A manufacturing method for precisely aligning the through-holes of a substrate glass

Abstract

The present invention discloses a manufacturing method for precisely aligning through-holes in substrate glass, which solves the problems of the efficiency and cost of manufacturing through-holes in substrate glass for large-size panels. Specifically, it includes: First, according to the product specification requirements, design alignment marks for the through-holes in the substrate glass and the corresponding film layers, and clarify the positional relationship between the through-holes and other film layer structures to form a design drawing; Secondly, use a micro-nano process based on laser ablation or lithography technology to process the substrate glass to form the substrate glass through-holes that meet the design; Finally, put the panel substrate glass with realized through-holes into the cyclic process of the next functional layer thin film (such as the first metal electrode layer) to obtain an overlay structure of the precisely aligned functional layer and through-holes. The present invention greatly improves the alignment accuracy of the glass through-holes, reduces the difficulty of process implementation, improves the product yield, and at the same time improves the manufacturing efficiency. In addition, it also reduces the material cost and waste of production capacity consumption.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the field of integrated circuit array panel design and manufacturing, and particularly relates to a via design of a panel substrate glass and an implementation process thereof. Background Art

[0002] With the rapid development of micro-nano electronic technology and its applications, the manufacturing technologies and processes for integrated circuit array panels are increasingly diversified, and at the same time, the corresponding requirements are becoming increasingly strict. Among them, the technology of via holes in panel substrate glass is a manufacturing technology that has emerged and gradually popularized in recent years. Currently, it is widely used in the manufacturing processes of components related to high-end consumer electronic products such as mobile phones and PADs, such as display panels, backlights, touch covers, etc. At the same time, with the improvement of product performance requirements and the integration of interdisciplinary technologies, the glass substrate via hole technology and its implementation process also show more feasibility in meeting the needs of products in more other fields. For example, the currently emerging (liquid crystal) metamaterial surface antenna technology at home and abroad greatly improves the antenna index performance through the via hole design and manufacturing of the substrate glass of the antenna panel.

[0003] The currently mature substrate via hole technology is the through-silicon via (TSV) technology based on wafer silicon. After long-term technology development and application verification, the TSV technology has become a stable and reliable semiconductor chip manufacturing technology. The TSV technology not only greatly improves the chip integration density, but also effectively solves the signal delay problem by shortening the electrode lead length. At the same time, the TSV technology can realize the co-packaging of chips with different functions in the same structure, so as to obtain over-functional packaged chips.

[0004] Although the TSV technology has a high degree of maturity, there are still many technical and process difficulties in transplanting it to the implementation of via holes in larger-sized panel substrate glass, mainly limited by: on the one hand, the substrate glass has a larger size, up to more than 3 meters at most, while the maximum size of the current wafer silicon is only 12 inches, that is, about 0.45 meters; on the other hand, the thickness of the substrate glass is thicker than that of the wafer silicon, generally 2 to 3 times the thickness of the wafer silicon.

[0005] Due to the obvious differences in size and thickness between the substrate glass and the wafer silicon, the process for realizing the through-holes in the substrate glass is completely different from the through-silicon via technology. Currently, computer numerical control (CNC) drilling is usually used to realize the through-holes in the substrate glass. For products with smaller hole diameters or higher deviation precision requirements, laser drilling of the substrate glass is another effective process. However, the alignment accuracy of the current substrate glass through-hole process is not high, and the accuracy deviation is generally within ±200um to ±500um. Further improving the accuracy will significantly reduce the manufacturing efficiency. Moreover, currently, it is all about processing the finished panel components (such as display components, backlight components, etc.), resulting in low production efficiency and large cost losses due to the scrapping of defective through-holes. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In view of the problems in the above-mentioned substrate glass through-hole manufacturing technology, the present invention proposes a large-size panel precise alignment substrate glass through-hole design and its implementation process.

[0007] The solutions and steps adopted in the present invention include:

[0008] (1) First, according to the product specification requirements, design the drawing of the through-holes in the substrate glass. The drawing can be a lithography process mask drawing or a drawing required for the laser ablation process. The drawing includes the alignment marks of the through-holes and the corresponding film layers, and clarifies the positional relationship between the through-holes and other film layer structures.

[0009] (2) Then, use the laser ablation process, lithography etching process, or a combination of both to realize the designed through-hole drawing pattern on the substrate glass. Which implementation process to use should be determined according to the specifications and requirements of the product through-holes. Generally, when the through-hole diameter is large or the number is small, the laser ablation process can be used to realize it. When the through-hole diameter is small or the number is dense, the lithography etching process should be used to realize it. Which through-hole implementation process directly determines the product quality and manufacturing cost.

[0010] (3) Finally, put the panel substrate glass with realized through-holes into the next functional layer thin film (such as the first metal electrode layer) cyclic process. The main processes of this cyclic process include thin film deposition, precise alignment and overlay with the through-holes in the substrate glass, thin film etching and other main processes in sequence. Subsequent other functional layer thin films similarly enter the cyclic process and are precisely aligned and overlaid with the previous functional thin film layer, and finally each functional thin film layer is formed and maintains a precise alignment relationship with the through-holes in the substrate glass.

[0011] In the above steps (1) and (2), the thickness of the substrate glass is generally 0.3 - 1.5mm, the designed through-hole diameter is generally 0.05 - 5mm, and the number is generally 1 - 3 per display for a display screen, and generally 1 - 10 per antenna module for a (liquid crystal) metamaterial antenna; the shape of the alignment mark is generally a cross mark, and the size is generally 5 - 500um.

[0012] In the above step (2), the power of the laser ablation process equipment is generally 30 - 3000 W, and the ablation process time is generally 10 - 600 s; for the photolithography etching process, a G, I, or H-line lithography machine is generally used to expose positive or negative photoresist. The exposure time is related to the required exposure dose and light intensity of the photoresist film layer, and generally 3 - 300 s is used; after the lithography machine exposure, a developer is used for development, and the time is generally 10 - 1200 s; finally, the substrate glass with the photoresist pattern is etched wet or dry, and the etching time is generally 5 - 60 min.

[0013] The precise alignment and overlay of the through-holes in the substrate glass in the above step (3) specifically refers to using an optical image acquisition system (such as a CCD image capture system) to capture the alignment marks of the first functional layer mask pattern and the through-holes in the substrate glass, and adjusting the position of the substrate glass to automatically align and overlap the two alignment marks. The alignment accuracy of this operation is generally 0.5 - 5 um.

[0014] The design and implementation process plan of the through-holes in the substrate glass and steps (1), (2), and (3) above are a general description of the content of the present invention. For the specific content and technical details of the invention, refer to the specific implementation cases of the present invention.

[0015] The through-hole technology and specific implementation method of the substrate glass of the present invention can be applied to the manufacture of through-holes in antenna panels based on electromagnetic waves, microwaves, millimeter waves, etc. to achieve the function of feeding and transmitting electrical or magnetic signal ports, and to the manufacture of through-holes in display panels and touch covers to achieve the function of circuit connection and information transmission. It can also be applied to the manufacture of through-holes in sensor panels to achieve the function of penetrating detection electrodes or transporting and transferring detection objects. Two main advantages or benefits can be obtained:

[0016] First, it greatly improves the alignment accuracy of the glass through-holes and doubles the process efficiency.

[0017] Second, the through-hole process is pre-positioned and the object of the through-hole is the first process of the overall panel manufacturing, which greatly reduces the process implementation difficulty, improves the product yield, and at the same time enhances the manufacturing efficiency. In addition, it also greatly reduces the material cost and production capacity consumption waste. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] By reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, various other advantages and benefits will become clear to those of ordinary skill in the art. The drawings are only for the purpose of showing the preferred embodiments and are not considered to be a limitation of the present invention. And throughout the drawings, the same reference numerals are used to represent the same components. In the drawings:

[0019] Figure 1It is an example of the general drawing design for the through-holes in the substrate glass. In the figure, 100 is the size of the largest exposure area in the panel manufacturing process; 1001 is the alignment mark design area; 1002 is the substrate glass alignment mark (taking the cross mark type as a reference); 1003 is a single designed product, such as a single display screen or a single antenna; 1004 is the designed through-hole in the substrate glass.

[0020] Figure 2 It is an example of the through-hole design in the substrate glass for a single display screen of the display panel. In the figure, 200 is the overall view of the pixel array of a single display screen; 2001 is the through-hole in the display screen glass, which is generally used for image shooting of the camera window of the whole machine product.

[0021] Figure 3 It is an example of the through-hole design in the substrate glass for a single antenna module of the antenna panel. In the figure, 300 is the principle antenna module; 3001 is the combined alignment mark of the substrate glass; 3002 is the through-hole in the substrate glass.

[0022] Figure 4 It is an example of the process for realizing through-holes in the substrate glass based on laser ablation. In the figure, 400 is the cross-sectional structure of the panel substrate glass before and after laser ablation; 4001 is the cross-section of the panel substrate glass without through-holes; 4002 is the cross-section of the through-hole in the substrate glass formed by laser ablation; 4003 is the cross-section of the registration alignment mark.

[0023] Figure 5 It is an example of the process for realizing through-holes in the substrate glass based on photolithography etching. In the figure, 5001 is the panel substrate glass; 5002 is the photoresist film; 5003 is the pattern mask for the designed through-hole; 5004 is the wet process etching solution; 5005 is the cross-section of the through-hole in the substrate glass finally realized by the process.

[0024] Figure 6 It is an example of the process for overlaying the pattern of the first functional layer with the through-holes in the substrate glass. In the figure, 6001 is the substrate glass with through-holes and alignment marks; 6002 is the deposited first functional layer film; 6003 is the pattern mask of the first functional layer film; 6004 is the field of view of the lithography machine lens during the overlay of the first functional layer film with the through-holes in the substrate glass; 6005 is the alignment effect between the alignment marks on the pattern mask of the first functional layer and the alignment marks on the substrate glass during the overlay operation.

[0025] Figure 7 It is a physical diagram of the precise alignment between the through-holes in the substrate glass and the pattern of the first functional layer film after the overlay is completed. Detailed implementation manners

[0026] Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Although the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that the present disclosure can be implemented in various forms and should not be limited by the embodiments set forth herein. On the contrary, these embodiments are provided so that the present disclosure can be more thoroughly understood and the scope of the present disclosure can be fully conveyed to those skilled in the art.

[0027] Example 1

[0028] Through-hole design and implementation process of panel substrate glass based on laser ablation technology.

[0029] This case is about the through-hole design and implementation process of panel substrate glass based on laser ablation technology, which can be mainly applied to the reliable welding of radio frequency interfaces of substrate glass through-holes, and can well meet the product manufacturing and processing requirements of antenna panels and radar phased array panels. It can also be applied to the through-holes of substrate glass in the camera area of the display screen and its components of the display panel. Considering that the through-hole size in the radio frequency interface or the camera area of the display screen is relatively large, generally 1.0 - 2.0 mm, and the precision requirement is not high, usually a precision of ±0.2 mm is sufficient. Therefore, the laser ablation process can quickly implement the design scheme, and the detailed steps are as follows:

[0030] (1) Through-hole design of panel substrate glass. Using computer-aided design software or layout design software, according to Figure 1 the layout of the substrate glass through-hole drawing, design and draw the position and size of the through-hole and alignment marks in the corresponding area. The final substrate glass through-hole design drawings are as shown in Figure 2 and Figure 3 , which are respectively the through-hole design of a single display screen substrate glass of a display panel and the through-hole design of a single antenna module substrate glass of an antenna panel. The through-hole design size of both is 1.5 mm in diameter.

[0031] (2) Implementation process of panel substrate glass through-holes. First, clean the panel substrate glass. The cleaning can be carried out by ultrasonic cleaning or mechanical brushing with organic solvents, ultrapure water, etc. The state at this time is as shown in Figure 4 4001. Then, import the design drawing of the above step (1) into a laser ablation machine, model SD800, with a wavelength of 1064 nm, and wait for the cleaned panel substrate glass to enter the device. Finally, use the image control system of the laser ablation machine to calculate the glass boundary, so as to determine the position coordinates of each graphic element of the design drawing. Input the process parameters (main parameters such as power 800 W, process time 30 s), and start automatically processing the glass through-holes and alignment marks on the panel substrate glass. After 12 minutes, the processing and manufacturing of all designed through-holes are completed. The state at this time is as shown in Figure 4As shown in 4002 or 4003. The physical size of the through-hole of the measurement panel substrate glass is between 1.47 - 1.52 mm in diameter, with good precision to meet the product requirements.

[0032] (3) Completing the above steps (1) and (2) completes the design to process implementation of the through-hole of the panel substrate glass. At this time, the panel substrate glass has through-holes and will be put into subsequent processes, namely the precise alignment and etching of the first functional layer and other thin films. Taking the manufacturing of the first functional layer thin film pattern as an example for illustration. First, referring to the design drawing of the through-hole of the panel substrate glass in step (1), design the mask drawing of the first functional layer thin film. Special attention should be paid to the precise alignment and nesting of the alignment marks of the two, so as to ensure a high alignment accuracy between the two. Then, deposit and manufacture the thin film of the first functional layer. In this embodiment, 500 nm of metallic aluminum is deposited, and the state is as Figure 6 shown in 6002. Refer to Figure 6 Using photolithography technology, transfer the pattern of the mask 6003 onto the photoresist on the first functional layer thin film 6002 and develop it, that is, complete the formation of the pattern of the first functional layer thin film on the photoresist. In this process, use the image system of the lithography machine to precisely align and etch the alignment marks on the mask of the first functional layer pattern with the alignment marks on the panel substrate glass, as Figure 6 shown in 6005, so as to achieve the precise alignment of the through-hole of the substrate glass and the pattern of the first functional layer thin film. Obviously, the manufacturing of the first functional layer thin film and its precise alignment with the through-hole of the substrate glass can also be achieved by laser ablation technology. Finally, as Figure 6 shown, wet-etch the substrate glass with the first functional layer thin film and its photoresist pattern. After completion, remove the photoresist to obtain the pattern of the first functional layer thin film. After measurement, the alignment accuracy between the pattern of the first functional layer and the through-hole of the substrate glass is within ±5um to ±10um. The physical diagram of the precise alignment of the through-hole of the substrate glass and the aluminum pattern of the first functional layer thin film after etching is as Figure 7 shown, and the solder has been processed in the through-hole. Obviously, it is not difficult to further improve the alignment accuracy between the two through subsequent process optimization.

[0033] Example 2

[0034] Design and implementation process of the through-hole of the panel substrate glass based on photolithography and etching technology.

[0035] This case is about the design and implementation process of the through-hole of the panel substrate glass based on photolithography and etching technology, which can be mainly applied to the manufacturing and processing of through-holes of some substrate glasses with smaller aperture sizes, and can meet the product requirements related to sensors, especially biosensors. The through-holes of such substrate glasses are generally less than 500um and usually have a large number. Therefore, it is more cost-effective to use photolithography and etching technology for manufacturing. The detailed steps are as follows:

[0036] (1) Panel substrate glass via hole design. Similar to step (1) in Embodiment 1, the via hole drawing design is completed. The designed aperture of the via hole is 300um, with a total of 100 via holes arranged in a 10x10 array. Subsequently, the via hole design drawing is processed into a photolithography mask, namely the via hole mask.

[0037] (2) As Figure 5 shown, after cleaning the substrate glass with organic solvent and ultrapure water, a positive photoresist film ( Figure 5 5002 therein) with a thickness of 2.0um is prepared on both the front and back sides. Obviously, it is also feasible to prepare the photoresist film on one side only. In this embodiment, both the front and back sides are processed to improve production efficiency. Subsequently, the via hole mask Figure 5 5003 therein is used for projection exposure of the photoresist on the front and back sides by an exposure machine, and the exposure time is 10s. After development, it is placed in the glass etching solution Figure 5 5004 therein for wet etching, while maintaining a water bath heating at 80°C and an etching time of 30 minutes. Finally, the photoresist is cleaned and removed to obtain the substrate glass via hole. After measurement, the diameter of the via hole is 180 - 200um. The actual diameter of the via hole deviates greatly from the designed size because the wet etching method adopted has a large lateral etching loss. Design compensation can be adopted subsequently to avoid the deviation caused by the etching loss. Naturally, if dry etching is used, the etching loss will be much smaller.

[0038] (3) After completing the above steps (1) and (2), the design to process implementation of the panel substrate glass via hole is completed. At this time, the panel substrate glass has via holes and will be put into subsequent processes, namely the precise alignment and etching of the first functional layer and other thin films. This step is the same as step (3) in Embodiment 1, so it will not be repeated here.

[0039] The above is only a preferred specific implementation manner of the present invention, but the protection scope of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily thought of by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed by the present invention should be covered within the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention should be subject to the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A manufacturing method for precisely aligning the through-holes of a substrate glass, characterized in that, it includes the following steps: According to the product specification requirements, design the alignment marks for the through-holes of the substrate glass and the corresponding functional layers, and determine the positional relationship between the through-holes and other functional layers to form a design drawing; Use micro-nano technology to process and manufacture the substrate glass to form substrate glass through-holes that meet the design; Put the substrate glass with realized through-holes into the next functional layer thin film circulation process, deposit and prepare the first functional layer thin film on the substrate glass, prepare photoresist on the first functional layer thin film, use an optical image acquisition system to capture the alignment marks on the graphic mask corresponding to the first layer of functional layer thin film and the alignment marks of the substrate glass through-holes, adjust the position of the substrate glass to automatically overlap and align the two, and further use lithography technology to transfer the mask pattern to the photoresist and develop it to form the pattern of the first functional layer thin film on the photoresist. Wet-etch the substrate glass with the first functional layer thin film and its photoresist pattern, and after removing the photoresist, obtain an accurately aligned nested structure of the functional layer through-holes and the glass through-holes; Subsequent other functional layer thin films enter the circulation process and are accurately nested and aligned with the previous functional thin film layer, and finally form each functional thin film layer and maintain an accurately aligned relationship with the substrate glass through-holes.

2. A manufacturing method for precisely aligning the through-holes of a substrate glass according to claim 1, characterized in that, the functional layer is an electrode layer with a material of metal, or an isolation layer, a passivation layer with a material of non-metal, or a semiconductor layer formed by semiconductor materials.

3. A manufacturing method for precisely aligning the through-holes of a substrate glass according to claim 1, characterized in that, the micro-nano technology is laser ablation or based on lithography technology. Laser engraving, wet etching, and dry etching processes are used to make through-holes and alignment marks, and vacuum coating, chemical deposition, printing, and 3D printing thin film processes are used for other functional layers on the substrate glass.

4. A manufacturing method for precisely aligning the through-holes of a substrate glass according to claim 3, characterized in that, the laser ablation includes: Import the designed through-hole and alignment mark drawings into the laser equipment system, and directly process and manufacture the required through-holes and alignment marks on the substrate glass using the laser ablation process.

5. A manufacturing method for precisely aligning the through-holes of a substrate glass according to claim 3, characterized in that, the shape of the through-hole is circular or polygonal.

6. A manufacturing method for precisely aligning the through-holes of a substrate glass according to claim 1, characterized in that, the shape of the alignment mark is a cross mark, a circular mark, a vernier, or other shapes that can achieve the alignment function, and the alignment mark is designed in one or a combination of multiple ways.

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