Annealing device

Abstract

The present invention relates to an annealing device. The annealing device includes: a main body configured to accommodate a substrate; a microwave generating unit configured to generate microwaves to be transmitted to the main body; an incident unit configured to transmit the microwaves from the microwave generating unit to the main body; and a diffraction unit arranged between the incident unit and the main body. The diffraction unit is configured to cause the microwaves to pass through the diffraction unit before being transmitted to the main body.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to and the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2018-0093047, filed on August 9, 2018, which is hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes as if fully set forth herein. Technical Field

[0003] Exemplary embodiments of the present invention generally relate to annealing apparatuses, and more particularly, to apparatuses for providing heat to a substrate using microwaves. Background Art

[0004] A heat treatment process such as annealing is generally performed to manufacture a device including a semiconductor. By improving the characteristics of the device through the heat treatment process, it is possible to achieve an effect that the characteristics of the semiconductor device can be improved.

[0005] The heat treatment process generally includes a method of providing heat by directly using a heater and a method of providing heat by microwaves.

[0006] When microwaves are used, as the size of a display device increases, it is difficult to uniformly supply the microwaves, and heat treatment using the microwaves cannot be efficiently performed.

[0007] The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for understanding the background of the present inventive concept and therefore it may contain information that does not constitute prior art. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The apparatus constructed according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention can provide an annealing device capable of uniformly performing heat treatment using microwaves.

[0009] Additional features of the present inventive concept will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the present inventive concept.

[0010] According to one or more embodiments / examples of the present invention, an annealing apparatus includes: a main body configured to accommodate a substrate; a microwave generating unit configured to generate microwaves to be transmitted to the main body; an incident unit configured to transmit the microwaves from the microwave generating unit to the main body; and a diffraction unit arranged between the incident unit and the main body, the diffraction unit configured to allow the microwaves to pass through the diffraction unit before being transmitted to the main body.

[0011] The diffraction unit may include a plurality of slits for diffracting microwaves.

[0012] Each of the plurality of slits may have a width of 180 mm or more and 220 mm or less and a height of 45 mm or more and 65 mm or less.

[0013] The incident unit may include an opening having a width that widens in a direction extending from the microwave generating unit toward the diffraction unit.

[0014] The incident unit may include a first opening adjacent to the microwave generating unit, the first opening having a height of 270 mm or more and 330 mm or less and a width of 405 mm or more and 495 mm or less.

[0015] The incident unit may include a second opening adjacent to the diffraction unit, the second opening having a height of 450 mm or more and 550 mm or less and a width of 630 mm or more and 770 mm or less.

[0016] The body may include a diffuse reflection structure formed on an inner surface of the body.

[0017] The diffuse reflection structure may have a structure including protrusions and recesses.

[0018] The structure including the protrusions and recesses may have a pitch value of 54 mm or more and 66 mm or less.

[0019] The diffuse reflection structure may include silver (Ag) coated on a surface of the diffuse reflection structure.

[0020] The main body and the incident unit may be formed of a stainless steel (SUS) material.

[0021] The body and the incident unit may include silver (Ag) coated on inner surfaces of a SUS material.

[0022] The diffraction element may be formed of SUS material.

[0023] The inner surfaces of the body and the incident unit may include silver (Ag) coated on the inner surfaces of the body and the incident unit.

[0024] The microwave generating unit may include a magnetron.

[0025] The microwave generating unit may be configured to generate two sets of microwaves having different frequencies.

[0026] The two sets of microwaves may have frequencies of 5.8 GHz and 2.45 GHz, respectively.

[0027] The wavelengths of the two sets of microwaves may be 50 mm and 120 mm respectively.

[0028] The body may be configured to receive a plurality of substrates, and the substrate may be a mother substrate of a display panel for a display device.

[0029] The substrate may include wirings including aluminum formed on the substrate, and the annealing apparatus may be configured to heat-treat the substrate without forming hillocks on a surface of the substrate.

[0030] It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. They illustrate exemplary embodiments of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the inventive concept.

[0032] Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of an annealing apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0033] Figure 2 is a plan view of a diffraction unit viewed from a first direction according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0034] Figure 3 is a plan view of an incident unit and a diffraction unit of an annealing apparatus viewed from a first direction according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0035] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of a diffuse reflection structure disposed on an inner surface of an annealing apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0036] Figure 5 is a view illustrating optical characteristics of a diffraction unit according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0037] Figure 6 is a view illustrating optical characteristics of a diffuse reflection structure according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0038] Figure 7 The results of heat treatment according to the comparative example are shown.

[0039] Figure 8 Results of heat treatment according to an exemplary embodiment are shown.

[0040] Figure 9 is a graph illustrating sheet resistance Rs characteristics depending on heat treatment according to an exemplary embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] In the following description, for the purpose of illustration, many specific details are set forth to provide a comprehensive understanding of the various exemplary embodiments or implementations of the present invention. As used herein, "embodiment" and "implementation" are interchangeable words that employ non-limiting examples of devices or methods of one or more of the present inventions disclosed herein. However, it is apparent that the various exemplary embodiments can be practiced without these specific details or with one or more equivalent arrangements. In other examples, well-known structures and devices are shown in the form of block diagrams in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the various exemplary embodiments. In addition, the various exemplary embodiments may be different, but not necessarily exclusive. For example, the specific shape, configuration, and characteristics of an exemplary embodiment may be used in another exemplary embodiment or implemented in another exemplary embodiment without departing from the present invention.

[0042] Unless otherwise specified, the illustrated exemplary embodiments should be understood as providing exemplary features of different details of some ways in which the present invention can be implemented in practice. Therefore, unless otherwise specified, the features, components, modules, layers, films, panels, regions and / or aspects of the various embodiments (hereinafter individually or collectively referred to as "elements") can be combined, separated, interchanged and / or rearranged without departing from the present invention.

[0043] The use of cross hatching and / or shading in the drawings is generally provided to make the boundaries between adjacent elements clear. Therefore, unless specified, the presence or absence of cross hatching or shading does not express or indicate any preference or requirement for a particular material, material properties, size, ratio, commonality between the illustrated elements, and / or any other characteristics, attributes, properties, etc. of the elements. In addition, in the drawings, the size and relative size of the elements may be exaggerated for clarity and / or description purposes. When the exemplary embodiments can be implemented differently, the specific process sequence can be performed in a different order than that described. For example, two processes described in succession can be performed substantially simultaneously, or in an order opposite to the described order. In addition, the same reference numerals represent the same elements.

[0044] When an element such as a layer is referred to as "being located on another element or layer", "being connected to" or "being coupled to" another element or layer, the element can be directly located on another element or layer, directly connected to or being coupled to another element or layer, or there can be an intermediate element or layer. However, when an element or layer is referred to as "being directly located on another element or layer", "being directly connected to" or "being directly coupled to" another element or layer, there is no intermediate element or layer. For this reason, the term "connection" can refer to physical connection, electrical connection and / or fluid connection with or without using intermediate elements. For the purpose of this disclosure, "at least one of X, Y and Z" and "at least one selected from the group consisting of X, Y and Z" can be interpreted as any combination of only X, only Y, only Z or two or more of X, Y and Z, such as, for example, XYZ, XYY, YZ and ZZ. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0045] Although the terms "first," "second," etc. may be used herein to describe various types of elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used to distinguish one element from another. Thus, the first element discussed below could be referred to as the second element without departing from the teachings of the present disclosure.

[0046] For descriptive purposes, spatially relative terms such as "below," "beneath," "under," "down," "above," "up," "above," "higher," "side" (e.g., as in "sidewall"), etc., may be used herein to describe the relationship of one element to another element as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device when in use, in operation, and / or in manufacture other than the orientation depicted in the accompanying drawings. For example, if the device in the accompanying drawings is flipped, elements described as being "below" or "below" other elements or features will be oriented as being "above" the other elements or features. Thus, the exemplary term "below" can encompass both above and below orientations. In addition, the device can be oriented in other directions (e.g., rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and therefore the spatially relative descriptors used herein should be interpreted accordingly.

[0047] The terms used herein are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to be limiting. As used herein, the singular forms "a" and "the" are intended to also include plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In addition, the terms "comprise" and / or "include", when used in this specification, specify the presence of the features, integral bodies, steps, operations, elements, parts and / or their groups, but do not exclude the presence or increase of one or more other features, integral bodies, steps, operations, elements, parts and / or their groups. It should also be noted that, as used herein, the terms "substantially", "approximately" and other similar terms are used as approximate terms and are not used as terms of degree, and are therefore used to consider the inherent deviations in the values measured, calculated and / or provided that would be recognized by one of ordinary skill in the art.

[0048] Various exemplary embodiments are described herein with reference to cross-sectional illustrations and / or exploded illustrations, which are schematic illustrations of idealized exemplary embodiments and / or intermediate structures. Thus, variations in the illustrated shapes are to be expected as a result, for example, of manufacturing techniques and / or tolerances. Thus, the exemplary embodiments disclosed herein should not necessarily be construed as limited to the specific illustrated shapes of regions, but are to include deviations in shape resulting from, for example, manufacturing. In this manner, the regions illustrated in the accompanying drawings may be schematic in nature, and the shapes of these regions may not reflect the actual shapes of regions of the device and, therefore, are not necessarily intended to be limiting.

[0049] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs. Terms (such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries) should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly defined as such herein.

[0050] refer to Figure 1 、 Figure 2 、 Figure 3 and Figure 4 An annealing apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is described.

[0051] First, refer to Figure 1 Describe the bulk annealing apparatus.

[0052] Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of an annealing apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0053] The annealing apparatus 10 according to the exemplary embodiment includes a body (or chamber) 12 , a microwave generating unit 15 , an incident unit 13 , and a diffraction unit 11 .

[0054] The body 12 provides a space for accommodating the substrate 100 during heat treatment or annealing, and the diffraction unit 11 and the incident unit 13 are arranged on one side surface of the body 12 so that microwaves can be uniformly transmitted to the substrate 100. The substrate 100 accommodated in the body 12 may be plural and may be a mother substrate of a display device having a large size.

[0055] The main body 12 may include a stainless steel (SUS) material, and may further include silver (Ag) coated on the inner surface of the SUS material. The SUS material has a characteristic of reflecting microwaves well therefrom, but if silver (Ag) is coated on the SUS material, the reflection characteristic of microwaves can be further improved. In addition, according to exemplary embodiments, the main body 12 may include various materials, and silver (Ag) may be coated on the inner side of the various materials. Figure 4 As shown, a diffuse reflection structure that diffuses microwaves may be formed on the inner surface of the body 12 .

[0056] Part of the side surface of the body 12 may be opened so that the diffraction unit 11 and the incident unit 13 are connected to the body 12 .

[0057] The incident unit 13 is directly connected to the opening of the main body 12 and is configured as a waveguide to transmit microwaves to the main body 12. The material configuring the incident unit 13 can also be formed of stainless steel (SUS) material, the same as the main body 12, and silver (Ag) can be coated on the inner surface of the SUS material. In addition, according to exemplary embodiments, the incident unit 13 can be composed of various materials, and silver (Ag) can be coated on the inner side of the various materials. The microwave generating unit 15 is arranged at the other end of the incident unit 13.

[0058] According to an exemplary embodiment, the incident unit 13 may be disposed at another location of the body 12, such as an upper surface other than a side surface. Furthermore, according to an exemplary embodiment, a plurality of incident units 13 may be formed to provide microwaves at various locations of the body 12. In this case, a plurality of microwave generating units 15 may be provided to correspond to the number of the incident units 13.

[0059] The microwave generating unit 15 may include a magnetron as a microwave generating device. According to the present exemplary embodiment, the microwave generating unit 15 includes dual magnetrons to generate two sets of microwaves having different frequencies. In the present exemplary embodiment, the frequencies of the two sets of microwaves generated may be approximately 5.8 GHz and 2.45 GHz, respectively. The wavelengths of the microwaves may be approximately 50 mm and 120 mm.

[0060] The microwaves emitted from the microwave generating unit 15 may include other frequencies than the above-mentioned frequencies, and the number of microwaves using other frequencies may be one, or three or more.

[0061] The microwaves emitted from the microwave generating unit 15 pass through the incident unit 13 having the waveguide structure and are transmitted to the main body 12 , and specifically, are transmitted into the main body 12 after passing through the diffraction unit 11 .

[0062] The diffraction unit 11 may be disposed in the incident unit 13, or may be disposed at a boundary between the body 12 and the incident unit 13. Figure 1 In the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 1 , the diffraction unit 11 is arranged on a boundary between the incident unit 13 and the body 12 .

[0063] Now refer to Figure 2 The structure of the diffraction unit 11 will be described in detail.

[0064] Figure 2 1 is a plan view of the diffraction unit according to an exemplary embodiment viewed from a first direction. The first direction may correspond to a direction in which microwaves are transmitted from the microwave generating unit 15 through the incident unit 13 toward the diffraction unit 11.

[0065] The diffraction unit 11 has a structure in which a plurality of slits 11 - 1 opening on a flat surface are formed. Figure 2 Three slits 11 - 1 are shown, and instead, more slits 11 - 1 may be formed.

[0066] Each slit 11-1 according to this exemplary embodiment has a width w1 of 200 mm and a height h1 of 60 mm. Since the wavelength of microwaves is approximately 50 mm, the slits are formed to have a height h1 slightly larger than the wavelength. As a result, the microwaves largely diffuse (diffraction) when passing through the slits 11-1. According to exemplary embodiments, the slits 11-1 may have a width w1 of 180 mm to 220 mm and a height h1 of 45 mm to 65 mm.

[0067] The portion of the diffraction unit 11 other than the slit 11 - 1 may be formed of the same material as that of the incident unit 13 .

[0068] Next, refer to Figure 3 The structures of the incident unit 13 and the diffraction unit 11 as viewed from the side where the microwave generating unit 15 is arranged will be described.

[0069] Figure 3 is a plan view of an incident unit and a diffraction unit of an annealing apparatus viewed from a first direction according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0070] Figure 3 1 is a view of the incident unit 13 and the diffraction unit 11 on the side where the microwave generating unit 15 is arranged in the direction of microwave transmission.

[0071] The diffraction unit 11 is arranged downward, and with reference to Figure 1The four side surfaces of the incident unit 13 are composed of surfaces extending vertically from each edge of the diffraction unit 11 and extending obliquely inward. The incident unit 13 includes a portion whose width gradually widens from the microwave generating unit 15 toward the diffraction unit 11.

[0072] refer to Figure 3 In the plan view, some of the slits 11-1 in the diffraction unit 11 are overlapped by the side surface of the incident unit 13 in the first direction and are not shown, and only a portion of one slit is shown. The slit 11-1 not shown is Figure 3 Indicated by dotted line.

[0073] The cross-sectional dimensions of the opening of the incident element 13 may be largest at the portion where the diffraction element 11 is disposed and smallest at the portion where the microwave generating element 15 is disposed. The portion of the incident element 13 with the largest cross-sectional opening has a height h2 of 500 mm and a side width w2 of 700 mm. According to an exemplary embodiment, the height h2 may be 450 mm or greater and 550 mm or less, and the width w2 may be 630 mm or greater and 770 mm or less. The portion of the incident element 13 with the smallest cross-sectional opening has a height h3 of 300 mm and a side width w3 of 450 mm. According to an exemplary embodiment, the height h3 may be 270 mm or greater and 330 mm or less, and the width w3 may be 405 mm or greater and 495 mm or less.

[0074] according to Figure 3 , an example of the diffraction unit 11 includes three slits 11-1, each of which has a height of 60 mm. The arrangement and number of the slits 11-1 can be formed at appropriate intervals so that the diffraction characteristics are uniform.

[0075] By the above-described annealing apparatus 10 according to the exemplary embodiment, sufficiently uniform microwaves can be provided to the substrate 100. However, in order to provide more uniform microwaves, as Figure 4 As shown, a diffuse reflection structure may be formed on the inner surface of the annealing device 10 .

[0076] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of a diffuse reflection structure disposed on an inner surface of an annealing apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0077] Figure 4 It is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion of the main body 12 of the annealing apparatus 10 .

[0078] The inner surface 12-1 of the main body 12 of the annealing device 10 is composed of Figure 4 The structure of the rough surface of protrusions and depressions shown is formed to generate microwave diffraction so that microwaves are uniformly provided to the substrate 100 .

[0079] exist Figure 4 In the embodiment, the outer surface 12-2 and the inner surface 12-1 are arranged on the main body 12 of the annealing device 10, whereby a rough diffuse reflection structure is formed on the inner surface 12-1. Figure 4 Not shown in FIG. 1 , silver (Ag) may be coated along the rough surface including protrusions and recesses on the inner surface 12 - 1 .

[0080] The diffuse reflection structure according to an exemplary embodiment has a pitch p of 60 mm and a height h4 of 60 mm, corresponding to the wavelength of microwaves. That is, since the wavelength of microwaves is 50 mm, diffuse reflection often occurs by forming a protrusion and depression structure slightly larger than the wavelength. According to an exemplary embodiment, the pitch p and height h4 of the diffuse reflection structure can be formed to be 54 mm or greater and 66 mm or less.

[0081] Next, refer to Figure 5 、 Figure 6 、 Figure 7 、 Figure 8 and Figure 9 Effects according to the present exemplary embodiment are described.

[0082] Figure 5 is a view illustrating optical characteristics of a diffraction unit according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0083] Figure 5 The light propagates through diffraction. That is, microwaves passing through diffraction element 11 enter body 12 while diffusing light, and thus, the microwaves are uniformly diffused throughout body 12. The uniformly diffused microwaves reach substrate 100, resulting in a uniform heating effect across the entire substrate 100.

[0084] Diffracted light may experience constructive or destructive interference at certain locations. That is, the heat treatment effect caused by microwaves may be expressed differently at locations where constructive interference occurs and at locations where destructive interference occurs. However, since the inner surface of the body 12 is also formed of a microwave-reflective material, and the reflected microwaves are also provided to the substrate 100, constructive and destructive interference can be reduced, and the microwaves applied to the substrate 100 can have improved uniformity.

[0085] Furthermore, if the substrate is small, the difference in heat treatment between constructive and destructive interference can be greatly reduced.

[0086] When the size of the substrate increases, compared with a small substrate, since the difference in heat treatment effect according to the position can be increased, according to an exemplary embodiment, a diffuse reflection structure such as a protrusion and recessed structure further formed on the inner surface of the body 12 can improve the uniformity of microwaves applied to the substrate.

[0087] Figure 6 FIG. 3 shows the reflection characteristics of microwaves by the diffuse reflection structure.

[0088] Figure 6 is a view illustrating optical characteristics of a diffuse reflection structure according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0089] exist Figure 6 , the solid line indicates the incident microwave, and the dotted line indicates the reflected microwave.

[0090] like Figure 6 As shown, since microwaves are reflected at different angles in the protrusion and recess structures, the microwaves in the body 12 are transmitted in various directions and to various positions. Compared with the case of including only the diffraction unit 11, the annealing device 10 including the diffuse reflection structure can reflect microwaves and provide them to positions where constructive interference and destructive interference can be formed, thereby improving the uniformity of heat treatment.

[0091] In the above description, by Figure 5 and Figure 6 Theoretical results are discussed.

[0092] Next, refer to Figure 7 、 Figure 8 and Figure 9 Specific results are described by comparing the exemplary embodiment with a comparative example.

[0093] Figure 7 The results of heat treatment according to the comparative example are shown.

[0094] Figure 7 It shows a difference in heat treatment according to a position on the substrate 100 when microwaves are provided without the diffraction unit 11 and the diffuse reflection structure.

[0095] Figure 7 is a picture of the temperature distribution on the substrate subjected to heat treatment by increasing the temperature using microwaves without the diffraction unit 11 and the diffuse reflection structure. Figure 7 , the comparative example shows a large temperature difference depending on the position on the substrate.

[0096] Generally, when heat treatment is performed using microwaves, e.g. Figure 7 As shown, heat may be applied unevenly to each location. To achieve uniform heat treatment, the substrate can be rotated to distribute microwaves applied differently to different locations on the substrate with improved uniformity. This method is found in microwave ovens and the like. Furthermore, when a small wafer is used as the substrate, it is easy to rotate the wafer, and the substrate can be rotated to increase the uniformity of the applied microwaves.

[0097] However, as the size of display devices increases, the size of a mother substrate comprising multiple wafers for the display device may become too large to practically rotate the substrate. For reference, a wafer may have a diameter of approximately 6 inches, and a mother substrate may have a size of approximately 3 meters on a side, thus, the size difference may exceed 10 times.

[0098] According to an exemplary embodiment, the annealing apparatus 10 includes the diffraction unit 11 and the diffuse reflection structure, and microwaves may be uniformly provided without rotating the mother substrate.

[0099] According to another comparative embodiment, an oven (rather than a microwave) can be used to directly provide heat for heat treatment of a substrate used in a display device to solve the above problem. However, heat treatment using an oven may cause hillocks where the surface of the substrate expands due to high temperature.

[0100] Wiring materials for large substrates such as display devices may include aluminum (Al), molybdenum (Mo), and the like. However, heat treatment of a substrate including a wiring material made of aluminum (Al) using a furnace may produce hillocks, and therefore, it may not be practical to use aluminum (Al) as a wiring material in a heat treatment using a furnace. On the other hand, heat treatment using a furnace does not produce hillocks of molybdenum (Mo), and in a heat treatment using a furnace, the wiring material may include molybdenum (Mo). However, molybdenum (Mo) has a higher resistivity than aluminum (Al) and may have disadvantages in terms of voltage drop.

[0101] The annealing apparatus according to the present exemplary embodiment was used to perform an experiment to determine whether hillocks were generated using a wiring material including aluminum (Al), and with reference to Figure 8 Describe the results.

[0102] Figure 8 Results of heat treatment according to an exemplary embodiment are shown.

[0103] Figure 8 is a picture of wiring including aluminum (Al) after heat treatment, and Ref is a comparative picture added as a control group. According to this exemplary embodiment, the time and temperature of the heat treatment are as follows: 8 minutes at 240°C, 8 minutes at 270°C, and 10 minutes at 300°C.

[0104] refer to Figure 8 , even if heat treatment is performed at a maximum temperature of 300° C. and a maximum time of 10 minutes, the surface of the wiring including aluminum (Al) does not expand, and such a problem does not occur.

[0105] Therefore, the annealing apparatus according to the present exemplary embodiment can be used for wiring including aluminum (Al), which is generally difficult to use as a wiring material compared to molybdenum (Mo), as a wiring material.

[0106] Next, refer to Figure 9 Describes the sheet resistance (Rs) characteristics of polycrystalline semiconductors, a semiconductor material used in display devices.

[0107] Figure 9 is a graph illustrating sheet resistance Rs characteristics depending on heat treatment according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0108] exist Figure 9 In the graph of , the x-axis represents the temperature and time of the heat treatment, and the y-axis represents the sheet resistance value (unit: Ω / sq). On the x-axis, Ref is the case of using a furnace, and the remaining cases are the cases of performing heat treatment by using an annealing device including a diffraction unit 11 and a diffuse reflection structure according to this exemplary embodiment. In addition, the polycrystalline semiconductor used in the experiment is a polycrystalline semiconductor doped with p-type impurities. When the polycrystalline semiconductor is initially doped with impurities, the doping ions are randomly arranged and the characteristics of the elements are poor. In order to improve the characteristics of the elements, an annealing process including heat treatment can be performed. Using microwaves can have the advantage of selectively reacting only with the doped polycrystalline semiconductor. If annealing is performed, the randomly arranged doping ions can be uniformly rearranged, so that the characteristics of the elements are improved. As described above, since the sheet resistance Rs of the polycrystalline semiconductor changes according to the arrangement of the doping ions, the characteristics of the changed polycrystalline semiconductor are described below by the sheet resistance value.

[0109] First, a comparative example of the heat treatment described above will be described. The comparative example was heat-treated at 450°C for 60 minutes using a furnace, and the polycrystalline semiconductor had a sheet resistance of approximately 2039 Ω / sq. The sheet resistance value of the reference indicates a sheet resistance value for an element that can be conventionally used without any problems. Therefore, if the polycrystalline semiconductor heat-treated according to this exemplary embodiment has a sheet resistance similar to that of the conventional comparative example, this exemplary embodiment can effectively replace conventional furnace heat treatment.

[0110] Therefore, according to Figure 9 The exemplary embodiment shown was performed by performing experiments using various temperatures and times.

[0111] refer to Figure 9, compared with the comparative example using a furnace, the heat treatment temperature is lower and the heat treatment time is shorter, and most of the results of the sheet resistance (Rs) value are not significantly different from the comparative example. In the case of heat treatment at 240°C or 245°C, the sheet resistance value is relatively high, which may show some disadvantages. However, in other cases, the sheet resistance Rs is basically similar to or even smaller than that of the comparative example. Therefore, Figure 9 It is shown that the thermal treatment according to exemplary embodiments can achieve substantially the same characteristics or even improved transistor characteristics.

[0112] refer to Figure 9 , the sheet resistance (Rs) value can be changed according to the temperature (not time) of the heat treatment, and a polycrystalline semiconductor having a small sheet resistance Rs can be formed using the heat treatment at a temperature above about 260° C. using the present exemplary embodiment. Here, 260° C. is based on Figure 9 The sheet resistance Rs results at 245°C and 265°C are calculated, and are values taking the error range into consideration. Figure 9 The maximum experimental temperature of the heat treatment is illustrated to be 300° C., but the exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto, and the heat treatment may be performed at a higher temperature (eg, up to 350° C.). Figure 9 , in the annealing apparatus according to the exemplary embodiment, 8 to 10 minutes of heat treatment is sufficient for the heat treatment, so that the heat treatment time can be greatly shortened compared to 60 minutes of the comparative example.

[0113] Furthermore, the annealing apparatus according to this exemplary embodiment can achieve similar or better results using significantly reduced power consumption compared to using a conventional furnace.

[0114] refer to Figure 9 A polycrystalline semiconductor heat-treated using the annealing apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment has substantially the same or better sheet resistance than a conventional furnace heat treatment, and the polycrystalline semiconductor can be used in a display device.

[0115] Also returns reference Figure 8 , the generation of hillocks in the metal material of the display device can be reduced, and the wiring material (aluminum (Al)) that cannot be used for furnace heat treatment can be used for the wiring material. As a result, the wiring including aluminum can be used in the mother substrate to be accommodated in the annealing device according to the exemplary embodiment.

[0116] Therefore, the annealing apparatus according to example embodiments may be suitable for heat-treating a mother substrate having a relatively large size for manufacturing a display panel in a display device.

[0117] According to an exemplary embodiment, the annealing device includes a diffraction unit configured to diffract microwaves introduced into the body, thereby improving the overall uniformity of the heat treatment applied by the microwaves. Furthermore, the annealing device includes a diffuse reflection structure including a rough structure in an inner surface of the annealing device, thereby further improving the uniformity of the heat treatment applied by the microwaves.

[0118] Although certain exemplary embodiments and implementations have been described herein, other embodiments and modifications will be apparent from the description. Therefore, the inventive concept is not limited to such embodiments, but rather to the broader scope of the appended claims and various obvious modifications and equivalent arrangements, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. An annealing device comprising: a body configured to receive a substrate; a microwave generating unit configured to generate microwaves to be transmitted to the body; an incident unit configured to transmit the microwaves from the microwave generating unit to the main body; as well as a diffraction unit disposed between the incident unit and the main body, the diffraction unit being configured to allow the microwaves to pass through the diffraction unit before being transmitted to the main body, wherein the diffraction unit includes a plurality of slits for diffracting the microwaves, each of the plurality of slits having a rectangular shape, the rectangular shape having a width and a height smaller than the width, and the height being slightly larger than the wavelength of the microwaves to produce a diffraction effect, the width being 180 mm or greater and 220 mm or less, and the height being 45 mm or greater and 65 mm or less, The four side surfaces of the incident unit are composed of surfaces extending vertically from each edge of the diffraction unit and extending obliquely while deviating inward, and the incident unit includes an opening, the width of which widens in a direction extending from the microwave generating unit toward the diffraction unit. wherein the microwave generating unit comprises a dual magnetron to generate microwaves having a wavelength of 50 mm, and The main body includes a diffuse reflection structure formed on an inner surface of the main body, the diffuse reflection structure has a structure including protrusions and recesses, and the structure including protrusions and recesses has a pitch value of 54 mm or more and 66 mm or less.

2. The annealing device according to claim 1, wherein: The width is 200 mm and the height is 60 mm.

3. The annealing device according to claim 1, wherein: The incident unit includes a first opening adjacent to the microwave generating unit, the first opening having a height of 270 mm or more and 330 mm or less and a width of 405 mm or more and 495 mm or less, and The incident unit includes a second opening adjacent to the diffraction unit, the second opening having a height of 450 mm or more and 550 mm or less and a width of 630 mm or more and 770 mm or less.

4. The annealing device according to claim 1, wherein: The main body and the incident unit are formed of stainless steel. wherein the main body and the incident unit include silver coated on the inner surface of the stainless steel material, and The diffraction unit is formed of the stainless steel material.

5. The annealing device according to claim 1, wherein: The microwave generating unit is configured to generate two sets of microwaves having different frequencies, and The two groups of microwaves have frequencies of 5.8 GHz and 2.45 GHz respectively.

6. The annealing device according to claim 1, wherein: The body is configured to accommodate a plurality of substrates, The substrate is a mother substrate for a display panel of a display device. wherein the substrate includes wiring including aluminum formed on the substrate, and The annealing apparatus is configured to heat-treat the substrate without forming hillocks on the surface of the substrate.

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