Color filter and photomask to be employed for the manufacture of color filter

• US 20090015957A1
• Filed: 08/13/2008
• Published: 01/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toppan Printing Co., Ltd. (TOPPAN Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Toppan Printing Co., Ltd. (TOPPAN Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Shiraishi, Junichi, Kawamoto, Ryuji, Kamada, Atsuko
• Granted Patent: US 8,367,280 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/891
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/201 in the form of arrays
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133512 Light shielding layers, e.g. black matrix G02F1/136209 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13394 spacers regularly patterned on the cell subtrate, e.g. walls, pillars G02F1/133377 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 1/00 Originals for photomechanical production of textured or patterned surfaces, e.g., masks, photo-masks, reticles; Mask blanks or pellicles therefor; Containers specially adapted therefor; Preparation thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/0007 Filters, e.g. additive colour filters; Components for display devices

Abstract

A color filter including a first photo-spacer, and a second photo-spacer having a smaller film thickness than that of the first photo-spacer, wherein the second photo-spacer has a cross-sectional configuration whose longitudinal width is made greater than the lateral width. These photo-spacers are formed by making use of a photomask which includes a first aperture pattern for forming the first photo-spacer, a second aperture pattern for forming the second photo-spacer which has a smaller film thickness than that of the first photo-spacer, wherein an aperture of the second aperture pattern has a lateral width in the range 2.0-10.0 μm and the ratio of lateral width to longitudinal width is confined to 11.25 or more.

Claims

1. A color filter comprising a first photo-spacer;

and a second photo-spacer having a smaller thickness than that of the first photo-spacer;

wherein the second photo-spacer has a cross-sectional configuration whose longitudinal width is made greater than the lateral width.

2. The color filter according to claim 1, wherein the second photo-spacer has a cross-sectional configuration whose longitudinal width is at least 1.25 times greater than the lateral width.

3. The color filter according to claim 1, wherein the second photo-spacer is formed to have a cross-sectional configuration selected from the group consisting of rectangular shape, elliptical shape, oval shape and bobbin-like shape.

4. The color filter according to claim 2, wherein the second photo-spacer is formed to have a cross-sectional configuration selected from the group consisting of rectangular shape, elliptical shape, oval shape and bobbin-like shape.

5. The color filter according to claim 1, herein the second photo-spacer has an upper surface which is configured such that the opposite side portions thereof are protruded in the longitudinal direction to provide two protruded portions.

6. The color filter according to claim 2, herein the second photo-spacer has an upper surface which is configured such that the opposite side portions thereof are protruded in the longitudinal direction to provide two protruded portions.

7. The color filter according to claim 3, herein the second photo-spacer has an upper surface which is configured such that the opposite side portions thereof are protruded in the longitudinal direction to provide two protruded portions.

8. The color filter according to claim 1, wherein a difference in thickness between the first photo-spacer and the second photo-spacer is confined to the range of 0.1 to 1.0 μ

m.

9. The color filter according to claim 2, wherein a difference in thickness between the first photo-spacer and the second photo-spacer is confined to the range of 0.1 to 1.0 μ

m.

10. The color filter according to claim 3, wherein a difference in thickness between the first photo-spacer and the second photo-spacer is confined to the range of 0.1 to 1.0 μ

m.

11. The color filter according to claim 1, wherein the second photo-spacer is arranged at a region over a black matrix.

12. The color filter according to claim 2, wherein the second photo-spacer is arranged at a region over a black matrix.

13. The color filter according to claim 3, wherein the second photo-spacer is arranged at a region over a black matrix.

14. A photomask for creating photo-spacers for color filter, the photomask comprising a first aperture pattern for forming a first photo-spacer;

a second aperture pattern for forming a second photo-spacer which has a smaller film thickness than that of the first photo-spacer;

wherein an aperture of the second aperture pattern has a lateral width ranging from 2.0 to 10.0 μ

m and a ratio of lateral width to longitudinal width is confined to 1;

1.25 or more.

15. The photomask according to claim 14, wherein an aperture of the first aperture pattern is a circular having a diameter which is greater than the length of the lateral width of the aperture of the second aperture pattern.

16. The photomask according to claim 14, wherein the aperture of the second aperture pattern has a lateral width ranging from 3.0 to 5.0 μ

m.

17. The photomask according to claim 15, wherein the aperture of the second aperture pattern has a lateral width ranging from 3.0 to 5.0 μ

m.

18. The photomask according to claim 14, wherein the aperture of the first aperture pattern has a width ranging from 8 to 20 μ

m.

19. The photomask according to claim 15, wherein the aperture of the first aperture pattern has a width ranging from 8 to 20 μ

m.

20. A color filter comprising a first photo-spacer;

and a second photo-spacer having a smaller film thickness than that of the first photo-spacer;

wherein the second photo-spacer has a cross-sectional configuration whose longitudinal width is made greater than the lateral width, and the first photo-spacer and the second photo-spacer are formed by subjecting a photosensitive composition to a single exposure and to a single developing operation by making use of the photomask claimed in claim 14.