Method for manufacturing spacers and method for manufacturing display substrate

• US 10,578,927 B2
• Filed: 07/12/2017
• Issued: 03/03/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Jung, Bongkwan, Wang, Weijie, Zeng, Qinghui
• Primary Examiner(s): Merlin, Jessica M
• Application Number:
  US15/743,025
• Publication Number:
  US 20180239179A1
• Time in Patent Office: 965 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1339 Gaskets; Spacers; Sealing of cells
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13394 spacers regularly patterned on the cell subtrate, e.g. walls, pillars G02F1/133377 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13396 Spacers having different sizes
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13398 Spacer materials; Spacer properties
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/30 Imagewise removal using liquid means
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/38 Treatment before imagewise removal, e.g. prebaking G03F7/265 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/40 Treatment after imagewise removal, e.g. baking

Abstract

A method for manufacturing spacers and a method for manufacturing a display substrate are disclosed. The method for manufacturing spacers includes performing an over-development process on the photoresist layer processed by the exposure process to form a first photoresist pattern and a second photoresist pattern on the substrate; an outer edge of a lower portion of the first photoresist pattern near the substrate is provided with a recess, and an outer edge of a lower portion of the second photoresist pattern near the substrate is provided with a recess; waiting a first duration for photoresist on a surface of the first photoresist pattern to flow downwards to fill the recess of the first photoresist pattern, and photoresist on a surface of the second photoresist pattern to flow downwards to fill the recess of the second photoresist pattern.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing spacers, comprising:

forming a photoresist layer on a substrate;

performing an exposure process on the photoresist layer using a mask plate;

performing an over-development process on the photoresist layer processed by the exposure process to form a first photoresist pattern and a second photoresist pattern on the substrate;

in a direction perpendicular to the substrate as a height direction, at a position of the same height, an area of a cross-section of the first photoresist pattern is greater than an area of a cross-section of the second photoresist pattern;

an outer edge of a lower portion of the first photoresist pattern near the substrate is provided with a recess, and an outer edge of a lower portion of the second photoresist pattern near the substrate is provided with a recess;

waiting a first duration for photoresist on a surface of the first photoresist pattern to flow downwards to fill the recess of the first photoresist pattern, and photoresist on a surface of the second photoresist pattern to flow downwards to fill the recess of the second photoresist pattern; and

post-baking the first photoresist pattern and the second photoresist pattern to form a first spacer and a second spacer, a height of the first spacer being greater than a height of the second spacer.

2. The method for manufacturing spacers according to claim 1, wherein the mask plate is composed of a completely transparent region and an opaque region.

3. The method for manufacturing spacers according to claim 2, further comprising:

in the step of waiting the first duration, performing a water-washing process on the first photoresist pattern and the second photoresist pattern;

after the water-washing process, performing a drying process on the first photoresist pattern and the second photoresist pattern using an air knife.

4. The method for manufacturing spacers according to claim 1, further comprising:

before the step of performing the over-development process on the photoresist layer processed by the exposure process, spraying a developing solution on the photoresist layer processed by the exposure process to over-develop the photoresist layer processed by the exposure process with the developing solution.

5. The method for manufacturing spacers according to claim 4, wherein a processing time of the over-development process on the photoresist layer processed by the exposure process is no less than 96 seconds and no more than 144 seconds.

6. The method for manufacturing spacers according to claim 5, wherein the processing time is approximately 100 seconds, 110 seconds, 120 seconds, 130 seconds or 140 seconds.

7. The method for manufacturing spacers according to claim 1, further comprising:

before the step of performing the over-development process on the photoresist layer processed by the exposure process, immersing the substrate and the photoresist layer processed by the exposure process in a developing solution to over-develop the photoresist layer processed by the exposure process with the developing solution.

8. The method for manufacturing spacers according to claim 1, further comprising:

before the step of performing the exposure process on the photoresist layer using the mask plate, pre-baking the photoresist layer to make the photoresist layer viscous.

9. The method for manufacturing spacers according to claim 1, wherein the first duration is no less than 50 seconds and no more than 70 seconds.

10. The method for manufacturing spacers according to claim 9, wherein the first duration is approximately 55 seconds, 60 seconds or 65 seconds.

11. A method for manufacturing a display substrate comprising the method for manufacturing spacers according to claim 1.

12. The method for manufacturing a display substrate according to claim 11, wherein the mask plate is composed of a completely transparent region and an opaque region.

13. The method for manufacturing a display substrate according to claim 12, further comprising:

in the step of waiting the first duration, performing a water-washing process on the first photoresist pattern and the second photoresist pattern;

after the water-washing process, performing a drying process on the first photoresist pattern and the second photoresist pattern using an air knife.

14. The method for manufacturing a display substrate according to claim 11, further comprising:

before the step of performing the over-development process on the photoresist layer processed by the exposure process, spraying a developing solution on the photoresist layer processed by the exposure process to over-develop the photoresist layer processed by the exposure process with the developing solution.

15. The method for manufacturing a display substrate according to claim 14, wherein a processing time of the over-development process on the photoresist layer processed by the exposure process is no less than 96 seconds and no more than 144 seconds.

16. The method for manufacturing a display substrate according to claim 15, wherein the processing time is approximately 100 seconds, 110 seconds, 120 seconds, 130 seconds or 140 seconds.

17. The method for manufacturing a display substrate according to claim 11, further comprising:

before the step of performing the over-development process on the photoresist layer processed by the exposure process, immersing the substrate and the photoresist layer processed by the exposure process in a developing solution to over-develop the photoresist layer processed by the exposure process with the developing solution.

18. The method for manufacturing a display substrate according to claim 11, further comprising:

before the step of performing the exposure process on the photoresist layer using the mask plate, pre-baking the photoresist layer to make the photoresist layer viscous.

19. The method for manufacturing a display substrate according to claim 11, wherein the first duration is no less than 50 seconds and no more than 70 seconds.

20. The method for manufacturing a display substrate according to claim 19, wherein the first duration is approximately 55 seconds, 60 seconds or 65 seconds.