of a liquid crystal cell and connected to the thin film transistor, and the like. It consists of the applied alignment film. The gate lines and the data lines receive signals from the driving circuits through the respective pad parts. The thin film transistor supplies the pixel voltage signal supplied to the data line to the pixel electrode in response to the scan signal supplied to the gate line.

The color filter array substrate includes color filters formed in units of liquid crystal cells, a black matrix for distinguishing between color filters and reflecting external light, a common electrode for supplying a reference voltage to the liquid crystal cells in common, and an alignment layer applied thereon. It consists of.

The liquid crystal panel is completed by separately manufacturing a thin film transistor array substrate and a color filter array substrate, and then injecting and encapsulating a liquid crystal.

In such a liquid crystal panel, the thin film transistor array substrate includes a semiconductor process and requires a plurality of mask processes, and thus, the manufacturing process is complicated, which is an important cause of the increase in the manufacturing cost of the liquid crystal panel. In order to solve this problem, the thin film transistor array substrate is developing in a direction of reducing the number of mask processes. This is because one mask process includes many processes such as a deposition process, a cleaning process, a photolithography process, an etching process, a photoresist stripping process, and an inspection process. Accordingly, in recent years, a four-mask process that reduces one mask process has emerged in the five-mask process, which is a standard mask process of a thin film transistor array substrate.

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a thin film transistor array substrate employing a four mask process, for example. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the thin film transistor array substrate of FIG. 1 taken along line AA ′.

The thin film transistor array substrate shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 includes a gate line 2 and a data line 4 intersecting each other with a gate insulating film 44 interposed on the lower substrate 42, and a thin film formed at each intersection thereof. The transistor 6 and the pixel electrode 18 formed in the cell area provided in the cross structure are provided. The thin film transistor array substrate includes a storage capacitor 20 formed at an overlapping portion of the pixel electrode 18 and the previous gate line 2, a gate pad portion 26 connected to the gate line 2, and a data line. The data pad part 34 connected to (4) is provided.

The thin film transistor 6 includes a gate electrode 8 connected to the gate line 2, a source electrode 10 connected to the data line 4, and a drain electrode 12 connected to the pixel electrode 16. And an active layer 14 overlapping the gate electrode 8 and forming a channel between the source electrode 10 and the drain electrode 12. The active layer 14 is formed to overlap the data pad 36, the storage electrode 22, the data line 4, the source electrode 10, and the drain electrode 12, and the source electrode 10 and the drain electrode 12. It further comprises a channel portion between. An ohmic contact layer 48 for ohmic contact with the data pad 36, the storage electrode 22, the data line 4, the source electrode 10, and the drain electrode 12 is further formed on the active layer 14. The thin film transistor 6 causes the pixel voltage signal supplied to the data line 4 to be charged and held in the pixel electrode 18 in response to the gate signal supplied to the gate line 2.

The pixel electrode 18 is connected to the drain electrode 12 of the thin film transistor 6 through the first contact hole 16 penetrating the protective film 50. The pixel electrode 18 generates a potential difference from the common electrode formed on the upper substrate (not shown) by the charged pixel voltage. Due to this potential difference, the liquid crystal positioned between the thin film transistor substrate and the upper substrate rotates by dielectric anisotropy, and transmits light incident through the pixel electrode 18 from the light source (not shown) toward the upper substrate.

The storage capacitor 20 includes a storage electrode 22 overlapping the previous gate line 2 with the gate line 2, the gate insulating layer 44, the active layer 14, and the ohmic contact layer 48 interposed therebetween. ) And the pixel electrode 22 which is overlapped with the storage electrode 22 and the passivation layer 50 interposed therebetween and connected via the second contact hole 24 formed in the passivation layer 50. The storage capacitor 20 allows the pixel voltage charged in the pixel electrode 18 to be stably maintained until the next pixel voltage is charged.

The gate line 2 is connected to a gate driver (not shown) through the gate pad part 26. The gate pad portion 26 is formed in the gate pad 28 through the gate pad 28 extending from the gate line 2 and the third contact hole 30 penetrating through the gate insulating film 44 and the passivation layer 50. The gate pad protective electrode 32 is connected.

The data line 4 is connected to a data driver (not shown) through the data pad unit 34. The data pad part 34 includes a data pad 36 extending from the data line 4 and a data pad protection electrode connected to the data pad 36 through a fourth contact hole 38 penetrating through the passivation layer 50. It consists of 40.

A method of manufacturing a thin film transistor substrate having such a configuration will be described with reference to FIGS. 3A to 3D in detail using a four mask process.                         

Referring to FIG. 3A, gate patterns are formed on the lower substrate 42.

The gate metal layer is formed on the lower substrate 42 through a deposition method such as a sputtering method. Subsequently, the gate metal layer is patterned by a photolithography process and an etching process using a first mask to form gate patterns including the gate line 2, the gate electrode 8, and the gate pad 28. As the gate metal, chromium (Cr), molybdenum (Mo), aluminum-based metal, etc. are used in a single layer or a double layer structure.

Referring to FIG. 3B, the gate insulating layer 44, the active layer 14, the ohmic contact layer 48, and the source / drain patterns are sequentially formed on the lower substrate 42 on which the gate patterns are formed.

The gate insulating layer 44, the amorphous silicon layer, the n + amorphous silicon layer, and the source / drain metal layer are sequentially formed on the lower substrate 42 on which the gate patterns are formed by a deposition method such as PECVD or sputtering.

A photoresist pattern is formed on the source / drain metal layer by a photolithography process using a second mask. In this case, by using a diffraction exposure mask having a diffraction exposure portion in the channel portion of the thin film transistor, the photoresist pattern of the channel portion has a lower height than other source / drain pattern portions.

Next, the source / drain metal layer is patterned by a wet etching process using a photoresist pattern, so that the data line 4, the source electrode 10, the drain electrode 12 integrated with the source electrode 10, and the storage electrode 22 are formed. Source / drain patterns including are formed.

Next, the n + amorphous silicon layer and the amorphous silicon layer are simultaneously patterned by a dry etching process using the same photoresist pattern to form the ohmic contact layer 48 and the active layer 14.

The photoresist pattern having a relatively low height in the channel portion is removed by an ashing process, and then the source / drain pattern and the ohmic contact layer 48 of the channel portion are etched by a dry etching process. Accordingly, the active layer 14 of the channel portion is exposed to separate the source electrode 10 and the drain electrode 12.

Subsequently, the photoresist pattern remaining on the source / drain pattern portion is removed by a stripping process.

As the material of the gate insulating film 44, an inorganic insulating material such as silicon oxide (SiOx) or silicon nitride (SiNx) is used. Molybdenum (Mo), titanium, tantalum, molybdenum alloy (Mo alloy), etc. are used as a source / drain metal.

Referring to FIG. 3C, a passivation layer 50 including first to fourth contact holes 16, 24, 30, and 38 is formed on the gate insulating layer 44 on which the source / drain patterns are formed.

The passivation layer 50 is entirely formed on the gate insulating layer 44 on which the source / drain patterns are formed by a deposition method such as PECVD. The passivation layer 50 is patterned by a photolithography process and an etching process using a third mask to form first to fourth contact holes 16, 24, 30, and 38. The first contact hole 16 is formed to pass through the passivation layer 50 to expose the drain electrode 12, and the second contact hole 24 is formed to pass through the passivation layer 50 to expose the storage electrode 22. do. The third contact hole 30 is formed to pass through the passivation layer 50 and the gate insulating layer 44 to expose the gate pad 28. The fourth contact hole 38 is formed to pass through the passivation layer 50 to expose the data pad 36.

As the material of the protective film 50, an inorganic insulating material such as the gate insulating film 94 or an organic insulating material such as an acryl-based organic compound having a low dielectric constant, BCB, or PFCB is used.

Referring to FIG. 3D, transparent electrode patterns are formed on the passivation layer 50.

The transparent electrode material is entirely deposited on the passivation layer 50 by a deposition method such as sputtering. Subsequently, the transparent electrode material is immersed through a photolithography process and an etching process using a fourth mask, thereby forming transparent electrode patterns including the pixel electrode 18, the gate pad protection electrode 32, and the data pad protection electrode 40. Is formed. The pixel electrode 18 is electrically connected to the drain electrode 12 through the first contact hole 16, and the storage electrode 22 overlaps the previous gate line 2 through the second contact hole 24. And electrically connected. The gate pad protection electrode 32 is electrically connected to the gate pad 28 through the third contact hole 30. The data pad protection electrode 40 is electrically connected to the data pad 36 through the fourth contact hole 38. Indium tin oxide (ITO), tin oxide (TO) or indium zinc oxide (IZO) is used as the transparent electrode material.

As described above, the conventional thin film transistor substrate and the method of manufacturing the same can reduce the number of manufacturing steps and reduce the manufacturing cost in proportion to the case of using the five mask process by using the four mask process. However, since the four-mask process is still complicated and the manufacturing cost is limited, there is a need for a thin film transistor substrate and a method of manufacturing the same, which further simplify the manufacturing process and further reduce manufacturing costs.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a method of manufacturing a thin film transistor array substrate that can simplify the substrate structure and manufacturing process by employing a three mask process.

       In order to achieve the above object, a gate pattern including a gate electrode, a gate line connected to the gate electrode, a gate pad connected to the gate line of the thin film transistor according to the present invention; A source / drain pattern including a source electrode and a drain electrode of the thin film transistor, a data line to which the source electrode is connected, and a data pad to which the data line is connected; A gate insulating pattern formed to insulate the gate pattern and the source / drain pattern in an area except the pixel area along a matrix pattern including the gate pattern and the source / drain pattern; A semiconductor pattern formed on the gate insulating pattern and partially removed from the thin film transistor region and the gate line region; And a transparent electrode pattern including a pixel electrode formed in the pixel region and connected to the drain electrode, a gate pad protection electrode formed on the gate pad, the data pad and a source electrode, and a data protection electrode formed on the data line. It is done.                     

       The pixel electrode may further include a storage capacitor formed by overlapping a front gate line with the gate insulating pattern therebetween.

       The source / drain pattern further includes a storage electrode included in the storage capacitor, wherein the storage electrode is formed to overlap the front gate line, the gate insulating pattern, and the semiconductor pattern, and is connected to the pixel electrode. It is characterized by.

       The semiconductor pattern may be formed only at an overlapping portion of the data line and the storage electrode in a region overlapping the gate line.

       The gate insulating pattern may be exposed in a region of the thin film transistor except for a region in which the channel portion, the source electrode, and the drain electrode are formed.

      According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a method of manufacturing a thin film transistor array substrate may include gate patterns including a gate electrode of a thin film transistor, a gate line connected to the gate electrode, and a gate pad connected to the gate line on the substrate using a first mask. Forming a first mask process; A gate insulating pattern formed in a region where the source / drain pattern is to be formed by capturing the gate patterns in a region other than the pixel region using a second mask and including the region of the thin film transistor; A semiconductor pattern formed in the same pattern as the gate insulating pattern and partially removed from the thin film transistor region and the gate line region; A second source / drain pattern formed on the semiconductor pattern and including a source / drain electrode integrated in the channel portion of the thin film transistor, a data line to which the source electrode is connected, and a data pad to which the data line is connected; A mask process; A transparent electrode including a pixel electrode formed in the pixel area and connected to the drain electrode by using a third mask, a gate pad protection electrode formed on the gate pad, the data line and a data protection electrode formed on the source electrode and the data pad; And forming a pattern and exposing a semiconductor pattern of the channel portion.

       The semiconductor pattern includes an active layer and an ohmic contact layer formed thereon, and in the third mask process, removing the source / drain electrodes integrated in the channel part together with the ohmic contact layer below the semiconductor layer to expose the active layer. Characterized in that it comprises a.

       In the third mask process, the pixel electrode is formed to overlap the front gate line and the gate insulating pattern to form a storage capacitor.

       In the second mask process, a semiconductor pattern and a storage electrode may be further formed between the gate insulating pattern of the storage capacitor and the pixel electrode.

       The second mask process may include sequentially forming a gate insulating layer, a semiconductor layer, and a source / drain metal layer on the substrate on which the gate patterns are formed; Forming a photoresist pattern having first and second regions having different heights on the source / drain metal layer by a photolithography process using a partial exposure mask as the second mask; Patterning the source / drain metal layer, the semiconductor layer, and the gate insulating layer using the photoresist pattern as a mask to form the gate insulating pattern, the semiconductor pattern, and the source / drain pattern; The photoresist pattern is removed by a predetermined depth to remove the first region, and the source / drain pattern and the semiconductor pattern corresponding to the first region are removed from the thin film transistor region and the gate line region. Allowing the pattern to be exposed; And removing the second region of the photoresist pattern by a stripping process.

       The removing of the source / drain pattern and the semiconductor pattern may be performed in the region overlapping the gate line except for the region overlapping the data line and the storage electrode, the channel portion and the source electrode in the thin film transistor region; And removing a region other than the region where the drain electrode is formed.

       The removing of the source / drain pattern and the semiconductor pattern may further include removing the source / drain pattern and the semiconductor pattern overlapping the storage electrode.

       The method may further include applying a liquid crystal alignment film for liquid crystal alignment on the substrate on which the transparent electrode patterns are formed.

       Other objects and advantages of the present invention in addition to the above object will be apparent from the description of the preferred embodiment of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings.                     

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 4 to 15.

4 is a plan view illustrating a thin film transistor array substrate according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the thin film transistor array substrate illustrated in FIG. 4 taken along a line II-II ′.

4 and 5 include a gate line 52 and a data line 58 formed on the lower substrate 88 so as to intersect with the gate insulation pattern 90 therebetween, and formed at each intersection thereof. The thin film transistor 80 and the pixel electrode 72 formed in the cell area provided in the cross structure are provided. The thin film transistor array substrate includes a storage capacitor 78 formed at an overlapping portion of the storage electrode 66 connected to the pixel electrode 72 and the previous gate line 52, and a gate pad connected to the gate line 52. A unit 82 and a data pad unit 84 connected to the data line 58 are provided.

The thin film transistor 80 includes a gate electrode 54 connected to the gate line 52, a source electrode 60 connected to the data line 58, and a drain electrode 62 connected to the pixel electrode 72. And a semiconductor pattern including an active layer 92 overlapping with the gate electrode 54 and the gate insulating pattern 90 therebetween and forming a channel 70 between the source electrode 60 and the drain electrode 62. do. The thin film transistor 80 allows the pixel voltage signal supplied to the data line 58 to be charged and held in the pixel electrode 72 in response to the gate signal supplied to the gate line 52.

The semiconductor pattern includes a channel portion between the source electrode 60 and the drain electrode 62 and overlaps the source electrode 60, the drain electrode 62, the data line 58, and the data pad 64, and stores the data. The active layer 92 may be formed to partially overlap the gate line 52 with the gate insulating pattern 90 interposed therebetween, including the portion overlapping the electrode 66. The semiconductor pattern is an ohmic contact layer formed on the active layer 92 for ohmic contact with the source electrode 60, the drain electrode 62, the storage electrode 66, the data line 58, and the data pad 64. 66). The semiconductor pattern including the active layer 92 and the ohmic contact layer 94 may be formed to overlap the gate line 52 with the gate insulating pattern 90 interposed therebetween, ie, between the cells, that is, the data line 58. And is separated between the data line 58. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent signal interference between cells due to the semiconductor pattern including the active layer 92 and the ohmic contact layer 94.

The pixel electrode 72 is connected to the drain electrode 62 of the thin film transistor 80. The pixel electrode 72 generates a potential difference with the common electrode formed on the upper substrate (not shown) by the charged pixel voltage. This potential difference causes the liquid crystal located between the thin film transistor substrate and the upper substrate to rotate by dielectric anisotropy, and transmits light incident through the pixel electrode 72 from the light source (not shown) toward the upper substrate.

The storage capacitor 78 overlaps the front gate line 52 with the gate line 52 interposed therebetween with the gate insulating pattern 90, the active layer 92, and the ohmic contact layer 94 interposed therebetween. And a storage electrode 66 connected thereto. The storage capacitor 78 allows the pixel voltage charged in the pixel electrode 72 to be stably maintained until the next pixel voltage is charged.

The gate line 52 is connected to a gate driver (not shown) through the gate pad portion 82. The gate pad portion 82 includes a gate pad 56 extending from the gate line 52, and a gate pad protection electrode 74 connected to the gate pad 56.

The data line 58 is connected to a data driver (not shown) through the data pad unit 84. The data pad portion 84 is composed of a data pad 64 extending from the data line 58 and a data pad 64 and a data protection electrode 76 connected to the source electrode 60 and the data line 58. do. In addition, the data pad unit 84 further includes a gate insulating pattern 90, an active layer, and an ohmic contact layer 94 formed between the data pad 64 and the lower substrate 88.

The thin film transistor array substrate having such a configuration is formed by a three mask process. A thin film transistor array substrate manufacturing method according to an embodiment of the present invention using a three mask process includes a first mask process for forming gate patterns, and a second mask for forming gate insulation patterns, semiconductor patterns, and source / drain patterns. And a third mask process for exposing the transparent electrode pattern and the active layer of the channel part.

6A and 6B are plan views and cross-sectional views illustrating gate patterns formed on a lower substrate 88 by a first mask process in a method of manufacturing a thin film transistor array substrate according to a first embodiment of the present invention.                     

The gate metal layer is formed on the lower substrate 88 through a deposition method such as a sputtering method. Subsequently, the gate metal layer is patterned by a photolithography process and an etching process using a first mask to form gate patterns including the gate line 52, the gate electrode 54, and the gate pad 56. Cr, MoW, Cr / Al, Cu, Al (Nd), Mo / Al, Mo / Al (Nd), Cr / Al (Nd), etc. are used as the gate metal.

7A and 7B illustrate a source / drain including a gate insulating pattern 90 formed through a second mask process, a semiconductor pattern, and an integrated source / drain electrode in a method of manufacturing a thin film transistor array substrate according to a first embodiment of the present invention. A plan view and a cross-sectional view of a substrate including a drain pattern.

A gate insulating layer, an amorphous silicon layer, an n + amorphous silicon layer, and a source / drain metal layer are sequentially formed on the lower substrate 88 on which the gate patterns are formed through a deposition method such as PECVD or sputtering. As the material of the gate insulating layer, an inorganic insulating material such as silicon oxide (SiOx) or silicon nitride (SiNx) is used. As the source / drain metal, Cr, MoW, Cr / Al, Cu, Al (Nd), Mo / Al, Mo / Al (Nd), Cr / Al (Nd) and the like are used.

Subsequently, the source / drain metal layer, the n + amorphous silicon layer, the amorphous silicon layer, and the gate insulating layer are patterned by a photolithography process using the second mask, an ashing process, and an etching process. As a result, the gate insulating pattern 90, the semiconductor pattern, and the source / drain pattern are formed. The semiconductor pattern includes an active layer 92 and an ohmic contact layer 94. The source / drain pattern includes an integrated source / drain electrode 62, a data line 58, a storage electrode 66, and a data pad 64.                     

The gate insulation pattern 90 is formed so that the gate patterns are not exposed along the gate patterns, and is formed under the source / drain pattern.

The semiconductor pattern and the source / drain pattern are formed in the same pattern as the gate insulating pattern 90 and then partially removed from the thin film transistor region and the gate line 52 region. Accordingly, the gate insulation pattern 90 is partially exposed in the thin film transistor region and the gate line 52 region. In detail, the region 80 in which the semiconductor pattern and the source / drain metal layer are removed from the thin film transistor region corresponds to a region other than the region in which the integrated source / drain electrodes 60 and 62 are formed. This is to prevent the photo leakage current from being generated when the semiconductor pattern is exposed to the backlight light or the external light. In addition, the region 68 in which the semiconductor pattern and the source / drain pattern are removed in the region of the gate line 52 corresponds to a portion between the cell and the cell, that is, between the data line 58 and the data line 58. This is to prevent short circuit and signal interference between the data lines 58 by the semiconductor pattern and the source / drain pattern.

A partial exposure mask is used as the second mask to selectively remove the semiconductor pattern and the source / drain pattern. Accordingly, the photoresist pattern patterned by the partial exposure mask has a step. The second mask process using the partial exposure mask will be described later.

8A and 8B are plan views and cross-sectional views of a thin film transistor array substrate on which a transparent electrode pattern is formed and an active layer is exposed through a third mask process in a method of manufacturing a thin film transistor array substrate according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

The transparent electrode material is deposited on the entire surface of the lower substrate 88 on which the source / drain patterns are formed by a deposition method such as sputtering. Subsequently, the photoresist is entirely coated and a photoresist pattern is formed using the third mask. The transparent electrode material is patterned through a photolithography process and an etching process using the photoresist pattern as a mask, and the source / drain electrode and the ohmic contact layer integrated in the channel part are patterned so that the active layer is exposed thereunder. Subsequently, the photoresist pattern is removed by a stripping process to separate the pixel electrode 72, the gate pad protection electrode 74, the data protection electrode 76, and the source / drain electrodes integrated in the channel portion.

The pixel electrode 72 is electrically connected to the drain electrode 62, and overlaps the previous gate line 52 to be electrically connected to the storage electrode 66.

The gate pad protection electrode 74 is formed on the gate pad 56 to protect the gate pad 56. The data protection electrode 76 is formed on the data pad 64, the source electrode 60, and the data line 58 to protect the data pad 64. Indium tin oxide (ITO), tin oxide (TO) or indium zinc oxide (IZO) is used as the transparent electrode material.

Meanwhile, an organic film, a resin black matrix, a color filter, or the like may be formed on the lower substrate 88 on which the transparent electrode pattern is formed.

The thin film transistor array substrate thus formed in the three mask process is protected by the alignment film to be applied to determine the liquid crystal alignment direction in a subsequent process.                     

9A through 9D are cross-sectional views illustrating a second mask process in the thin film transistor portion cut along the line III-III ′ of FIG. 7A.

9A, a gate insulating layer 89, an amorphous silicon layer 92, an n + amorphous silicon layer 94, and a source / drain metal layer 95 are sequentially formed on a lower substrate 88 on which gate patterns are formed. do. The photoresist pattern 100 is formed on the source / drain metal layer 95 by a photolithography process using the second mask 101 after the entire surface of the photoresist is applied. Here, the second mask 101 may be formed in the transparent layer 102 in the exposure area P1 of the transparent mask substrate 102, the blocking layer 103 and the partial exposure area P3 formed in the light shielding area P2. The formed partial transmission layer 104 is provided.

By the photolithography process using the second mask 101, all photoresist exposed through the exposure area P1 of the second mask 101 is removed, and the blocking area P2 and the partial exposure area P3 are removed. The photoresist pattern 100 which is not exposed or partially exposed is formed through the cross-section. In particular, the partial exposure portion 100A partially exposed by the partial transmission layer 104 of the second mask 101 in the photoresist pattern 100 is formed to have a first height d1. The blocking portion 100C of the photoresist pattern 100 that is not exposed by the blocking layer 103 of the second mask 101 has a second height d2 higher than the first height.

Referring to FIG. 9B, a source / drain metal layer 95, an n + amorphous silicon layer 94, an amorphous silicon layer 92, and a gate insulating layer 89 may be formed by an etching process using the photoresist pattern 100 as a mask. Patterned sequentially. Accordingly, the gate insulation pattern 90 having the same pattern form; A semiconductor pattern including an active layer 92 and an ohmic contact layer 94; A source / drain pattern including a data line 58, an integrated source / drain electrode, a storage electrode 66, and a data pad 64 is formed.

Referring to FIG. 9C, the partial exposure portion 100A having the low first height is removed from the photoresist pattern 100 by an ashing process using an oxygen (O ₂ ) plasma, and the blocking portion 100C has a predetermined height lowered. It remains in the state. The source / drain pattern and the semiconductor pattern are partially removed by an etching process using the photoresist pattern 100 from which the partial exposure part 100A is removed. Here, the region from which the source / drain pattern and the semiconductor pattern are removed is the remaining region except for the region in which the channel portion 70 and the source and drain electrodes 60 and 62 are formed, as shown in FIG. 7A. And a portion 68 for opening between the data line 58 and the data line 58 in the gate line 52 region.

Referring to FIG. 9D, the photoresist pattern 100 lowered to a certain height by an ashing process is removed by a strip process. Subsequently, the transparent electrode material is entirely deposited on the lower substrate 88 on which the source / drain patterns are formed by a deposition method such as sputtering. Subsequently, the photoresist is entirely coated and a photoresist pattern is formed using the third mask. The transparent electrode material is patterned through a photolithography process and an etching process using the photoresist pattern as a mask. Subsequently, the photoresist pattern is removed to form the pixel electrode 72.

The thin film transistor array substrate thus formed in the third mask process is protected by the alignment film to be applied to determine the liquid crystal alignment direction in a subsequent process.

10 is a plan view illustrating a thin film transistor array substrate according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the thin film transistor array substrate illustrated in FIG. 12 taken along a line IV-IV ′.

The thin film transistor array substrate shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 has the same components except that the configuration of the storage capacitor 110 is different from that of the thin film transistor array substrates shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. The same components as in FIG. 5 are given the same reference numerals and detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted.

The storage capacitor 78 shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 has a gate line 52 interposed between the previous gate line 52, a gate insulation pattern 90, an active layer 92, and an ohmic contact layer 94. The storage electrode 66 overlaps the pixel electrode 72 and is connected to the pixel electrode 72. In contrast, the storage capacitor 110 illustrated in FIGS. 10 and 11 is a pixel electrode 72 that is overlapped with the previous gate line 52, the gate line 52, and the gate insulating pattern 90 interposed therebetween. It is composed. In other words, the storage capacitor 110 illustrated in FIGS. 10 and 11 may include the active layer 92, the ohmic contact layer 94, and the storage electrode 66 in the storage capacitor 78 illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5. You will have this removed configuration. In addition, the pixel electrode is formed to cover the front gate line 52 and the gate insulating pattern 90. In this case, the distance between the gate line 52 and the pixel electrode 72 is reduced, and the area of the pixel electrode 72 constituting the storage capacitor 110 is widened to increase the pixel voltage due to the increase in the capacity of the storage capacitor 110. You can keep it more stable.                     

As such, the removal of the active layer 92 and the ohmic contact layer 94 and the storage electrode 66 in the storage capacitor 110 is performed by the second partial process in the second mask process as shown in FIGS. 12A and 12B. This can be achieved by including the storage capacitor forming portion in the removal region 112 of the semiconductor pattern and the source / drain pattern. The first mask process is as described above in FIGS. 6A and 6B, and the third mask process is described above in FIGS. 8A and 8B.

12A and 12B, the gate insulation pattern 90, the semiconductor pattern, and the source / drain patterns are formed on the lower substrate 52 on which the gate patterns are formed by the first mask process.

A gate insulating layer, an amorphous silicon layer, an n + amorphous silicon layer, and a source / drain metal layer are sequentially formed on the lower substrate 88 on which the gate patterns are formed through a deposition method such as PECVD or sputtering. As the material of the gate insulating layer, an inorganic insulating material such as silicon oxide (SiOx) or silicon nitride (SiNx) is used. As the source / drain metal, Cr, MoW, Cr / Al, Cu, Al (Nd), Mo / Al, Mo / Al (Nd), Cr / Al (Nd) and the like are used.

A photoresist pattern is then formed on the source / drain metal layer by a photolithography process using a second mask.

As the second mask, as shown in FIG. 9A, a partial exposure mask divided into an exposure area P1, a blocking area P2, and a partial exposure area P3 is used. Accordingly, the photoresist pattern is composed of an exposed portion having a first height and a blocking portion having a second height higher than the first height as described above.                     

In the etching process using the photoresist pattern having the step difference, the gate insulating pattern 90 having the same pattern form, the semiconductor pattern including the active layer 92 and the ohmic contact layer 94, and the source / drain pattern are formed. do.

Next, the exposed portion having the first height of the photoresist pattern is removed by an ashing process, and the semiconductor pattern and the source / drain corresponding to the exposed portion having the first height in the region of the thin film transistor region and the gate line 52 are formed by the subsequent etching process. The pattern is selectively removed to expose the gate insulating pattern 90. In detail, the region 112 in which the semiconductor pattern and the source / drain pattern are removed in the thin film transistor region corresponds to the remaining region except for the region in which the channel portion 114 and the source and drain electrodes 60 and 62 are formed. This is to prevent the photo leakage current from being generated when the semiconductor pattern is exposed to the backlight light or the external light. Also, the region 112 in which the semiconductor pattern and the source / drain pattern are removed from the gate line 52 region may be a region between the data line 58 including the storage capacitor forming region and the data line 58, that is, the gate line ( The remaining gate line 52 region except for the intersection of the 52 and the data line 58 corresponds. This is to prevent short circuit and signal interference between the data lines 58 by the semiconductor pattern and the source / drain pattern.

The remaining photoresist pattern is then removed by a stripping process.

As described above, in the method of manufacturing the thin film transistor array substrate according to the present invention, a partial exposure mask is used in the second mask process to form gate insulation patterns, semiconductor patterns, and source / drain patterns of different layers. . In addition, in the third mask process, the transparent electrode pattern may be formed and the active layer of the channel part may be exposed.

The method of manufacturing a thin film transistor array substrate according to the present invention employs a three-mask process to further simplify the substrate structure and manufacturing process, thereby further reducing the manufacturing cost and improving the manufacturing yield.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention. Therefore, the technical scope of the present invention should not be limited to the contents described in the detailed description of the specification but should be defined by the claims.

Claims (13)

       A gate pattern including a gate electrode of the thin film transistor, a gate line to which the gate electrode is connected, and a gate pad to which the gate line is connected;        A source and drain pattern including a source electrode and a drain electrode of the thin film transistor, a data line to which the source electrode is connected, and a data pad to which the data line is connected; A gate insulating pattern formed to insulate the gate electrode from the source and drain electrodes;        A semiconductor pattern formed on the gate insulating pattern and partially removed from the thin film transistor region and the gate line region;        A pixel electrode formed in a pixel region defined in a region where the gate line and the data line cross each other and connected to the drain electrode; A transparent electrode pattern including a gate pad protection electrode formed on the gate pad, the data pad and a source electrode, and a data protection electrode formed on the data line; The gate pad protection electrode is formed to cover the gate pad and to be in contact with the gate pad at the same time, The data pad protection electrode is formed to cover the data pad and to be in contact with the gate pad at the same time, And a gate insulating pattern, an ohmic contact layer, and an active layer stacked under the data pad.        The method of claim 1,        And a storage capacitor formed by overlapping the pixel electrode with a front gate line and the gate insulating pattern interposed therebetween.         The method of claim 2,        The source and drain patterns further include storage electrodes included in the storage capacitor,        And the storage electrode is overlapped with the front gate line, the gate insulation pattern, and the semiconductor pattern to be connected to the pixel electrode.        The method of claim 3, wherein        And the semiconductor pattern is formed only at an overlapping portion of the data line and the storage electrode in a region overlapping the gate line. delete A first mask process for forming gate patterns on the substrate using a first mask, the gate patterns including a gate electrode of the thin film transistor, a gate line connected to the gate electrode, and a gate pad connected to the gate line; A gate insulating pattern formed on a region of the source and drain patterns including a region of the thin film transistor by capturing the gate electrode and the gate line using a second mask; A semiconductor pattern formed in the same pattern as the gate insulating pattern and partially removed from the thin film transistor region and the gate line region; A second mask formed on the semiconductor pattern and forming a source and drain pattern including a source and drain electrode integrated in a channel portion of the thin film transistor, a data line to which the source electrode is connected, and a data pad to which the data line is connected; Process; A pixel electrode defined in a region where the gate line and the data line cross each other using a third mask, a pixel electrode connected to the drain electrode, a gate pad protection electrode formed on the gate pad, the data line and a source Forming a transparent electrode pattern including an electrode and a data protection electrode formed on the data pad, and exposing a semiconductor pattern of the channel portion; The gate pad protective electrode is formed to cover the gate pad and is formed in contact with the gate pad at the same time, The data pad protection electrode is formed to cover the data pad and at the same time in contact with the gate pad, The gate insulating pattern, the ohmic contact layer, and the active layer are stacked under the data pad. The second mask process is Sequentially forming a gate insulating layer, a semiconductor layer, a source and a drain metal layer on the substrate on which the gate patterns are formed; Forming a photoresist pattern having first and second regions having different heights on the source and drain metal layers by a photolithography process using a partial exposure mask as the second mask; Patterning the source and drain metal layers, the semiconductor layer, and the gate insulating layer using the photoresist pattern as a mask to form the gate insulating pattern, the semiconductor pattern, the source and drain pattern; The photoresist pattern may be removed by a predetermined depth to remove the first region, and the source and drain patterns and the semiconductor pattern corresponding to the first region may be removed from the thin film transistor region and the gate line region to remove the gate insulation. Allowing the pattern to be exposed; And removing the second region of the photoresist pattern by a stripping process. The method of claim 6, The semiconductor pattern includes an active layer and an ohmic contact layer formed thereon, In the third mask process And removing the source and drain electrodes integrated in the channel portion together with the ohmic contact layer thereunder to expose the active layer. The method of claim 6, In the third mask process And forming the pixel electrode to overlap each other with a front gate line and the gate insulating pattern interposed therebetween to form a storage capacitor. The method of claim 6, In the second mask process, And forming a semiconductor pattern and a storage electrode between the gate insulating pattern and the pixel electrode among the gate insulating pattern and the pixel electrode. delete delete delete The method of claim 6, And applying a liquid crystal aligning film for liquid crystal alignment on the substrate on which the transparent electrode patterns are formed.

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