KR19990035318A - Manufacturing method of thin film type optical path control device - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed is a method of manufacturing a thin film type optical path control device capable of increasing the life of a mirror and improving its horizontality. After the actuator is formed on the active matrix, a second sacrificial layer is formed on the actuator. A photoresist is applied on the second sacrificial layer, and the photoresist is baked at a temperature of about 150 to 170 ° C. to reflow and dry etch so that the photoresist has a pattern having a gentle inclination. A pattern having a gentle slope is formed in the second sacrificial layer, and posts and mirrors are formed. During the formation of the mirror and the post, the edge portion where stress is concentrated is not formed in the post, and the post has the same shape along the gentle slope of the second sacrificial layer pattern. Cracks from the posts can be prevented from propagating to the mirror, can improve the level of the mirror as well as minimize the deterioration of the mirror, thereby increasing the life of the mirror.

Description

Manufacturing method of thin film type optical path control device

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a thin film type optical path control device using an Actuated Mirror Array (AMA), and more particularly, to prevent mirror cracks from the posts by increasing the life of the mirrors by having the mirror posts have a gentle slope. And it relates to a method of manufacturing a thin film type optical path control device that can improve the horizontal level.

Optical path control devices or spatial light modulators for projecting optical energy onto a screen may be applied to various fields such as optical communication, image processing, and information display devices. The image processing apparatus using the optical path adjusting device or the spatial light modulator typically has a direct-view image display device and a projection-type image device according to a method of displaying optical energy on a screen. display device).

An example of a direct-view image display device is a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube). The CRT device is called a CRT, which has excellent image quality but increases in weight and volume as the screen is enlarged, leading to an increase in manufacturing cost. There is. Projection type image display apparatuses include a liquid crystal display (LCD), a deformable mirror device (DMD), and an AMA. Such projection image display devices can be further divided into two groups according to their optical characteristics. That is, devices such as LCDs can be classified as transmissive spatial light modulators, while DMD and AMA can be classified as reflective spatial light modulators.

Transmission optical modulators, such as LCDs, have a very simple optical structure, which makes them thinner, lighter in weight, and smaller in volume. However, due to the polarity of the light, the light efficiency is low, there is a problem inherent in the liquid crystal material, for example, there is a disadvantage that the response speed is slow and the inside is easy to overheat. In addition, the maximum light efficiency of existing transmission light modulators is limited to a range of 1-2%, requiring dark room conditions to provide acceptable display quality. Therefore, optical modulators such as DMD and AMA have been developed to solve the above problems.

Although DMD shows a relatively good light efficiency of about 5%, the hinge structure employed in the DMD not only causes serious fatigue problems, but also requires a very complicated and expensive driving circuit. In the AMA, each of the mirrors installed therein reflects light incident from the light source at a predetermined angle, and the reflected light is projected on the screen through an aperture such as a slit or a pinhole. It is a device that can adjust the speed of light to form an image. Therefore, its structure and operation principle are simple, and high light efficiency (more than 10% light efficiency) can be obtained compared to LCD or DMD. In addition, the contrast of the image projected on the screen is improved to obtain a bright and clear image.

Each actuator of the AMA generates a deformation in accordance with the electric field generated by the applied electric picture signal and the bias signal. As the actuator deforms, each of the mirrors mounted thereon is tilted. Accordingly, the inclined mirrors reflect light incident from the light source at a predetermined angle to form an image on the screen. Piezoelectric materials such as PZT (Pb (Zr, Ti) O ₃ ) or PLZT ((Pb, La) (Zr, Ti) O ₃ ) are used as actuators for driving the respective mirrors. The actuator may also be configured as a warping material such as PMN (Pb (Mg, Nb) O ₃ ).

These AMA devices are largely divided into bulk type and thin film type. The bulk optical path control device is disclosed in US Pat. No. 5,085,497 to Gregory Um et al. The bulk optical path control device is made by thinly cutting a multilayer ceramic to mount a ceramic wafer having a metal electrode therein into an active matrix in which a transistor is built, and then processing by using a sawing method and installing a mirror on the top. . However, the bulk optical path control device requires very high precision in design and manufacturing, and has a disadvantage in that the response of the deformation layer is slow.

Accordingly, a thin film type optical path control apparatus that can be manufactured using a semiconductor manufacturing process has been developed. The thin film type optical path control device is disclosed in Korean Patent Application No. 96-64440 (name of the invention: a method of manufacturing a thin film type optical path control device) filed by the applicant of the Korean Patent Office on December 11, 1996.

Figure 1 shows a cross-sectional view of the thin film type optical path control device described in the preceding application.

Referring to FIG. 1, the thin film type optical path adjusting device includes an active matrix 1, an actuator 25, and a mirror 29. The active matrix 1 in which M x N (M, N is an integer) MOS transistors and a drain pad 7 extending from the drain of the transistor is formed. The active matrix 1 and the drain pad ( 7) a protective layer 3 stacked on top of the protective layer 3 and an etch stop layer 5 stacked on the protective layer 3.

The actuator 25 has a membrane 13 and a membrane 13 in which one side is in contact with a portion where the drain pad 7 is formed in the lower portion of the etch stop layer 5, and the other side is horizontally formed through the air gap 11. ), The lower electrode 15 stacked on top of the bottom electrode 15, the strained layer 17 stacked on top of the lower electrode 15, the upper electrode 19 stacked on top of the strained layer 17, and the strained layer 140. In the via hole 21 formed perpendicularly to the drain pad 7 through the strained layer 17, the lower electrode 15, the membrane 13, the etch stop layer 5, and the protective layer 3 from one side of the The lower electrode 15 and the drain pad 7 include a via contact 23 formed to be electrically connected to each other. The mirror 29 has one side bent at a right angle to contact the upper electrode 19 and the other side is formed horizontally. Preferably, the mirror 29 has a shape of 'a'.

Hereinafter, the manufacturing method of the above-mentioned thin film type optical path control apparatus will be described. 2A to 2D are manufacturing process diagrams of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. 2A, a protective layer 3 is formed by using silicate glass PSG on top of an active matrix 1 having M × N MOS transistors (not shown) and having a drain pad 7 formed therein. Laminated. The protective layer 3 is formed to have a thickness of about 1.0 μm using a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method. The protective layer 3 protects the active matrix 1 in which the transistor is embedded during subsequent processing.

An etch stop layer 5 made of nitride is stacked on the passivation layer 3. The etch stop layer 5 is formed to have a thickness of about 1000 to 2000 kPa using a low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) method. The etch stop layer 5 prevents the protective layer 3, the active matrix 1, and the like from being etched during the subsequent etching process. The first sacrificial layer 9 is stacked on the etch stop layer 5. The first sacrificial layer 9 is formed of phosphorous silicate glass (PSG) having a high concentration of phosphorus (PG) to have a thickness of about 1.0 to 3.0 µm by using an atmospheric chemical vapor deposition (APCVD) method. . In this case, since the first sacrificial layer 9 covers the upper portion of the active matrix 1 in which the transistor is embedded, the flatness of the surface thereof is very poor. Accordingly, the surface of the first sacrificial layer 9 is planarized by using spin on glass (SOG) or chemical mechanical polishing (CMP). Subsequently, a portion of the first sacrificial layer 9 in which the drain pad 7 is formed is etched to expose a portion of the etch stop layer 5 to form a position where the support portion of the actuator 25 is to be formed.

Referring to FIG. 2B, the membrane 13 is stacked on the exposed etch stop layer 5 and on the first sacrificial layer 9 to a thickness of about 0.01 to 1.0 μm. The membrane 13 is formed using a low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) method. At this time, the membrane 13 is formed while varying the ratio of the reaction gas in the low pressure reaction vessel to control the stress in the membrane 13.

The lower electrode 15 made of a metal such as platinum (Pt), tantalum (Ta), or platinum-tantalum (Pt-Ta) is stacked on the membrane 13. The lower electrode 15 is formed to have a thickness of about 0.01 to 1.0 µm using a sputtering method. A first signal (image signal) is applied to the lower electrode 15 through a transistor built in the active matrix 1 from the outside.

A deformation layer 17 made of a piezoelectric material such as PZT or PLZT is stacked on the lower electrode 15. The strained layer 17 is formed to have a thickness of about 0.1 to 1.0 탆, preferably about 0.4 탆 using a sol-gel method, followed by heat treatment by rapid thermal treatment (RTA) to phase change. . In the strained layer 17, a second signal (bias signal) is applied to the upper electrode 19, and a first signal is applied to the lower electrode 15, according to a potential difference between the upper electrode 19 and the lower electrode 15. It is deformed by the generated electric field.

The upper electrode 19 is stacked on top of the strained layer 17. The upper electrode 19 is formed of a metal having excellent electrical conductivity such as aluminum or platinum so as to have a thickness of about 0.01 to 1.0 탆 using a sputtering method. The second signal is applied to the upper electrode 19 through a common electrode line (not shown) from the outside.

Referring to FIG. 2C, after patterning the upper electrode 19, the strained layer 17, and the lower electrode 15 to have a predetermined pixel shape, the drain pad 7 is formed from one side of the strained layer 17. The strained layer 17, the lower electrode 15, the membrane 13, the etch stop layer 5, and the protective layer 3 are sequentially etched so as to be perpendicular from the strained layer 17 to the drain pad 7. The via hole 21 is formed. Subsequently, a via contact 23 is formed in the via hole 21 so that the drain pad 7 and the lower electrode 15 are electrically connected by sputtering a metal such as tungsten, platinum, or titanium. Thus, the via contact 23 is vertically formed from the lower electrode 15 to the drain pad 7 in the via hole 21. Therefore, the first signal is applied from the outside to the lower electrode 15 through the transistor, the drain pad 7 and the via contact 23 embedded in the active matrix 1. Then, platinum-tantalum (Pt-Ta) is deposited on the bottom of the active matrix 1 using a sputtering method to form an ohmic contact (not shown). Subsequently, the actuator 25 is completed by etching the first sacrificial layer 9 with hydrogen fluoride (HF) vapor to form an air gap 11 at the position of the first sacrificial layer 9.

Referring to FIG. 2D, after forming the air gap 11 as described above, the second sacrificial layer 27 is formed on the entire surface of the resultant. The second sacrificial layer 27 is formed by using a spin coating method of a polymer having good fluidity, and is formed to completely cover the actuator 25 while completely filling the air gap 11. Subsequently, after the photoresist 31 is applied and patterned on the second sacrificial layer 27, the upper sacrificial layer 27 is patterned by using the photoresist 31 as a mask. On one side of 19) a mirror 29 is formed to form a post. Thus, one side of the upper electrode 19 is exposed. Subsequently, aluminum (Al) or silver (Ag) having good reflectivity was added to the upper portion of the second sacrificial layer 27 and the exposed upper electrode 19 on which the posts were formed, in the range of 0.1 to 1.0 µm. The mirror 29 is formed by depositing to a thickness of a degree. Preferably, the mirror 29 has a '-' shape, one side is bent at a right angle to contact the upper electrode 19, the other side is formed horizontally with respect to the upper electrode 19. After the mirror 29 is formed as described above, the second sacrificial layer 27 is removed using an oxygen plasma (O ₂ plasma), and a rinsing and drying process is performed to perform the thin film type AMA as shown in FIG. 1. Complete the device.

In the above-described thin film type optical path adjusting device, the first signal is applied to the lower electrode 15 and the second signal is applied to the upper electrode 19, and according to the potential difference between the upper electrode 19 and the lower electrode 15. Electric field is generated. The deformed layer 17 formed between the upper electrode 19 and the lower electrode 15 causes deformation, and the deformed layer 17 contracts in a direction orthogonal to the electric field. Accordingly, the actuator 25 including the deformation layer 17 is bent at a predetermined angle, and the mirror 29 mounted on the upper electrode 19 of the actuator 25 is attached to the bent upper electrode 19. This causes the axis to move and incline to reflect light incident from the light source. The light reflected by the mirror 29 is projected onto the screen through the slit to form an image.

However, in the above-described manufacturing method of the thin film type optical path adjusting device, the photoresist pattern for forming the mirror post is patterned to have a vertical inclined surface, and then a crack is generated from the mirror post side because a mirror is formed on the upper portion thereof. There is. This will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which the mirror 'A' of FIG. 2D is enlarged. Referring to FIG. 3, after forming the photoresist 31 on the second sacrificial layer 27 using a spin coating method to form a post of the mirror 29, the photoresist 31 is patterned. do. Subsequently, the second sacrificial layer 27 is patterned using the photoresist 31 pattern as a mask to expose a portion of the upper electrode 19. A mirror is formed by depositing and patterning a metal such as aluminum or silver on the exposed upper electrode 19 and photoresist 31. However, as described above, the photoresist 31 pattern for forming the mirror 29 post is vertically formed in a cross section, and stress is applied to the corners of the upper portion of the photoresist 31 pattern when metal is deposited thereon. There is a problem in that the crack is generated in the mirror 29 from this upper edge is concentrated (see Fig. 3 'B'). As such, when a crack occurs from the post of the mirror 29 toward the mirror, a problem arises in that not only the level of the mirror 29 is lowered but also the degradation of the mirror 29 is promoted.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a method of manufacturing a thin film type optical path control apparatus that can increase the life of the mirror and improve its level by preventing the crack of the mirror from the mirror post by having the mirror post has a gentle slope. It is.

1 is a cross-sectional view of a thin film type optical path adjusting device described in the applicant's prior application.

2A to 2D are manufacturing process diagrams of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1.

3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion 'A' of FIG. 2D.

4 is a plan view of a thin film type optical path control apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 4. FIG.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 5 taken along line C-C '.

7A to 7F are manufacturing process diagrams of the apparatus shown in FIG. 6.

<Explanation of symbols for main parts of the drawings>

100: active matrix 130: first metal layer

135: first protective layer 140: second metal layer

145: second protective layer 150: etch stop layer

155: first sacrificial layer 160: air gap

165 support layer 170 lower electrode

175 strain layer 180 upper electrode

185: Beer Hall 190: Beer Contact

195: lower electrode connecting member 200: common electrode line

205: common electrode connecting member 210: actuator

215: second sacrificial layer 220: post

230: mirror

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a method comprising the steps of providing an active matrix containing M × N (M, N is an integer) MOS transistor; Forming a first metal layer on the active matrix, the first metal layer including a drain pad extending from the drain of the transistor; After forming and patterning a first sacrificial layer on the active matrix, forming an actuator including a support layer, a lower electrode, a strain layer, and an upper electrode on the patterned first sacrificial layer; Forming a second sacrificial layer on top of the actuator; After applying a photoresist on the second sacrificial layer and forming a pattern on the photoresist, reflowing the photoresist pattern such that the photoresist pattern has a gentle slope; And patterning the second sacrificial layer to expose a portion of the upper electrode and removing the photoresist, and forming a post and a mirror on the exposed upper electrode and the second sacrificial layer. Provided is a method of manufacturing a regulating device.

In the above-described thin film type optical path control device according to the present invention, the first signal transmitted from the outside is applied to the lower electrode through the transistor embedded in the active matrix, the drain pad of the first metal layer, the via contact and the lower electrode connecting member. At the same time, the second signal is applied to the upper electrode through the common electrode line and the common electrode connecting member from the outside, thereby generating an electric field according to the potential difference between the upper electrode and the lower electrode. Due to this electric field, the strain layer formed between the upper electrode and the lower electrode causes deformation. The strained layer contracts in a direction orthogonal to the electric field, whereby the actuator is bent at a predetermined angle. The mirror is formed on top of the actuator so that it is tilted at the same angle as the actuator. Therefore, the mirror reflects the light incident from the light source at a predetermined angle, and the reflected light passes through the slit and is projected onto the screen to form an image.

Therefore, according to the present invention, the photoresist pattern is formed to have a gentle slope to form a post of the mirror, and the pattern of the second sacrificial layer is also formed to have a gentle slope along the photoresist pattern having such a gentle slope. . As a result, the edge portion where stress is concentrated in the post is not formed during the formation of the mirror and the post, and the post has the same shape along the gentle slope of the second sacrificial layer pattern. Therefore, cracks generated from the posts can be prevented from propagating to the mirror, and not only can improve the horizontality of the mirror, but also minimize the deterioration of the mirror and extend the life of the mirror.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail.

Figure 4 is a plan view of a thin film type optical path control apparatus according to the present invention, Figure 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the device shown in Figure 4, Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line C-C 'of the device of FIG. It is shown.

4 to 6, the thin film type optical path adjusting device according to the present invention includes an active matrix 100, an actuator 210 formed on the active matrix 100, and a mirror 230 formed on the actuator 210. ).

The active matrix 100 includes an isolation layer 120 for dividing the active matrix 100 into an active region and a field region, and a gate 115, a source 110, and a drain 105 in the active region. The formed MxN (M, N is an integer) P-MOS transistors are included. In addition, the active matrix 100 is stacked on top of the first metal layer 130 and the first metal layer 155 that are stacked on top of the MOS transistor and patterned to be connected to the source 110 and the drain 105, respectively. The first protective layer 135, the second metal layer 140 stacked on the first protective layer 135, the second protective layer 145 stacked on the second metal layer 140, and the second The anti-etching layer 150 may be stacked on the passivation layer 145. The first metal layer 130 includes a drain pad extending from the drain 105 of the MOS transistor, and the second metal layer 140 includes a titanium (Ti) layer and a titanium nitride (TiN) layer.

The actuator 210 has a support layer 165 in which one side is in contact with a portion in which the drain pad of the first metal layer 130 is formed below the etch stop layer 150, and the other side is horizontally formed through the air gap 160. , A lower electrode 170 stacked on the support layer 165, a strain layer 197 stacked on the lower electrode 170, an upper electrode 180 stacked on the strain layer 175, and the The first through the strained layer 175, the lower electrode 170, the support layer 165, the etch stop layer 150, the second protective layer 145, and the first protective layer 135 from one side of the strained layer 175. The via contact 190 is formed to connect the lower electrode 170 and the drain pad of the first metal layer 130 to each other in the via hole 185 vertically up to the drain pad of the first metal layer 130. The support layer 165 functions as a membrane supporting the actuator of the thin film type optical path adjusting device described in the previous application. Preferably, the support layer 165 has a 'T' shape, and the lower electrode 170 is formed on a central portion of the support layer 165 in a quadrangular shape. The strained layer 175 has a rectangular shape with a smaller area than the lower electrode 170, and the upper electrode 180 has a rectangular shape with a smaller area than the strained layer 175.

In addition, referring to FIG. 5, the actuator 210 is formed from the via contact 190 to the lower electrode 170 to connect the lower electrode connecting member 170 to the via contact 190 and the lower electrode 170. ), A common electrode line 200 formed on one side of the support layer 165, and a common electrode connection member 205 connecting the upper electrode 180 and the common electrode line 200. A first signal (image signal) is applied to the lower electrode 170 through the transistor, the via contact 190, and the lower electrode connection member 195 embedded in the active matrix 100 from the outside. At the same time, when the second signal (bias signal) is applied to the upper electrode 180 from the outside through the common electrode line 200 and the common electrode connecting member 205, a deformation formed between the upper electrode 180 and the lower electrode 170. Layer 175 causes deformation.

The mirror 230 has a lower shape supported by a post 220 formed on one side of the upper electrode 200 and has a rectangular flat plate formed on both sides of the mirror 230.

Hereinafter, a method of manufacturing a thin film type optical path control device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

7A to 7E are manufacturing process diagrams of the apparatus shown in FIG. 6.

Referring to FIG. 7A, an active matrix 100, which is an n-type doped silicon (Si) wafer, is prepared and then active in the active matrix 100 using a conventional device isolation process, for example, silicon partial oxidation (LOCOS). An isolation layer 120 is formed to distinguish between the region and the field region. Subsequently, a gate 115 made of a conductive material such as polysilicon doped with impurities is formed on the active region, and then p ⁺ source 110 and drain 105 are formed by an ion implantation process. N (M, N is an integer) P-MOS transistors are formed.

After forming the insulating layer 125 made of oxide on the top of the resultant P-MOS transistor is formed, openings for exposing the top of one side of the source 110 and the drain 105, respectively by a photolithography process. Subsequently, the first metal layer 130 is formed by depositing a metal such as titanium, titanium nitride, tungsten, or the like on the resultant material on which the openings are formed. The first metal layer 130 patterned as described above includes a drain pad extending from the drain 105 of the P-MOS transistor to an anchor 182 that is a support of the actuator 210.

A first protective layer 135 is formed on the first metal layer 130 to protect the active matrix 100 having the P-MOS transistor. The first passivation layer 135 is formed to have a thickness of about 8000 GPa by using the silicate glass (PSG) chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method.

A second metal layer 140 including a titanium layer and a titanium nitride layer is formed on the first passivation layer 135. In order to form the second metal layer 140, first, a titanium layer is formed by sputtering titanium (Ti) to a thickness of about 300 μm. Subsequently, titanium nitride is deposited on the titanium layer using physical vapor deposition (PVD) to form a titanium nitride layer. Since the second metal layer 140 is incident not only to the mirror 230 incident from the light source but also to a portion other than the portion where the mirror 230 is formed, a light leakage current flows into the active matrix 100 to cause the device to malfunction. prevent. In addition, a portion of the second metal layer 140 formed on the drain pad of the first metal layer 130 is etched through the photolithography process in consideration of the position where the via contact 190 is to be formed in the subsequent process. By forming a portion of the first protective layer 135.

The second passivation layer 145 is formed on the exposed first passivation layer 135 and the second metal layer 140. The second passivation layer 145 is formed to have a thickness of about 2000 GPa using in-silicate glass (PSG). The second protective layer 145 prevents damage to the active matrix 100 and the results formed on the active matrix 100 during subsequent processes.

An etch stop layer 150 is formed on the second passivation layer 145. The etch stop layer 150 prevents the second protective layer 145 and the like from being etched and damaged by the subsequent etching process. The etch stop layer 150 is formed by depositing nitride by low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) to have a thickness of about 1000 to 2000 kPa.

The first sacrificial layer 155 is formed on the etch stop layer 150. The first sacrificial layer 155 facilitates the stacking of thin films for forming the actuator 210, and is removed by hydrogen fluoride (HF) vapor after the stacking of the actuator 210 is completed. . The first sacrificial layer 155 is formed of a silicate glass (PSG) to a thickness of about 2.0 ~ 3.0㎛ by the atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition (APCVD) method. In this case, since the first sacrificial layer 155 covers the upper portion of the active matrix 100 in which the P-MOS transistor is embedded, the surface flatness is very poor. Accordingly, the first sacrificial layer 155 may be formed to have a thickness of about 1.0 μm by using spin on glass (SOG) or chemical mechanical polishing (CMP). The surface is planarized by polishing. Subsequently, a portion of the first sacrificial layer 155 adjacent to a portion (see FIG. 5) adjacent to a portion where the opening 143 of the second metal layer 140 is formed is etched to expose a portion of the etch stop layer 150. To form an anchor 182 that is a support of the actuator 210.

Referring to FIG. 7B, a first layer 164 is formed on the exposed etch stop layer 175 and on the first sacrificial layer 180. The first layer 164 is formed to have a thickness of about 0.01 to 1.0 탆 using a hard material such as nitride or metal. The first layer 164 is formed using a low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) method. In this case, the stress inside the first layer 164 is controlled by forming the first layer 164 while changing the ratio of the reactive gas by time in the low pressure reaction vessel. The first layer 164 is later patterned into a support layer 165 having the shape of a 'T'.

After applying the first photoresist 167 to the upper portion of the first layer 164 by using a spin coating method, the first photoresist 167 is patterned to form a lower portion of the first layer 164. The portion adjacent to the portion where the opening 143 of the second metal layer 140 is formed is exposed in a quadrangular shape along a direction orthogonal to the direction in which the drain pad of the first metal layer 130 is formed. After forming the lower electrode layer 169 on the exposed first layer 164 and on the first photoresist 167 by using a sputtering method or a chemical vapor deposition method, the common electrode line 200 is subsequently By patterning the lower electrode layer 169 in consideration of the position to be formed, the lower electrode layer 169 having a rectangular shape is formed on the exposed first layer 164. Accordingly, the lower electrode layer 169 is formed only at the center upper portion of the first layer 164 and later patterned into the lower electrode 170. The lower electrode layer 169 may have a thickness of about 0.01 to 1.0 μm using a metal such as platinum (Pt), tantalum (Ta), or platinum-tantalum (Pt-Ta) having electrical conductivity. Form.

A second layer 174 is formed on the lower electrode layer 169 and the first photoresist 167. The second layer 174 has a thickness of about 0.1 to 1.0 mu m, preferably 0 .4 mu m using a sol-gel method, a sputtering method, or a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method. Form to have a thickness of about. The second layer 174 is formed using ZrO ₂ , PZT, or PLZT, which is a piezoelectric material. Subsequently, the piezoelectric material constituting the second layer 174 is subjected to heat treatment using a rapid heat treatment (RTA) method to phase change. The second layer 174 is later patterned into the strained layer 175.

An upper electrode layer 179 is formed on the second layer 174. The upper electrode layer 179 is formed using aluminum (Al), platinum (Pt), or tantalum (Ta), which is a metal having electrical conductivity. The upper electrode layer 179 is formed to have a thickness of about 0.01 to 1.0 µm using a sputtering method. The upper electrode layer 179 is later patterned with the upper electrode 180 to which a second signal (bias signal) is applied.

Referring to FIG. 7C, after the second photoresist (not shown) is coated on the upper electrode layer 179 by a spin coating method, the upper electrode layer 179 may be squared using the second photoresist as an etching mask. Patterned as the upper electrode 180 having a shape of. As a result, the upper electrode 180 is formed on the center of the first layer 164.

The second layer 174 is patterned into a strained layer 175 having a rectangular shape having a larger area than the upper electrode 180 using the same method as the patterning of the upper electrode layer 179. In this case, the strained layer 175 has a smaller area than the lower electrode layer 169 already formed. The lower electrode layer 169 is also patterned in the same manner to be patterned into the lower electrode 170 having a larger area than the strained layer 175, and the first photoresist 167 is also removed.

The first layer 164 is also patterned into the support layer 165 in the same manner as above. Unlike the shape of the lower electrode 170, the support layer 165 has a 'T' shape, and the lower electrode 170 is formed on a central portion of the support layer 165. Next, the common electrode line 200 is formed on one side of the support layer 165. That is, after the third photoresist (not shown) is coated on the support layer 165 by spin coating, the third photoresist is patterned to expose one side of the support layer 165, and then platinum, tantalum, The common electrode line 200 is formed by using platinum-tantalum, aluminum, or silver. The common electrode line 200 is formed to have a thickness of about 0.5 to 2.0 µm using a sputtering method or a chemical vapor deposition method. In this case, the common electrode line 200 is spaced apart from the lower electrode 170 by a predetermined distance. Subsequently, the common electrode connecting member 205 connecting the common electrode line 200 and the upper electrode 180 is formed using the same material and the same method as the common electrode line 200. Therefore, the common electrode connecting member 205 is spaced apart from the lower electrode 170 by a predetermined distance and does not contact the lower electrode 205.

In addition, when the third photoresist is patterned, the upper portion of the support layer 165 at the lower portion of the second metal layer 140 in which the opening 143 is formed is exposed simultaneously to the portion where the lower electrode 170 is formed. Subsequently, the via hole 185 is vertically etched from the support layer 165 to the drain pad of the first metal layer 130 by etching the etch stop layer 150, the second passivation layer 145, and the first passivation layer 135. After forming the via contact 204, a via contact 190 is formed from the drain pad to the support layer 165 in the via hole 185. At the same time, the lower electrode connecting member 195 is formed to be connected to the via contact 190 from the lower electrode 170 to the via hole 185 (see FIG. 5). Therefore, the via contact 190, the lower electrode connecting member 195, and the lower electrode 170 are connected to each other. The via contact 190 and the lower electrode connecting member 195 are formed using a sputtering method or a chemical vapor deposition method. The via contact 190 and the lower electrode connecting member 195 are formed using platinum, tantalum, or platinum-tantalum, which is a metal having electrical conductivity. In this case, the lower electrode connecting member 195 is formed to have a thickness of about 0.5 to 1.0 μm. Therefore, the first signal is externally connected to the lower electrode 170 through the transistor embedded in the active matrix 100, the drain pad of the first metal layer 130, the via contact 190, and the lower electrode connecting member 195. Is approved. Subsequently, the third photoresist and the first sacrificial layer 155 are removed to form an actuator 210 including an upper electrode 180, a deformation layer 175, a lower electrode 170, and a support layer 165. do.

Referring to FIG. 7D, as described above, the first sacrificial layer 155 is removed to form the second sacrificial layer 215 using a polymer having excellent fluidity on the actuator 210 having the air gap 160 formed thereon. do. The second sacrificial layer 215 is formed using a spin coating method to completely cover the upper electrode 180. Subsequently, after the fourth photoresist 225 is coated on the second sacrificial layer 215 by a spin coating method, the fourth photoresist is considered in consideration of the position where the post 220 of the mirror 230 is to be formed. Pattern 225. Therefore, the pattern of the fourth photoresist 225 has a vertical inclined surface.

FIG. 7E is a view illustrating a state in which the fourth photoresist 225 and the second sacrificial layer 215 which are portions of the device 'D' shown in FIG. 7D are patterned. Referring to FIG. 7E, in order for the fourth photoresist 225 pattern having the vertical inclined surface as described above to have a gentle inclined surface, the photoresist burns the fourth photoresist 225 pattern so as not to damage the pattern. The fourth photoresist 225 pattern is reflowed by baking at a temperature of about 150 to 170 ° C., which is a temperature range that can be reflowed without reflow. As such, when the fourth photoresist 225 pattern is reflowed, a vertical inclined surface of the fourth photoresist 225 pattern is more smoothly formed as shown in FIG. 7E. Subsequently, the fourth photoresist 225 pattern having the gentle inclined surface as described above is dry-etched to complete the pattern having the gentle inclined surface. Subsequently, one side of the upper electrode 180 is exposed by patterning the second sacrificial layer 215 using the fourth photoresist 225 pattern having a gentle slope as an etching mask. Therefore, the pattern of the second sacrificial layer 215 also has a gentle slope along the shape of the fourth photoresist 225 pattern. In addition, the fourth photoresist 225 is removed.

Referring to FIG. 7F, the post 220 and the mirror 230 are made of aluminum, platinum, silver, or the like, which is a reflective metal on one side of the exposed upper electrode 180 and on the second sacrificial layer 215. ) At the same time. Post 220 and mirror 230 are formed using a sputtering method or a chemical vapor deposition method. Preferably, the mirror 230 reflecting light incident from a light source (not shown) has a thickness of about 0.01 to 1.0 탆. In addition, the post 220 also has a gentle slope along the second sacrificial layer 215 pattern having a gentle slope. Therefore, when the mirror 230 and the post 220 are formed, stress is concentrated at the corners of the posts 220, so that cracks can be prevented from occurring at these corners. Subsequently, after the mirror 230 is patterned to have a rectangular shape, the second sacrificial layer 215 is removed using an oxygen plasma, washed, and dried to complete the thin film type optical path control device.

In the above-described thin film type optical path control device according to the present invention, the first signal transmitted from the outside is the lower electrode through the transistor embedded in the active matrix 100, the drain pad of the first metal layer 130 and the via contact 190. Is applied to 170. At the same time, a second signal is applied to the upper electrode 180 from the outside to generate an electric field according to the potential difference between the upper electrode 180 and the lower electrode 170. Due to this electric field, the deformation layer 175 formed between the upper electrode 180 and the lower electrode 170 causes deformation. The strained layer 175 contracts in a direction orthogonal to the electric field, whereby the actuator 210 is bent at a predetermined angle. Since the mirror 230 is formed on the actuator 210, the mirror 230 is tilted at the same angle as the actuator 210. Therefore, the mirror 230 reflects the light incident from the light source at a predetermined angle, and the reflected light passes through the slit and is projected onto the screen to form an image.

As described above, according to the present invention, in order to form a post of the mirror, the photoresist pattern is formed to have a gentle slope, and the pattern of the second sacrificial layer also has a gentle slope along the photoresist pattern having such a gentle slope. Form. As a result, the edge portion where stress is concentrated in the post is not formed during the formation of the mirror and the post, and the post has the same shape along the gentle slope of the second sacrificial layer pattern. Therefore, cracks generated from the posts can be prevented from propagating to the mirror, and not only can improve the horizontality of the mirror, but also minimize the deterioration of the mirror and extend the life of the mirror.

Although described above with reference to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, those skilled in the art will be variously modified and changed within the scope of the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention described in the claims below I can understand that you can.

Claims (2)

Providing an active matrix with M × N (M, N is an integer) embedded therein; Forming a first metal layer on the active matrix, the first metal layer including a drain pad extending from the drain of the transistor; After forming and patterning a first sacrificial layer on the active matrix, forming an actuator including a support layer, a lower electrode, a strain layer, and an upper electrode on the patterned first sacrificial layer; Forming a second sacrificial layer on top of the actuator; After applying a photoresist on the second sacrificial layer and forming a pattern on the photoresist, reflowing the photoresist pattern such that the photoresist pattern has a gentle slope; And Patterning the second sacrificial layer to expose a portion of the upper electrode and removing the photoresist, and then forming posts and mirrors on top of the exposed upper electrode and the second sacrificial layer. The manufacturing method of the thin film type optical path control apparatus. The method of claim 1, wherein the reflowing of the photoresist pattern further comprises baking the photoresist pattern at a temperature of 150 to 170 ° C. and dry etching the photoresist pattern. Method of manufacturing the optical path control device.