Disclosure of Invention
The embodiment of the application provides a thin film transistor and a preparation method thereof, an array substrate and a display device, which are used for enabling an active layer to be connected with a source electrode metal layer and a drain electrode metal layer in the thin film transistor through ohmic contact layers, so that ohmic contact resistance between the active layer and the source electrode metal layer and between the active layer and the drain electrode metal layer is reduced, ohmic contact effects between the active layer and the source electrode metal layer and between the active layer and the drain electrode metal layer in the thin film transistor are improved, and further the working stability of the thin film transistor can be improved.
The embodiment of the application provides a thin film transistor, including: a source metal layer, a first insulating layer over the source metal layer, a drain metal layer over the first insulating layer; the thin film transistor further includes: the active layer is connected with the source electrode metal layer and the drain electrode metal layer through the ohmic contact layer; wherein the ohmic contact layer comprises a first ohmic contact layer and a second ohmic contact layer, and the first ohmic contact layer comprises a first partial region and a second partial region which are positioned at two sides of the first insulating layer.
According to the thin film transistor provided by the embodiment of the application, the ohmic contact layer is arranged, so that the source electrode layer is connected with the source electrode metal layer and the drain electrode metal layer through the ohmic contact layer, namely the active layer is not in direct contact with the source electrode metal layer and the drain electrode metal layer, the ohmic contact resistance between the active layer and the source electrode metal layer and between the active layer and the drain electrode metal layer in the thin film transistor is reduced, the ohmic contact effect between the active layer and the source electrode metal layer and between the active layer and the drain electrode metal layer is improved, and the working stability of the vertical amorphous silicon thin film transistor can be improved.
Preferably, the second ohmic contact layer is located between the first insulating layer and the drain metal layer.
Preferably, the active layer includes a first partial active layer and a second partial active layer respectively located at two sides of the first insulating layer, the first partial active layer is located between the first partial region of the first ohmic contact layer and the second ohmic contact layer, and the second partial active layer is located between the second partial region of the first ohmic contact layer and the second ohmic contact layer.
Preferably, the active layer includes amorphous silicon, and/or the first and second ohmic contact layers include electron-type-doped amorphous silicon.
Preferably, the thin film transistor further includes:
a second insulating layer over the active layer;
a gate metal layer over the second insulating layer.
The array substrate provided by the embodiment of the application comprises the thin film transistor provided by the embodiment of the application.
The display device provided by the embodiment of the application comprises the array substrate provided by the embodiment of the application.
The preparation method of the thin film transistor provided by the embodiment of the application comprises the following steps: a first insulating layer is arranged on the source metal layer; providing a drain metal layer over the first insulating layer; the method further comprises the following steps: an active layer and an ohmic contact layer are arranged, and the active layer is connected with the source metal layer and the drain metal layer through the ohmic contact layer; wherein the ohmic contact layer comprises a first ohmic contact layer and a second ohmic contact layer, and the first ohmic contact layer comprises a first partial region and a second partial region which are positioned at two sides of the first insulating layer.
Preferably, the first ohmic contact layer and the second ohmic contact layer are formed in the same process flow.
Preferably, the active layer is formed after the ohmic contact layer and the drain metal layer are formed.
Detailed Description
The embodiment of the application provides a thin film transistor, an array substrate, a display panel, a display device and a preparation method, which are used for enabling a source electrode metal layer and a drain electrode metal layer in an active layer and the thin film transistor to be connected through an ohmic contact layer, so that ohmic contact resistance between the active layer and the source electrode metal layer and between the active layer and the drain electrode metal layer is reduced, ohmic contact effects between the active layer and the source electrode metal layer and between the active layer and the drain electrode metal layer in the thin film transistor are improved, and further working stability of the thin film transistor can be improved.
A thin film transistor provided in an embodiment of the present application, as shown in fig. 2, includes: a source metal layer 4, a first insulating layer 5 on the source metal layer 4, a drain metal layer 6 on the first insulating layer 5; an active layer 12 and an ohmic contact layer 16, a second insulating layer 8 on the active layer 12, and a gate metal layer 9 on the second insulating layer 8, wherein the active layer 12 is connected to the source metal layer 4 and the drain metal layer 6 through the ohmic contact layer 16, the ohmic contact layer 16 includes a first ohmic contact layer 10 and a second ohmic contact layer 11, and the first ohmic contact layer 10 includes a first partial region 17 and a second partial region 18 on both sides of the first insulating layer 5.
According to the thin film transistor provided by the embodiment of the application, the ohmic contact layer is arranged, so that the source electrode layer is connected with the source electrode metal layer and the drain electrode metal layer through the ohmic contact layer, namely the active layer is not in direct contact with the source electrode metal layer and the drain electrode metal layer, the ohmic contact resistance between the active layer and the source electrode metal layer and between the active layer and the drain electrode metal layer is reduced, the ohmic contact effect between the active layer and the source electrode metal layer and between the active layer and the drain electrode metal layer is improved, and the working stability of the thin film transistor can be improved.
In the thin film transistor shown in fig. 2, the second ohmic contact layer 11 is located between the first insulating layer 5 and the drain metal layer 6, that is, there is an overlapping portion of the second ohmic contact layer and the first insulating layer in the projection direction in the vertical direction, and the second ohmic contact layer may be a continuous whole layer that is located between the first insulating layer and the drain metal layer, or may be a discontinuous layer that is located between the first insulating layer and the drain metal layer, as shown in fig. 3, in which the second ohmic contact layer 11 is divided into two partial regions that are located between the first insulating layer 5 and the drain metal layer 6. The cross section of the first insulating layer may be a trapezoid as shown in fig. 2 and 3 or a rectangle, and the present application will be described by taking the example in which the cross section of the first insulating layer is a trapezoid.
In the thin film transistor as shown in fig. 2, the active layer includes a first partial active layer 19 and a second partial active layer 20 respectively located at both sides of the first insulating layer, the first partial active layer 19 is located between the first partial region 17 of the first ohmic contact layer 10 and the second ohmic contact layer 11, and the second partial active layer 20 is located between the second partial region 18 of the first ohmic contact layer 10 and the second ohmic contact layer 11.
Preferably, the active layer includes amorphous silicon (a-Si).
Preferably, the first and second ohmic contact layers include electron-type doped amorphous silicon (n + a-Si).
Taking the case where the first and second active layers 19 and 20 are all the a-Si layers 15, the first ohmic contact layer, and the second ohmic contact layer is n + a-Si as an example, the thin film transistor structure provided in the embodiment of the present application is as shown in fig. 4, the second n + a-Si layer 14 is located between the first insulating layer 5 and the drain metal layer 6, and the a-Si layer 15 is in contact with the first n + a-Si layer 13 and the second n + a-Si layer 14 on both sides of the first insulating layer 5.
It should be noted that, in the thin film transistor shown in fig. 2, 3, and 4 provided in the embodiments of the present application, the active layer is not in contact with the source metal layer and the drain metal layer, but only when the active layer is in contact with the source metal layer and the drain metal layer through the ohmic contact layer, the ohmic contact resistance between the active layer and the source metal layer and the drain metal layer may be reduced, so as to improve the ohmic contact effect between the active layer and the source metal layer and the drain metal layer. Therefore, in practical cases, the active layer may be partially in contact with the source metal layer and the drain metal layer while the active layer is in contact with the source metal layer and the drain metal layer through the ohmic contact layer, that is, while the active layer is in good ohmic contact with the source metal layer and the drain metal layer.
The array substrate provided by the embodiment of the application comprises the thin film transistor provided by the embodiment of the application.
The display device provided by the embodiment of the application comprises the array substrate provided by the embodiment of the application.
For example, the display device provided in the embodiments of the present application may be a liquid crystal display panel, an Organic Light-Emitting Diode (OLED) display panel, or the like, or may be a device such as a mobile phone, a television, a computer, or the like.
Corresponding to the thin film transistor provided in the embodiment of the present application, the embodiment of the present application further provides a method for manufacturing a thin film transistor, as shown in fig. 5, the method includes:
s501, arranging a first insulating layer on the source metal layer;
s502, arranging a drain metal layer on the first insulating layer;
s503, an active layer and an ohmic contact layer are arranged, and the active layer is connected with the source metal layer and the drain metal layer through the ohmic contact layer;
wherein the ohmic contact layer comprises a first ohmic contact layer and a second ohmic contact layer, and the first ohmic contact layer comprises a first partial region and a second partial region which are positioned at two sides of the first insulating layer.
The thin film transistor preparation method provided by the embodiment of the application,
preferably, the first ohmic contact layer and the second ohmic contact layer are formed in the same process flow.
According to the thin film transistor manufacturing method provided by the embodiment of the application, the first ohmic contact layer and the second ohmic contact layer are formed in the same process flow, so that the thin film transistor manufacturing steps can be simplified, and the thin film transistor manufacturing process flow can be reduced.
Preferably, the active layer is formed after the ohmic contact layer and the drain metal layer are formed.
It should be noted that, if the active layer is disposed before the ohmic contact layer and the drain metal layer are formed, the active layer may be etched in the subsequent etching process of the ohmic contact layer and the drain metal layer, which may result in over-etching the active layer and affect the operation stability of the thin film transistor. According to the thin film transistor manufacturing method provided by the embodiment of the application, the active layer is arranged behind the first ohmic contact layer, the second ohmic contact layer and the drain electrode metal layer, so that the poor working stability of the thin film transistor caused by over-etching of the active layer is avoided.
The following describes a method for manufacturing a thin film transistor provided in the embodiments of the present application, taking the manufacturing of the thin film transistor structure shown in fig. 4 as an example.
Preferably, the thin film transistor further comprises a glass substrate.
In a first mode, as shown in fig. 6, the method for manufacturing a thin film transistor specifically includes the following steps:
s601, depositing a source electrode metal layer on the glass substrate 1, and etching to form a source electrode metal layer 4 after exposure;
s602, depositing a first insulating layer on the source metal layer 4, and etching to form a first insulating layer 5 after exposure;
s603, depositing an n + a-Si layer, and etching to form a first n + a-Si layer 13 and a second n + a-Si layer 14 after exposure; the second n + a-Si layer 14 is positioned on the first insulating layer 5, and the first n + a-Si layers 13 are positioned on two sides of the first insulating layer 5 and positioned on the source metal layer 4;
s604, depositing a drain metal layer on the second n + a-Si layer 14, and etching to form a drain metal layer 6 after exposure;
s605, depositing an a-Si layer after the step S604, and etching to form an a-Si layer 15 after exposure; the a-Si layer 15 is in contact with the first n + a-Si layer 13 and the second n + a-Si layer 14 on both sides of the first insulating layer 5;
s606, arranging a second insulating layer 8 on the a-Si layer 15, and etching a through hole (not shown in the figure) on the second insulating layer;
and S607, depositing a gate metal layer on the second insulating layer 8, and etching to form a gate metal layer 9 after exposure.
In a second mode, as shown in fig. 7, the method for manufacturing a thin film transistor specifically includes the following steps:
s701, depositing a source metal layer on the glass substrate 1, and etching to form a source metal layer 4 after exposure;
s702, depositing a first insulating layer on the source metal layer 4, and etching to form a first insulating layer 5 after exposure;
s703, depositing an n + a-Si layer, depositing a drain metal layer on the n + a-Si layer, etching the metal layer and the n + a-Si layer by adopting a half-transparent mask (HTM) to form a first n + a-Si layer 13 and a second n + a-Si layer 14, and further etching the metal layer by adopting photoresist ashing to form a drain metal layer 6; the second n + a-Si layer 14 is positioned on the first insulating layer 5, the drain metal layer 6 is positioned on the second n + a-Si layer 14, and the first n + a-Si layers 13 are positioned on both sides of the first insulating layer 5 and on the source metal layer 4;
s704, depositing an a-Si layer, and etching to form an a-Si layer 15 after exposure; the a-Si layer 15 is in contact with the first n + a-Si layer 13 and the second n + a-Si layer 14 on both sides of the first insulating layer 5;
s705, arranging a second insulating layer 8 on the a-Si layer 15, and etching a via hole (not shown in the figure) on the second insulating layer;
and S706, depositing a gate metal layer on the second insulating layer 8, and etching to form a gate metal layer 9 after exposure.
By adopting the two preparation methods of the thin film transistor provided by the embodiment of the application, the first n + a-Si layer and the second n + a-Si layer are arranged between the a-Si layer and the source metal layer and between the a-Si layer and the drain metal layer, so that the ohmic contact resistance between the a-Si layer and the source metal layer and between the a-Si layer and the drain metal layer can be reduced, and the ohmic contact effect between the a-Si layer and the source metal layer and between the a-Si layer and the drain metal layer can be improved. Meanwhile, in the two thin film transistor preparation modes, the first n + a-Si layer and the second n + a-Si layer are arranged on the same layer and are formed in the same process flow, so that the steps for preparing the thin film transistor are simplified. And the a-Si layer is etched after the n + a-Si layer and the drain electrode metal layer are etched, so that the etching time and the etching rate of the a-Si layer can be controlled, and the working stability of the TFT (thin film transistor) caused by over-etching the a-Si layer is not deteriorated.
It should be noted that, the two ways of manufacturing the thin film transistor provided in the embodiments of the present application are different only in the etching sequence of each layer of the thin film transistor during the manufacturing process of the thin film transistor, but the thin film transistor shown in fig. 4 can be formed, and the two different ways of manufacturing the thin film transistor have no influence on the performance of the thin film transistor. In addition, compared with the first mode, the thin film transistor preparation method provided by the second mode adopts the semi-permeable mask process to etch the drain metal layer and the n + a-Si layer, so that a mask (mask) can be reduced, the production cost is reduced, the one-step exposure process is reduced, the process time is shortened, and the productivity can be increased.
To sum up, according to the thin film transistor, the array substrate, the display panel, the display device and the method for manufacturing the thin film transistor provided by the embodiment of the present application, by providing the ohmic contact layer, the source layer is connected to the source metal layer and the drain metal layer through the ohmic contact layer, that is, the active layer is not in complete direct contact with the source metal layer and the drain metal layer, so that ohmic contact resistance between the active layer and the source metal layer and the drain metal layer is reduced, ohmic contact effect between the active layer and the source metal layer and between the active layer and the drain metal layer is improved, and thus the working stability of the thin film transistor can be improved. In addition, according to the thin film transistor manufacturing method provided by the embodiment of the application, the first ohmic contact layer and the second ohmic contact layer are formed in the same process flow, so that the steps of manufacturing the thin film transistor are simplified. In addition, as the active layer is etched after the ohmic contact layer and the drain electrode metal layer, the etching time and the etching rate of the active layer can be controlled, and the stability of the thin film transistor caused by over-etching the active layer is not deteriorated.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made in the present application without departing from the spirit and scope of the application. Thus, if such modifications and variations of the present application fall within the scope of the claims of the present application and their equivalents, the present application is intended to include such modifications and variations as well.