Method of manufacturing flat panel display

• US 20090111199A1
• Filed: 10/10/2008
• Published: 04/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wuhan China Star Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd. (TCL Technology Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Chunghwa Picture Tubes Limited
• Inventors: Liu, Wen-Hsiung, Chang, Shu-Yu
• Granted Patent: US 7,772,050 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 438/30
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/0005 Production of optical devices or components in so far as characterised by the lithographic processes or materials used therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1214 comprising a plurality of TFTs formed on a non-semiconducting substrate, e.g. driving circuits for AMLCDs
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1288 employing particular masking sequences or specially adapted masks, e.g. half-tone mask
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 438/947 Subphotolithographic processing

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a flat panel display. Herein, the same mask is used to form contact holes and pixel electrodes in the display substrate. Hence, the number of masks needed for manufacturing the flat panel display can be reduced to decrease the manufacturing cost.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a flat panel display, employed on a display substrate comprising a metal layer, a dielectric layer and an insulating layer disposed between the metal layer and the dielectric layer and comprising the following steps:

forming a first photoresist layer on the display substrate;

performing a first exposure process on the first photoresist layer by a mask to define a first region, a second region and a third region on the display substrate;

removing part of the first photoresist layer in the first region;

etching part of the dielectric layer in the first region;

removing the first photoresist layer;

forming an electrode layer on the display substrate;

forming a second photoresist layer on the electrode layer;

performing a second exposure process on the second photoresist layer by the mask;

removing part of the second photoresist layer in the third region;

etching part of the electrode layer in the third region; and

removing the remained second photoresist layer.

2. The method for manufacturing a flat panel display according to claim 1, wherein the mask comprises a substrate, a first material layer and a second material layer, the first material layer and the second material layer are disposed on the substrate to define a fourth region, a fifth region and a sixth region, the fourth region corresponds to the first region, the fifth region corresponds to the second region, and the sixth region corresponds to the third region.

3. The method for manufacturing a flat panel display according to claim 2, wherein the fourth region, the fifth region and the sixth region have different transparency to each other.

4. The method for manufacturing a flat panel display according to claim 1, wherein the mask is a halftone mask.

5. The method for manufacturing a flat panel display according to claim 1, wherein the material of the first photoresist layer is a positive photoresist and the material of the second photoresist layer is a negative photoresist.

6. The method for manufacturing a flat panel display according to claim 1, wherein the material of the first photoresist layer is a negative photoresist and the material of the second photoresist layer is a positive photoresist.

7. The method for manufacturing a flat panel display according to claim 1, wherein part of the metal layer is disposed in the first region.

8. The method for manufacturing a flat panel display according to claim 1, further comprising a step for removing part of the insulating layer in the first region before removing the first photoresist layer.

9. A method for manufacturing a flat panel display, employed on a display substrate comprising a metal layer, a dielectric layer and an insulating layer disposed between the metal layer and the dielectric layer and comprising the following steps:

forming a photoresist layer on the display substrate;

performing a first exposure process on the photoresist layer by a mask to define a first region, a second region and a third region on the display substrate;

removing part of the photoresist layer in the first region;

etching part of the dielectric layer in the first region;

removing part of the photoresist layer in the second region;

forming an electrode layer on the display substrate; and

removing the remained photoresist layer.

10. The method for manufacturing a flat panel display according to claim 9, wherein the mask comprises a substrate, a first material layer and a second material layer, the first material layer and the second material layer are disposed on the substrate to define a fourth region, a fifth region and a sixth region, the fourth region corresponds to the first region, the fifth region corresponds to the second region, and the sixth region corresponds to the third region.

11. The method for manufacturing a flat panel display according to claim 10, wherein the fourth region, the fifth region and the sixth region have different transparency to each other.

12. The method for manufacturing a flat panel display according to claim 9, wherein the mask is a halftone mask.

13. The method for manufacturing a flat panel display according to claim 9, wherein the material of the photoresist layer is a positive photoresist.

14. The method for manufacturing a flat panel display according to claim 9, wherein the material of the photoresist layer is a negative photoresist.

15. The method for manufacturing a flat panel display according to claim 9, wherein part of the metal layer is disposed in the first region.

16. The method for manufacturing a flat panel display according to claim 9, wherein part of the photoresist layer in the second region is removed by a plasma ashing process.

17. The method for manufacturing a flat panel display according to claim 9, wherein part of the photoresist layer in the third region is removed by a lift-off process.

18. The method for manufacturing a flat panel display according to claim 9, further comprising a step for removing part of the insulating layer in the first region before removing part of the photoresist layer in the second region.