Thin film transistor array panel

• US 8,853,703 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Issued: 10/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Park, Ji-Young, Jeong, Yu-Gwang, Kim, Sang Gab, Lee, Joon Geol
• Primary Examiner(s): Soward, Ida M
• Application Number:
  US13/830,269
• Publication Number:
  US 20140117361A1
• Time in Patent Office: 572 Days
• Field of Search: 257/59, 257/72, 257/291, 257/E29.117, 257/E29.151, 257/E29.273
• US Class Current: 257/72
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/134363 for applying an electric field parallel to the substrate, i.e. in-plane switching [IPS]
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/136227 Through-hole connection of the pixel electrode to the active element through an insulation layer
• 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 27/1259 Multistep manufacturing methods
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/66765 Lateral single gate single channel transistors with inverted structure, i.e. the channel layer is formed after the gate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/78669 with inverted-type structure, e.g. with bottom gate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/78678 with inverted-type structure, e.g. with bottom gate

Abstract

A thin film transistor array panel includes a substrate, gate lines, each including a gate pad, a gate insulating layer, data lines, each including a data pad connected to a source and drain electrode, a first passivation layer disposed on the data lines and the drain electrode, a first electric field generating electrode, a second passivation layer disposed on the first electric field generating electrode, and a second electric field generating electrode. The gate insulating layer and the first and second passivation layers include a first contact hole exposing a part of the gate pad, the first and second passivation layers include a second contact hole exposing a part of the data pad, and at least one of the first and second contact holes have a positive taper structure having a wider area at an upper side than at a lower side.

Claims

1. A thin film transistor array panel, comprising:

a substrate;

a plurality of gate lines disposed on the substrate, wherein each gate line comprises a gate pad;

a gate insulating layer disposed on the plurality of gate lines;

a plurality of data lines disposed on the gate insulating layer, wherein each data line comprises a data pad connected to a source electrode and a drain electrode;

a first passivation layer disposed on the plurality of data lines and the drain electrode;

a first electric field generating electrode disposed on the first passivation layer;

a second passivation layer disposed on the first electric field generating electrode; and

a second electric field generating electrode disposed on the second passivation layer,

wherein the first passivation layer and the second passivation layer are inorganic materials, and the gate insulating layer, the first passivation layer, and the second passivation layer comprise a first contact hole exposing a part of the gate pad, the first passivation layer and the second passivation layer comprise a second contact hole exposing a part of the data pad, and at least one of the first contact hole and the second contact hole have a positive taper structure having a wider area at an upper side than at a lower side.

2. The thin film transistor array panel of claim 1, wherein:

at least one of the gate insulating layer, the first passivation layer, and the second passivation layer comprises a lower layer and an upper layer disposed on the lower layer, and

an area of a contact hole in the upper layer is larger than an area of a contact hole in the lower layer, wherein the contact hole is the first contact hole, the second contact hole, or a third contact hole.

3. The thin film transistor array panel of claim 2, wherein:

the first passivation layer is a single layer.

4. The thin film transistor array panel of claim 3, wherein:

the second passivation layer is a bi-layer comprising the lower layer and the upper layer.

5. The thin film transistor array panel of claim 4, wherein:

an etching speed of the first passivation layer is about equal to or slower than an etching speed of the lower layer of the second passivation layer, and the etching speed of the lower layer of the second passivation layer is slower than an etching speed of the upper layer of the second passivation layer.

6. The thin film transistor array panel of claim 5, wherein:

an etching speed of the gate insulating layer is slower than the etching speed of the first passivation layer.

7. The thin film transistor array panel of claim 4, wherein:

a ratio of a combination concentration of nitrogen and hydrogen to a combination concentration of silicon and hydrogen of the first passivation layer is about equal to or smaller than a ratio of a combination concentration of nitrogen and hydrogen to a combination concentration of silicon and hydrogen of the lower layer of the second passivation layer, and

the ratio of a combination concentration of nitrogen and hydrogen to a combination concentration of silicon and hydrogen of the lower layer of the second passivation layer is smaller than a ratio of a combination concentration of nitrogen and hydrogen to a combination concentration of silicon and hydrogen of the upper layer of the second passivation layer.

8. The thin film transistor array panel of claim 2, further comprising:

an organic layer disposed between the first passivation layer and the first electric field generating electrode, wherein

the organic layer is not disposed in regions corresponding to the gate pad and the data pad.

9. The thin film transistor array panel of claim 1, wherein:

the first passivation layer and the second passivation layer comprise a drain electrode contact hole exposing a part of the drain electrode,

the second electric field generating electrode is connected with the drain electrode through the drain electrode contact hole, and

the drain electrode contact hole has a positive taper structure having a wider area at an upper side than at a lower side.

10. The thin film transistor array panel of claim 9, wherein:

at least one of the gate insulating layer, the first passivation layer, and the second passivation layer comprises a lower layer and an upper layer disposed on the lower layer, and

an area of a contact hole in the upper layer is larger than an area of the contact hole in the lower layer, wherein the contact hole is the first contact hole, the second contact hole, or a third contact hole.

11. The thin film transistor array panel of claim 10, wherein:

the first passivation layer is a single layer.

12. The thin film transistor array panel of claim 11, wherein:

the second passivation layer is a bi-layer comprising the lower layer and the upper layer.

13. The thin film transistor array panel of claim 12, wherein:

an etching speed of the first passivation layer is about equal to or slower than an etching speed of the lower layer of the second passivation layer, and the etching speed of the lower layer of the second passivation layer is slower than an etching speed of the upper layer of the second passivation layer.

14. The thin film transistor array panel of claim 13, wherein:

an etching speed of the gate insulating layer is slower than the etching speed of the first passivation layer.

15. The thin film transistor array panel of claim 13, wherein:

a ratio of a combination concentration of nitrogen and hydrogen to a combination concentration of silicon and hydrogen of the first passivation layer is about equal to or smaller than a ratio of a combination concentration of nitrogen and hydrogen to a combination concentration of silicon and hydrogen of the lower layer of the second passivation layer, and

the ratio of a combination concentration of nitrogen and hydrogen to a combination concentration of silicon and hydrogen of the lower layer of the second passivation layer is smaller than a ratio of a combination concentration of nitrogen and hydrogen to a combination concentration of silicon and hydrogen of the upper layer of the second passivation layer.

16. The thin film transistor array panel of claim 9, further comprising:

an organic layer disposed between the first passivation layer and the first electric field generating electrode, wherein

the organic layer comprises an opening surrounding the drain electrode contact hole.

17. A thin film transistor array panel, comprising:

a substrate;

a plurality of gate lines disposed on the substrate, wherein each gate line comprises a gate pad;

a gate insulating layer disposed on the plurality of gate lines;

a plurality of data lines disposed on the gate insulating layer, wherein each data line comprises a data pad connected to a source electrode and a drain electrode;

a first passivation layer disposed on the plurality of data lines and the drain electrode;

a first electric field generating electrode disposed on the first passivation layer;

a second passivation layer disposed on the first electric field generating electrode; and

a second electric field generating electrode disposed on the second passivation layer, wherein

a ratio of a combination concentration of nitrogen and hydrogen to a combination concentration of silicon and hydrogen of the first passivation layer is larger than a ratio of a combination concentration of nitrogen and hydrogen to a combination concentration of silicon and hydrogen of the second passivation layer.

18. The thin film transistor array panel of claim 17, wherein:

the first passivation layer is a single layer, and

the second passivation layer is a bi-layer comprising a lower layer and an upper layer disposed on the lower layer.

19. The thin film transistor array panel of claim 18, wherein:

the ratio of a combination concentration of nitrogen and hydrogen to a combination concentration of silicon and hydrogen of the first passivation layer is about equal to or smaller than a ratio of a combination concentration of nitrogen and hydrogen to a combination concentration of silicon and hydrogen of the lower layer of the second passivation layer, and

the ratio of a combination concentration of nitrogen and hydrogen to a combination concentration of silicon and hydrogen of the lower layer of the second passivation layer is smaller than a ratio of a combination concentration of nitrogen and hydrogen to a combination concentration of silicon and hydrogen of the upper layer of the second passivation layer.