Display panel manufacturing method and display panel

Abstract

The present invention provides a method for manufacturing a display panel and a display panel, comprising forming a photoresist layer on a substrate, the photoresist layer including grooves; forming a blocking layer on the photoresist layer; and forming an active layer on the blocking layer, the active layer including an active pattern located within the grooves and a disconnected portion located on the blocking layer, the disconnected portion being disconnected from the active pattern. By forming a photoresist layer having grooves and blocking portions on the substrate and processing the blocking portions to form the blocking layer, the active layer located on the blocking layer cannot completely cover the blocking layer during formation of the active layer. A stripping solution can strip the blocking layer and the photoresist layer, and then strip the active layer on the blocking layer together. Patterning of the active layer is completed without using an acidic solution such as oxalic acid, thereby avoiding the problem of hydrogen ions easily diffusing into the IGZO material due to prolonged immersion of the IGZO material in an oxalic acid solution, which can lead to electrical instability in the display panel.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of display technology, and in particular to a method for manufacturing a display panel and the display panel. Background Art

[0002] Since no parasitic capacitance is formed between the S / D and the metal gate in the Top-Gate IGZO TFT (Top-Gate Indium Gallium Zinc Oxide Thin Film Transistor), and the channel can be made short to increase the on-state current of the IGZO TFT, it has become a hot topic in industry research in recent years.

[0003] Currently, when the industry prepares Top-Gate IGZO TFTs, oxalic acid is mainly used to etch IGZO materials and form the IGZO active layer. However, due to the presence of H ions in oxalic acid, when the IGZO material is immersed in the oxalic acid solution for a long time, hydrogen ions can easily diffuse into the interior of the IGZO material, resulting in electrical instability of the display panel. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Embodiments of the present invention provide a method for manufacturing a display panel and a display panel to solve the problem that when preparing an active layer, the IGZO material is immersed in an oxalic acid solution for a long time, hydrogen ions easily diffuse into the interior of the IGZO material, thereby causing electrical instability of the display panel.

[0005] To solve the above problems, the present invention provides the following technical solutions:

[0006] A method for manufacturing a display panel, comprising:

[0007] providing a substrate;

[0008] forming a photoresist layer on the substrate, wherein the photoresist layer includes grooves;

[0009] forming a blocking layer on the photoresist layer; and

[0010] An active layer is formed on the blocking layer, wherein the active layer includes an active pattern located in the groove and a disconnected portion located on the blocking layer, wherein the disconnected portion is disconnected from the active pattern.

[0011] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, forming a blocking layer on the photoresist layer includes:

[0012] The photoresist layer is processed to form the blocking layer, wherein the surface of the blocking layer away from the substrate is uneven, and the material of the blocking layer is the same as that of the photoresist layer.

[0013] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, processing the side of the photoresist layer away from the substrate includes:

[0014] The side of the photoresist layer away from the substrate is etched, or the side of the photoresist layer away from the substrate is exposed and developed.

[0015] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the thickness of the blocking layer is greater than the thickness of the active layer.

[0016] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the thickness of the active layer is 200-1000 angstroms, and the thickness of the blocking layer is at least 500 angstroms.

[0017] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the method further includes: peeling off the photoresist layer, the blocking layer, and the disconnected portion of the active layer on the blocking layer.

[0018] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the step of forming a blocking layer on the photoresist layer includes:

[0019] A blocking material is coated on the photoresist layer to form the blocking layer, and the blocking layer is made to be uneven away from the surface of the substrate, wherein the material of the blocking layer includes a black matrix material.

[0020] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the thickness of the photoresist layer is 1-3.5 microns.

[0021] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the material of the active layer includes metal oxide.

[0022] The present invention further provides a display panel, which is manufactured according to any one of the above manufacturing methods.

[0023] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: by forming a photoresist layer having a groove and a blocking portion on a substrate, and processing the blocking portion to form a blocking layer, when the active layer is formed, the active layer located in the groove and the active layer located on the blocking layer are disconnected, and since the surface of the blocking layer is uneven, the active layer on the blocking layer cannot completely cover the blocking layer, so that the stripping liquid can pass through the active layer on the blocking layer and contact the blocking layer, stripping the blocking layer and the photoresist layer, and then stripping the active layer on the blocking layer together, thereby completing the patterning of the active layer without using an acidic solution such as oxalic acid, thereby avoiding the IGZO material being immersed in an oxalic acid solution for a long time, and hydrogen ions easily diffusing into the interior of the IGZO material, thereby causing the problem of electrical instability of the display panel. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0025] Attachment Figure 1 A flow chart for making a display panel in the prior art;

[0026] Attachment Figure 2 A flow chart for making a display panel for the present invention;

[0027] Attachment Figure 3 A diagram showing the process of making a display panel according to the present invention;

[0028] Attachment Figure 4 A diagram showing the process of making a display panel according to the present invention;

[0029] Attachment Figure 5 A diagram showing the process of making a display panel according to the present invention;

[0030] Attachment Figure 6 A diagram showing the process of making a display panel according to the present invention;

[0031] Attachment Figure 7 A diagram showing the process of making a display panel according to the present invention;

[0032] Attachment Figure 8 A diagram showing the process of making a display panel according to the present invention;

[0033] Attachment Figure 9 This is a process diagram for making a display panel according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the embodiments described are only part of the embodiments of the present application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0035] like Figure 1 As shown, the array substrate 1 in the display panel generally includes an active layer 5, a gate layer 7, and a source-drain metal layer 9. An insulating layer is provided between the active layer 5 and the gate layer 7. The source-drain metal layer 9 includes a source electrode and a drain electrode, each of which is electrically connected to the active layer 5. In existing manufacturing methods, the display panel is generally manufactured by the following steps.

[0036] S100 , forming a buffer layer 2 on a substrate 1 . Specifically, the buffer layer 2 may be formed by chemical vapor deposition.

[0037] S200 , forming an active layer 5 on the buffer layer 2 , specifically, forming an oxide semiconductor layer by adopting a physical vapor sputtering deposition method.

[0038] S300, forming a photoresist layer 3 on the active layer 5, and patterning the photoresist layer 3. Specifically, coating a layer of photoresist material on the active layer 5 to form the photoresist layer 3. Patterning the photoresist layer 3 includes: exposing a portion of the photoresist layer 3 using a mask, developing the exposed photoresist layer 3, and removing the exposed portion of the photoresist layer 3, thereby exposing the active layer 5 located in the exposed area.

[0039] S400, etching the active layer 5. Specifically, etching the active layer 5 using a wet etching process to remove the exposed portion of the active layer 5. In the wet etching process, the active layer 5 is often soaked in an acidic solution such as oxalic acid (H2C2O4) to achieve the purpose of removing the active layer 5.

[0040] According to the dissociation equation of oxalic acid:

[0041] H2C2O4+2H2O→2H3O + +C2O 4- (1)

[0042] H * +O 2- →-OH - +e (2)

[0043] It can be seen that oxalic acid will produce a large amount of hydrogen ions in water, and hydrogen ions can react with OH in IGZO material. - Combined, thereby releasing a large number of electrons e, which in turn leads to electrical instability of the display panel.

[0044] like Figure 2 As shown, in order to solve the problem that when the IGZO material is immersed in oxalic acid solution for a long time during the preparation of the active layer 5, hydrogen ions easily diffuse into the interior of the IGZO material, thereby causing electrical instability of the display panel, an embodiment of the present invention provides a method for manufacturing a display panel, comprising the following steps:

[0045] S100 , providing a substrate 1 , and forming a photoresist layer 3 on the substrate 1 , wherein the photoresist layer 3 includes a groove 32 .

[0046] Specifically, such as Figure 3As shown, a layer of photoresist material is coated on the array substrate 1 to form the photoresist layer 3. The photoresist layer 3 is exposed using a mask plate. The mask plate includes at least two adjacent shielding parts, and there is a gap between the two adjacent shielding parts. When light irradiates the mask plate, the photoresist layer 3 located in the gap area is exposed. After the photoresist layer 3 is exposed, the photoresist layer 3 is developed to remove the exposed photoresist to form the groove 32. The photoresist layer 3 located in the shielding part area will not be irradiated by light, and the unexposed photoresist layer 3 forms a blocking part 31.

[0047] S200 , forming a blocking layer 4 on the photoresist layer 3 .

[0048] like Figures 2 to 5 As shown, the photoresist layer 3 is processed to form the blocking layer 4, and the surface of the blocking layer 4 away from the substrate 1 is made uneven. The processing of the side of the photoresist layer 3 away from the substrate 1 includes:

[0049] The side of the photoresist layer 3 away from the substrate 1 is etched to form the blocking layer 4. Specifically, the side of the blocking portion 31 away from the substrate 1 is etched, such as by using dry etching equipment, using oxygen or argon plasma to etch the surface of the blocking portion away from the substrate 1, so that the surface of the blocking portion away from the substrate 1 has an uneven shape, such as a plurality of irregular columns or hill-like protrusions on the surface of the blocking portion away from the substrate 1. The material of the photoresist layer 3 includes photoresist. It is known that those skilled in the art can also use other methods to make the surface of the blocking portion uneven, such as moderately exposing and developing the side of the photoresist layer 3 away from the substrate 1. Therefore, the method of making the surface of the blocking layer 4 uneven is not limited here, and all of them are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0050] In the above method, the blocking layer 4 is made using the original photoresist layer 3, and no other film layer is needed. That is, the material of the blocking layer 4 is the same as that of the photoresist layer 3, both of which are photoresist. In other embodiments, a new film layer can also be formed on the photoresist layer 3, and the blocking layer 4 can be formed using this film layer.

[0051] Specifically, forming the blocking layer 4 on the photoresist layer 3 may further include:

[0052] A blocking material is coated on the photoresist layer 3 to form the blocking layer 4. The blocking material includes a black matrix material, such as a photosensitive resin commonly used by those skilled in the art to form a black matrix. The blocking layer 4 is etched so that the surface of the blocking layer 4 away from the substrate 1 is uneven. Specifically, the surface of the blocking layer 4 away from the substrate 1 has a plurality of irregular columns or hill-like protrusions. It is understood that the photoresist layer 3 and the blocking layer 4 can also be directly formed using the black matrix material. When the photoresist layer 3 is formed using the black matrix material, the process used to form the grooves 32 is the same as when using photoresist.

[0053] S300 , forming an active layer 5 on the blocking layer 4 , wherein the active layer 5 includes an active pattern located in the groove 32 and a disconnected portion located on the blocking layer 4 , wherein the disconnected portion is disconnected from the active pattern.

[0054] Specifically, such as Figure 5-6 As shown, a layer of active layer 5 material, such as crystalline silicon or an oxide semiconductor, is deposited on the blocking layer 4. The oxide semiconductor may include any one of an oxide based on titanium (Ti), hafnium (Hf), zirconium (Zr), aluminum (Al), tantalum (Ta), germanium (Ge), zinc (Zn), gallium (Ga), tin (Sn), or indium (In), or a composite oxide thereof. The oxide semiconductor layer may be formed using a physical vapor phase sputtering deposition method. It is understood that since the blocking layer 4 includes the blocking portion 31 and the groove 32, when the oxide semiconductor is deposited on the blocking layer 4, a portion of the oxide semiconductor will be formed within the groove 32, and a portion of the oxide semiconductor will be formed on the blocking portion 31. That is, the active layer 5 includes a portion located within the groove 32 and a portion of the blocking portion 31. When the oxide semiconductor is deposited on the blocking portion 31, since a blocking layer 4 is formed on the blocking portion 31, and the upper surface of the blocking layer 4 is uneven, after the oxide semiconductor material is deposited, the complete active layer 5 will not be formed on the blocking layer 4, that is, the active layer 5 located on the blocking layer 4 has pores.

[0055] S400 , peeling off the photoresist layer 3 , the blocking layer 4 , and the disconnected portion of the active layer 5 on the blocking layer 4 .

[0056] Specifically, a stripping liquid is dripped onto the substrate 1. The stripping liquid is a solution that can react with the photoresist layer 3 and the blocking layer 4 to separate them. When the blocking layer 4 is formed with the photoresist layer 3, the stripping liquid is a photoresist stripping liquid. When the blocking layer 4 is formed using a black matrix material, the stripping liquid is a solution that can strip the black matrix material. This is well known to those skilled in the art and is not specifically limited or described here.

[0057] As can be seen from the above, when the stripping liquid is dripped onto the active layer 5 on the blocking layer 4, since all the active layers 5 on the blocking layer 4 have pores, the stripping liquid can contact the blocking layer 4 (blocking part 31) and the photoresist layer 3, and the blocking layer 4 and the photoresist layer 3 will be peeled off from the substrate 1, thereby causing the active layer 5 located on the blocking part 31 to be detached together. Since the material of the active layer 5 does not react with the stripping liquid, the active layer 5 located in the groove 32 is not affected by this and is thus retained.

[0058] In this embodiment, a photoresist layer 3 is formed on a substrate 1, wherein the photoresist layer 3 has a groove 32 and a blocking portion 31, and the blocking portion 31 is processed to form a blocking layer 4, so that when the active layer 5 is formed, the active layer 5 located in the groove 32 and the active layer 5 located on the blocking layer 4 are disconnected, and since the surface of the blocking layer 4 is uneven, the active layer 5 on the blocking layer 4 cannot completely cover the blocking layer 4. Therefore, the stripping liquid can pass through the active layer 5 on the blocking layer 4 and contact the blocking layer 4, so as to strip the blocking layer 4 and the photoresist layer 3, and then strip the active layer 5 on the blocking layer 4 together, thereby completing the patterning of the active layer 5 without using an acidic solution such as oxalic acid, thereby avoiding the problem that the IGZO material is immersed in the oxalic acid solution for a long time and hydrogen ions easily diffuse into the interior of the IGZO material, thereby causing electrical instability of the display panel.

[0059] In some embodiments, the thickness of the photoresist layer 3 is 1-3.5 microns, the thickness of the active layer 5 is 200-1000 angstroms, and the thickness of the blocking layer 4 is at least 500 angstroms. It is understood that in the above embodiment, the thickness of the blocking layer 4 needs to be greater than the thickness of the active layer 5 so that there are gaps between the active layer 5 located on the blocking layer 4. Specifically, the thickness of the photoresist layer 3 is 1 micron, the thickness of the active layer 5 is 400 angstroms, and the thickness of the blocking layer 4 is 500 angstroms; or the thickness of the photoresist layer 3 is 1 micron, the thickness of the active layer 5 is 800 angstroms, and the thickness of the blocking layer 4 is 1000 angstroms. It should be noted that the thickness of the blocking layer 4 refers to the distance between the end of the protrusion on the blocking layer 4 away from the substrate 1 and the photoresist layer 3.

[0060] like Figure 7-9 As shown, the display panel further includes:

[0061] S000, forming a buffer layer 2 on the substrate 1. Specifically, the buffer layer 2 is formed by chemical vapor deposition. The buffer layer 2 includes silicon nitride (SiN x ) and silicon oxide (SiO x ) or a single layer of an insulating film such as silicon nitride (SiN x ) and silicon oxide (SiO x) It can be known that the buffer layer 2 can prevent the penetration of unnecessary components such as impurities or moisture.

[0062] S500: Conducting a portion of the active layer 5, the conductive region can have higher conductivity and lower resistance than the channel region (non-conductive region). The present invention also provides a display panel, which is manufactured according to any of the above manufacturing methods.

[0063] S600: Form a gate insulating layer 6 on the active layer 5. The gate insulating layer 6 may cover the active layer 5 and be disposed on the buffer layer 2. The gate insulating layer 6 may not only cover the upper surface of the active layer 5 but also cover the side surfaces of the active layer 5. The gate insulating layer 6 may serve to insulate the active layer 5 from the gate.

[0064] The gate insulating layer 6 may include silicon compounds, metal oxides, etc. For example, the gate insulating layer 6 may include silicon oxide, silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, aluminum oxide, tantalum oxide, hafnium oxide, zirconium oxide, titanium oxide, etc. These substances may be used alone or in combination.

[0065] S700. Form the gate layer 7 on the gate insulating layer 6. The gate layer 7 includes a gate metal. The gate layer 7 can be formed using a low-resistance material, such as one or more metals selected from molybdenum (Mo), aluminum (Al), platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd), silver (Ag), magnesium (Mg), gold (Au), nickel (Ni), neodymium (Nd), iridium (Ir), chromium (Cr), calcium (Ca), titanium (Ti), tantalum (Ta), tungsten (W), and copper (Cu), but is not limited thereto.

[0066] S800: Form an interlayer insulating layer 8. The interlayer insulating layer 8 is disposed on the gate layer 7. The interlayer insulating layer 8 may not only cover the upper surface of the gate but also cover the side surfaces of the gate. The interlayer insulating layer 8 may include a silicon compound, a metal oxide, or the like. For example, the interlayer insulating layer 8 may include silicon oxide, silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, aluminum oxide, tantalum oxide, hafnium oxide, zirconium oxide, titanium oxide, or the like. These materials may be used alone or in combination.

[0067] S900, patterning the interlayer insulating layer 8, and forming a source-drain metal layer 9 on the interlayer insulating layer 8, wherein the source-drain metal layer 9 includes a source metal and a drain metal, so that the source metal and the drain metal can be electrically connected to the conductive area of ​​the active layer 5, and the source metal or the drain metal includes one or more metals selected from molybdenum (Mo), aluminum (Al), platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd), silver (Ag), magnesium (Mg), gold (Au), nickel (Ni), neodymium (Nd), iridium (Ir), chromium (Cr), calcium (Ca), titanium (Ti), tantalum (Ta), tungsten (W), and copper (Cu).

[0068] S1000: Form a passivation layer 10 on the source / drain metal layer 9. The passivation layer 10 may include an inorganic insulating material such as silicon oxide, silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, hafnium oxide, aluminum oxide, titanium oxide, tantalum oxide, or zinc oxide. The passivation layer 10 may be formed in the display area and not in at least a portion of the non-display area.

[0069] S2000, patterning the passivation layer 10, and forming an anode layer 11 on the passivation layer 10, wherein the anode layer 11 may have a stacked film structure of a material layer with a higher work function such as indium tin oxide (ITO: Indium-Tin-Oxide), indium zinc oxide (IZO: Indium-Zinc-Oxide), zinc oxide (ZnO), indium oxide (In2O3: Induim Oxide) and a reflective material layer such as silver (Ag), magnesium (Mg), aluminum (Al), platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd), gold (Au), nickel (Ni), neodymium (Nd), iridium (Ir), chromium (Cr), lithium (Li), calcium (Ca) or a mixture thereof, but is not limited thereto.

[0070] In summary, although the present invention has been disclosed above with reference to preferred embodiments, the above preferred embodiments are not intended to limit the present invention. A person skilled in the art may make various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention shall be based on the scope defined in the claims.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a display panel, characterized in that: include: providing a substrate; forming a photoresist layer on the substrate, wherein the photoresist layer includes grooves; forming a blocking layer on the photoresist layer; The surface of the blocking layer away from the substrate is uneven; as well as forming an active layer on the blocking layer, wherein the active layer includes an active pattern located in the groove and a disconnected portion located on the blocking layer, wherein the disconnected portion is disconnected from the active pattern; peeling off the photoresist layer, the blocking layer, and the disconnected portion of the active layer on the blocking layer; Wherein, the thickness of the blocking layer is greater than the thickness of the active layer.

2. The production method according to claim 1, characterized in that The forming of a blocking layer on the photoresist layer comprises: The side of the photoresist layer away from the substrate is processed to form the blocking layer, wherein the blocking layer is made of the same material as the photoresist layer.

3. The production method according to claim 2, characterized in that: Processing a side of the photoresist layer away from the substrate includes: The side of the photoresist layer away from the substrate is etched, or the side of the photoresist layer away from the substrate is exposed and developed.

4. The production method according to claim 3, characterized in that: The thickness of the active layer is 200-1000 angstroms, and the thickness of the blocking layer is at least 500 angstroms.

5. The production method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The step of forming a blocking layer on the photoresist layer comprises: A blocking material is coated on the photoresist layer to form the blocking layer, wherein the blocking material includes a black matrix material.

6. The manufacturing method according to claim 1, characterized in that The thickness of the photoresist layer is 1-3.5 microns.

7. The production method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The material of the active layer includes metal oxide.

8. A display panel, characterized in that: The display panel is manufactured according to the manufacturing method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

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