Copper alloys and liquid-crystal display device

• US 7,626,665 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2005
• Issued: 12/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xenogenic Development Limited Liability Company (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Advanced Interconnect Materials, LLC, Tohoku University National Universities Corporation
• Inventors: Koike, Junichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Healy, Brian M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Anderson, Guy G
• Application Number:
  US10/572,278
• Publication Number:
  US 20070002239A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,554 Days
• Field of Search: 349/139, 349/43, 349/187, 349/46, 349147-148, 359/51
• US Class Current: 349/139
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 9/05 with manganese as the next major constituent
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 8/10 Oxidising
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/136286 Wiring, e.g. gate line, drain line
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/136295 Materials; Compositions; Manufacture processes
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1368 in which the switching element is a three-electrode device G02F1/136277 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76834 formation of thin insulating films on the sidewalls or on top of conductors H01L21/76831 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76852 the layer also covering the sidewalls of the conductive structure
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76867 characterized by methods of formation other than PVD, CVD or deposition from a liquids PVD H01L21/2855; CVD H01L21/28556; deposition from liquids H01L21/288
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/124 with a particular composition, shape or layout of the wiring layers specially adapted to the circuit arrangement, e.g. scanning lines in LCD pixel circuits wiring structures per se H01L23/52
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/458 for thin film silicon, e.g. source or drain electrode
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/4908 for thin film semiconductor, e.g. gate of TFT

Abstract

To provide a highly conductive Cu alloy which is advantageous in that an alloying element added to Cu is first reacted with oxygen contained in a gas atmosphere or solid in contact with the Cu member to form an oxide film which can prevent oxidation of Cu. The copper alloy comprises copper (Cu) containing an inevitable impurity, and an element added to the copper, wherein the added element is capable of being dissolved in the copper in an amount of 0.1 to 20 at. %, wherein the added element has an oxide formation free energy smaller than that of Cu and has a diffusion coefficient in Cu larger than the self-diffusion coefficient of Cu.

Claims

1. A liquid crystal display device comprising:

a pair of substrates;

a liquid crystal layer disposed between the substrates;

an electrode disposed on one of the substrates; and

a wiring layer disposed on said one of the substrates, connected with the electrode and made of a copper alloy comprising copper and an element selected from the group consisting of Mn, Zn, Ga, Li, Ge, Sr, Ag, Ba, Pr and Nd,

wherein a concentration of the element in the copper alloy is more than 0.1 and not more than 20 atomic percentage and within a solubility limit of the element in the copper.

3. The liquid crystal display device of claim 1,

wherein atoms of the element are diffused into the copper so as to form an oxide film including the atoms, the oxide film being formed on a surface of the copper alloy.

4. The liquid crystal display device of claim 3,

wherein a thickness of the oxide film is 1-10 nm.

5. The liquid crystal display device of claim 4,

wherein an electric resistivity of the copper alloy is equal to or more than 1.7 μ

Ω

cm and equal to or less than 7 μ

Ω

cm.

2. A liquid crystal display device comprising:

a pair of substrates;

a liquid crystal layer disposed between the substrates;

an electrode disposed on one of the substrates; and

a wiring layer disposed on said one of the substrates, connected with the electrode and made of a copper alloy consisting essentially of copper and manganese

wherein a concentration of the manganese in the copper alloy is more than 0.1 and not more than 20 atomic percentage and within a solubility limit of the element in the copper.

6. The liquid crystal display device of claim 2,

wherein an oxide film including the manganese has a thickness of 1-10 nm, the oxide film being formed on a surface of the copper alloy.

7. The liquid crystal display device of claim 6,

wherein an electric resistivity of the copper alloy is equal to or more than 1.7 μ

Ω

cm and equal to or less than 7 μ

Ω

cm.

8. The liquid crystal display device of claim 2,

wherein an electric resistivity of the copper alloy is equal to or more than 1.7 μ

Ω

cm and equal to or less than 7 μ

Ω

cm.