Method for patterning electroconductive tin oxide film

• US 20040067444A1
• Filed: 06/30/2003
• Published: 04/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nissan Chemical Industries Limited (Shin-Etsu Chemical Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Nissan Chemical Industries Limited (Shin-Etsu Chemical Company Limited)
• Inventors: Wakabayashi, Makoto, Furusho, Hitoshi, Motoyama, Kenichi, Fukuro, Hiroyoshi
• Application Number:
  US10/451,363
• Publication Number:
  US 20040067444A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 430/311
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13439 characterised by their electrical, optical, physical properties; materials therefor; method of making
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/0042 with inorganic or organometallic light-sensitive compounds not otherwise provided for, e.g. inorganic resists G03F7/075 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/1884 Manufacture of transparent electrodes, e.g. TCO, ITO
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/02 in which the conductive material is applied to the surface of the insulating support and is thereafter removed from such areas of the surface which are not intended for current conducting or shielding
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy

Abstract

A method for obtaining an electroconductive tin oxide pattern film simply and efficiently without using a resist film. A method for patterning an electroconductive tin oxide film, characterized by employing a solution having a tin compound and a dopant compound soluble in an organic solvent dissolved in the organic solvent, drying it to such an extent that the dried film retains the solubility in a developing solution, exposing the dried film with a light containing an ultraviolet region to render it partially insoluble, and etching the unexposed portion with the developing solution.

Claims

1. A method for patterning an electroconductive tin oxide film, characterized by employing a solution having a tin compound and a dopant compound soluble in an organic solvent dissolved in the organic solvent, drying it to such an extent that the dried film retains the solubility in a developing solution, exposing the dried film with a light containing an ultraviolet region to render it partially insoluble, and etching the unexposed portion with the developing solution.

2. The method for patterning an electroconductive tin oxide film according to claim 1, which comprises the following steps (A), (B) and (C):

(A) a step of forming the solution having a tin compound and a dopant compound soluble in an organic solvent dissolved in the organic solvent,

(B) a step of coating the solution obtained in step (A) on a substrate and drying a coating film formed on the substrate to form a dried film, and

(C) a step of transcribing a pattern on the dried film obtained in step (B), by a light containing an ultraviolet region, then etching the dried film constituting the transcribed pattern, with a developing solution to form a partially developed pattern film, and then baking the dried film to form a tin(IV) oxide film.

3. The method for patterning an electroconductive tin oxide film according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the dopant compound is an antimony compound and/or a fluorine compound.

4. The method for patterning an electroconductive tin oxide film according to claim 3, wherein the antimony compound is used in an atomic ratio of from 2 to 30 mol %, based on the tin compound.

5. The method for patterning an electroconductive tin oxide film according to claim 3, wherein the fluorine compound is used in an atomic ratio of from 2 to 60 mol %, based on the tin compound.

6. The method for patterning an electroconductive tin oxide film according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the concentration of the tin compound and the dopant compound in the solution having them dissolved in the organic solvent, is from 2 to 30 wt % as solid content concentration.

7. The method for patterning an electroconductive tin oxide film according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the light containing an ultraviolet region is a light containing a wavelength of from 180 nm to 400 nm.

8. The method for patterning an electroconductive tin oxide film according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the developing solution is an alkaline developing solution or an acid developing solution.

9. The method for patterning an electroconductive tin oxide film according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the temperature for drying the coating film formed on the substrate is within a range of from room temperature to 150°

C.

10. The method for patterning an electroconductive tin oxide film according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the temperature for baking the dried film is at least 350°

C.