REFLECTIVE TFT SUBSTRATE AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING REFLECTIVE TFT SUBSTRATE

• US 20100163876A1
• Filed: 01/16/2007
• Published: 07/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kazuyoshi Inoue, Koki Yano, Nobuo Tanaka, Tokie Tanaka
• Original Assignee: Kazuyoshi Inoue, Koki Yano, Nobuo Tanaka, Tokie Tanaka
• Inventors: Tanaka, Nobuo, Inoue, Kazuyoshi, Yano, Koki, Tanaka, Tokie
• Application Number:
  US12/278,894
• Publication Number:
  US 20100163876A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 257/59
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133553 Reflecting elements associated to illuminating devices G02F1/133605
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1368 in which the switching element is a three-electrode device G02F1/136277 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1225 with semiconductor materials not belonging to the group IV of the periodic table, e.g. InGaZnO
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1288 employing particular masking sequences or specially adapted masks, e.g. half-tone mask
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/45 Ohmic electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/7869 having a semiconductor body comprising an oxide semiconductor material, e.g. zinc oxide, copper aluminium oxide, cadmium stannate

Abstract

A reflective TFT substrate which can be operated for a prolonged period of time due to the presence of a protective insulating film, is free from occurrence of crosstalk, and is capable of significantly reducing manufacturing cost by decreasing the production steps in the production process. A reflective TFT substrate 1 comprises a substrate 10; a gate electrode 23 and a gate wire 24; a gate insulating film 30; an n-type oxide semiconductor layer 40; a metal layer 60 formed with a channel part 41 interposed therebetween; and a protective insulating film 80 which covers the upper part of the glass substrate 10 on which a pixel electrode 67, a drain wire pad 68 and a gate wire pad 25 are exposed, wherein the metal layer 60 functions at least as a source wire 65, a drain wire 66, a source electrode 63, a drain electrode 64 and the pixel electrode 67.

Claims

1. A reflective TFT substrate comprising:

a substrate;

a gate electrode and a gate wire formed above the substrate;

a gate insulating film formed above the substrate, the gate electrode and the gate wire;

an oxide layer formed above the gate electrode, and above the gate insulating film;

a metal layer formed above the oxide layer with a channel part interposed therebetween; and

a pixel electrode which contacts a source/drain electrode, wherein

the metal layer functions at least as the pixel electrode and the source/drain electrode which contacts the pixel electrode.

2. The reflective TFT substrate according to claim 1, wherein an oxide conductor layer is formed between the oxide layer and the metal layer.

3. The reflective TFT substrate according to claim 1, wherein the reflectance of the metal layer is 80% or more.

4. The reflective TFT substrate according to claim 1, wherein the metal layer is formed of a thin film of aluminum, silver or gold, or an alloy layer containing aluminum, silver or gold.

5. The reflective TFT substrate according to claim 1, wherein the reflective TFT substrate is provided with a metal layer and/or a metal thin film, and has a metal layer-protecting oxide transparent conductor layer for protecting the metal layer and/or the metal thin film.

6. The reflective TFT substrate according to claim 1, wherein the upper part of the reflective TFT substrate is covered with a protective insulating film, and the protective insulating film has openings at positions corresponding to each of the pixel electrode, a source/drain wire pad and a gate wire pad.

7. The reflective TFT substrate according to claim 1, wherein the oxide layer is an n-type oxide semiconductor layer.

8. The reflective TFT substrate according to claim 1, wherein the oxide layer is formed at predetermined positions corresponding to the channel part, a source wire, a drain wire, a source electrode, a drain electrode and the pixel electrode.

9. The reflective TFT substrate according to claim 1, wherein the oxide layer has an energy gap of 3.0 eV or more.

10. A method for producing a reflective TFT substrate comprising the steps of:

forming a gate electrode and a gate wire above a substrate by using a first mask;

stacking a gate insulating film, an oxide layer, a metal layer and a second resist above the substrate, the gate electrode and the gate wire, and forming the second resist into a predetermined shape by half-tone exposure;

patterning the metal layer and the oxide layer by an etching method using the second resist to form a source wire, a drain wire and a pixel electrode;

after reforming the second resist, selectively patterning the metal layer above the gate electrode by an etching method using the reformed second resist to form a source electrode and a drain electrode;

stacking a protective insulating film and a third resist above the gate insulating film and the oxide layer, which are exposed, as well as above the source wire, the drain wire, the source electrode, the drain electrode and the pixel electrode, and forming the third resist into a predetermined shape by using a third mask; and

patterning the protective insulating film above the pixel electrode and a source/drain wire pad, as well as the protective insulating film and the gate insulating film above a gate wire pad by an etching method using the third resist to expose the pixel electrode, the source/drain wire pad and the gate wire pad.

11. The method for producing a reflective TFT substrate according to claims 10, wherein an oxide conductor layer is formed between the oxide layer and the metal layer.

12. The method for producing a reflective TFT substrate according to claim 10, wherein a metal layer-protecting oxide transparent conductor layer is stacked above the metal layer.

13. The method for producing a reflective TFT substrate according to claim 10, wherein a metal layer-protecting oxide transparent conductor layer is stacked above the gate electrode and the gate wire.