JP2008282887A - Liquid crystal display device and manufacturing method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a liquid crystal display device having a source electrode or a drain electrode having a high conductivity while forming an oxide film having high adhesion to a semiconductor layer or a pixel electrode to prevent oxidation of wiring materials and the like. And a manufacturing method thereof.
In the present invention, in a TFT electrode on a TFT substrate constituting a liquid crystal display device, a source electrode or a drain electrode is composed of a layer mainly composed of copper and an oxide covering the layer mainly composed of copper. It is characterized by becoming. Furthermore, the present invention is characterized in that in the TFT electrode, the semiconductor layer or the pixel electrode and the source electrode or the drain electrode are in ohmic contact.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  A TFT electrode on a TFT substrate constituting a liquid crystal display device, wherein the source electrode or the drain electrode comprises a layer mainly composed of copper and an oxide covering the layer mainly composed of copper. The present invention relates to an apparatus and a manufacturing method thereof.

  In recent years, liquid crystal display devices (LCDs) that are thin and lightweight and that can be driven at a low voltage and have low power consumption have been widely used. This liquid crystal display device is required to have a larger screen year by year and display a moving image such as a TV image. For this purpose, it is necessary to form the wiring with a material having low resistance and high conductivity. In response, in recent years, the wiring for this application is made of copper (Cu) having a lower resistance than that of an aluminum alloy, that is, having a higher conductivity.

  With such an increase in screen size of the liquid crystal display device, the gate wiring material has been changed from a molybdenum alloy to an aluminum alloy or an aluminum clad. Aluminum (Al) has problems such as hillocks and electromigration.

  For example, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, a wiring material made of an Al—Nd alloy has been proposed, or anodized Al, Al clad with a Mo alloy, or double-layered Al is used. Yes. In the case of this AlNd alloy, the resistivity is 5.1 μΩ · cm, and in the case of pure Al, it is 2.5 μΩ · cm.

  Therefore, in order to actually use pure Al, as a countermeasure against hillocks, migration, etc., wiring with a three-layer structure of Ti / Al / Ti / or Mo / Al / Mo is used. As a result, an increase in the number of film forming steps remains as a problem.

  On the other hand, copper has attracted attention as a material having a lower electrical resistance than these gate electrode materials. However, copper has a problem that it is easily oxidized when an insulating layer is formed, in addition to poor adhesion to glass, which is a TFT TFT substrate.

  Therefore, in order to solve such problems, in recent years, a technique using an alloyed copper wiring has been attempted in the TFT-LCD. In this technique, the alloy element forms a reaction product with the substrate, thereby ensuring adhesion with the substrate, and at the same time, the additive element forms an oxide on the Cu surface, thereby forming an oxidation resistant film of Cu. It aims to act as.

  However, the proposed technology does not sufficiently exhibit the targeted characteristics. That is, the electrical resistance of Cu increases due to the alloy element remaining in Cu, and the superiority to the wiring material using Al or Al alloy cannot be shown.

  Furthermore, as shown in Patent Document 2, in order to use a copper wiring in a TFT-LCD, a Mo alloy film is formed between Cu and the substrate, thereby ensuring adhesion and barrier properties with the substrate. Technology is considered.

  However, this technique has a problem that the number of steps for forming the Mo alloy increases and the effective resistance of the wiring increases. Furthermore, although a Cu single layer is used for the source electrode and the drain electrode, a problem remains in its stability.

  Patent Document 3 proposes a technique for forming high melting point nitrides such as TaN, TiN, and WN around Cu in order to solve these problems related to Cu wiring. However, this technique requires a material for forming a barrier layer and an additional process as compared with conventional wiring materials, and forms a high resistance barrier layer thickly. There is a problem that resistance increases.

  Patent Document 4 discloses that adhesion and oxidation resistance are improved by adding one or more elements of Mg, Ti, and Cr to Cu in the wiring of the TFT-LCD. However, there is a problem that the additive element remains in the wiring and the wiring resistance increases. There is also a problem that the additive element reduces the oxide of the substrate, and the reduced element diffuses into the wiring to increase the wiring resistance.

  Patent Document 5 discloses that 0.3 to 10% by weight of Ag is added to Cu to improve oxidation resistance. However, the adhesion to the glass substrate is not improved, and there is a problem that sufficient oxidation resistance that can withstand the liquid crystal process cannot be obtained.

  Patent Document 6 proposes a copper alloy in which at least one element selected from 0.5 to 5% by weight of Ti, Mo, Ni, Al, and Ag is added to Cu in order to improve adhesion. . However, there is a problem that the electrical resistance of the wiring is increased by the additive element.

  Patent Document 7 proposes that 0.1 to 3.0% by weight of Mo is added to Cu and segregates Mo to grain boundaries to suppress oxidation due to grain boundary diffusion. However, although this technique can improve the oxidation resistance of Cu, there is a problem that the wiring resistance increases.

  In Patent Document 8, a copper alloy in which an appropriate additive element is added to Cu.sub.2, the additive element forms an oxide film to form a protective film, which suppresses Cu oxidation, and places the protective film on the interface with the adjacent insulating layer. Form and deter interdiffusion. This provides a copper wiring that is highly conductive and has excellent adhesion to the substrate. Furthermore, a liquid crystal display device using this copper wiring is provided. There is a suggestion that one of the additional elements is preferably Mn. However, this technique is not sufficient to realize the characteristics of the wiring structure used in the liquid crystal display device and the electrode structure of the TFT.

  Patent Document 9 proposes a TFT structure used in a TFT-LCD, and specifically presents a TFT structure in which the gate electrode is covered with an oxide film when a Cu alloy is applied to the gate electrode. If Cu is the first metal, Ti, Zr, Hf, Ta, Nb, Si, B, La, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Dy, Y, Yb, Ce are used as the second metal. , Mg, Th, and Cr. However, this second metal is different from the additive element of the present invention.

None of these documents mentions a source electrode or drain electrode structure in a TFT electrode. However, the source or drain electrode structure is required to have high adhesion to the semiconductor layer or pixel electrode, resistance to the environment in which it is used, and stability as an electrical junction of the source or drain electrode portion. The important part of a display device is a component.
JP 2000-199054 A JP 2004-163901 A JP 2004-139057 A JP 2005-166757 A JP 2002-69550 A JP 2005-158887 A JP 2004-91907 A WO 2006-025347 Japanese Patent No. 3302894

  As described above, in these conventional techniques, attempts have been made to ensure adhesion and oxidation resistance with a semiconductor layer or a pixel electrode by adding an alloy additive element to Cu. However, in either case, sufficient results are obtained. Not obtained. In addition, sufficient adhesion to the semiconductor layer or pixel electrode required for the structure of the source or drain electrode in the TFT electrode, resistance to the environment in which it is used, and stability as an electrical junction of the source or drain electrode are sufficient. The result is not obtained.

  In particular, Document 8 suggests a liquid crystal display device using this copper wiring. However, only the suggested technique can achieve a configuration sufficient for realizing a gate wiring structure used in a liquid crystal display device. Can not. Reference 9 clearly states that the oxide film covering the gate electrode is an oxide layer mainly composed of the second metal formed by heat treatment in an oxygen atmosphere. Thus, it is completely elucidated that the Cu alloy reacts with the Si oxide film in contact with the heat treatment to form an oxide film on the source electrode or the drain electrode to ensure the adhesion with the semiconductor layer or the pixel electrode. It does not suggest that.

  In other words, it is possible to solve all of these problems such as realizing the Cu alloy film forming process with a small number of processes, reducing the effective resistance of the wiring, and improving the adhesion with the semiconductor layer or the pixel electrode. Although necessary, the above-described conventional technology cannot solve these problems, and it is difficult to manufacture an actual product.

  The present invention has been made in view of such a situation, and its problem is to form an oxide film having high adhesion to a semiconductor layer or a pixel electrode, and to oxidize wiring materials including a source electrode or a drain electrode. The present invention provides a liquid crystal display device having a TFT structure having a source electrode or a drain electrode sandwiched between a semiconductor layer of amorphous silicon or the like and a passivation layer, and a method for manufacturing the same. And it is forming the wiring, electrode, or terminal electrode (especially source electrode or drain electrode) which satisfy | fills these subjects simultaneously and can be applied to an actual manufacturing process.

Hereinafter, means (1) to (25) for achieving the object of the present invention will be exemplified.
(1) In the TFT electrode on the TFT substrate constituting the liquid crystal display device, the source electrode or the drain electrode is composed of a layer mainly composed of copper and an oxide covering the layer mainly composed of copper. Liquid crystal display device.
(2) The liquid crystal display device according to (1), wherein the TFT electrode has a passivation layer, and the passivation layer is formed on the source electrode or the drain electrode.
(3) The liquid crystal display device according to (2), wherein the passivation layer is a silicon nitride (SiNx) layer.
(4) The liquid crystal display device according to (2), wherein the passivation layer is a silicon oxide (SiOx) layer or a silicon nitrogen oxide (SiNyOx) layer.
(5) The liquid crystal display device according to (2), wherein the passivation layer is an organic layer.
(6) The liquid crystal display device according to (1), wherein in the TFT electrode, the semiconductor layer and the source electrode or the drain electrode are in ohmic contact.
(7) The liquid crystal display device according to (1), wherein in the TFT electrode, the pixel electrode and the source electrode or the drain electrode are in ohmic contact.
(8) The liquid crystal display device according to (7), wherein the pixel electrode is ITO (indium tin oxide), IZO (indium zinc oxide), or ITZO (indium tin zinc oxide).
(9) The liquid crystal display device according to (1), wherein the main component of the oxide is Mn, and the subcomponent of the oxide is Cu.
(10) The liquid crystal display device according to (1), wherein the oxide has a composition formula of Cu _X Mn _Y Si _Z O (0 <X <Y, 0 <Z <Y).
(11) The liquid crystal display device according to (1), wherein the copper-based layer is formed of a copper alloy, and the additive element of the copper alloy is Mn.
(12) The liquid crystal display device according to (11), wherein the amount of Mn added is 0.5-25 at%.
(13) The liquid crystal display device according to (1), wherein the oxide contains Cu and Si.
(14) A TFT electrode on a TFT substrate constituting a liquid crystal display device has a structure in which a source electrode or a drain electrode is sandwiched between a semiconductor layer and a passivation layer, and the source electrode or the drain electrode contains copper as a main component. And a second layer made of an oxide covering the outer periphery of the first layer, and the composition formula of the second layer is Cu _X Mn _Y Si _Z O (0 < A liquid crystal display device, wherein X <Y, 0 <Z <Y).
(15) The first layer is formed of a copper alloy, and the additive element of the copper alloy is a group consisting of Mn, Zn, Ga, Li, Ge, Sr, Ag, In, Sn, Ba, Pr, and Nd. The liquid crystal display device according to (14), wherein the liquid crystal display device is at least one metal selected from the group consisting of:
(16) The liquid crystal display device according to (14), wherein the first layer is formed of a copper alloy, and an additive element of the copper alloy is Mn.
(17) The liquid crystal display device according to (16), wherein the amount of Mn added is 0.5-25 at%.
(18) The liquid crystal display device according to (14), wherein the main component of the second layer is Mn, and the subcomponent of the second layer is Cu.
(19) The liquid crystal display device according to (14), wherein the second layer contains Cu and Si.
(20) In the source electrode or drain electrode on the TFT substrate constituting the liquid crystal display device, the copper alloy layer mainly composed of copper is heat-treated at about 150 ° C. to 400 ° C., so that the additive element of the copper alloy becomes glass A method for producing a liquid crystal display device, comprising: reacting with silicon oxide therein to form an oxide covering an outer peripheral portion of the copper alloy layer.
(21) The method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to (20), wherein the thickness of the oxide covering the outer periphery of the copper alloy layer is 1 to 30 nm.
(22) A TFT electrode on a TFT substrate constituting an organic EL display device has a structure in which a source electrode or a drain electrode is sandwiched between a semiconductor layer and a passivation layer, and the source electrode or the drain electrode contains copper as a main component. And a second layer made of an oxide covering the outer periphery of the first layer, and the composition formula of the second layer is Cu _X Mn _Y Si _Z O (0 < An organic EL display device, wherein X <Y, 0 <Z <Y).
(23) The first layer is formed of a copper alloy, and the additive element of the copper alloy is a group consisting of Mn, Zn, Ga, Li, Ge, Sr, Ag, In, Sn, Ba, Pr and Nd. The organic EL display device according to (22), wherein the organic EL display device is at least one metal selected from the group consisting of:
(24) The organic EL display device according to (22), wherein the first layer is formed of a copper alloy, and an additive element of the copper alloy is Mn.
(25) The organic EL display device according to (22), wherein the amount of Mn added is 0.5-25 at%.

  According to the present invention, the electrical resistivity of the wiring or electrode is made close to that of pure copper, the resistance is reduced, and oxidation of Cu is prevented on the surface of the wiring, and the oxide film has high adhesion to the semiconductor layer or the pixel electrode. A liquid crystal display device having a copper alloy wiring or electrode in which a layer is formed can be realized, and unevenness in an image due to propagation delay of a gate voltage pulse can be suppressed. Furthermore, the process of wiring and electrodes can be shortened, contributing to simplification of the TFT process, and an effect of reducing the manufacturing cost can be expected. Due to the source electrode or drain electrode structure, high adhesion to the semiconductor layer or the pixel electrode is obtained, the electrode is protected from the use environment by the coating oxide, has high environmental resistance, and is electrically Has an ohmic contact and is electrically stable. Furthermore, the present invention brings the same effect to the organic EL display device.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the present embodiment, a technique of applying a copper alloy to each electrode and wiring constituting the matrix relating to the a-Si TFT on the TFT substrate will be described. First, a liquid crystal display device used in the present invention will be described.

  FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of a cross section of a liquid crystal display (LCD) module. Liquid crystal display devices tend to have larger screens, and active matrix LCDs are used. A typical example is a TFT-LCD in which an LCD is driven by a thin film transistor (TFT). FIG. 1 shows the TFT-LCD module. The configuration includes an LCD panel 1, a drive circuit 2, a backlight 3, and a chassis 4. The LCD panel 1 includes a TFT substrate 11 and a color filter (CF) substrate 12 which are arranged on the upper and lower sides.

  The driving circuit 2 is driven by giving an electric signal to the LCD panel 1 from the outside. The configuration includes an LCD driver LSI / chip 21 or an LCD driver LSI, a multilayer printed board (PCB) 22, and a control circuit 23. The LCD driver LSI chip 21 or the LCD driver LSI is electrically connected to the terminal electrode of the LCD panel by an anisotropic conductive film. In addition, a backlight unit 311 and a light guide plate 39 are attached, and the chassis 4 completes a module structure.

  FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram of a cross section of the LCD panel 1. A liquid crystal layer (LC layer) 13 is formed in the gap between the TFT substrate 11 and the CF substrate 12. The gap is about 3 to 5 μm, and the gap size is controlled by arranging the spacer 14 inside the panel. The liquid crystal layer is liquid and is sealed by a peripheral seal 15. In the liquid crystal layer, the arrangement of liquid crystal molecules is controlled so as to function as an optical crystal. Liquid crystal molecules are aligned vertically or horizontally with respect to the interface on the inner surface of the substrate. This is called orientation.

The alignment film 17 is applied to the inner surfaces of the TFT substrate 11 and the CF substrate 12, that is, the so-called liquid crystal layer side. Further, deflection films 18 and 19 are arranged on the outer surfaces of the TFT substrate 11 and the CF substrate 12. A TFT 111, a storage capacitor (C _S ) 112, and a pixel electrode 113 are disposed on the TFT substrate. The TFT 111, the storage capacitor 112, and the pixel electrode 113 form a basic configuration of one pixel. One LCD panel has several million pixels. For this reason, these pixels are connected in a matrix on the TFT substrate 11 by wiring.

  The opposing CF substrate 12 includes a black matrix (BM) 121, a color filter (CF) 122 composed of three primary colors (red, green, and blue), and a common electrode 123. The common electrode 123 is normally disposed on the CF substrate side, but is disposed on the TFT substrate 11 in an IPS liquid crystal (In-Plane Switching Nematic Liquid Crystal) mode. FIG. 3 shows a schematic diagram of an IPS liquid crystal.

  In FIG. 2, the common electrode 123 is a transparent electrode, and ITO (indium tin oxide), IZO (indium zinc oxide), or ITZO (indium tin zinc oxide) is used. In order to pull this out to the outside, it is pulled out to the TFT substrate 11 by the short portion 161. Each electrode is electrically connected to the drive circuit 2 by a connection pad 162. Further, the TFT substrate 11 and the CF substrate 12 are required to be transparent with respect to light, and hard glass is used. For the IPS liquid crystal shown in FIG. 3, refer to USP 2,701,698 and USP 5,598,285.

  FIG. 4 is a plan view, a cross-sectional view, and an equivalent circuit of the pixel portion 31 and the TFT portion 32. Each pixel is connected to a gate wiring 33 and a signal wiring 34. Therefore, as shown in the plan view of FIG. 4, the TFT portion includes a gate electrode 351, a source electrode 352, and a drain electrode 353 which are three kinds of electrodes. The drain electrode 353 is connected to the pixel electrode 113 through a through hole.

As can be seen from the cross-sectional view of FIG. 5, the semiconductor is amorphous silicon (a-Si) 36, and the gate insulating film 37 is silicon nitride (SiN _x ), silicon oxide film (SiO _x ), or a laminated film thereof, or Organic layer. In the equivalent circuit of each pixel portion (FIG. 6), parasitic capacitances C _gs , C _gd , C _ds are added between the respective electrodes of the TFT. There is a liquid crystal layer between the common electrode 123 on the counter substrate and it is C _lc in the equivalent circuit. In parallel with this, the storage capacitor C _s is formed.

7, 8, and 9, there are a staggered top gate structure, an inverted staggered channel stopper structure, and an inverted staggered channel etch structure showing three types of a-Si TFT structures. Of these, the channel etch structure of FIG. 9 is often used in practice.
[Gate electrode]

  Next, a technique for applying a copper alloy to the gate wiring of the TFT electrode will be described. As described above, an inverted staggered channel etch structure is often applied to TFT electrodes using amorphous silicon. In this case, the gate electrode is formed by sputtering on a glass substrate, and a pattern is formed by wet etching. In that case, as shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 26, the gate electrode has a tapered shape to reduce mechanical stress.

A TFT structure when CuMn, which is one of the copper alloys according to the present invention, is used as a gate electrode will be described. As the glass substrate, for example, alkali-free glass is preferably used. An example of the composition of alkali-free glass is shown below.
Component content (%)
SiO ₂ 49.0
Al ₂ O ₃ 11.0
B ₂ O ₃ 15.0
Metal (Fe etc.)
25.0
Alkali-

Next, a CuMn thin film is formed on the glass substrate by sputtering of a CuMn alloy. The film thickness is about 200 nm. Thereafter, the glass substrate is heat-treated at about 200 to 450 ° C. or more for about 3 minutes to 50 hours in a small amount of oxidizing atmosphere, so that Mn diffuses in Cu, and the glass interface and the surface of the CuMn thin film are diffused. An oxide layer 47 having a thickness of 2 to 10 nm is formed. At the interface between the gate electrode 351 and the glass substrate 11, Mn, which is an additive element in CuMn, diffuses and reacts with SiO ₂ in the glass at the interface, and the oxide formed is (Cu, Mn, Si ) becomes _{O x.} With this oxide, the adhesion between the gate electrode 351 and the glass substrate 11 can be secured. Furthermore, manganese oxide MnO _x prevents the diffusion of Cu into the glass.

On the other hand, the surface of the CuMn film reacts with oxygen in the atmosphere to form an oxide layer (Cu, Mn) O _x having a thickness of several nm. Thereafter, the gate electrode is patterned by wet etching, and both ends thereof are tapered. Furthermore, this is heat-processed at about 200-450 degreeC in a trace amount oxygen atmosphere, and the oxide layer 47 is similarly formed in a taper part.

  Another method for forming an oxide layer on the gate electrode 351 is described. Following the formation of the gate electrode, three layers of SiN / a-Si / n + a-Si, which are a gate insulating film and a semiconductor film, are continuously formed by plasma CVD (chemical vapor deposition) (hereinafter simply referred to as plasma CVD). Film. The substrate temperature at this time is about 300 to 350 ° C., which is a sufficient temperature for the heat treatment. The substrate temperature when the substrate is put into the plasma CVD apparatus is set to about 300 to 350 ° C., and the oxide layer 47 can be formed in a small amount of oxygen atmosphere. An oxide layer similar to the above is formed at the interface with the glass substrate.

On the other hand, an oxide layer 47 formed on the interface between the gate electrode 351 and the gate insulating film 37 is finally (Cu, Mn, Si) becomes _{O X.} This oxide layer 47 can secure the adhesion between the gate electrode 351 and the gate insulating film 37 and can prevent diffusion of Cu into the gate insulating film 37. In some cases, the gate insulating film 37 is SiON. At this time, Mn diffused in CuMn reacts with oxygen in the gate insulating film 37 to form an oxide film 47. In this case, the oxide film 47 finally becomes (Cu, Mn, Si) O _X as described above.

  In this way, Mn in the CuMn alloy diffuses and is fixed to the oxide layer 47, so that the gate electrode 351 is close to pure Cu. While the resistivity of pure Cu is 1.7 μΩ · cm, a gate electrode having a resistivity of 2.2 μΩ · cm can be obtained by heat treatment at about 200 to 250 ° C. in a small amount of oxygen atmosphere. This value is sufficiently lower than the resistivity of Al. Since the gate electrode 351 forms the gate wiring in this state, the propagation delay of the gate voltage pulse described above can be reduced, and as a result, the uneven brightness of the LCD due to shading can be reduced.

  In the above technique, CuMn which is a copper alloy is applied to the glass substrate 11 and the gate insulating film 37, the gate electrode 351 sandwiched between so-called different types of insulating layers or the gate wiring, and the oxide layer 47 covering the electrode is formed, This prevents Cu from diffusing and penetrating into the glass substrate 11 and the gate insulating film 37 that are in contact with the insulating layer, and ensures adhesion with the insulating layer in contact with the gate electrode 351.

  Furthermore, the copper alloy CuMn which is the gate electrode 351 and the gate wiring is in a state close to pure copper when Mn diffuses into the coating oxide layer 47, and a low resistance value close to pure copper can be realized.

  Further, the CuMn layer as the gate electrode may be formed as a single layer, and by forming the oxide layer 47 to be covered, low resistance close to that of pure copper can be realized, and image shading can be reduced. Further, in the conventional Cu wiring, three layers of Cu alloy / pure Cu / Cu alloy are formed, but in this technique, a single layer of copper alloy (for example, CuMn alloy) may be formed. This is effective in reducing costs.

[Source electrode or drain electrode]
Next, the present invention in which a copper alloy (particularly CuMn) is applied to the TFT source electrode or drain electrode in the TFT electrode on the TFT substrate constituting the liquid crystal display device according to the present invention will be described.

  Examples of the passivation layer used in the present invention include a silicon nitride (SiNx) layer, a silicon oxide (SiOx) layer, a silicon nitrogen oxide (SiNyOx) layer, or an organic layer. Examples of the organic layer include polyimide having good fluidity. Examples of the semiconductor layer used in the present invention include an amorphous silicon (a-Si) layer or an amorphous silicon (n + a-Si) layer containing impurities. Furthermore, examples of the pixel electrode used in the present invention include ITO (indium tin oxide), IZO (indium zinc oxide), ITZO (indium tin zinc oxide), and the like. Of these, it is most preferable to use ITO (indium tin oxide). However, in order to solve problems such as workability, IZO (indium zinc oxide) or ITZO (indium tin zinc oxide) is preferable.

  Next, an example is given and demonstrated about the manufacturing process of this invention which applies a copper alloy (for example, CuMn) as a source electrode or a drain electrode.

After patterning three layers of SiH / a-Si / n + a-Si by dry etching, a copper alloy (for example, CuMn) is formed by sputtering, and a pattern of the source electrode or drain electrode is formed by wet etching. . Thereafter, a heat treatment of about 200 to 450 ° C. is performed in a small amount of oxygen atmosphere to form an oxide layer having a thickness of several nm covering the source electrode or the drain electrode as (Cu, Mn, Si) O _x or (Cu , Mn) O _X. At this time, at the interface where the semiconductor layer (for example, a-Si layer) or the insulating layer (for example, SiN layer) and the source electrode or the drain electrode are in contact, the semiconductor layer (for example, a-Si layer) or the insulating layer (for example, SiN) Oxygen remaining in the layer) reacts with a copper alloy (for example, a CuMn alloy) to form an oxide layer.

Subsequently, after forming the channel of the TFT, a passivation film (for example, a SiN layer) is formed by plasma CVD at a substrate temperature of about 250 to 300 ° C. and patterned. In this process, the oxide layer finally becomes (Cu, Mn, Si) O _x having a thickness of several nanometers through a process at a substrate temperature of about 250 to 300 ° C. Alternatively, after patterning the source electrode or the drain electrode, when forming a passivation film without special heat treatment, Mn diffuses by heating the substrate at about 250 to 300 ° C., and an oxide layer is formed. A coating layer is formed on the electrode or drain electrode.

  The oxide layer obtained as a result ensures adhesion between the insulating layer and the semiconductor layer and the source or drain electrode. Furthermore, in the electrical connection between the semiconductor layer (for example, the n + a-Si layer) and the source electrode or the drain electrode, the oxide layer functions as a high resistance layer having a thickness of several nanometers. It does not interfere with conjugation.

An oxide film layer is formed at the interface between the source or drain electrode and the semiconductor layer (for example, n + a-Si layer). Here, the insulating film (for example, silicon nitride) and the semiconductor layer (for example, amorphous silicon) A thin film made of a copper alloy (for example, CuMn) sandwiched between and an oxide layer forms an oxide layer at the interface between an insulating film (for example, silicon nitride) and a semiconductor layer (for example, amorphous silicon) by heat treatment. composition becomes _{(Cu, Mn, Si) O} X.

  Furthermore, Cu and Si are diffused from the copper alloy thin film and the silicon thin film in the oxide layer at the interface, thereby the oxide layer acts as a high resistance layer and secures an ohmic junction connection. Is done. Furthermore, when a voltage of several tens of volts is applied by aging after completion of the TFT substrate or the TFT-LCD panel, the oxide layer as thin as several nanometers breaks down, resulting in conduction of the oxide layer. And the connection of the ohmic junction is secured through the oxide layer.

  Further, the source electrode or the drain electrode has a low resistance close to that of pure Cu, as described above, and can reduce problems due to propagation delay. Furthermore, a single layer of a copper alloy (for example, CuMn) may be formed, which is effective for shortening the film forming process and reducing the cost as compared with the conventional case.

  Next, examples of the source electrode or drain electrode of the TFT electrode in the liquid crystal display device according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 10, 11, 12, and 13. FIG.

  FIG. 10 shows a case where the semiconductor layer is an amorphous silicon (a-Si) layer 36 and an amorphous silicon (n + a-Si) layer 45 containing impurities and an oxide layer 47 around the gate electrode 351. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a source and drain electrode structure coated with an oxide layer 46.

  FIG. 11 shows an oxidation in the case where the semiconductor layer is an amorphous silicon (a-Si) layer 36 and an amorphous silicon n + a-Si layer 45 containing impurities and does not have an oxide layer around the gate electrode 351. 3 is a diagram showing a source electrode and drain electrode structure coated with a physical layer 46. FIG.

  FIG. 12 shows a source and drain electrode structure coated with an oxide layer 46 when the semiconductor layer is an amorphous silicon a-Si layer 36 and has an oxide layer 47 around the gate electrode 351. FIG.

  FIG. 13 shows a source and drain electrode structure coated with an oxide layer 46 when the semiconductor layer is an amorphous silicon a-Si layer 36 and does not have an oxide layer around the gate electrode 351. FIG.

  The manufacturing process of the TFT electrode structure of the present invention exemplified above is as follows, for example. First, after forming a thin silicon oxide layer SiOx of about 1-2 nm on the upper surface of the semiconductor layer 45 (for example, amorphous silicon a-Si layer 36 or amorphous silicon n + a-Si layer containing impurities), a copper alloy ( For example, an intermediate layer of a semiconductor layer (for example, an a-Si layer or an n + a-Si layer) and a copper alloy (for example, CuMn) is formed by forming a thin film of CuMn) and performing a heat treatment at about 200 ° C. to 350 ° C. Mn moves from the CuMn layer to form an (Mn, Cu, Si) Ox layer having a thickness of several nm, which is an oxide layer mainly composed of MnOx.

  The oxide layer is an electrically high resistance layer, and the interface between the semiconductor layer (for example, an amorphous silicon layer or amorphous silicon containing impurities) and the source electrode 352 or the drain electrode 353 mainly composed of copper is electrically connected to the oxide layer. Connected as an ohmic junction.

  Examples of means for forming the thin silicon oxide layer SiOx having a thickness of about 1 to 2 nm on the interface include an ozone oxidation method and a plasma oxidation method. Alternatively, a means for attaching a hydroxyl group (—OH) to the upper surface of the amorphous silicon a-Si layer or the amorphous silicon n + a-Si layer containing impurities by spraying water vapor is also effective.

  Next, in the TFT electrode structure according to the present invention, FIG. 14 demonstrating that the source or drain electrode and the pixel electrode (ITO) are in ohmic contact, and the source or drain electrode and the amorphous structure. Reference is made to FIG. 15 demonstrating that Si (a-Si) is in ohmic contact.

  In the TFT electrode structure according to the present invention, the stability of electrical bonding is required for the source electrode or drain electrode structure. For this purpose, it is desirable that each junction is electrically ohmic junction. The source electrode or drain electrode mainly composed of copper according to the present invention is covered with an oxide layer mainly composed of manganese oxide. Although a thin oxide layer is interposed as described above, a stable ohmic junction is exhibited. An example of the experiment is shown below. It is a result of the contact resistance measured by TRANSFER LENGTH METHOD (TLM method).

  14 shows Cu-4at. 1 shows a film of% Mn formed on a transparent electrode (ITO) substrate with a thickness of about 200 nm. A molybdenum mask with an opening system of about 0.5 mm and a distance between the ends of the holes of about 0.5 mm (the distance between the centers of the holes is about 1 mm) is placed on the substrate, and then Cu—Mn is deposited. A film was formed. Therefore, round electrodes are formed at equal intervals. On the other hand, FIG. 1 shows a film of% Mn formed on amorphous Si (a-Si).

  FIG. 14 and FIG. 15 show the results of measuring IV characteristics by contacting a prober with two different electrodes. The IV characteristics were obtained by changing the interval between the electrodes. The contact resistance value could be obtained from this measurement result.

  FIG. 14 shows a case where the source electrode or the heat treatment is performed at a temperature of 250 ° C. for 30 minutes after the CuMn thin film is formed and when the post-treatment is not performed after the CuMn thin film is formed (hereinafter, this condition is referred to as As-dep). The IV characteristics between the drain electrode (CuMn) and the pixel electrode (ITO) are shown. FIG. 15 shows a case where CuMn is formed into a thin film and then heat-treated at a temperature of 200 ° C. for 30 minutes and I-deposition between the source or drain electrode (CuMn) and amorphous Si (a-Si) at As-dep. V characteristics are shown.

  In these figures, since the IV relationship is a proportional straight line, it is proved that the junction is an ohmic junction. Therefore, an ohmic junction is established under all conditions in this figure.

  Next, the contents of applying this copper alloy to the electrode terminal for leading to the outside, which is connected to the TFT-LCD panel and the driver LSI as the driving circuit in the liquid crystal display device, will be described. In a TFT-LCD of a liquid crystal display device, a gate wiring using a copper wiring represented by CuMn and an electrode terminal 33 of a signal wiring have a structure in which the wiring is covered with an oxide 47 through a manufacturing process described later. .

  The oxide 47 is mainly composed of manganese oxide, which may contain copper (Cu) or silicon (Si). Accordingly, the oxide layer 47 is several nm thick with respect to the connection with the driving circuit, so that the contact layer is sufficiently conductive by thermocompression bonding or voltage application. Can be secured. Further, the oxide is formed between a substrate which is an insulator such as glass, and has high adhesion to the substrate.

  Examples thereof are shown in FIGS. Furthermore, in order to ensure environmental resistance, a laminated structure with ITO, IZO, or ITZO, which is the transparent electrode 71, is usually employed as shown in FIGS. In this structure, the oxide layer 47 has a thickness of several nm, and sufficient conductivity can be ensured by applying a voltage. In addition, since the existing process can be used as it is as a manufacturing method of the TFT electrode of the present invention by adopting the configuration shown in FIG. 26, it can be carried out without greatly changing the manufacturing process. .

Furthermore, the oxide layer 47 has a role of preventing Cu from entering the transparent electrode 71 and provides a terminal structure having excellent environmental resistance. Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 17 and 19, when the film pressure of this oxide layer is 10 nm to several tens of nm, it is possible to ensure environmental resistance, and an electrode terminal can be formed with a single layer of copper electrode. . In this case, electrical connection with the anisotropic conductive film is possible by thermocompression bonding. Further, FIG. 20 shows the structure of the electrode terminal from which the passivation layer (protective film) 44 is removed.
[Ohmic junction]

  The source electrode or drain electrode structure according to the present invention is required to have stable electrical bonding. For this purpose, it is desirable that the junction with the semiconductor layer be an electrical ohmic junction. The source electrode or drain electrode according to the present invention is obtained by coating an alloy layer mainly composed of copper with an oxide layer mainly composed of manganese oxide. Thus, a thin oxide layer intervenes and shows a stable ohmic junction. An experimental example to prove this is shown below. It is a result of the contact resistance measured by TRANSFER LENGTH METHOD (TLM method). Cu-4at. % Mn was deposited to a thickness of 200 nm on a transparent electrode (ITO) substrate. On the substrate, a molybdenum mask having an opening system of 0.5 mm and a distance between the ends of the holes of 0.5 mm (the distance between the centers of the holes is 1 mm) was placed, and then Cu—Mn was deposited. . Therefore, round electrodes are formed at equal intervals.

  FIG. 21 to FIG. 24 show the results of measuring IV characteristics by contacting a prober with two different electrodes. The IV characteristics were obtained by changing the interval between the electrodes. The contact resistance value could be obtained from this measurement result. Here, in FIGS. 21 to 24, the IV characteristics show linearity in each experimental parameter, which proves that ITO and CuMn are ohmic junctions. The results of heat treatment at various temperatures are similar, and an ohmic junction is formed. Here, FIG. 21 shows IV characteristics when the heat treatment temperature is 150 ° C. and the treatment time is 30 minutes. FIG. 22 shows IV characteristics when the heat treatment temperature is 200 ° C. and the treatment time is 30 minutes. FIG. 23 shows IV characteristics when the heat treatment temperature is 250 ° C. and the treatment time is 30 minutes. FIG. 24 shows IV characteristics when the heat treatment temperature is 300 ° C. and the treatment time is 30 minutes.

  With respect to the results when heat treatment is performed at these various temperatures, FIG. 25 plots the contact resistance on the vertical axis and the heat treatment temperature on the horizontal axis. As the heat treatment temperature increases, the thickness of the barrier layer increases, so that the contact resistance value also increases. From this result, it is proved that the electrode mainly composed of copper with the oxide layer mainly composed of manganese oxide and the semiconductor layer or the transparent electrode are in ohmic junction. Therefore, rather than the tunnel effect we initially considered as a possibility, this experimental result shows that it is stable as an electrical ohmic junction. In FIG. 25, when the heat treatment temperature is 250 ° C. or higher, the contact resistance value is almost saturated. For this reason, it is possible to form a source electrode or a drain electrode having an appropriate contact resistance value in a normal manufacturing process of a liquid crystal display device without providing a special heat treatment process.

In addition, the oxide layer mainly composed of Mn oxide has a thickness of several nanometers, and it is considered that dielectric breakdown occurs due to application of voltage, and conductivity is generated. However, some instability remains in the conductivity at which this dielectric breakdown occurs. In the experimental results of the present invention, it was proved that the junction between ITO and CuMn intervening with the oxide layer is ohmic rather than the junction where such dielectric breakdown occurs. For this reason, the joining of this invention has shown that it is electrically stable.
[Cu alloy]

  The additive element in the copper alloy applied to the liquid crystal display device of the present invention will be described. Regarding the liquid crystal display device of the present invention, the additive element in the copper alloy applied to the gate wiring 33, the signal wiring 34, the gate electrode 351, the source electrode 352 and the drain electrode 353 in the TFT-LCD is an oxide formation free energy of Cu. A metal having a larger negative value and a diffusion coefficient of an additive element in Cu (hereinafter, simply referred to as a diffusion coefficient unless otherwise specified) is larger than a self-diffusion coefficient of Cu.

  By selecting a diffusion coefficient of the additive element that is larger than the self-diffusion coefficient of Cu, it is possible to quickly reach the Cu surface and form an oxide film layer of the additive element preferentially on the Cu alloy surface.

In other words, this is the diffusion coefficient of the additive element is smaller than the self-diffusion coefficient of Cu, because the additional element is required considerable time to reach the Cu alloy surface, the Cu alloy surface CuO, Cu 2 _O, etc. Cu oxide film layer is formed.

  In this case, since the Cu oxide film layer is not strong, oxygen penetrates into the Cu oxide film layer and forms an oxide of the additive element inside the Cu alloy. Furthermore, as the oxidation of Cu proceeds, the metallic Cu gradually decreases, and the electrical resistance increases when it is used for wiring of a liquid crystal display device.

  Therefore, in the copper alloy applied to the present invention, this problem has been solved by selecting an additive element having a diffusion coefficient larger than the self-diffusion coefficient of Cu.

  Next, the additive element of the copper alloy applied to the present invention will be specifically described. As the additive element in the copper alloy, an additive element that is solid-solved within a range of 0.1 to 25 at% of the additive amount in the Cu alloy is suitable. Furthermore, an additive element that dissolves in a Cu alloy in an amount of 0.5 to 15 at% is more preferable. The most preferable addition amount in the Cu alloy is 0.5 to 5 at%. This is because the additive element is difficult to diffuse unless it is in a solid solution state in the Cu alloy. In particular, when an intermetallic compound is formed with Cu, the additive element hardly diffuses.

  Furthermore, if the additive amount of the additive element in the Cu alloy is less than 0.1 at%, the oxide film layer to be formed becomes thin and the progress of Cu oxidation cannot be prevented. On the other hand, when the amount of the additive element added exceeds 25 at%, a solid phase of the additive element may be precipitated near room temperature.

  The additive element in the Cu alloy applied to the present invention is specifically at least one selected from the group consisting of Mn, Zn, Ga, Li, Ge, Sr, Ag, In, Sn, Ba, Pr, and Nd. It is. The additive element is more preferably at least one metal selected from the group consisting of Mn, Zn and Ga. These may be used alone or a plurality of additive elements may be applied simultaneously. In particular, the additive element is most preferably manganese (Mn). For example, impurities such as S, Se, Te, Pb, and Si may inevitably be mixed into the Cu alloy. However, for example, the electrical conductivity and tensile strength of the copper alloy are not reduced. As long as it is acceptable.

  In the present invention, the method for forming the Cu alloy is not particularly limited. That is, a plating method such as an electric field plating method or a dissolution plating method, or a physical vapor deposition method such as a vacuum evaporation method or a sputtering method can be used. An oxide film layer is formed by heat-treating the Cu alloy thus formed.

  The heat processing temperature is about 150-400 degreeC, for example, Preferably it is about 150-350 degreeC, More preferably, it is about 150-300 degreeC. In the present invention, an independent heat treatment can be performed to form a CuMn wiring. However, since a CVD process is performed at 150 to 400 ° C. when forming a passivation layer on CuMn, a CuMn wiring is formed. This independent heat treatment can be omitted from the manufacturing process. Furthermore, in the present invention, the CVD heat treatment temperature is preferably 150 to 300 ° C., but CuMn wiring can be sufficiently formed even in this temperature range. This meets the recent demand for lowering the CVD heat treatment temperature.

The heat treatment time is, for example, in the range of 2 minutes to 5 hours. When the heat treatment temperature is less than 150 ° C., it takes time to form an oxide film, and productivity is lowered. On the other hand, when the temperature exceeds 450 ° C., Cu is oxidized to form an oxide film before the additive element of the Cu alloy diffuses and reaches the surface. Further, when the heat treatment time is less than 2 minutes, the oxide film thickness is thin, while when it exceeds 5 hours, it takes too much time to form the oxide film.

  Next, an example of realizing a low resistivity in CuMn which is one type of the copper alloy of the present invention will be shown. By heat treatment, CuMn becomes a wiring or electrode body and an oxide film layer covering it. FIG. 27 shows an example of the relationship between the heat treatment time (seconds) and the resistivity (μΩ · cm) of the wiring body with the oxygen concentration (ppm) in the heating atmosphere as a parameter.

  In the measurement of FIG. 27, an oxide containing Cu and Mn is also formed on the upper surface layer portion of the wiring body, the oxide layer on the upper surface layer portion is removed, the Cu wiring body is exposed, and the Cu wiring body is exposed. The electrical resistivity was measured. According to the result, the resistivity of the Cu wiring body is extremely low, the oxygen concentration is 50 ppm, and the heat treatment time is 4 minutes, 2.2 μΩ · cm, which is close to the electrical resistivity of pure Cu bulk material of 1.7 μΩ · cm. became. That is, in the TFT-LCD, it was possible to realize a numerical value sufficient to realize low resistance wiring and improve image quality.

  Most of Mn escapes from the CuMn thin film by heat treatment, and an oxide layer is formed. Therefore, the wiring body can realize a resistivity close to that of pure copper.

Similarly, FIG. 28 shows an example in which the relative resistivity with respect to the heat treatment time is set with the heating time as a parameter. It can be seen that at a heating time of 150 ° C. to 400 ° C., saturation occurs at a low resistivity in about 2 minutes of heating time. This is sufficiently short as a process time, and is a sufficient value for manufacturing a TFT-LCD.
[shading]

  Next, the effect of reducing shading among the improvement of image quality due to the low resistance of wiring, which is a remarkable effect of the present invention, will be described. First, the operation of the TFT-LCD will be specifically described. The display device used in the present invention uses an LCD in which pixels are arranged in a matrix, and this is called an active matrix LCD (AM-LCD).

For example, in the case of a TFT-LCD for digital TV, the number of pixels is (1920 × 3) × 1080 in the full HD specification. That is, the scanning line is 1080, and on the other hand, since one picture element is composed of three primary colors (red, green, and blue), the horizontal direction is tripled and the signal line is 5760. In the TFT-LCD, the gate electrode of the TFT constituting the pixel, the gate voltage _{V G} shown in FIG. 29 is applied. Normally, _{V G} is a 10-15V.

On the other hand, the signal voltage V _S is applied to the source electrode, and the gate voltage pulse becomes a scanning signal. If the frame frequency for displaying one screen is 60 Hz, the frame time is 16.7 ms. When 1080 scanning lines are scanned by line sequential scanning, the gate voltage pulse width becomes about 16 μs.

As shown in FIG. 29, the period of the gate voltage pulse is 16.7 ms, and the pulse width is about 16 μs. On the other hand, the signal voltage applied to the source electrode for driving the liquid crystal is about 10 V, which is twice the voltage amplitude when the LCD drive voltage V _lc is about 5 V. In FIG. 29, the difference between the signal voltage and the common voltage V _com applied to the common electrode is the liquid crystal layer drive voltage V _P (t), and the polarity of V _P (t) is changed for each frame in order to exchange this. An example of the drive waveform in the frame inversion method for inversion is shown.

  In this case, the transmittance of the LCD modulates the luminance of the display by modulating the signal voltage. Further, the liquid crystal layer driving voltage is maintained during a period in which the gate voltage pulse is off (this is approximately 16 ms, which corresponds to a frame time).

This situation is shown in FIG. The liquid crystal layer driving voltage consists of a writing state and a holding state. Further, the transmittance of the LCD depends on the effective value of the liquid crystal layer driving voltage V _P (t). Therefore, the LCD drive voltage V _lc is expressed as the following equation.

---------- (1)
By the way, the switching time of the a-Si TFT is on the order of μs because the capacitive load is driven and the mobility of the a-Si is low and is 0.3-1.0 cm ² / V sec. Accordingly, it takes several μs to switch on the TFT during the gate voltage pulse width of 16.7 μs.

Further, since the liquid crystal layer is a capacitive load, a delay occurs in the application of the signal voltage. As a result, a delay occurs in the rise of the liquid crystal layer driving voltage V _P (t). Furthermore, in a full HD specification TV TFT-LCD, 5760 pixels are arranged in one row. For the gate wiring, a gate voltage pulse is applied to the end of the wiring to simultaneously excite a plurality of TFTs arranged in one row.

At this time, the gate voltage pulse propagates from the end to the gate electrode of each pixel.
The propagation speed decreases as the resistance value of the gate wiring and the electric capacitance parasitic on the gate wiring increase. This is called the propagation delay of the gate voltage pulse. When this propagation delay becomes large, a sufficient time for writing cannot be obtained when writing the liquid crystal layer driving voltage, and the liquid crystal driving voltage of each pixel cannot reach a predetermined value. For this reason, the transmittance of the liquid crystal layer is uneven, that is, the brightness of the screen is uneven, which causes shading. Of course, the above-described IPS liquid crystal and VA liquid crystal can also cause shading.

  FIG. 30 shows a model of the propagation delay of the gate voltage pulse described above. Each pixel of the gate wiring can be equivalently expressed by a resistor R and a parasitic capacitance C. The delay of the RC gate voltage pulse for each stage is accumulated, and the propagation delay reaches several μs at the terminal node n5760.

  When the brightness distribution of the LCD at this time is schematically represented, in the normally white mode LCD, the brightness gradually changes along the gate wiring, and the liquid crystal layer driving voltage is not sufficient at the end, Instead of black display, it becomes brighter. For this reason, the propagation delay of the gate voltage pulse is reduced by reducing the resistance value of the gate wiring. As a result, uneven brightness of the screen, that is, shading can be suppressed.

  In the present invention, this shading can be reduced as shown in FIG. 30 by using a copper wiring close to the pure copper described above.

On the other hand, the number of nodes in the source wiring is 1080, and the problem of propagation delay is lighter than that in the gate wiring. However, as the LCD panel becomes larger, the propagation delay in the source wiring becomes a negligible value of 1-3 μs. Therefore, the CuMn alloy is applied to the source wiring to reduce this propagation delay. Is effective in reducing unevenness in the brightness of the LCD screen.
[Adhesion with glass]

  Next, adhesion between the copper alloy CuMn and glass will be described. Thin film wirings and electrodes formed of the copper alloy CuMn are covered with an oxide layer formed by heat treatment.

In the liquid crystal display device, it is essential that the wiring and the electrode have good adhesion between the glass substrate and the insulating layer. The adhesion is generally determined by a tape test. As shown in Table 1, in the case of forming a pure Cu thin film on the insulating film SiO _2, the release occurs without adhesion can not be obtained.

[Table 1]

On the other hand, in the two-layer thin film of Cu and Mn, mutual diffusion of Cu and Si occurs at the interface by heat treatment, and the composition formula is Cu _X Mn _Y Si _Z O (0 <X <Y , 0 <Z <Y). Thereby, favorable adhesiveness is obtained between the insulating layers SiO ₂ .

  As a tape test test method for evaluating adhesion, a tape was attached to the surface of a Cu thin film, and the peeled state of the thin film was evaluated when the tape was peeled off. Adhere the tape so that it can be pressed with a nail, and then peel it off.

  This operation is repeated about 10 times at the same location of the thin film to check whether it is in close contact with the substrate. With this test method, the results of the tape test test method were analyzed in detail.

  According to this, the CuMn bilayer thin film showed a low electrical resistivity by heat treatment at 200 ° C. or higher. On the other hand, regarding the adhesion, peeling was observed in part in the heat treatment at 150 ° C. The heat treatment at 250 ° C. showed good adhesion under all conditions of heating time of 3 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour, 20 hours, and 100 hours. Similarly, good adhesiveness was also exhibited in the heat treatment at 350 ° C.

  Interfacial adhesion strength when Cu-4at% Mn alloy was formed on a SiO2 substrate and heat-treated at 400 ° C. for 30 minutes was compared with the case where Ta frequently used in semiconductor wiring was formed between pure Cu and SiO2. An example is shown in FIG. The adhesion strength is measured by the nano scratch method, and the horizontal axis plots the time for scratching a distance of 6 microns, indicating that the measurement was performed by changing the scratch speed. It shows that Cu-Mn / SiO2 requires a larger load and higher adhesion strength than Cu / Ta / SiO2 at any scratch speed.

In this oxide layer that forms an interface with this wiring and this electrode on the insulating film SiO ₂ , as shown in FIGS. 32 and 33, the composition formula is Cu _X Mn _Y Si _Z O and is amorphous. . Thus, at the interface, the interdiffusion between the Cu wiring and the insulating layer can be prevented by forming an oxide layer mainly composed of Mn. Furthermore, Cu and Si have a continuous concentration change in the vicinity of the interface with the oxide layer, and it seems that good adhesion is obtained.

  As a result, an oxide film having high adhesion to the semiconductor layer or the pixel electrode can be formed to prevent the wiring material and the like from being oxidized, and the wiring, electrode, or terminal electrode (especially source electrode or drain electrode) having high conductivity. And a method of manufacturing the same. In addition, it is possible to form wirings, electrodes, or terminal electrodes (particularly, source electrodes or drain electrodes) that satisfy these problems and can be applied to an actual manufacturing process.

  In this example, a Cu-4 at% Mn alloy was formed on a glass substrate using a sputtering apparatus. Thereafter, heat treatment was performed in a temperature range of 150 to 350 ° C. in a pure argon atmosphere. The time required for the heat treatment was 10 to 60 minutes. In a sample that was not heat-treated after film formation and a sample that was heat-treated, a scotch tape was applied to the surface of the alloy thin film and the tape was peeled off to evaluate whether or not the thin film was peeled off (tape test). As a result, the alloy thin film not subjected to heat treatment was peeled off from the glass substrate. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 35, when the heat treatment was performed at 200 ° C. for 20 minutes or more, or at a temperature of 250 ° C. or more for 10 minutes or more, the alloy thin film was in close contact with the glass substrate. When the same tape test was performed on a pure Cu thin film, peeling occurred under all heat treatment conditions. From this, it became clear that by performing heat treatment at a temperature of 200 ° C. or higher using a Cu—Mn alloy, good adhesion to a glass substrate is exhibited.

  FIG. 34 shows a cross-sectional TEM structure after the Cu—Mn alloy was heat-treated at 250 ° C. for 10 minutes. The upper part is a Cu-Mn alloy thin film part, and the lower part is a glass substrate. A reaction layer with uniform contrast is observed at the interface between the two layers. As a result of analysis using an X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy (XEDS) apparatus attached to the TEM, it was found that the reaction layer at the interface was an oxide mainly composed of Mn. This is the reason why the formation of this oxide has improved the adhesion at the interface.

  In order to reduce the resistivity, it is optimal to add Mn sufficient to form the interface layer. For example, when a 200 nm alloy film is heat-treated at 250 ° C. for 10 minutes, an interface layer having a thickness of 6 nm is formed. Since the amount of Mn contained in the interface layer is about 50%, it is equivalent to the presence of pure Mn having a thickness of about 3 nm. Therefore, the Mn concentration to be added to the alloy is 3/200 Mn in volume ratio, and Cu- (1-2) atomic% Mn is optimal considering the density of Cu and Mn. When the thickness of the alloy film is 100 nm, this Mn concentration twice is required, and when the thickness of the alloy film is 300 nm, this Mn concentration is 1.5 times higher.

  In addition, FIG. 35 shows the results of adhesion evaluation by a tape test after a Cu—Mn alloy film is formed on a glass substrate and then heat-treated at each temperature for a predetermined time. In this figure, the case where peeling occurs is indicated as X, in some cases as Δ when peeling occurs, and as ○ when no peeling occurs. Pure Cu is peeled off under all conditions. From FIG. 35, in the present invention, peeling does not occur at all at 250 ° C. or higher.

In the case of an alloy to which Mn is added in an amount necessary for forming the interface layer, heat treatment is performed in an atmosphere of high purity Ar gas (oxygen concentration is 0.1 ppm or less) containing oxygen as an inevitable impurity. Just do it. FIG. 36 shows changes over time in the resistivity of the alloy thin film on the glass substrate and the thickness of the Mn oxide formed on the surface when heat treatment is performed at 350 ° C. As shown in FIG. 36, the Mn remaining in the alloy film by forming the interface layer reacts with oxygen of 0.1 ppm or less contained in pure Ar to form an oxide on the surface, whereby the alloy It can be discharged from the membrane. As shown in FIG. 36, it became clear that the resistivity decreased with the growth of the Mn oxide on the surface. The resistivity after the heat treatment for 30 minutes decreases to a value equivalent to that of a pure Cu thin film. When the Mn concentration in the alloy film in this state was examined by XEDS, it was found that Mn could not be detected, and excess Mn could be completely discharged from the alloy film by the formation of Mn oxide.
[Manufacturing process]

  With respect to the liquid crystal display device of the present invention, an oxide layer and an oxide layer manufacturing process related to a copper alloy used as a wiring material and an electrode material of a TFT-LCD (thin film transistor-liquid crystal display) will be described.

  FIG. 37 shows the basic TFT manufacturing process. A metal, semiconductor, or insulator thin film 51 is formed, and a pattern is formed by photoetching using a mask 52 and a resist 53. Sputtering is used for forming a metal, and CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) is used for forming a semiconductor and an insulating film. For the etching, dry etching or wet etching is used. Wet etching is often used for the metal used as the wiring. This is repeated 4-5 times to produce a TFT.

  FIG. 38 shows a five-mask process using five types of photomasks for exposure. The order is as follows: (1) A gate pattern is formed by using the mask 1 for wet etching. (2) Using mask 2, three layers of SiN / a-Si / n + a-Si are collectively processed using dry etching to form a pattern. (3) Source / drain electrode patterns are formed by the mask 3 using wet etching. (4) A channel structure is formed by dry etching of amorphous silicon (n + a-Si) containing impurities using the mask 3. (5) The mask 4 patterns the SiN film that is a passivation layer (protective film). (6) The mask 5 is used to pattern an ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) film that is a transparent electrode. Thereby, a TFT substrate is manufactured.

  FIG. 39 shows a cross section of a TFT structure formed by a standard 5-mask process. As shown in FIG. 40, the gate terminal portion serving as the external electrode has a laminated structure of a metal thin film and an ITO film. FIG. 41 shows a plan view of each pixel.

  By making the additive element of the copper alloy according to the present invention have a negative oxide formation free energy larger than that of the element of the oxide layer, the oxide can be reduced to form an oxide film layer. In an oxidizing atmosphere, an oxide film layer can be formed without reducing the oxide.

  When the Cu alloy applied as the wiring material and electrode material of the TFT-LCD according to the present invention is brought into contact with the insulating film containing oxygen, the Cu alloy diffuses at the interface, and the added element is oxidized and oxidized. A coating layer is formed.

Furthermore, the metal element contained in the insulating layer, Cu in the Cu alloy, and the additive element each form an oxide to form a composite oxide film. For example, when the TFT substrate includes an oxide such as SiO ₂ , a gate wiring in a Cu alloy is provided on the substrate, and when this is heat-treated, an additive element in the Cu alloy that forms the gate wiring will be It diffuses to the interface and reacts with oxygen on the substrate to become an oxide, thereby forming an oxide film layer.

In addition, for example, a gate insulating film 37 made of SiNO or the like is provided on the gate electrode 351. By performing heat treatment in the manufacturing process, the interface between the gate electrode 351 and the gate insulating film 37 ( An oxide layer represented by (Cu, Si, additive element) O _x is formed. Thus, an oxide layer can be provided on the surface of the TFT-LCD using a copper alloy as a wiring material and an electrode material.

  A method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to the present invention is provided. In manufacturing the TFT substrate 11 of the TFT-LCD according to the present invention, a copper alloy containing Cu as a main component and forming an oxide layer of the additive element added to Cu on the surface or the interface with the substrate on the substrate. Forming a film by physical vapor deposition or chemical vapor deposition, and photoetching the obtained copper alloy film to form at least one of each wiring and each electrode.

  In this case, the copper alloy is at least one metal selected from the group consisting of Mn, Zn, Ga, Li, Ge, Sr, Ag, In, Sn, Ba, Pr, and Nd. It is preferable. In this case, the method may further include a step of forming an oxide layer on at least one surface of the formed wiring or electrode.

  The atmosphere gas in the oxide layer forming step is preferably an inert gas such as argon containing 1 ppm or more and 100 ppm or less of oxygen. Furthermore, the oxygen concentration in the atmospheric gas is preferably 5 to 50 ppm. Alternatively, argon gas containing oxygen as an inevitable impurity can be used. Furthermore, in the oxide forming step, after forming at least one of the wiring or electrode, the oxide is formed by heating at 150 to 400 ° C. for 2 minutes to 50 hours to form at least one surface of the wiring or electrode. It can be set as the process of forming the oxide layer of the additive element in the said copper alloy.

On the insulating film SiO ₂ , a Cu-2 at,% Mn alloy composed of 99.9999% purity Cu and 99.98% purity Mn is used as a target material to form a thin film of the alloy at 150 ° C. As described above, heat treatment was performed at a temperature of 450 ° C. or lower. Thereafter, the composition in the depth direction from the surface of the thin film was analyzed by Auger electron spectroscopy.

  Furthermore, a cross-sectional sample was prepared, and a cross-sectional photograph thereof is shown in FIG. Structure observation and composition analysis were performed using a transmission electron microscope and an X-ray energy loss spectrometer (EELS). An example of the result is shown in FIG. In the vicinity of the interface between the Cu—Mn alloy and the insulating substrate and in the vicinity of the surface of the Cu—Mn alloy, a stable oxide layer containing Mn as a main element is formed with a thickness of several to 20 nm.

  FIG. 44 shows changes in the thickness of the oxide layer with respect to the heat treatment time. Table 2 shows the thickness of the obtained oxide layer with respect to the Mn atom concentration in the CuMn alloy, the heat treatment time, and the heat treatment temperature. 32 and 33 show enlarged views of the composition distribution of the oxide layer. Mn shows a distribution having a peak at substantially the center of the oxide layer. It can be seen that Cu enters the oxide layer from the wiring body side, but prevents Cu from entering the insulating film.

[Table 2]

  In the liquid crystal display device of the present invention, when CuMn is used as the copper alloy, the requirements regarding the sputtering target are provided. In the TFT-LCD according to the present invention, the propagation delay in the gate wiring is particularly large. In order to reduce this, as described above, it is preferable to use a copper wiring and realize a low-resistance wiring close to pure copper.

FIG. 45 shows a cross-sectional view of a gate wiring using CuMn. It consists of a wiring body 171 and an oxide film coating layer 172. The parameters a, b, h, t ₁ and t _{2 in} FIG. 45 represent the dimensions of each part. a and b are several μm-10 several μm, and h is 200-500 nm. t ₁ and t ₂ are 2-10 nm. In this case, in order to achieve a resistivity close to that of the pure copper of the wiring body 171, the amount of Mn corresponding to the amount of Mn contained in the oxide film coating layer 172 formed by heat treatment is reduced in CuMn that is the wiring body 171 before the heat treatment. It is preferable to contain. Therefore, the content of Mn, which is an additive element contained in the sputtering target, is defined.
[Organic EL]

  The present invention is not limited to the TFT type liquid crystal display device, and can also be applied to an organic EL display device. An example of the organic EL according to the present invention is shown in FIG. A glass substrate 201, and an anode (ITO) 202, a hole transport layer (HTL) 203, a light emitting layer (EML) 204, an electron transport layer (ETL) 205, and an upper portion of the electron transport layer 205 sequentially stacked on the glass substrate 201 The cathode 206 is mainly composed of the cathode 206. For the light emitting layer, organic substances such as diamines are used. The anode 202 and the cathode 206 are electrically connected by an electrode line through a power source. The thickness of each layer is, for example, about several tens of nm.

  The organic EL display device includes a scanning line 194, a signal line 195, and a power supply line 196 that intersect in a matrix on the substrate 181, and a pixel region 198 surrounded by the scanning line 194, the signal line 195, and the power supply line 196. As an example, the pixel region 198 includes an organic EL element 191, a driving TFT 192, and a switch TFT 193.

  The organic EL has an anode, a hole transport layer, an organic light emitting layer, an electron transport layer, and a cathode laminated on a glass substrate. This is a so-called active matrix organic EL display device in which one pixel includes a TFT circuit and an organic EL element, and a plurality of pixels are arranged in a matrix.

  An equivalent circuit of one pixel is shown in FIG. FIG. 48 shows a cross-sectional view of this pixel. For example, a driving TFT unit 182 and an organic EL element 184 are provided on a glass substrate 181, where an electrode 183 of the TFT, a cathode 185 made of metal, and a transparent electrode 186, and in this example, light 187 is emitted to the lower part of the substrate. .

  In the active matrix type organic EL display device, image unevenness due to the propagation delay of the gate voltage pulse generated in the active matrix type liquid crystal display device occurs. To cope with this, a copper alloy is used as a wiring material having high conductivity.

  The copper alloy of the present invention is useful for scanning lines and signal lines. In the organic EL display device according to the present invention, at least one of the scanning line, the signal line, the power supply line, and the TFT electrode includes copper as a main component and an oxide of an additive element added to copper covering the wiring or electrode. It consists of a copper alloy that forms the layer. The cross section of the wiring has a structure as shown in FIG.

  Furthermore, the copper alloy may be a copper alloy in which an additive element diffuses on the surface of the copper alloy to form an oxide film layer of the additive element. Furthermore, the additive element can be at least one metal selected from the group consisting of Mn, Zn, Ga, Li, Ge, Sr, Ag, In, Sn, Ba, Pr, and Nd. The additive element is more preferably at least one metal selected from the group consisting of Mn, Zn and Ga. Further, the additive element is most preferably Mn.

Furthermore, the structure of the external lead electrode terminal is preferably as shown in FIG. 16, FIG. 17, FIG. 18, FIG. 19, or FIG.

Conceptual diagram of a cross section of a liquid crystal display (LCD) module LCD panel cross-sectional conceptual diagram Conceptual diagram of IPS liquid crystal Plan view of pixel and TFT Sectional view of pixel and TFT Equivalent circuit diagram of pixel part and TFT part Cross-sectional view of TFT (staggered top gate structure) TFT cross section (reverse staggered channel stopper structure) TFT cross section (reverse staggered channel etch structure) Example of cross section of pixel portion and TFT portion according to the present invention Example of cross section of pixel portion and TFT portion according to the present invention Example of cross section of pixel portion and TFT portion according to the present invention Example of cross section of pixel portion and TFT portion according to the present invention Measurement results of IV characteristics Measurement results of IV characteristics Sectional view of terminal part of liquid crystal display (LCD) module Sectional view of terminal part of liquid crystal display (LCD) module Sectional view of terminal part of liquid crystal display (LCD) module Sectional view of terminal part of liquid crystal display (LCD) module Sectional view of terminal part of liquid crystal display (LCD) module Measurement results of IV characteristics Measurement results of IV characteristics Measurement results of IV characteristics Measurement results of IV characteristics Measurement results of IV characteristics Example of cross section of pixel and TFT Resistivity in copper alloy (CuMn) (1) Resistivity in copper alloy (CuMn) (2) TFT operation waveform diagram Model diagram of propagation delay of gate voltage pulse This is an example compared with the case where Ta used frequently in semiconductor wiring is formed. Composition diagram of wiring structure Enlarged view of the composition of the wiring structure Cross-sectional TEM micrograph after heat treatment of Cu—Mn alloy on glass substrate at 250 ° C. for 20 minutes Results of adhesion evaluation by tape test after Cu-Mn alloy film is formed on glass substrate and heat treatment is performed for a predetermined time at each temperature Change in resistivity of alloy thin film when heat-treated at 350 ° C and thickness of Mn oxide formed on the surface over time Basic diagram of TFT manufacturing process 5 mask process of TFT manufacturing Cross section of TFT by 5 mask process Cross-sectional view of electrode terminal to be pulled out Top view of the pixel part Cross-sectional photo of oxide coating layer of wiring Composition of the oxide film layer of the wiring Film thickness of oxide coating layer Cross-sectional model of the wiring structure according to the present invention Example of cross section of organic EL element Example of pixel equivalent circuit of organic EL display Example of cross section of organic EL display

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 LCD panel 2 Drive circuit 3 Backlight 4 Chassis 11 TFT substrate 12 Color filter substrate 13 Liquid crystal layer (LC layer)
14 Spacer 15 Seal 17 Alignment Film 18 Polarizing Film 19 Polarizing Film 21 LCD Driver LSI / Chip 22 Multilayer Printed Circuit Board (PCB)
23 Control Circuit 31 Pixel Unit 32 TFT Unit 33 Gate Wiring 34 Signal Wiring 36 Amorphous Silicon (a-Si)
37 Gate insulating film 38 Lamp 39 Light guide plate 43 Channel etched portion 44 Passivation layer (protective film)
45 Amorphous silicon containing impurities (n + a-Si)
46 Oxide layer of source and drain electrode 47 Oxide layer of gate electrode 51 Thin film
52 Mask 53 Resist 71 ITO film 111 TFT
112 Holding capacity (C _S )
113 Pixel electrode 121 Black matrix (BM)
122 Color filter (CF)
123 Common electrode 161 Short part 162 Connection pad 181 Substrate 182 Driving TFT part 183 TFT electrode 184 Organic EL element 185 Cathode 186 Anode (Transparent electrode)
187 Light emission 191 Organic EL element 192 Drive TFT
193 Switch TFT
194 Scan line 195 Signal line 196 Power line 198 Pixel region 201 Glass substrate 202 Anode (ITO)
203 Hole transport layer (HTL)
204 Emission layer (EML)
205 Electron transport layer (ETL)
206 Cathode 311 Backlight unit 351 Gate electrode 352 Source electrode 353 Drain electrode

Claims (25)

A TFT electrode on a TFT substrate constituting a liquid crystal display device, wherein the source electrode or the drain electrode comprises a layer mainly composed of copper and an oxide covering the layer mainly composed of copper. apparatus. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the TFT electrode has a passivation layer, and the passivation layer is formed on the source electrode or the drain electrode. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 2, wherein the passivation layer is a silicon nitride (SiNx) layer. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 2, wherein the passivation layer is a silicon oxide (SiOx) layer or a silicon nitrogen oxide (SiNyOx) layer. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 2, wherein the passivation layer is an organic layer. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein in the TFT electrode, the semiconductor layer and the source electrode or the drain electrode are in ohmic contact. 2. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein in the TFT electrode, the pixel electrode and the source electrode or the drain electrode are in ohmic contact. 8. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 7, wherein the pixel electrode is made of ITO (indium tin oxide), IZO (indium zinc oxide), or ITZO (indium tin zinc oxide). The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the main component of the oxide is Mn, and the subcomponent of the oxide is Cu. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the oxide has a composition formula of Cu _X Mn _Y Si _Z O (0 <X <Y, 0 <Z <Y). The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the copper-based layer is formed of a copper alloy, and the additive element of the copper alloy is Mn. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 11, wherein the amount of Mn added is 0.5-25 at%. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the oxide contains Cu and Si. A TFT electrode on a TFT substrate constituting a liquid crystal display device has a structure in which a source electrode or a drain electrode is sandwiched between a semiconductor layer and a passivation layer, and the source electrode or the drain electrode is a first composed mainly of copper. And a second layer made of an oxide covering the outer periphery of the first layer, and the composition formula of the second layer is Cu _X Mn _Y Si _Z O (0 <X <Y , 0 <Z <Y). The first layer is formed of a copper alloy, and the additive element of the copper alloy is selected from the group consisting of Mn, Zn, Ga, Li, Ge, Sr, Ag, In, Sn, Ba, Pr and Nd. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 14, wherein the liquid crystal display device is at least one kind of metal. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 14, wherein the first layer is formed of a copper alloy, and the additive element of the copper alloy is Mn. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 16, wherein an addition amount of the Mn is 0.5-25 at%. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 14, wherein the main component of the second layer is Mn, and the subcomponent of the second layer is Cu. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 14, wherein the second layer contains Cu and Si. In the source electrode or drain electrode on the TFT substrate constituting the liquid crystal display device, the copper alloy layer mainly composed of copper is heated at about 150 ° C. to 400 ° C., so that the additive element of the copper alloy is oxidized in the glass. A method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device, comprising reacting with silicon to form an oxide covering an outer peripheral portion of the copper alloy layer. 21. The method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to claim 20, wherein the thickness of the oxide covering the outer peripheral portion of the copper alloy layer is 1 to 30 nm. A TFT electrode on a TFT substrate constituting an organic EL display device has a structure in which a source electrode or a drain electrode is sandwiched between a semiconductor layer and a passivation layer, and the source electrode or the drain electrode is a first composed mainly of copper. And a second layer made of an oxide covering the outer periphery of the first layer, and the composition formula of the second layer is Cu _X Mn _Y Si _Z O (0 <X <Y , 0 <Z <Y), an organic EL display device. The first layer is formed of a copper alloy, and the additive element of the copper alloy is selected from the group consisting of Mn, Zn, Ga, Li, Ge, Sr, Ag, In, Sn, Ba, Pr and Nd. The organic EL display device according to claim 22, wherein the organic EL display device is at least one kind of metal. 23. The organic EL display device according to claim 22, wherein the first layer is formed of a copper alloy, and the additive element of the copper alloy is Mn. 25. The organic EL display device according to claim 24, wherein the amount of Mn added is 0.5-25 at%.