CN100439986C - Film pattern forming method and device manufacturing method, electro-optical device and electronic device - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a method for forming a film pattern capable of forming a micronized or thinned film pattern uniformly with high precision. The method includes: forming a first storage cell cofferdam (B1) on the substrate (P) with a lyophobic surface; disposing the first functional liquid in the area divided by the first storage cell cofferdam (B1) The process of (L1); the process of drying the first functional liquid (L1); the process of forming the second storage cofferdam (B2) on the first storage cofferdam (B1); ) to configure the second functional liquid (L2) in the area divided. In the present invention, between the step of arranging the first functional liquid (L1) and the step of arranging the second functional liquid (L2), a step of lyophilizing the surface of the first cell bank (B1) is provided. Thereby, the wettability between the second functional liquid (L2) and the first storage bank (B1) as a base is improved, and a good second film pattern (F2) can be formed.

Description

Film pattern forming method and device manufacturing method, electro-optical device and electronic device

technical field

The present invention relates to a method of forming a film pattern and a method of manufacturing a device, an electro-optical device, and an electronic instrument.

Background technique

For the manufacture of devices having electronic circuits or integrated circuit wiring, for example, photolithography is used. This photolithography method is to apply a photosensitive material called resist on a substrate coated with a conductive film in advance, and develop it by irradiating the circuit pattern, and then etch the conductive film according to the resist pattern to form a thin film. line pattern. This photolithography method requires large-scale equipment or complicated processes, and the use effect of materials is only about a few percent, so most of the materials have to be discarded, so the manufacturing cost is high.

In contrast, there have been proposals for forming a wiring pattern on a substrate using a droplet discharge method in which a liquid material is discharged in a droplet form from a droplet discharge head, a so-called inkjet method (for example, refer to Patent Literature 1). In this method, a wiring pattern forming ink, which is a functional liquid in which conductive fine particles such as metal fine particles are dispersed, is directly pattern-coated on a substrate, followed by heat treatment or laser irradiation to transform into a thin conductive film pattern. According to this method, photolithography is not required, the manufacturing process becomes very simple, and there is an advantage that it can be completed with a small amount of raw materials used.

[Patent Document 1] JP-A-11-271753

When forming a film pattern on a substrate by an inkjet method, a bank structure called a bank is generally formed in order to prevent spreading of ink. In order to prevent the adhesion of ink, the surface of the storage compartment is subjected to liquid-repellent treatment. However, if the storage compartment becomes liquid-repellent, if you want to overlap and form other patterns on the top, it will be sprayed on the storage compartment. The wettability of the ink on the bank deteriorates, and there is a problem that a good pattern cannot be obtained.

Contents of the invention

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a method for forming a film pattern, a device and a method for manufacturing the same, an electro-optical device and Electronic equipment.

In order to achieve the above objects, the present invention employs the following constitutions.

The method for forming a film pattern of the present invention is a method for forming a film pattern by arranging a functional liquid on a substrate, which is characterized in that it includes: a step of forming a first cell cofferdam whose surface has been lyophobicized on the substrate ; the process of configuring the first functional liquid in the area divided by the first storage compartment cofferdam; the process of drying the first functional liquid and forming a first film pattern; on the first storage compartment cofferdam The process of forming the second storage compartment cofferdam; the process of arranging the second functional liquid in the area divided by the second storage compartment cofferdam; the process of arranging the first functional liquid and forming the second storage compartment cofferdam Between the weir steps, there is a step of subjecting the surface of the first storage cell weir to a lyophilic treatment.

According to the present invention, before disposing the second functional liquid, the surface of the first cell bank as the base is made lyophilic in advance, so the wettability between the substrate and the second functional liquid can be improved, and a uniform film pattern can be formed.

In the present invention, the lyophilic treatment may be a treatment of irradiating plasma to the first storage bank in an atmosphere containing oxygen, or a treatment of irradiating ultraviolet rays to the first storage bank, or It is any one of the treatment which heat-processes the said 1st storage cofferdam, or combines these treatments.

In the present invention, the functional liquid is made conductive by heat treatment or light treatment. For example, it may be a functional liquid containing conductive fine particles in the functional liquid.

According to this method, the film pattern can be changed into a wiring pattern, and it can be applied to various devices. In addition to conductive fine particles and organic silver compounds, it can also be applied to organic EL devices or liquid crystal display devices with color filters by using light-emitting element forming materials such as organic EL or using R·G·B ink materials. manufacture.

The device manufacturing method of the present invention is a device manufacturing method including the step of forming a film pattern on a substrate, characterized in that the film pattern is formed on the substrate by the above-mentioned film pattern forming method of the present invention.

According to the present invention, it is possible to obtain a device having a film pattern of a multilayer structure that adheres favorably to a substrate and achieves uniform film thickness.

The electro-optical device of the present invention is characterized by comprising a device manufactured by the above-mentioned device manufacturing method of the present invention. In addition, an electronic device of the present invention is characterized by comprising the above-mentioned electro-optical device of the present invention.

According to the present invention, it is possible to obtain an electro-optical device and an electronic device having a multi-layer structure film pattern that adheres well to a substrate and achieves uniform film thickness.

Description of drawings

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram conceptually showing a method for forming a film pattern of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged view of an active matrix substrate.

FIG. 3 is an equivalent circuit diagram of an active matrix substrate.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a manufacturing procedure of an active matrix substrate.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a sequence subsequent to FIG. 4 .

6 is a schematic perspective view of a droplet discharge device.

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a droplet ejection head.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a sequence subsequent to FIG. 5 .

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a sequence subsequent to FIG. 8 .

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a sequence subsequent to FIG. 9 .

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the sequence following FIG. 10 .

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing the sequence following FIG. 11 .

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the sequence following FIG. 12 .

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing the sequence following FIG. 13 .

FIG. 15 is a diagram showing the sequence following FIG. 14 .

Fig. 16 is a schematic view showing another example of an active matrix substrate.

Fig. 17 is a plan view of the liquid crystal display device viewed from the counter substrate side.

Fig. 18 is a cross-sectional view of a liquid crystal display device.

FIG. 19 is a diagram showing a specific example of an electronic device.

In the figure: B1-first storage compartment cofferdam, B2-second storage compartment cofferdam, F1, F2-film pattern, L1, L2-functional liquid, P-substrate, 51-storage cofferdam (first storage compartment Cofferdam), 61-storage grid cofferdam (second storage grid cofferdam), 100-liquid crystal display device (electro-optical device), 600, 700, 800-electronic instrument.

Detailed ways

Below, illustrate the present invention in conjunction with accompanying drawing.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram conceptually showing a method for forming a film pattern of the present invention.

The forming method of the film pattern of the present invention includes: the process of forming the first storage bank B1 on the substrate P; the process of disposing the first functional liquid L1 in the area divided by the first storage bank B1; drying (burning) Forming) the process of forming the first functional liquid L1 and forming the first film pattern F1; the process of forming the second storage cofferdam B2 on the first storage cofferdam B1; in the area divided by the second storage cofferdam B2 A step of disposing the second functional liquid L2; a step of drying (firing) the second functional liquid L2 to form the second film pattern F2.

In the method of forming the film pattern of the present invention, the film patterns F1 and F2 are formed on the substrate P by disposing a functional liquid in the area defined by the cell bank B1 or B2 and drying the functional liquid. In this case, the shape of the film pattern is defined by the cell banks, thereby, for example, by narrowing the width between adjacent cell banks, etc., and appropriately forming the cell banks B1 and B2, the film pattern can be achieved. Miniaturization or line thinning of the patterns F1 and F2.

As a method for forming the cell bank, any method such as photolithography or printing can be used. For example, in the case of photolithography, the cell bank forming material is formed on the substrate P by a predetermined method such as spin coating, spray coating, roll coating, die coating, and dip coating. After layering, patterning is performed by etching, ashing, or the like to obtain cell banks of a predetermined pattern shape. In addition, after the cell bank is formed on another object than the substrate P, it may be arranged on the substrate P.

It is desirable that the surfaces of storage cell cofferdams B1 and B2 have liquid repellency. Thus, it is possible to prevent the functional liquid from adhering to the upper surface of the cell bank and form a film pattern in a desired shape correctly. In the case of the second film pattern F2, the wettability with the second functional liquid L2 is hindered at the base position of the lyophobic storage bank B1, and a good second film pattern F2 cannot be formed. Therefore, in the present invention, a step of subjecting the surface of the first cell bank B1 to a lyophilic treatment is provided between the step of disposing the first functional liquid L1 and the step of forming the second cell bank B2. As the lyophilic treatment, ultraviolet irradiation treatment, _O2 plasma treatment (that is, treatment of irradiating plasma to the first storage cell cofferdam B1 in an atmosphere containing oxygen) or a combination of these can be selected. processing.

A method of imparting liquid repellency to the storage cell cofferdam, a method of treating the surface of the storage cell cofferdam with plasma such as a fluorine-containing gas (lyophobic treatment), or using a liquid repellent material (a material filled with a liquid repellent component such as a fluorine group) ) A method for forming the storage cell cofferdam itself. However, as for the storage bank B2 on the upper layer side, if the plasma treatment is performed after forming the storage bank (that is, after changing the storage material into a storage bank-shaped pattern), then the previous pro- Since the surface of the storage bank B1 on the lower side of the liquid treatment becomes lyophobic again, sufficient wettability may not be ensured when the functional liquid L2 is sprayed and placed. Therefore, as for the storage cell cofferdam B2 on the side of the upper layer, it is preferable to use a lyophobic material to form the storage cell cofferdam material itself. Alternatively, after forming a thin film made of the cell bank material and before patterning, the surface of the thin film may be subjected to a lyophobic treatment before patterning. In this case, the lyophobic treatment is performed before pattern formation, so that the surface of the storage bank B1 on the lower layer side can maintain lyophilicity. Furthermore, since the side surface of the storage bank B2 is not subjected to the liquid-repellent treatment, the wettability between the side surface of the storage bank B2 and the functional liquid L2 is also good.

Various functional liquids can be used as the functional liquids (inks) L1 and L2 of the present invention. The term "functional liquid" refers to a functional liquid that can form a film (functional film) having a predetermined function by forming a film of a film component contained in a liquid. The relevant functions include: electrical and electronic functions (conductivity, insulation, piezoelectricity, pyroelectricity, dielectricity, etc.), optical properties (selective absorption of light, reflectivity, polarization, selective transmission of light) , nonlinear optics, fluorescence or phosphorescence, photochromism, etc.), magnetic function (hard magnetic, soft magnetic, non-magnetic, magnetic permeability, etc.), chemical function (adsorption, desorption, catalytic, water absorption properties, ionic conductivity, redox properties, electrochemical properties, electrochromic properties, etc.), mechanical functions (wear resistance, etc.), thermal functions (heat transfer, heat insulation, infrared radiation, etc.), biological Functions (biocompatibility, antithrombotic properties, etc.) and other functions. For example, as the above-mentioned functional liquids L1 and L2, an ink that exhibits conductivity by heat treatment or light treatment can be used to form a conductive film pattern. This conductive film pattern can be applied to various devices as wiring.

As a method for arranging the functional liquid in the area defined by the cell bank, a so-called inkjet method utilizing a liquid droplet discharge method is preferable. By using the droplet discharge method, there is less wasteful consumption of liquid material than other coating techniques such as spin coating, and there is an advantage that the amount and position of the functional liquid placed on the substrate can be easily controlled.

In addition, in FIG. 1 , the film patterns F1 and F2 of two layers are sequentially formed, but the same method can also be used when forming three or more layers. That is, before forming the film pattern on the upper layer side, the surface of the cell bank of the substrate is subjected to a lyophilic treatment to improve the wettability between the cell bank and the functional liquid, and a good film pattern can be formed.

Next, as an embodiment of the device manufacturing method of the present invention, an example in which the film pattern forming method of the present invention is applied to a manufacturing method of an active matrix substrate will be described.

<Active Matrix Substrate>

FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged view of an active matrix substrate according to this embodiment.

The active matrix substrate 20 is provided with gate wirings 40 and source wirings 42 wired in a grid pattern. That is, the plurality of gate wirings 40 are formed extending in the X direction (first direction), and the source wirings 42 are formed extending in the Y direction (second direction).

Furthermore, the gate electrode 41 is connected to the gate wiring 40, and the TFT 30 is arranged on the gate electrode 41 via an insulating layer. On the other hand, a source electrode 43 is connected to the source wiring 42 , and one end of the source electrode 43 is connected to a TFT (switching element) 30 .

In addition, in a region surrounded by the gate wiring 40 and the source wiring 42 , the capacitance line 46 is wired so as to be parallel to the gate wiring 40 . The capacitor line 46 is disposed in the lower layer of the pixel electrode 45 and the source wiring 42 through an insulating layer.

In addition, the gate wiring 40, the gate electrode 41, the source wiring 42, and the capacitor line 46 are formed on the same surface.

FIG. 3 is an equivalent circuit diagram of the active matrix substrate 20, which is used in a liquid crystal display device.

When the active matrix substrate 20 is used in a liquid crystal display device, a plurality of pixels 100a are formed in a matrix on the image display area. A pixel switch TFT 30 is formed on each of these pixels 100 a , and a source wiring 42 for supplying pixel signals S1 , S2 , . . . , Sn is electrically connected to the source of the TFT 30 through a source electrode 43 . The pixel signals S1, S2, . .

In addition, the gate wiring 40 is electrically connected to the gate of the TFT 30 via the gate electrode 41 . In addition, the scanning signals G1 , G2 , . . . Gm are pulsed and applied to the gate wiring 40 line-sequentially in this order at a predetermined time.

The pixel electrode 45 is electrically connected to the drain of the TFT 30 through a drain electrode. Then, the pixel signals S1, S2, . . . , Sn supplied from the source wiring 42 are written in each pixel for a predetermined time by turning on the TFT 30 as a switching element only for a certain period of time. In this way, the pixel signals S1, S2, .

In addition, in order to prevent leakage of the retained pixel signals S1, S2, ..., Sn, the liquid crystal capacitance formed between the pixel electrode 45 and the opposite electrode 121 is connected in parallel by the capacitance line 46 to add an accumulation capacitance. 48. For example, the voltage of the pixel electrode 45 is only held by the accumulation capacitor 48 for a time longer than 3 bits longer than the time when the source electrode is applied. Accordingly, the charge retention characteristic is improved, and the liquid crystal display device 100 with high contrast can be realized.

<Manufacturing method of active matrix substrate>

Next, a method of manufacturing the active matrix substrate 20 will be described.

The active matrix substrate 20 is manufactured by a first step of forming a grid pattern on the substrate P, a second step of forming the laminated portion 35 , and a third step of forming the pixel electrodes 45 .

Each process is described in detail below.

(First process: Wiring formation)

4 and 5 are diagrams illustrating a wiring forming step as a first step. In addition, FIG. 4(b) and FIG. 5(b) are cross-sectional views along line A-A' in FIG. 4(a) and FIG. 5(a), respectively.

Various materials such as glass, quartz glass, Si wafer, plastic film, and metal plate can be used as the substrate P on which the grid pattern wiring such as the gate wiring 40 and the source wiring 42 is formed. Also included are substrates in which a semiconductor film, a metal film, a dielectric film, an organic film, or the like is formed as an underlayer on the surface of these various material substrates.

First, as shown in FIG. 4 , a storage bank 51 made of an insulating material is formed on a substrate P. As shown in FIG. The storage bank is for arranging ink for wiring, which will be described later, at a predetermined position on the substrate P. As shown in FIG.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4( a), according to the photolithography method, on the upper surface of the cleaned substrate P, a storage bank 51 is formed, and the storage bank 51 has a formation position corresponding to the wiring of the grid pattern. A plurality of openings 52, 53, 54, 55.

As a material of the storage bank 51, polymer materials, such as acrylic resin, polyimide resin, olefin resin, and melamine resin, can be utilized, for example. In addition, an inorganic material may be included in consideration of heat resistance. Inorganic storage cell dam materials include, for example, polysilazane, polysiloxane, siloxane-based resists, polysilane-based resists, and other high-molecular inorganic materials containing silicon in their skeletons. or photosensitive inorganic material, any one of quartz glass, alkyl siloxane polymer, alkyl silsesquioxane polymer, hydrogenated alkyl silsesquioxane polymer, polyaryl ether Spin glass film, diamond film, and fluorinated amorphous carbon film, etc. Furthermore, as an inorganic storage cell bank material, for example, aerosol gel, porous silicon, or the like can be used. For example, a photosensitive polysilazane composition containing polysilazane and a photoacid generator is suitable as a photosensitive material because a resist mask is not required. In addition, in order to arrange the ink for a wiring pattern well in the openings 52 , 53 , and 54 , the cell bank 51 is subjected to liquid-repellent treatment. As the lyophobic treatment, CF ₄ plasma treatment or the like (plasma treatment using a fluorine component contained therein) is performed. In addition, instead of performing CF ₄ plasma treatment or the like, the raw material of the storage cell bank 51 may be preliminarily filled with a lyophobic component (fluorine-based, etc.).

The openings 52 , 53 , 54 , and 55 formed by the cell bank 51 correspond to wiring in a grid pattern such as the gate wiring 40 and the source wiring 42 . That is, by disposing the ink for wiring on the openings 52 , 53 , 54 , and 55 of the cell bank 51 , wiring in a grid pattern such as the gate wiring 40 and the source wiring 42 is formed.

Specifically, the openings 52 and 53 formed to extend in the X direction correspond to the positions where the gate wiring 40 and the capacitor line 46 are formed. Furthermore, the opening 54 corresponding to the formation position of the gate electrode 41 is connected to the opening 52 corresponding to the formation position of the gate wiring 40 . In addition, the opening 55 formed to extend in the Y direction corresponds to the formation position of the source wiring 42 . In addition, the opening 55 extending in the Y direction is divided in the intersection 56 so as not to intersect with the openings 52 and 53 extending in the X direction.

Next, ink for wiring containing conductive fine particles is ejected and arranged in the openings 52, 53, 54, 55 by a droplet ejection device IJ to be described later, and the gate wiring 40 and the source wiring are formed on the substrate. 42 grid pattern wiring.

The ink for wiring is an ink composed of a dispersion liquid in which conductive fine particles are dispersed in a dispersion medium, an organic silver compound, or a solution in which silver oxide nanoparticles are dispersed in a solvent (dispersion medium). As the conductive fine particles, for example, metal fine particles such as gold, silver, copper, tin, lead, etc., oxides of these, conductive polymers, or superconductor fine particles can be used. In order to improve dispersibility, these conductive fine particles may be used by coating an organic substance on the surface.

The particle size of the conductive fine particles is preferably not less than 1 nm and not more than 0.1 μm. If it is larger than 0.1 μm, there is a risk of clogging in the nozzles of the droplet ejection head to be described later. Moreover, if it is less than 1 nm, the volume ratio of the coating agent with respect to electroconductive fine particle will become large, and the ratio of the organic substance in the obtained film will become too large.

The dispersion medium is not particularly limited as long as it can disperse the above-mentioned conductive fine particles and does not cause aggregation. For example, in addition to water, alcohols such as methanol, ethanol, propanol, butanol; n-heptane, n-octane, decane, dodecane, tetradecane, toluene, xylene, and isopropyltoluene can be used , durene, indene, dipentene, tetrahydronaphthalene, decahydronaphthalene, cyclohexylbenzene and other hydrocarbon compounds; or ethylene glycol dimethyl ether, ethylene glycol diethyl ether, ethylene glycol methyl ethyl ether Diethylene glycol dimethyl ether, diethylene glycol diethyl ether, diethylene glycol methyl ethyl ether, 1,2 dimethoxyethane, bis(2-methoxy) ether, p-dioxane, etc. Ether compounds; there are also polar compounds such as propylene carbonate, γ-butyrolactone, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, dimethylformamide, dimethylsulfone, and cyclohexanone. Among these, water, alcohols, hydrocarbon compounds, and ether compounds are preferable from the viewpoint of the dispersibility of fine particles, the stability of the dispersion liquid, and the ease of application to the droplet discharge method (inkjet method). Examples of the medium include water and hydrocarbon compounds.

The surface tension of the dispersion of conductive fine particles is preferably, for example, in the range of 0.02 N/m to 0.07 N/m. When the liquid is ejected by the inkjet method, if the surface tension is less than 0.02N/m, the wettability of the ink composition to the nozzle surface will increase and flight bending will easily occur. If it exceeds 0.07N/m, the meniscus at the front end of the nozzle will The shape is unstable and it becomes difficult to control the discharge amount or discharge time. In order to adjust the surface tension, a surface tension regulator such as fluorine-based, silicon-based, or non-ionic may be added to the above-mentioned dispersion within a range that does not lower the contact angle with the substrate. The nonionic surface tension regulator can improve the wettability of the liquid to the substrate, improve the leveling property of the film, and play a role in preventing the generation of fine unevenness of the film. The above-mentioned surface tension regulator may contain organic compounds such as ethanol, ether, ester, ketone, etc. as necessary.

The viscosity of the dispersion is preferably, for example, not less than 1 mPa·s and not more than 50 mPa·s. When the liquid is ejected by the inkjet method, if the viscosity is less than 1mPa·s, the surrounding area of the nozzle is easy to be contaminated due to the outflow of ink, and if the viscosity exceeds 50mPa·s, the frequency of clogging of the nozzle hole becomes high and smooth Droplet ejection becomes difficult.

After the ink for wiring is discharged onto the substrate P, drying treatment and firing treatment are performed as necessary to remove the dispersion medium.

The drying treatment can be performed by heating treatment such as a common hot plate or an electric furnace for heating the substrate P, for example. For example, heating at 180° C. is performed for about 60 minutes.

The treatment temperature of the firing treatment is appropriately determined in consideration of the boiling point (vapor pressure) of the dispersion medium, thermal behavior such as dispersibility and oxidative properties of the fine particles, the presence or amount of the coating agent, the heat-resistant temperature of the base material, and the like. For example, firing at 250°C is necessary to remove a coating agent made of organic matter.

By such drying and firing treatment, the electrical contact between the conductive fine particles is ensured, and the conductive film is converted into a conductive film.

In addition, a metal protective film 47 may be formed on wirings such as the gate wiring 40 and the source wiring 42 . The metal protective film 47 is a thin film for suppressing (electro)migration of a conductive film made of silver or copper. Nickel is preferable as a material for forming the metal protection film 47 . In addition, a metal protection film 47 made of nickel is formed on the substrate P by a droplet discharge method. Alternatively, nickel may be formed by electroless spraying or the like.

Through the above steps, as shown in FIG. 5 , a layer composed of cell banks 51 and grid-patterned wiring is formed on the substrate P. As shown in FIG.

However, examples of the ejection technique of the droplet ejection method include a charging control method, a pressure vibration method, an electromechanical conversion method, an electrothermal conversion method, and an electrostatic attraction method. The electrification control method is a method in which charge is applied to the material by a charged electrode, and the flying direction of the material is controlled by a deflection electrode, and then ejected from a nozzle. In addition, the pressure vibration method is to apply an ultra-high pressure of, for example, 30kg/cm to the material and eject the material to the front end side of the nozzle. When the control voltage is not applied, the material advances in a straight line and is ejected from the nozzle. When a control voltage is applied, electrostatic repulsion occurs between the materials and the materials are scattered, so that they are not ejected from the nozzle. In addition, the electromechanical conversion method utilizes the property that the piezoelectric element is deformed by a pulsed electrical signal. Since the piezoelectric element is deformed, a flexible material is applied to the space where the material is stored, and the material is extruded from the space. And the way it sprays from the nozzle.

In addition, the electrothermal conversion method is a method in which the material is rapidly vaporized by a heater installed in the space where the material is stored to generate air bubbles (bubbles), and the material in the space is ejected by the pressure of the air bubbles. The electrostatic attraction method is a method in which a meniscus of the material is formed in the nozzle by applying a slight pressure to the space in which the material is stored, and the material is drawn out by applying an electrostatic attraction force in this state. In addition, other methods can also be applied, such as a method of changing the viscosity of a fluid using an electric field or a method of causing a material to fly out by a discharge spark. The droplet discharge method has advantages in that there is less waste of material used and that a desired amount of material is accurately placed at a desired position. In addition, the amount of one drop of the liquid material (fluid) discharged by the droplet discharge method is, for example, 1 to 300 nanograms.

The droplet discharge device IJ shown in FIG. 6 can be used as the droplet discharge device IJ used when forming the wiring of the grid pattern.

The droplet ejection device (inkjet device) IJ is a device for ejecting (dropping) droplets from a droplet ejection head to the substrate P, and includes: a droplet ejection head 301, an X-direction drive shaft 304, and a Y-direction guide shaft. A shaft 305 , a control device CONT, a stand 307 , a cleaning mechanism 308 , a base 309 , and a heater 315 . The stage 307 supports the substrate P on which the ink (liquid material) is set by the droplet ejection device IJ, and includes a fixing mechanism (not shown) for fixing the substrate P at a reference position.

The droplet discharge head 301 is a multi-nozzle type droplet discharge head including a plurality of discharge nozzles, and its longitudinal direction coincides with the Y-axis direction. A plurality of nozzles are arranged at regular intervals along the Y-axis direction on the lower surface of the droplet ejection head 301 . From the nozzles of the droplet ejection head 301 , the above-described ink containing conductive fine particles is ejected onto the substrate P supported by the stage 307 .

An X-direction drive motor 302 is connected to the X-direction drive shaft 304 . The X-direction drive motor 302 is a stepping motor, and rotates the X-direction drive shaft 304 when an X-direction drive signal is supplied from the control device CONT. When the X-direction drive shaft 304 rotates, the droplet discharge head 301 moves in the X-axis direction.

The Y-direction guide shaft 305 is fixed on the base 309 and cannot move. The stage 307 is provided with a Y-direction drive motor 303 . The Y-direction drive motor 303 is a stepping motor or the like, and moves the stage 307 in the Y-direction when a drive signal in the Y-direction is supplied from the control device CONT.

The control unit CONT supplies a voltage for liquid droplet discharge control to the liquid droplet discharge head 301 . Also, a drive pulse signal for controlling the X-direction movement of the droplet discharge head 301 is supplied to the X-direction drive motor 302 , and a drive pulse signal for controlling the Y-direction movement of the carriage 307 is supplied to the Y-direction drive motor 303 .

The cleaning mechanism 308 is a mechanism for cleaning the droplet discharge head 301 . The cleaning mechanism 308 is equipped with a driving motor in the Y direction (not shown). Driven by the drive motor in the Y direction, the cleaning mechanism moves along the Y direction guide shaft 305 . The movement of the cleaning mechanism 308 is also controlled by the control device CONT.

The heater 315 here is a mechanism for heat-treating the substrate P by lamp annealing, and performs evaporation and drying of the solvent contained in the liquid material coated on the substrate P. Turning on and off of the heater 315 is also controlled by the control device CONT.

The droplet discharge apparatus IJ discharges droplets onto the substrate P while scanning the droplet discharge head 301 and the stage 307 supporting the substrate P relative to each other. Here, in the following description, the X direction is taken as the scanning direction, and the Y direction perpendicular to the X direction is taken as the non-scanning direction.

Accordingly, the nozzles of the droplet ejection head 301 are arranged at regular intervals along the Y direction which is the non-scanning direction. In addition, in FIG. 6 , the propulsion direction of the droplet discharge head 301 to the substrate P is arranged perpendicularly, but the angle of the droplet discharge head 301 may be adjusted so that the propulsion direction of the substrate P intersects. In this way, by adjusting the angle of the droplet discharge head 301, the distance between the nozzles can be adjusted. In addition, the distance between the substrate P and the nozzle surface can also be adjusted arbitrarily.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the droplet ejection head 301 .

In the droplet ejection head 301, a piezoelectric element 322 is provided adjacent to a liquid chamber 321 containing a liquid material (wiring ink, etc.). The liquid material is supplied to the liquid chamber 321 through a liquid material supply system including a material tank containing the liquid material.

The piezoelectric element 322 is connected to a drive circuit 324 , and a voltage is applied to the piezoelectric element 322 through the drive circuit 324 to deform the piezoelectric element 322 to deform the liquid chamber 321 and eject the liquid material from the nozzle 325 .

In this case, the amount of deformation of the piezoelectric element 322 is controlled by changing the value of the applied voltage. And, by changing the frequency of the applied voltage, the deformation speed of the piezoelectric element 322 is controlled. Liquid droplet ejection using the piezoelectric method does not heat the material, and therefore has the advantage of not affecting the composition of the material.

(Second process: Formation of laminated part)

8 to 11 are diagrams illustrating a lamination portion forming step as a second step. In addition, Fig. 8 (b) ~ Fig. 11 (b) are the sectional views along A-A' line in Fig. 8 (a) ~ Fig. 11 (a) respectively, Fig. 9 (c) ~ Fig. 11 (c) are respectively 9(a) to 11(a) are cross-sectional views along line B-B'.

In the second step, laminated layer 35 composed of insulating film 31 and semiconductor film (contact layer 33, active layer 32) is formed at a predetermined position on the layer composed of cell bank 51 and grid-patterned wiring.

In this step, a new wiring layer is formed on the wiring layer (gate wiring 40 etc.) formed in the first step. Since the surface of the cell is lyophobic, if it is desired to directly form a source electrode or the like on the surface of the cell bank 51, the ink for electrode formation will be ejected from the cell bank 51, and a good film pattern cannot be formed. . Therefore, in this step, before the source electrode is formed, the surface of the cell bank 51 serving as the base is subjected to a lyophilic treatment in advance. As the lyophilic treatment, ultraviolet irradiation treatment or _O2 plasma treatment or heat treatment with oxygen as the treatment gas in the atmospheric environment can be selected. In addition, these processes may be combined. For example, the O ₂ plasma treatment is performed by irradiating the substrate P with oxygen in a plasma state from a plasma discharge electrode. As the plasma treatment conditions of _O2 , for example, the plasma power is 50W to 100W, the oxygen flow rate is 50ml to 100ml/min, the conveying speed of the substrate P to the plasma discharge electrode is 0.5mm/sec to 10mm/sec, the substrate The temperature is 70°C to 90°C. The heat treatment is heating at 200° C. to 300° C. for 30 minutes to 90 minutes.

Once the surface of the cell bank 51 has been lyophilized, the insulating film 31 , the active layer 32 , and the contact layer 33 are successively formed on the entire surface of the substrate P by plasma CVD. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8, by changing the source gas or changing the plasma conditions, a silicon nitride film as the insulating film 31, an amorphous silicon film as the active layer 32, and an n ⁺ -type silicon film as the contact layer 33 are continuously formed. Silicon film.

Next, as shown in FIG. 9 , protective layers 58 ( 58 a to 58 c ) are arranged at predetermined positions by photolithography. As shown in FIG. 9( a ), the predetermined positions are on the intersection 56 of the gate wiring 40 and the source wiring 42 , on the gate electrode 41 , and on the capacitance line 46 .

In addition, the protective layer 58a arranged on the intersection portion 56 and the protective layer 58b arranged on the capacitance line 46 are formed so as not to contact each other. In addition, as shown in FIG. 9( b ), the groove 59 is formed by half-exposing the protective layer 58 c disposed on the gate electrode 41 .

Next, etching is performed on the entire surface of the substrate P to remove the contact layer 33 and the active layer 32 . Furthermore, etching is performed to remove the insulating film 31 .

Thereby, as shown in FIG. 10 , the contact layer 33 , the active layer 32 , and the insulating film 31 are removed from regions other than the predetermined positions where the protective layers 58 ( 58 a to 58 c ) are disposed. On the other hand, at a predetermined position where the protective layer 58 is disposed, the laminated portion 35 composed of the insulating film 31 and the semiconductor film (the contact layer 33 and the active layer 32 ) is formed.

In addition, since the layered portion 35 formed on the gate electrode 41 is half-exposed to the protective layer 58c to form the groove 59, the groove is penetrated by developing again before etching. As shown in FIG. 10(b), the contact layer 33 corresponding to the groove 59 is removed to form a state divided into two stages. Thus, TFT 30 as a switching element including active layer 32 and contact layer 33 is formed on gate electrode 41 .

Then, as shown in FIG. 11 , on the entire surface of the substrate P, a silicon nitride film serving as the protective film 60 of the protective contact layer 33 is formed.

In this way, the formation of the lamination portion 35 is completed.

(third process)

FIG. 12 to FIG. 15 are diagrams illustrating the formation process of the pixel electrode 45 and the like as the third process. In addition, Fig. 12 (b) ~ Fig. 15 (b) are the sectional views along A-A' line in Fig. 12 (a) ~ Fig. 15 (a) respectively, Fig. 12 (c) ~ Fig. 15 (c) are respectively 12(a) to sectional views along line B-B' in Fig. 15(a).

In the third process, the source electrode 43, the drain electrode 44, the conductive layer 49, and the pixel electrode 45 are formed.

The source electrode 43 , the drain electrode 44 , and the conductive layer 49 can be formed of the same material as that of the gate wiring 40 or the source wiring 42 . The pixel electrode 45 needs to be transparent, so it is preferably formed of a light-transmitting material such as ITO (Indium Tin Oxide: Indium Tin Oxide). Also in these formations, a droplet discharge method can be used as in the first step.

First, the cell bank 61 is formed by photolithography so as to cover the gate wiring 40 and the source wiring 42 . That is, as shown in FIG. 12 , a storage cell cofferdam 61 in a substantially lattice shape is formed. In addition, an opening 62 is formed at the intersection 56 between the source wiring 42 and the gate wiring 40 and between the source wiring 42 and the capacitor line 46 , and an opening 63 is formed at a position corresponding to the drain region of the TFT 30 .

In addition, as shown in FIG. 12( b ), the openings 62 and 63 are formed such that a part of the laminated portion 35 (TFT 30 ) formed on the gate electrode 41 is exposed. That is, the storage bank 61 is formed by dividing the lamination part 35 (TFT30) into two stages in the X direction.

As the material of the storage bank 61, for example, polymer materials such as acrylic resin, polyimide resin, olefin resin, melamine resin, etc. can be used similarly to the storage bank 51. Although the surface of the cell bank 61 is desired to be lyophobic, if CF ₄ plasma treatment is performed, the cell bank 51 of the lyophilized substrate becomes liquid repellent again, so as the cell bank 61 , It is desirable to use materials that are pre-filled with lyophobic components (fluorine-based, etc.) in the material itself.

The opening 62 formed by the storage bank 61 corresponds to the formation position of the conductive layer 49 or the source electrode 43 connected to the disconnected source wiring 42, and the opening 63 formed in the storage bank 61 corresponds to the leakage current. The position where pole 44 is formed. In addition, the area surrounded by the cell bank 61 in the other part corresponds to the formation position of the pixel electrode 45 . That is, by disposing a conductive material in the openings 62 and 63 of the storage bank 61 and in the area surrounded by the storage bank 61, the conductive layer 49 and the source electrode 43 for connecting the disconnected source wiring 42 are formed. , a drain electrode 44 , and a pixel electrode 45 .

Next, the protective film 60 formed on the entire surface of the substrate P is removed by etching. As a result, as shown in FIG. 13 , the protective film 60 formed on the region where the cell bank 61 is not disposed is removed. In addition, the metal protective film 47 formed on the wiring of the grid pattern is also removed.

Next, the ink for electrodes including electrode materials such as the source electrode 43 and the drain electrode 44 is ejected and placed in the openings 62 and 63 of the cell bank 61 by the aforementioned droplet ejection device IJ. As the electrode ink, the same ink as the wiring ink used to form the gate wiring 40 can be used. After the electrode ink is discharged onto the substrate P, drying treatment and firing treatment are performed as necessary to remove the dispersion medium. Through drying and firing treatment, the electrical connection between conductive fine particles is ensured, and it is converted into a conductive film.

In addition, in the figure, the source electrode 43 and the drain electrode 44 are shown as a single-layer film, but these electrodes may be made of a laminated layer composed of a plurality of layers. For example, these electrodes can be used as a conductive member having a three-layer structure including a laminated barrier metal layer, base layer, and covering layer. The barrier metal layer and the coating layer can be formed using one or more metal materials selected from Ni (nickel), Ti (titanium), W (tungsten), Mn (manganese), etc.; the base layer can be formed using Ag (silver ), Cu (copper), Al (aluminum) and the like to form one or two or more metal materials. These layers can be formed sequentially by repeating the material placement process and intermediate drying process.

In this way, as shown in FIG. 14 , conductive layer 49 , source electrode 43 , and drain electrode 44 that connect source wiring 42 that has been disconnected are formed on substrate P. As shown in FIG.

Next, in the storage bank 61, the part located at the interface position between the pixel electrode 45 and the drain electrode 44 is removed by using a laser or the like, and the area surrounded by the storage bank 61 is ejected and arranged: including the pixel electrode 45. The electrode material of the pixel electrode ink. The ink for pixel electrodes is a dispersion liquid in which conductive fine particles such as ITO are dispersed in a dispersion medium. After the pixel electrode ink is discharged onto the substrate P, drying treatment and firing treatment are performed as necessary to remove the dispersion medium. Through drying and firing treatment, the electrical connection between conductive fine particles is ensured, and it is converted into a conductive film.

In this way, as shown in FIG. 15 , on the substrate P, the pixel electrode 45 connected to the drain electrode 44 is formed.

In addition, in this step, in order to connect the drain electrode 44 and the pixel electrode 45, the cell banks 61 at these interface portions are removed by laser or the like, but this step is not limited to this. For example, the thickness of the cell bank 61 at the interface portion is thinned by half-exposure in advance, and the ink for the pixel electrode can be ejected and arranged so as to overlap the drain electrode 44 without removing the cell bank 61 at this portion. .

Through the above steps, the active matrix substrate 20 can be manufactured.

In this way, in this embodiment, before forming the upper wiring layer (source electrode 43, drain electrode 44, pixel electrode 45), the surface of the cell bank 51 serving as the base is made lyophilic in advance. With the wettability of ink, a uniform film pattern can be formed.

In addition, in the present embodiment, the active matrix substrate 20 is manufactured by using the first step of forming wiring in a grid pattern on the substrate P, the second step of forming the laminated portion 35, and the third step of forming the pixel electrodes 45 and the like. Therefore, it is possible to omit the combination of the drying step and photolithography. That is, since the gate wiring 40 and the source wiring 42 are formed at the same time, it is possible to omit a combined drying process and photolithography.

In addition, the laminated portion 35 (insulating film 31, active layer 32, contact layer 33) formed on the capacitance line 46 is divided and formed so as not to contact the laminated portion 35 formed on the intersection portion 56, so that it is possible to avoid : An abnormal phenomenon in which the current passing through the source wiring 42 flows into the laminated portion 35 on the capacitor line 46 .

That is, among the layers forming the laminated portion 35 , the contact layer 33 is a conductive film, and the conductive portion 49 to which the source wiring 42 is connected is formed on the laminated portion 35 (contact layer 33 ) on the intersection portion 56 . Therefore, the current passing through the source wiring 42 also passes through the contact layer 33 . Therefore, if the laminated portion 35 on the capacitive line 46 contacts the laminated portion 35 on the intersection portion 56 , the current passing through the source wiring 42 flows into the laminated portion 35 on the capacitive line 46 as described above.

Therefore, according to the active matrix substrate 20 of the present invention, such inconveniences can be avoided, so that required performance can be exhibited.

In addition, in this embodiment, the configuration in which the source wiring 42 is divided at the intersection 56 is described, but of course, the configuration in which the gate wiring 40 or the capacitor line 46 is divided at the intersection 56 is also possible. However, since the capacitive line 46 has a greater influence on the display than the source line 42, when high display quality is required, it is preferable to employ a structure in which the source line 42 is divided.

In addition, in the present embodiment, an example of a suitable embodiment of the active matrix substrate has been described, but the shapes and combinations of the components thereof are not limited to the relevant embodiments. For example, the shape and arrangement of the laminated portion 35 may be as shown in FIG. 16 instead of the configuration shown in FIG. 10 . In this case, since the source region and the source wiring 42 are arranged adjacent to each other, the formation area of the source electrode 43 can be reduced, and an active matrix substrate with higher performance can be manufactured.

<Electro-optical device>

Next, a liquid crystal display device 100 as an example of an electro-optical device using the active matrix substrate 20 will be described.

FIG. 17 is a plan view of the liquid crystal display device 100 viewed from the counter substrate side, and FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view taken along line H-H' of FIG. 17 .

In addition, in each of the drawings described below, the reduction ratio of each layer or each component is different so that the size of each layer and each component can be recognized on the drawing.

In FIGS. 17 and 18, a liquid crystal display device (electro-optical device) 100 is bonded to a TFT array substrate 110 including an active matrix substrate 20 and a counter substrate 120 by a sealing material 152 as a photocurable sealing material, The liquid crystal 150 is filled and held in the region defined by the sealing material 152 . The sealing material 152 is formed in a closed frame shape in a region within the substrate surface, does not have a liquid crystal injection port, and has no trace of sealing with the sealing material.

In the area inside the area where the sealing material 152 is formed, a frame (周辺觺切り) 153 made of a light-shielding material is formed. In the outer region of the sealing material 152, the data line driving circuit 201 and the mounting terminal 202 are formed along one side of the TFT array substrate 110, and the scanning line driving circuits 204 are formed along the two sides adjacent to the side. On the remaining side of the TFT array substrate 110, a plurality of wirings 205 for connecting the scanning line driving circuits 204 provided on both sides of the image display area are provided. In addition, an inter-substrate connecting member 206 for electrically connecting the TFT array substrate 110 and the opposing substrate 120 is disposed on at least one corner of the opposing substrate 120 .

In addition, for example, a TAB (Tape Automated Bonding) substrate equipped with a driving LSI and a terminal group formed on the peripheral portion of the TFT array substrate 110 may be electrically and mechanically connected through an anisotropic conductive film. Instead of forming the data line driving circuit 201 and the scanning line driving circuit 204 on the TFT array substrate 110 .

In addition, in the liquid crystal display device 100, depending on the type of liquid crystal 150 used, that is, TN (Twisted Nematic twisted liquid crystal nematic) mode, C-TN method, VA method, IPS method mode, etc., or normally white mode/normally In the black mode, a retardation plate, a polarizing plate, and the like are arranged in a predetermined direction, but illustration is omitted here.

In addition, when the liquid crystal display device 100 is configured as a color display, in the counter substrate 120, the TFT array substrate 110 is formed together with a protective film in a region facing each pixel electrode described later, such as a red ( R), green (G), blue (B) color filters.

In this liquid crystal display device 100, since the active matrix substrate 20 is manufactured by the method described above, it becomes a display device capable of high-quality display.

In addition, in this embodiment mode, as the method of forming the wiring structure of the liquid crystal display device, the forming method of the film pattern of the present invention is applied, but the present invention is not limited to these, for example, the present invention can also be applied to the active matrix A case where a color filter is formed on a substrate or a counter substrate.

In addition, the active matrix substrate described above can also be applied to electro-optical devices other than liquid crystal display devices, such as organic EL (electroluminescent) display devices and the like. An organic EL display device has a structure in which a thin film containing fluorescent inorganic and organic compounds is sandwiched between a cathode and an anode, and excitons (excitons) are generated by injecting electrons and holes into the thin film and exciting them. , and use the light emission (fluorescence and phosphorescence) when the excitons recombine to emit light. Furthermore, on the substrate having the above-mentioned TFT 30, among the fluorescent materials used in the organic EL display element, the material that exhibits each of red, green and blue luminous colors, that is, the material for forming the light-emitting layer and the hole injection/electron formation material are used. The material of the transport layer is used as ink, and each pattern is formed to manufacture a self-luminous color organic EL device. Such an organic EL device is also included in the scope of the electro-optical device of the present invention. In addition, in an organic EL display device, the method for forming a film pattern of the present invention can be applied as a method for forming a material for forming a hole injection/transport layer or a material for forming a light emitting layer.

Furthermore, the active matrix substrate 20 can also be applied to a PDP (plasma display panel) or a small-area thin film formed on the substrate to flow current parallel to the film surface, and to utilize surface conduction that does not generate electron emission. type electron emission elements, etc.

<Electronic Instrument>

Next, specific examples of the electronic device of the present invention will be described.

Fig. 19(a) is a perspective view of a mobile phone. In FIG. 19( a ), 600 denotes the main body of the mobile phone, and 601 denotes the display unit provided with the liquid crystal display device 100 of the above-mentioned embodiment.

Fig. 19(b) is a perspective view of an example of a portable information processing device such as a word processor or a personal computer. In FIG. 19(b), 700 denotes an information processing device, 701 denotes an input unit such as a keyboard, 703 denotes an information processing main body, and 702 denotes a display unit of the liquid crystal display device 100 having the above-mentioned embodiment.

Fig. 19(c) is a perspective view showing an example of a watch-type electronic device. In FIG. 19( c ), 800 denotes a watch main body, and 801 denotes a display unit provided with the liquid crystal display device 100 of the above-mentioned embodiment.

In this way, the electronic equipment shown in FIGS. 19( a ) to 19 ( c ) is an electronic equipment including the liquid crystal display device 100 of the above-mentioned embodiment, so high quality and high performance can be obtained.

In addition, this embodiment mode can also be utilized in a large liquid crystal panel such as a television or a monitor.

In addition, the electronic device of this embodiment is an electronic device including the liquid crystal display device 100 , but may also be an electronic device including other electro-optical devices such as an organic electroluminescent display device or a plasma display device.

As mentioned above, the best embodiment of the present invention has been described with reference to the drawings, but the present invention is of course not limited to the relevant examples. The shapes and combinations of each component shown in the above examples are just examples, and various changes can be made according to design requirements without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

Claims (8)

1, a kind of formation method of film figure is a configuration feature liquid and form the method for film figure on substrate, it is characterized in that, comprising:

On described substrate, form the surface by the operation in the first storage lattice cofferdam of lyophobyization;

The operation of configuration first functional liquid in the zone of being divided by the described first storage lattice cofferdam;

Dry described first functional liquid also forms the operation of first film figure;

On the described first storage lattice cofferdam, form the operation in the second storage lattice cofferdam; With

The operation of configuration second functional liquid in the zone of being divided by the described second storage lattice cofferdam;

Dispose the operation of described first functional liquid and form described second and store between the operation in lattice cofferdam, have the operation that lyophily is handled is carried out on the surface in the described first storage lattice cofferdam.

2, the formation method of film figure according to claim 1 is characterized in that, described lyophily is handled and comprised: comprising the processing of under the atmosphere of oxygen plasma is shone in the described first storage lattice cofferdam.

According to the formation method of each described film figure of claim 1 or 2, it is characterized in that 3, described lyophily is handled and comprised: to the processing of the described first storage lattice cofferdam irradiation ultraviolet radiation.

According to the formation method of each described film figure of claim 1 or 2, it is characterized in that 4, described lyophily is handled and comprised: the processing of heat treated is carried out in the described first storage lattice cofferdam.

5, according to the formation method of each described film figure of claim 1 or 4, it is characterized in that described functional liquid presents electric conductivity by thermal treatment or optical processing.

6, a kind of manufacture method of device is the manufacture method that has on the substrate device of the operation that forms film figure, it is characterized in that, the formation method of each the described film figure by described claim 1 or 4 forms film figure on described substrate.

7, a kind of electro-optical device is characterized in that, has possessed the device of the manufacture method manufacturing that utilizes the described device of claim 6.

8, a kind of electronic device is characterized in that, has possessed the described electro-optical device of claim 7.

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