Electro-optical apparatus, electronic device, and method for manufacturing an electro-optical apparatus

Abstract

To provide an electro-optical device in which a pixel electrode and a transistor can be reliably electrically connected to each other.SOLUTION: An electro-optical device comprises: a transistor 1; a pixel electrode 10 provided corresponding to the transistor 1; a relay layer 30 provided on a layer between the transistor 1 and the pixel electrode 10, and including, in order from the side of the pixel electrode 10, a metal material layer 30a including metal material, an insulating material layer 30b including insulating material, and a metal material layer 30c including metal material; and a lens layer 34 provided between the relay layer 30 and the pixel electrode 10, and having a contact hole 33 for electrically connecting the relay layer 30 and the pixel electrode 10. In the relay layer 30, portions of the metal material layer 30a and the metal material layer 30b overlapping the contact hole 33 are removed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an electro-optical device, an electronic apparatus provided with the electro-optical device, and a method for manufacturing the electro-optical device.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes an electro-optical device including: a pixel electrode provided on a substrate body of an element substrate; a transistor provided between the pixel electrode and the substrate body; a lens formed between the pixel electrode and the transistor; and a connection member provided penetrating through a layer in which the lens is arranged and electrically connected to the pixel electrode.

Prior Art Literature

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problem to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Since the layer thickness of the layer provided with the lens between the pixel electrode and the transistor is large, in order to provide the connection member penetrating through the layer in which the lens is arranged, it is necessary to form a contact hole with a high aspect ratio in the layer provided with the lens. Further, since the step of forming a high-aspect-ratio contact hole in the thick layer where the lens is provided requires a long etching time, it is preferable to use a hard mask containing a metal material that can withstand long-time etching as the etching mask. However, when a hard mask is used, there is a problem that the conductive layer exposed at the bottom of the contact hole disappears together with the hard mask when the hard mask is removed.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0005] An electro-optical apparatus according to one aspect of the present application includes a transistor, a pixel electrode provided corresponding to the transistor, and a layer provided between the transistor and the pixel electrode, in order from the pixel electrode side, Includes WSi metal material Consists of The first layer, SiO 2 including insulating materials Consists of The second layer, Includes W metal material Consists of The device comprises a third layer, a first conductive layer including a third layer, and a lens layer provided in the layer between the first conductive layer and the pixel electrode, having a first contact hole for electrically connecting the first conductive layer and the pixel electrode, wherein the portion of the first conductive layer that overlaps with the first contact hole of the first and second layers has been removed.

[0006] An electronic device according to one aspect of the present application comprises the electro-optical device described above.

[0007] A method for manufacturing an electro-optical device according to one aspect of the present application comprises the steps of forming a first conductive layer, forming a lens layer on the first conductive layer, and on the lens layer Includes WSi metal material Consists of A step of forming a mask, and a step of forming a first contact hole in the lens layer through the mask, by etchant The step of removing the mask, the first conductive layer process of forming teeth, A step of forming a third layer made of a metallic material containing W, and a step of forming a third layer on the third layer with SiO having a lower etching rate for the etchant than the mask. 2 A step of forming a second layer made of an insulating material containing WSi, and a step of forming a first layer made of a metallic material containing WSi on the second layer, The process involves removing the mask, and in the step of removing the mask, a portion of the first layer and the second layer is removed. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] A plan view of the electro-optical apparatus according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 2] Cross-sectional view of the electro-optical apparatus along line II-II in Figure 1. [Figure 3] An equivalent circuit diagram showing the electrical configuration of the element substrate. [Figure 4] An explanatory diagram showing the cross-sectional structure of the display area on the element substrate. [Figure 5] A plan view showing a part of the display region of an element substrate. [Figure 6] A cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 5. [Figure 7] A flowchart showing a method for manufacturing an optical functional layer. [Figure 8] A flowchart showing details of step S50 in FIG. 7. [Figure 9] A flowchart showing details of step S80 in FIG. 7. [Figure 10] A cross-sectional view showing one aspect in the manufacturing process. [Figure 11] A cross-sectional view showing one aspect in the manufacturing process. [Figure 12] A cross-sectional view showing one aspect in the manufacturing process. [Figure 13] A cross-sectional view showing one aspect in the manufacturing process. [Figure 14] A cross-sectional view of an electro-optical device according to Modification 2. [Figure 15] A cross-sectional view of an electro-optical device according to Embodiment 2. [Figure 16] A flowchart showing details of step S50 in FIG. 7. [Figure 17A] A cross-sectional view showing one aspect in the manufacturing process. [Figure 17B] A plan view showing one aspect in the manufacturing process. [Figure 18] A schematic diagram showing an example of an electronic apparatus according to Embodiment 3. MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that, in each of the following drawings, in order to make each constituent element easy to view, the dimensional scale may be varied depending on the constituent element. Furthermore, for the sake of clarity, the following explanation will use mutually orthogonal X, Y, and Z axes as appropriate. The direction along the X-axis will be denoted as the X1 direction, and the direction opposite to the X1 direction will be denoted as the X2 direction. Similarly, the direction along the Y-axis will be denoted as the Y1 direction, and the direction opposite to the Y1 direction will be denoted as the Y2 direction. The direction along the Z-axis will be denoted as the Z1 direction, and the direction opposite to the Z1 direction will be denoted as the Z2 direction. In the following explanation, viewing in the Z1 or Z2 direction will be referred to as a "plan view," and viewing from a direction perpendicular to the cross-section containing the Z-axis will be referred to as a "cross-sectional view."

[0010] Furthermore, in the following explanation, for example, with respect to a substrate, the phrase "on the substrate" refers to one of the following cases: when placed in contact with the substrate, when placed on the substrate via another structure, or when part of the substrate is placed in contact with the substrate and part of the substrate is placed via another structure. Also, the phrase "upper surface of a certain configuration" refers to the Z1 direction side of that configuration, for example, "upper surface of the light-transmitting layer" refers to the Z1 direction side of the light-transmitting layer. Also, the phrase "lower surface of a certain configuration" refers to the Z2 direction side of that configuration, for example, "lower surface of the contact plug" refers to the Z2 direction side of the contact plug.

[0011] 1. Embodiment 1 In this embodiment, an active-drive liquid crystal device equipped with a TFT (Thin Film Transistor) as a switching element for each pixel will be used as an example of an electro-optical device. This liquid crystal device is used, for example, as an optical modulation device in a projection-type display device, which will be described later as an electronic device.

[0012] 1.1. Overview of the structure of a liquid crystal display device The structure of the liquid crystal device as an electro-optical device according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 is a plan view of the electro-optical device according to Embodiment 1, showing the schematic plan configuration of the transmissive liquid crystal device 300 as an electro-optical device. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the electro-optical device along the line II-II in Figure 1, showing the schematic cross-sectional configuration of the liquid crystal device 300.

[0013] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the liquid crystal device 300 includes a light-transmitting element substrate 100, a light-transmitting opposing substrate 200, a frame-shaped sealing member 8, and a liquid crystal layer Lc. "Light-transmitting" refers to the ability to transmit visible light, preferably with a visible light transmittance of 50% or more.

[0014] The liquid crystal display device 300 has a display area A1 for displaying an image and an outer area A2 located outside the display area A1 in a planar view. The display area A1 is provided with a plurality of pixels P arranged in a matrix. Although the shape of the liquid crystal display device 300 shown in Figure 1 is rectangular, it may also be circular, for example.

[0015] As shown in Figure 2, the element substrate 100 and the opposing substrate 200 are arranged with a liquid crystal layer Lc in between. In this embodiment, a counter substrate 200 is placed on the light incidence side of the liquid crystal layer Lc, and an element substrate 100 is placed on the light emission side of the liquid crystal layer Lc. The incident light IL incident on the counter substrate 200 is modulated by the liquid crystal layer Lc and emitted from the element substrate 100 as modulated light ML.

[0016] The element substrate 100 has a base body 90, multiple interlayer insulating layers including an interlayer insulating layer 82, a pixel electrode 10, and an alignment film 12. Although not shown in the figures, a lens layer 34, which will be described later, is provided between the pixel electrode 10 and the interlayer insulating layer 82.

[0017] The substrate 90 is a translucent and insulating flat plate. The substrate 90 is, for example, a glass substrate or a quartz substrate. Transistors 1, described later, are arranged between the layers of the multiple interlayer insulating layers. The pixel electrode 10 is translucent. The pixel electrode 10 is formed from a transparent conductive material such as ITO (Indium Tin Oxide), IZO (Indium Zinc Oxide), and FTO (Fluorine-doped tin oxide). The thickness direction of the pixel electrode 10 coincides with the Z1 direction or the Z2 direction. The alignment film 12 is transparent and insulating. The alignment film 12 aligns the liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer Lc. Examples of materials for the alignment film 12 include silicon oxide (SiO2) or polyimide.

[0018] The opposing substrate 200 is a substrate positioned opposite the element substrate 100. The opposing substrate 200 has a base body 210, an insulating layer 220, a common electrode 230, and an alignment film 240.

[0019] The substrate 210 is a translucent and insulating flat plate. The substrate 210 is, for example, a glass substrate or a quartz substrate. The insulating layer 220 is transparent and insulating. The material of the insulating layer 220 is an inorganic material such as silicon oxide.

[0020] The common electrode 230 is an electrode positioned opposite to multiple pixel electrodes 10, and can be referred to as a counter electrode. The common electrode 230 includes, for example, transparent conductive materials such as ITO, IZO, and FTO. The common electrode 230 and the pixel electrodes 10 apply an electric field to the liquid crystal layer Lc. The alignment film 240 is transparent and insulating.

[0021] The sealing member 8 is placed between the element substrate 100 and the opposing substrate 200. The sealing member 8 is formed using an adhesive containing various curable resins, such as epoxy resin. The sealing member 8 may also include a gap material made of an inorganic material such as glass.

[0022] The liquid crystal layer Lc is located within a region enclosed by the element substrate 100, the opposing substrate 200, and the sealing member 8. The liquid crystal layer Lc is an electro-optic layer whose optical properties change in response to the electric field generated by the pixel electrode 10 and the common electrode 230. The liquid crystal layer Lc contains liquid crystal molecules having positive or negative dielectric anisotropy. The orientation of the liquid crystal molecules changes in response to the electric field applied to the liquid crystal layer Lc. The liquid crystal layer Lc modulates the incident light IL in response to the applied electric field.

[0023] As shown in Figure 1, multiple scan line drive circuits 6, data line drive circuits 7, and multiple external terminals 9 are arranged in the outer region A2 of the element substrate 100. Some of the multiple external terminals 9 are connected to the scan line drive circuits 6 or data line drive circuits 7 via wiring (not shown). In addition, the multiple external terminals 9 include terminals to which a common potential is applied from the outside.

[0024] 1.2. Electrical configuration of the element substrate Figure 3 is an equivalent circuit diagram showing the electrical configuration of the element substrate. As shown in Figure 3, the display area A1 of the element substrate 100 is provided with multiple transistors 1 as switching elements, n scan lines 3, m data lines 4, and m capacitance lines 5. n and m are integers of 2 or more. Transistors 1 are arranged corresponding to each intersection of the n scan lines 3 and the m data lines 4.

[0025] Each of the n scan lines 3 extends in the X1 direction, and the n scan lines 3 are arranged at equal intervals in the Y1 direction. Each of the n scan lines 3 is electrically connected to the gate electrode of the corresponding transistor 1. The n scan lines 3 are electrically connected to the scan line driving circuit 6 shown in Figure 1. The scan line drive circuit 6 supplies scan signals G1, G2, ..., and Gn to 1 to n scan lines 3 in line-by-line sequence.

[0026] Each of the m data lines 4 extends in the Y1 direction, and the m data lines 4 are arranged at equal intervals in the X1 direction. Each of the m data lines 4 is electrically connected to the source region of the corresponding set of transistors 1. The m data lines 4 are electrically connected to the data line drive circuit 7 shown in Figure 1. The data line drive circuit 7 supplies image signals E1, E2, ..., and Em to 1 to m data lines 4.

[0027] The n scan lines 3 and m data lines 4 are electrically insulated from each other and are arranged in a grid pattern in a planar view. The region enclosed by two adjacent scan lines 3 and two adjacent data lines 4 corresponds to a pixel P. A pixel electrode 10 is provided for each pixel P. The pixel electrode 10 is electrically connected to the drain region of transistor 1.

[0028] Each of the m capacitance lines 5 extends in the Y1 direction, and the m capacitance lines 5 are arranged at equal intervals in the X1 direction. Furthermore, the m capacitance lines 5 are electrically insulated from the m data lines 4 and the n scan lines 3, and are spaced apart from them. A fixed potential, such as a common potential or ground potential, is applied to each capacitance line 5.

[0029] One electrode of the capacitive element 2 is electrically connected to the capacitance line 5. The other electrode of the capacitive element 2 is electrically connected to the pixel electrode 10 and holds the potential of the image signal supplied to the pixel electrode 10.

[0030] 1.3. Cross-sectional structure of the display area on the element substrate Figure 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the cross-sectional structure of the display area of ​​the element substrate, and shows the cross-sectional structure of a pixel P provided in the display area A1. As shown in Figure 4, in the display area A1, the element substrate 100 has a cross-sectional structure in which insulating or conductive functional layers or functional films are laminated on the substrate 90.

[0031] A light-shielding layer 80 is placed between the substrate 90 and the interlayer insulating layer 82. The light-shielding layer 80 is formed of a conductive material that has light-shielding properties. Examples of conductive materials with light-shielding properties include metals such as tungsten (W), titanium (Ti), chromium (Cr), iron (Fe), and aluminum (Al), as well as metal nitrides and metal silicides. The same applies hereafter.

[0032] The light-shielding layer 80 constitutes a part of the scan line 3. "Light-shielding" refers to light-shielding properties against visible light, preferably meaning a visible light transmittance of less than 50%, and more preferably 10% or less.

[0033] The interlayer insulating layer 82 is transparent and insulating. The interlayer insulating layer 82 is formed from an inorganic material such as silicon oxide (SiO2). A transistor 1 is placed on the interlayer insulating layer 82.

[0034] Transistor 1 has a semiconductor layer 70 having an LDD (Lightly Doped Drain) structure, a gate electrode 74, and a gate insulating layer 72. The semiconductor layer 70 has a drain region 70d, an LDD region 70a, a channel region 70c, an LDD region 70b, and a source region 70s.

[0035] The channel region 70c is located between the source region 70s and the drain region 70d. The LDD region 70b is located between the channel region 70c and the source region 70s. The LDD region 70a is located between the channel region 70c and the drain region 70d. The semiconductor layer 70 is, for example, polysilicon, and the regions excluding the channel region 70c are doped with impurities to enhance conductivity. The impurity concentrations in the LDD region 70b and LDD region 70a are lower than the impurity concentrations in the source region 70s and drain region 70d.

[0036] A gate electrode 74 is provided on the semiconductor layer 70 via a gate insulating layer 72. The gate electrode 74 overlaps the channel region 70c of the semiconductor layer 70. The gate electrode 74 is formed, for example, by doping polysilicon with impurities that enhance conductivity. Alternatively, the gate electrode 74 may be formed using conductive materials such as metals, metal silicides, and metal compounds.

[0037] The gate insulating layer 72 is composed of silicon oxide, which is formed by, for example, thermal oxidation or CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition). The gate electrode 74 and the light-shielding layer 80 are electrically connected via a contact hole 81 that penetrates the gate insulating layer 72 and the interlayer insulating layer 82.

[0038] A conductive layer 60 and a relay layer 62 are provided on the transistor 1, separated by an interlayer insulating layer 76. The conductive layer 60 and the intermediate layer 62 are provided in the same layer and are formed of a light-shielding conductive material. The interlayer insulating layer 76 is formed of the same material as the interlayer insulating layer 82.

[0039] The conductive layer 60 constitutes part of the data line 4. The conductive layer 60 is electrically connected to the source region 70s of the semiconductor layer 70 via a contact hole 73 that penetrates the interlayer insulating layer 76. The relay layer 62 is electrically connected to the drain region 70d of the semiconductor layer 70 via a contact hole 71 that penetrates the interlayer insulating layer 76.

[0040] An interlayer insulating layer 64 is provided on the conductive layer 60 and the intermediate layer 62, and an intermediate layer 52 is provided on the interlayer insulating layer 64. The intermediate layer 52 is made of a light-shielding conductive material. The interlayer insulating layer 64 is made of the same material as the interlayer insulating layer 82. The relay layer 52 is electrically connected to the relay layer 64 via contact holes 61 that penetrate the interlayer insulating layer 64.

[0041] Capacitive elements 2 are provided on the relay layer 52 via an interlayer insulating layer 54. The capacitive element 2 has a capacitive electrode 50 provided on the substrate 90 side, a capacitive electrode 40 provided on the pixel electrode 10 side, and a dielectric layer 56 provided between the capacitive electrode 50 and the capacitive electrode 40. Both the capacitive electrode 40 and the capacitive electrode 50 are made of a light-shielding conductive material. The interlayer insulating layer 54 is made of the same material as the interlayer insulating layer 82.

[0042] The capacitive electrode 50 constitutes a part of the capacitance line 5. The capacitive electrode 40 is electrically connected to the relay layer 52 via a contact hole 51 that penetrates the interlayer insulating layer 54. This electrically connects the capacitive electrode 40 to the drain region 70d of the transistor 1.

[0043] An optical functional layer LS, including a lens layer 34, is provided between the capacitive electrode 40 and the pixel electrode 10. The optical functional layer LS is provided to suppress light loss. Specifically, it adjusts the optical path of the transmitted light so that the transmitted light that has passed through the pixel electrode 10 does not hit light-shielding material layers such as data lines 4 and capacitance lines 5 and become lost. The optical functional layer LS includes a light-transmitting layer 42, a light-transmitting layer 32, a lens layer 34, a light-transmitting layer 22, and a protective layer 24.

[0044] The light-transmitting layer 42 is a path length adjustment layer, also known as a path layer, used to adjust the optical path length. The light-transmitting layer 42 is formed from an inorganic material such as silicon oxide. The upper surface of the light-transmitting layer 42 is planarized by CMP (Chemical Mechanical Polishing) or the like.

[0045] The light-transmitting layer 32 is a lens-forming layer in which a recess 32c is provided that becomes the lens surface 34s of the lens layer 34, and like the light-transmitting layer 42, it is formed from an inorganic material such as silicon oxide. The recesses 32c of the light-transmitting layer 32 are formed by etching the light-transmitting layer 32 after it has been deposited.

[0046] The lens layer 34 is provided on the light-transmitting layer 32. The lens layer 34 is formed from an inorganic material with a different refractive index from the light-transmitting layer 32, such as silicon oxynitride (SiON). The lens layer 34 is formed by depositing silicon oxynitride to fill the recesses 32c, and then planarizing it by CMP or the like.

[0047] The light-transmitting layer 22 is provided on the lens layer 34. The light-transmitting layer 22 is an optical path length adjusting layer and, like the light-transmitting layer 42, is formed from an inorganic material such as silicon oxide. The thickness of the light-transmitting layer 22 is thinner than the thickness of the light-transmitting layer 32.

[0048] The protective layer 24 is provided on the light-transmitting layer 22. The protective layer 24 is composed of an inorganic material that is light-transmitting and hygroscopic, such as BSG (Borosilicate Glass). A pixel electrode 10 is provided on the protective layer 24. An alignment film 12 is provided on the pixel electrode 10.

[0049] The pixel electrode 10 and the capacitive electrode 40 are electrically connected via the pixel contact plug 21, the relay layer 20, the contact plug 31, the relay layer 30, and the contact plug 41. This connects the pixel electrode 10 to the drain region 70d of the transistor 1.

[0050] A contact hole 23 is provided between the pixel electrode 10 and the relay layer 20, penetrating the light-transmitting layer 22 and the protective layer 24. The contact hole 23 is provided to electrically connect the pixel electrode 10 and the relay layer 20, and a pixel contact plug 21 is provided inside the contact hole 23 as a connecting member. The pixel contact plug 21 is made of a light-shielding conductive material such as tungsten. When tungsten is used as the material for the pixel contact plug 21, the relay layer 20 is formed from a material that has good conductivity with tungsten, such as titanium nitride (TiN).

[0051] A contact hole 33 is provided between the relay layer 20 and the relay layer 30, penetrating the lens layer 34 and the light-transmitting layer 32. The contact hole 33 is provided to electrically connect the relay layer 20 and the relay layer 30, and a contact plug 31 is provided inside the contact hole 33 as a connecting member. The contact plug 31 is made of a light-shielding conductive material such as tungsten. When tungsten is used as the material for the contact plug 31, the intermediate layer 30 is formed from a material that can provide good conductivity with tungsten, such as titanium nitride.

[0052] A contact hole 43 is provided between the relay layer 30 and the capacitive electrode 40, penetrating the light-transmitting layer 42. The contact hole 43 is provided to electrically connect the relay layer 30 and the capacitive electrode 40, and a contact plug 41 is provided inside the contact hole 43 as a connecting member. The contact plug 41 is made of a light-shielding conductive material such as tungsten. When tungsten is used as the material for the contact plug 41, the capacitive electrode 40 is formed from a material that can provide good conductivity with tungsten, such as titanium nitride.

[0053] 1.4. Planar structure of the display area on the element substrate Figure 5 is a plan view showing a portion of the display area of ​​the element substrate, specifically the display area A1 of the element substrate 100 as viewed from the liquid crystal layer Lc side in the Z2 direction. In Figure 5, the pixel electrodes 10 are drawn with solid lines, and the components included in the optical functional layer LS, which is located on the substrate 90 side of the pixel electrodes 10, are drawn with dashed lines. Furthermore, in the plan view shown below, the curved shape of the lens surface 34s is shown by a double circle with a dashed line, and the boundary where two adjacent lens surfaces 34s touch is shown by a boundary line 34b.

[0054] The pixel electrodes 10 are arranged in a matrix along the X and Y axes. The pixel contact plug 21 is provided in a position that overlaps with the pixel electrode 10, and in this embodiment, it is provided in a position that overlaps with the lower left corner of the four corners of the pixel electrode 10 in the drawing.

[0055] The relay layer 20 has a rectangular shape. Each of the four corners of the relay layer 20 is positioned to overlap with the corners of four adjacent pixel electrodes 10 in the X2, Y2, and diagonal directions. The contact hole 23 and the pixel contact plug 21 are located at one of the four corners of the relay layer 20 in a plan view.

[0056] The contact holes 33 and contact plugs 31 are positioned to overlap with the relay layer 20 in a plan view, and are positioned to overlap with the gaps between four adjacent pixel electrodes 10. In this embodiment, the contact hole 33 and contact plug 31 are positioned so as not to overlap with the contact hole 23 and pixel contact plug 21 in a plan view. To prevent the contact plug 31 and pixel contact plug 21 from overlapping, the contact hole 33 and contact plug 31 are positioned in the relay layer 20 at diagonal corners of the corners where the contact hole 23 and pixel contact plug 21 are located.

[0057] In this way, when the contact hole 23 and the pixel contact plug 21 are positioned so as not to overlap with the contact hole 33 and the contact plug 31, the film deposition performance of the pixel electrode 10 that overlaps with the contact hole 23 and the pixel contact plug 21 can be improved compared to when the contact hole 23 and the pixel contact plug 21 are positioned so as to overlap with the contact hole 33 and the contact plug 31.

[0058] The relay layer 30 is a rectangle with a smaller area than the relay layer 20. The contact plug 41 is positioned to overlap with the contact plug 31. More specifically, the contact plug 41 and the contact plug 31 overlap almost completely in a plan view.

[0059] The capacitive electrode 40 has a wide portion 40w, an extended portion extending from the wide portion 40w along the X1 direction so as to overlap with the scan line 3, and an extended portion extending from the wide portion 40w along the Y1 direction so as to overlap with the data line 4. The wide portion 40w has a size and shape that overlaps with the entirety of the relay layers 20 and 30 in a plan view.

[0060] In this embodiment, the boundary line 34b intersects with the contact plug 31. This indicates that the contact plug 31 is provided penetrating the lens layer 34. In this embodiment, the shapes of the pixel contact plugs 21, 31, and 41 are rectangular in a plan view, but are not limited to this and may be circular.

[0061] 1.5. Structure of the optical functional layer in the display area of ​​the element substrate Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view along the line VI-VI in Figure 5, showing the cross-sectional structure of the optical functional layer LS.

[0062] The light-transmitting layer 32 has a light-transmitting layer 32a and a light-transmitting layer 32b. The light-transmitting layer 32 is initially formed to a thickness of approximately 7 μm in order to provide a recess 32c that will become the lens surface 34s of the lens layer 34. Since it is difficult to form a bulk layer of 7 μm thickness in a single deposition process, in this embodiment, the light-transmitting layer 32 is deposited in two parts: light-transmitting layer 32a and light-transmitting layer 32b.

[0063] The contact hole 33 and the contact plug 31 have the shape of an inverted truncated square pyramid. Therefore, the upper side of the contact plug 31 is thicker than the lower side. The shape of the contact hole 33 and the contact plug 31 may also be an inverted truncated cone.

[0064] The aspect ratio of contact hole 33 is approximately twice as large as that of other contact holes, such as contact hole 43. In this embodiment, the depth L of the contact hole 33 is approximately 5 to 10 μm, and the inner diameter D of the contact hole 33 is approximately 1 μm. Therefore, the aspect ratio L / D is approximately 5 to 10.

[0065] The contact hole 33 penetrates the lens layer 34 and the light-transmitting layer 32, exposing the relay layer 30 at the bottom of the contact hole 33. In the relay layer 30, the contact hole 33 penetrates the metal material layer 30a and the insulating material layer 30b of the relay layer 30, exposing the metal material layer 30c of the relay layer 30.

[0066] The lower surface of the contact plug 31, which is provided in the contact hole 33, comes into contact with the metal material layer 30c of the relay layer 30. This electrically connects the relay layer 30 and the contact plug 31.

[0067] The relay layer 30 includes a metal material layer 30a, an insulating material layer 30b, and a metal material layer 30c, which are provided sequentially from the pixel electrode 10 side. The metal material layer 30a contains a metal material. In this embodiment, the metal material layer 30a is a single-layer conductive layer made of a conductive material containing tungsten silicide (WSi) or a single-layer conductive layer made of a conductive material containing titanium nitride. As will be described in more detail later, the metal material layer 30a functions as an etching stopper when forming the contact holes 33 by etching.

[0068] The insulating material layer 30b contains an insulating material. In this embodiment, the insulating material layer 30b is an insulating layer made of silicon oxide (SiO2). As will be described in more detail later, the insulating material layer 30b functions as an etching stopper when removing the etching mask used to form the contact hole 33. The insulating material layer 30b may also be silicon nitride (SiN).

[0069] The metal material layer 30c contains a metal material. In this embodiment, the metal material layer 30c is a three-layer conductive layer formed by laminating titanium nitride, aluminum, and titanium nitride. Alternatively, the metal material layer 30c may be a single-layer conductive layer made of a conductive material containing tungsten (W).

[0070] The contact hole 33 is positioned to overlap with the contact plug 41. This facilitates etching control. This is because even if etching becomes over-etched and the contact hole 33 penetrates the relay layer 30, the bottom of the contact hole 33 is formed within the contact plug 41. Therefore, the contact plug 31 filling the contact hole 33 is in direct contact with the contact plug 41 and is electrically connected to the contact plug 41.

[0071] 1.6. Method for Manufacturing Optical Functional Layers Next, the method for manufacturing the optical functional layer LS of the element substrate 100 in the liquid crystal device 300 will be explained with reference to Figures 7 to 13. Figure 7 is a flowchart showing the manufacturing method of the optical functional layer LS. Figure 8 is a detailed flowchart of step S50 in the flowchart of Figure 7. Figure 9 is a detailed flowchart of step S80 in the flowchart of Figure 7. Figures 10 to 13 are cross-sectional views showing one aspect of each manufacturing process, and the cross-sectional positions in each figure are the same as in Figure 6.

[0072] In step S10, a capacitive electrode 40 is formed as a relay layer. The capacitive electrode 40 is formed by depositing a conductive material containing titanium nitride onto the dielectric layer 56 and then patterning it. In step S20, a light-transmitting layer 42 made of silicon oxide is formed on the capacitive electrode 40. In step S30, contact holes 43 are formed in the light-transmitting layer 42. In step S40, a conductive material containing tungsten is filled into the contact hole 43 to form a contact plug 41.

[0073] In step S50, a relay layer 30 is formed. The relay layer 30 is formed at a position that overlaps with the contact plug 41 in a plan view. The details of step S50 will be explained with reference to Figure 8.

[0074] In step S51, titanium nitride, aluminum, and titanium nitride are deposited in this order to form the metal material layer 30c. In step S52, a silicon oxide film, which will become an insulating material layer 30b, is formed on the metal material layer 30c.

[0075] In step S53, a titanium nitride or tungsten silicide, which will become the metal material layer 30a, is deposited on the insulating material layer 30b. In step S54, the relay layer 30 is formed. The metal material layer 30a, the insulating material layer 30b, and the metal material layer 30c are patterned together to form the relay layer 30 that contacts the contact plug 41, as shown in Figure 10.

[0076] Returning to Figure 7, in step S60, the light-transmitting layer 32 is formed. The transparent layer 32 involves two deposition steps. In the first deposition step, the transparent layer 32a is deposited, and in the second deposition step, the transparent layer 32b is deposited. The transparent layer 32 is formed to a thickness of approximately 7 μm through two film deposition steps. Subsequently, the transparent layer 32 is etched to form a recess 32c in the transparent layer 32.

[0077] In step S70, a lens layer 34 is formed. The lens layer 34 is formed from an inorganic material with a different refractive index from the light-transmitting layer 32, such as silicon oxynitride. The lens layer 34 is formed by depositing silicon oxynitride to fill the recesses 32c, and then planarized by CMP or the like.

[0078] In step S80, a contact hole 33 is formed. Details of step S80 will be explained with reference to Figure 9. In step S81, a hard mask 110 is formed. After forming a mask layer containing a metallic material on the lens layer 34, the mask layer is patterned to form a hard mask 110 as an etching mask having openings at the positions where contact holes 33 are formed, as shown in Figure 11. In this embodiment, the hard mask 110 contains tungsten silicide.

[0079] By using a hard mask 110 as an etching mask, contact holes 33 with a high aspect ratio can be formed more easily than when using a resist mask. Furthermore, by forming the hard mask 110 with the same metal material as the metal material layer 30a, it becomes easy to remove the metal material layer 30a at the bottom of the contact hole 33a and expose the metal material layer 30c of the intermediate layer 30 at the bottom of the contact hole 33 during the process of removing the hard mask 110, as described later.

[0080] In step S82, etching is performed. Using the hard mask 110, the lens layer 34 and the light-transmitting layer 32 are dry-etched to form a contact hole 33a. As shown in Figure 12, the metal material layer 30a of the intermediate layer 30 is exposed at the bottom of the contact hole 33a.

[0081] The tungsten silicide or titanium nitride contained in the metal material layer 30a has etching resistance to the etchant that etches the lens layer 34 and the light-transmitting layer 32. Therefore, the etching that forms the contact hole 33a stops temporarily at the position where the metal material layer 30a of the intermediate layer 30 is exposed. In other words, the metal material layer 30a contains a material with a lower etching rate to the etchant used to etch the lens layer 34 and the light-transmitting layer 32 than the lens layer 34 and the light-transmitting layer 32, and functions as an etching stopper in the process of forming the contact hole 33a.

[0082] In step S83, the hard mask 110 is removed. Etching to remove the hard mask 110 removes the metal material layer 30a at the bottom of the contact hole 33 along with the hard mask 110. After the metal material layer 30a is removed, the insulating material layer 30b is etched.

[0083] By taking into account the etching of the insulating material layer 30b, in the process of removing the hard mask 110, the contact hole 33 can be made to penetrate the metal material layer 30a and the insulating material layer 30b of the intermediate layer 30, as shown in Figure 13, and the metal material layer 30c of the intermediate layer 30 can be exposed at the bottom of the contact hole 33.

[0084] The tungsten silicide or titanium nitride contained in the metal material layer 30a has a high etching rate against the etchant used to remove the hard mask 110, and is therefore removed along with the hard mask 110 when it is removed.

[0085] The insulating material layer 30b contains a material with a low etching rate against the etchant used to remove the hard mask 110. Therefore, after the metal material layer 30a is removed, etching of the insulating material layer 30b exposed at the bottom of the contact hole 33 proceeds slowly. In other words, the insulating material layer 30b acts as an etching stopper in the process of forming the contact hole 33a.

[0086] By adjusting the thickness of the metal material layer 30a and / or the insulating material layer 30b, the metal material layer 30c can be exposed at the bottom of the contact hole 33 at the same time as the completion of the hard mask 110 removal process. If the insulating material layer 30b remains at the bottom of the contact hole 33, it may be removed by etching back after the hard mask 110 removal process.

[0087] Return to Figure 7. In step S90, the contact plug 31 is formed. The contact hole 33 is filled with a conductive material containing tungsten to form the contact plug 31. In this embodiment, since the metal material layer 30c of the relay layer 30 is exposed at the bottom of the contact hole 33, the contact plug 31 comes into contact with the metal material layer 30c, and the contact plug 31 and the relay layer 30 are electrically connected.

[0088] In step S100, the relay layer 20 is formed. As shown in Figure 6, the relay layer 20 is formed on the contact plug 31, consisting of a conductive material containing titanium nitride and aluminum or a conductive material containing tungsten. In step S110, a light-transmitting layer 22 made of silicon oxide is formed on the intermediate layer 20. In step S120, a protective layer 24 is formed. The protective layer 24 is formed of BSG.

[0089] In step S130, a contact hole 23 is formed that penetrates the protective layer 24 and the light-transmitting layer 22, exposing the relay layer 20. In step S140, the pixel contact plug 21 is formed. The pixel contact plug 21 is formed by filling the contact hole 23 with a conductive material containing tungsten. In step S150, the pixel electrode 10 is formed. The pixel electrode 10 is formed on the protective layer 24 so as to be in contact with the upper surface of the pixel contact plug 21.

[0090] 1.7. Variations The embodiments described above can be modified in various ways. Specific examples of modifications that can be applied to the embodiments described above are given below. Two or more embodiments arbitrarily selected from the following examples can be combined as appropriate, to the extent that they do not contradict each other.

[0091] 1.7.1. Variation 1 In Modification 1, the metal material layer 30a of the relay layer 30 is a single-layer conductive layer made of a conductive material containing tungsten (W). The insulating material layer 30b of the intermediate layer 30 is an insulating layer made of silicon oxide or silicon nitride. The metal material layer 30c of the relay layer 30 is a single-layer conductive layer made of a conductive material containing tungsten. Alternatively, the metal material layer 30c may be a three-layer conductive layer formed by laminating titanium nitride, aluminum, and titanium nitride metal materials.

[0092] When a tungsten-containing metal material is used for the metal material layer 30a of the intermediate layer 30, it is preferable to similarly use a tungsten-containing metal material for the hard mask 110 as well. By forming the hard mask 110 and the metal material layer 30a of the intermediate layer 30 from the same tungsten-containing metal material, a high aspect ratio contact hole 33 can be easily formed in the process of removing the hard mask 110. More specifically, in the process of removing the hard mask 110, the remaining metal material layer 30a and insulating material layer 30b at the bottom of the contact hole 33a can be easily removed, and the metal material layer 30c of the intermediate layer 30 can be easily exposed at the bottom of the contact hole 33.

[0093] 1.7.2. Variation 2 Figure 14 is a cross-sectional view of an electro-optical device according to Modification 2, and, similar to Figure 6, shows the cross-sectional structure of the optical functional layer LS of the element substrate 100. In modified example 2, a lens layer 34 is provided on the light-transmitting layer 42. The lens layer 34 has a lens surface 34s that protrudes toward the pixel electrode 10. A light-transmitting layer 36 is provided on the lens surface 34s of the lens layer 34. The upper surface of the translucent layer 36 is flattened.

[0094] In the modified example 2, the hard mask 110 is provided on the light-transmitting layer 36. The contact hole 33 penetrates the light-transmitting layer 36 and the lens layer 34, as well as the metal material layer 30a and insulating material layer 30b of the intermediate layer 30, exposing the metal material layer 30c of the intermediate layer 30 at the bottom of the contact hole 33. A contact plug 31 is provided inside the contact hole 33. The contact plug 31 electrically connects the relay layer 20 and the metal material layer 30c of the relay layer 30.

[0095] As described above, the liquid crystal apparatus 300 as an electro-optical apparatus of this embodiment comprises a transistor 1, a pixel electrode 10 provided corresponding to the transistor 1, a relay layer 30 provided in the layer between the transistor 1 and the pixel electrode 10, and in order from the pixel electrode 10 side, including a metal material layer 30a containing a metal material, an insulating material layer 30b containing an insulating material, and a metal material layer 30c containing a metal material, and a lens layer 34 provided in the layer between the relay layer 30 and the pixel electrode 10, and having contact holes 33 for electrically connecting the relay layer 30 and the pixel electrode 10, wherein the portion of the relay layer 30 that overlaps with the contact holes 33 of the metal material layer 30a and the metal material layer 30b has been removed.

[0096] Thus, the relay layer 30 includes, in order from the pixel electrode 10 side, a metal material layer 30a containing a metal material, an insulating material layer 30b containing an insulating material, and a metal material layer 30c containing a metal material, with the portions of the metal material layer 30a and the insulating material layer 30b that overlap with the contact holes 33 removed. In other words, the metal material layer 30c of the relay layer 30 is electrically connected to the pixel electrode 10 via the contact hole 33. That is, the relay layer 30 and the pixel electrode 10 can be reliably electrically connected via the contact hole 33.

[0097] Furthermore, even if the contact holes 33 are formed using the hard mask 110, the loss of the relay layer 30 can be avoided. In addition, by using the hard mask 110, high aspect ratio contact holes 33 can be easily formed.

[0098] The liquid crystal apparatus 300 of this embodiment further comprises a metal material layer 30a containing WSi or TiN, an insulating material layer 30b containing SiO2 or SiN, and a metal material layer 30c containing TiN and AL. Alternatively, the metal material layer 30c contains W. Therefore, the contact hole 33 can electrically connect the relay layer 30 and the pixel electrode 10 by a metallic material layer 30c containing TiN and AL, or W. Furthermore, even if contact holes 33 are formed using a hard mask 110 made of a metallic material containing WSi or TiN, the disappearance of the relay layer 30 can be avoided.

[0099] The liquid crystal apparatus 300 of this embodiment further comprises a metal material layer 30a containing W, an insulating material layer 30b containing SiO2 or SiN, and a metal material layer 30c containing W. Alternatively, the metal material layer 30c may contain TiN and AL. Therefore, the contact hole 33 can electrically connect the relay layer 30 and the pixel electrode 10 by a metal material layer 30c containing W, or TiN and AL. Furthermore, even if a hard mask 110 made of a metal material containing W is used to form the contact holes 33, the disappearance of the relay layer 30 can be avoided.

[0100] The liquid crystal apparatus 300 of this embodiment further includes a relay layer 20 electrically connected to a relay layer 30 via a contact hole 33 in the layer between the lens layer 34 and the pixel electrode 10, and a light-transmitting layer 22 having a contact hole 23 for electrically connecting the relay layer 20 and the pixel electrode 10 in the layer between the relay layer 20 and the pixel electrode 10, wherein the contact hole 33 and the contact hole 23 are arranged so as not to overlap each other in a plan view.

[0101] Thus, since the contact holes 33 and 23 do not overlap in a plan view, the contact holes 33 can be placed in the gaps between adjacent pixels P, thereby securing a wide aperture region through which light can pass. Furthermore, the film deposition performance of the pixel electrodes 10 can be improved.

[0102] The liquid crystal apparatus 300 of this embodiment further includes a light-transmitting layer 42 having contact holes 43 for electrically connecting the relay layer 30 and the transistor 1, and the contact holes 43 and 33 are arranged to overlap each other in a plan view.

[0103] Thus, since the contact holes 43 and 33 are arranged to overlap each other in a plan view, electrical conductivity can be maintained through the contact holes 33 even if the contact holes 33 penetrate the relay layer 30 when forming the contact holes 33. Therefore, the contact hole 33 can be easily formed. Furthermore, the contact holes 33 and 43 reduce the area that is shielded from light, allowing for a wider aperture area through which light can pass.

[0104] The liquid crystal device 300 of this embodiment further includes a contact plug 31, a pixel contact plug 21, and a contact plug 41 as connecting members in the contact hole 33, contact hole 23, and contact hole 43, respectively.

[0105] According to the configuration of the liquid crystal device 300 of this embodiment, a hard mask 110 can be used to form the contact holes 33, allowing for the formation of high-aspect-ratio contact holes 33 with good quality. As the quality of the contact holes 33 improves, the quality of the contact plugs 31 formed within the contact holes 33 also improves. Therefore, the reliability of the electrical connection between the pixel electrode 10 and the transistor 1 can be increased.

[0106] The manufacturing method for the liquid crystal apparatus 300 as an electro-optical apparatus of this embodiment comprises the steps of forming an intermediate layer 30, forming a lens layer 34 on the intermediate layer 30, forming a hard mask 110 containing a metal material on the lens layer 34, forming contact holes 33 in the lens layer 34 via the hard mask 110, and removing the hard mask 110. The intermediate layer 30 has a metal material layer 30a containing a metal material, an insulating material layer 30b containing a material with a smaller etching rate for the etchant used to remove the hard mask 110 than the hard mask 110, and a metal material layer 30c containing a metal material. In the step of removing the hard mask 110, a portion of the metal material layer 30a and the insulating material layer 30b are removed.

[0107] Thus, since the relay layer 30 includes a metal material layer 30a containing a metal material, an insulating material layer 30b containing an insulating material with a smaller etching rate for an etchant that removes the hard mask than the hard mask 110, and a metal material layer 30c containing a metal material, even if the contact holes 33 are formed using the hard mask 110, the relay layer 30 will not disappear. Furthermore, by using the hard mask 110, high aspect ratio contact holes 33 can be easily formed.

[0108] The manufacturing method of the liquid crystal apparatus 300 of this embodiment further includes a hard mask 110 containing WSi, and a relay layer 30 containing WSi or Ti. In this way, by forming the hard mask 110 and the metal material layer 30a of the intermediate layer 30 with the same WSi-containing metal material, a high aspect ratio contact hole 33 can be easily formed. More specifically, in the step of removing the hard mask 110, it is easy to remove the exposed metal material layer 30a at the bottom of the contact hole 33a and expose the metal material layer 30c of the intermediate layer 30 at the bottom of the contact hole 33.

[0109] The manufacturing method of the liquid crystal apparatus 300 of this embodiment further includes W in the hard mask 110 and W in the relay layer 30. In this way, by forming the hard mask 110 and the metal material layer 30a of the intermediate layer 30 with the same metal material containing W, a high aspect ratio contact hole 33 can be easily formed. More specifically, in the step of removing the hard mask 110, the exposed metal material layer 30a at the bottom of the contact hole 33a can be easily removed, and the metal material layer 30c of the intermediate layer 30 can be easily exposed at the bottom of the contact hole 33.

[0110] The manufacturing method of the liquid crystal device 300 of this embodiment further comprises the steps of filling the contact hole 33 with a contact plug 31 and forming a relay layer 20 so as to be in contact with the contact plug 31.

[0111] The manufacturing method of the liquid crystal device 300 in this embodiment uses a hard mask 110 to form contact holes 33, which allows for the formation of high-aspect-ratio contact holes 33 with good quality. Therefore, the quality of the contact plugs 31 formed within the contact holes 33 is also improved, and the reliability of the electrical connection between the pixel electrode 10 and the transistor 1 can be enhanced.

[0112] The manufacturing method for the liquid crystal device 300 of this embodiment further comprises the steps of: forming a light-transmitting layer 22 on the relay layer 20; forming contact holes 23 in positions that do not overlap with the contact holes 33 of the light-transmitting layer 22; filling the contact holes 23 with pixel contact plugs 21; and forming pixel electrodes 10 so as to be in contact with the pixel contact plugs 21.

[0113] In this way, since the contact holes 33 and 23 are formed so that they do not overlap in a plan view, the film deposition performance of the pixel electrode 10 can be improved. Furthermore, the contact holes 33 can be placed in the gaps between adjacent pixels P, and a wide aperture region through which light is transmitted can be secured.

[0114] 2. Embodiment 2 2.1. Structure of the display area on the element substrate The structure of the liquid crystal device 300 as an electro-optical device according to Embodiment 2 will be described with reference to Figure 15. Figure 15 is a cross-sectional view of the electro-optical device according to Embodiment 2, showing the cross-sectional structure of the optical functional layer LS in the display area A1 of the element substrate 100. The cross-sectional position in Figure 15 is the same as in Figure 6. In Embodiment 2, the configuration of the relay layer 302 differs from that of the relay layer 30 in Embodiment 1. Components identical to those in Embodiment 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions are omitted.

[0115] As shown in Figure 15, the relay layer 302 includes a metal material layer 302a, an insulating material layer 302b, and a metal material layer 302c, which are provided sequentially from the pixel electrode 10 side. The insulating material layer 302b is provided in an island-like manner at a position that overlaps with the contact hole 33. The contact hole 33 penetrates the insulating material layer 302b. In a plan view, the contact hole 33 is positioned so that it is completely surrounded by the insulating material layer 302b.

[0116] The metal material layer 302a and the metal material layer 302c are in contact on the outside of the insulating material layer 302b and are electrically conductive. Therefore, the contact between the metal material layer 302a exposed on the inner wall of the contact hole 33 and the contact plug 31 improves the reliability of the electrical connection between the relay layer 302 and the pixel electrode 10.

[0117] The metal material layer 302a contains a metal material. In this embodiment, the metal material layer 302a is a single-layer conductive layer made of a conductive material containing tungsten silicide, titanium nitride, or tungsten. The metal material layer 302a functions as an etching stopper when forming the contact holes 33 by etching.

[0118] The insulating material layer 302b contains an insulating material. In this embodiment, the insulating material layer 302b is an insulating layer made of silicon oxide or silicon nitride. The insulating material layer 302b also functions as an etching stopper when removing the hard mask 110 used to form the contact holes 33.

[0119] The metal material layer 302c is formed from a metallic material. In this embodiment, the metal material layer 302c is a three-layer conductive layer formed by laminating titanium nitride, aluminum, and titanium nitride. Alternatively, the metal material layer 302c may be a single-layer conductive layer made of a conductive material containing tungsten.

[0120] 2.2. Method for Manufacturing Optical Functional Layers Next, the method for manufacturing the optical functional layer LS of the element substrate 100 in the liquid crystal apparatus 300 of Embodiment 2 will be described with reference to Figures 16 to 17B. Figure 16 is a detailed flowchart of step S50 of the flowchart in Figure 7. Figure 17A is a cross-sectional view showing one aspect of the manufacturing process, and the cross-sectional position in Figure 17A is the same as in Figure 6. Figure 17B is a plan view showing one aspect of the manufacturing process.

[0121] In this embodiment, step S50 in the flowchart of Figure 7 differs from that of Embodiment 1. Steps S10 to S40 and steps S60 to S150 are the same as in Embodiment 1, so their explanation is omitted.

[0122] As shown in Figure 16, in step S511, a metal material layer 302c is formed. In this process, titanium nitride, aluminum, and titanium nitride are deposited in this order to form the metal material layer 302c. The metal material layer 302c may be a single-layer conductive layer containing tungsten. In step S512, the metal material layer 302c is patterned.

[0123] In step S521, a film of silicon oxide or silicon nitride, which will become the insulating material layer 302b, is formed. In step S522, the insulating material layer 302b is patterned. The insulating material layer 302b is patterned so that its size when viewed from above is smaller than that of the metal material layer 302c.

[0124] In step S53, a titanium nitride or tungsten silicide film is deposited to form the metal material layer 302a. If tungsten is used for the metal material layer 302c, it is preferable to use tungsten for the metal material layer 302a.

[0125] In step S54, the metal material layer 302a is patterned. At this time, the metal material layer 302c may also be patterned. Step S54 forms a relay layer 302 as shown in Figure 17A.

[0126] Figure 17B is a plan view of the relay layer 302 in Figure 17A. As shown in Figure 17B, the insulating material layer 302b is provided in an island-like manner at a position overlapping with the contact hole 33. An island-like manner means that the insulating material layer 302b is surrounded by the metal material layer 302a and / or the metal material layer 302c.

[0127] The contact holes 33 are located inside the island-shaped insulating material layers 302b. The locations where the contact holes 33 are located are indicated by the dashed lines.

[0128] As described above, the liquid crystal device 300 as an electro-optical device of this embodiment provides the following effects in addition to the effects of the above embodiment. In this embodiment, the liquid crystal device 300 further has an insulating material layer 302b provided in an island-like shape at a position overlapping with the contact hole 33. In other words, the metal material layer 302a and the metal material layer 302c are in contact around the insulating material layer 302b and are electrically conductive. Therefore, the reliability of the electrical connection between the relay layer 302 and the pixel electrode 10 can be improved.

[0129] In the manufacturing method of the liquid crystal device 300 of this embodiment, in the step of forming the relay layer 302, the insulating material layer 302b is formed in an island shape at a position overlapping with the contact hole 33. Therefore, the insulating material layer 302b can function as an etching stopper when removing the hard mask 110 used to form the contact holes 33. Thus, contact holes 33 with a high aspect ratio can be easily formed.

[0130] 3. Embodiment 3 Figure 18 is a schematic diagram showing a projector, which is an example of an electronic device used as a projection-type display device. The projector 1000 is, for example, a three-panel projector equipped with three of the above-described liquid crystal displays 300. Liquid crystal display 300R corresponds to the red display color, liquid crystal display 300G corresponds to the green display color, and liquid crystal display 300B corresponds to the blue display color. The control unit 1005 includes, for example, a processor and memory, and controls the operation of the liquid crystal displays 300R, 300G, and 300B.

[0131] The illumination optical system 1001 supplies the red component RL from the light emitted from the illumination device 1002, which is the light source, to the liquid crystal device 300R, the green component GL to the liquid crystal device 300G, and the blue component BL to the liquid crystal device 300B. Each liquid crystal device 300R, 300G, and 300B functions as an optical modulator that modulates the respective colored lights RL, GL, and BL supplied from the illumination optical system 1001 according to the displayed image. The projection optical system 1003 combines the light emitted from each liquid crystal display unit 300R, 300G, and 300B and projects it onto the projector screen 1004.

[0132] As described above, the projector 1000 as an electronic device of this embodiment includes the liquid crystal display 300 described above. Therefore, by adopting a liquid crystal display 300 with high optical and electrical reliability, the performance of the projector 1000 can be improved.

[0133] Furthermore, the electronic device is not limited to the three-chip projector 1000 exemplified. For example, it may be a single-chip, two-chip, or projector equipped with four or more liquid crystal displays 300. The electronic device may also be a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), digital still camera, television, video camera, car navigation system, in-car display, electronic organizer, e-paper, calculator, word processor, workstation, videophone, and POS (Point of Sale), printer, scanner, copier, video player, or device equipped with a touch panel.

[0134] Although preferred embodiments have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. Furthermore, the configuration of each part of the present invention can be replaced with any configuration that performs similar functions to those of the embodiments described above, and any configuration can be added. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0135] 1...Transistor, 2...Capacitor element, 3...Scan line, 4...Data line, 5...Capacitor line, 6...Scan line drive circuit, 7...Data line drive circuit, 8...Sealing material, 9...External terminal, 10...Pixel electrode, 12...Alignment film, 20...Intermediate layer, 21...Pixel contact plug, 22...Light-transmitting layer, 23...Contact hole, 24...Protective layer, 30...Intermediate layer, 30a...Metal material layer, 30b...Insulating material layer, 30c...Metal material layer, 31...Contact plug, 32...Light-transmitting layer, 32a...Light-transmitting Layer, 32b...Translucent layer, 32c...Recess, 33...Contact hole, 33a...Contact hole, 34...Lens layer, 34b...Boundary line, 34s...Lens surface, 36...Translucent layer, 40...Capacitive electrode, 40w...Wide section, 41...Contact plug, 42...Translucent layer, 43...Contact hole, 50...Capacitive electrode, 51...Contact hole, 52...Intermediate layer, 54...Interlayer insulating layer, 56...Dielectric layer, 60...Conductive layer, 61...Contact hole, 62...Intermediate layer, 64...Interlayer Insulating layer, 70... Semiconductor layer, 70a, 70b... LDD region, 70c... Channel region, 70d... Drain region, 70s... Source region, 71... Contact hole, 72... Gate insulating layer, 73... Contact hole, 74... Gate electrode, 76... Interlayer insulating layer, 80... Light-shielding layer, 81... Contact hole, 82... Interlayer insulating layer, 90... Substrate, 100... Device substrate, 110... Hard mask, 200... Opposing substrate, 210... Substrate, 220... Insulating layer, 230... Common electrode 240…Alignment layer, 300, 300B, 300G, 300R…Liquid crystal device, 302…Relay layer, 302a…Metal material layer, 302b…Insulating material layer, 302c…Metal material layer, 1000…Projector, 1001…Illumination optical system, 1002…Illumination device, 1003…Projection optical system, 1004…Projector screen, 1005…Control unit, A1…Display area, A2…Outer area, E1…Image signal, G1…Scanning signal, L…Depth, D…Inner diameter, LS…Optical functional layer

Claims

1. Transistors and, A pixel electrode provided in correspondence with the transistor, A first conductive layer is provided in the layer between the transistor and the pixel electrode, and in order from the pixel electrode side, it includes a first layer made of a metallic material containing WSi, a second layer made of an insulating material containing SiO2, and a third layer made of a metallic material containing W. The device comprises a lens layer provided in the layer between the first conductive layer and the pixel electrode, having a first contact hole for electrically connecting the first conductive layer and the pixel electrode, The first conductive layer has the portion that overlaps with the first contact hole of the first layer and the second layer removed. Electro-optical device.

2. Transistors and, A pixel electrode provided in correspondence with the transistor, A first conductive layer is provided in the layer between the transistor and the pixel electrode, and in order from the pixel electrode side, it includes a first layer made of a metallic material containing W, a second layer made of an insulating material containing SiO2 or SiN, and a third layer made of a metallic material containing W, TiN and AL. The device comprises a lens layer provided in the layer between the first conductive layer and the pixel electrode, having a first contact hole for electrically connecting the first conductive layer and the pixel electrode, The first conductive layer has the portion that overlaps with the first contact hole of the first layer and the second layer removed. Electro-optical device.

3. Transistors and, A pixel electrode provided in correspondence with the transistor, A first conductive layer is provided in the layer between the transistor and the pixel electrode, and in order from the pixel electrode side, it includes a first layer containing a metallic material, a second layer containing an insulating material, and a third layer containing a metallic material. The device comprises a lens layer provided in the layer between the first conductive layer and the pixel electrode, having a first contact hole for electrically connecting the first conductive layer and the pixel electrode, The second layer is provided in an island-like shape at a position overlapping with the first contact hole. The first conductive layer has the portion that overlaps with the first contact hole of the first layer and the second layer removed. Electro-optical device.

4. A second conductive layer is electrically connected to the first conductive layer and the first contact hole in the layer between the lens layer and the pixel electrode, The layer between the second conductive layer and the pixel electrode includes a light-transmitting layer having a second contact hole for electrically connecting the second conductive layer and the pixel electrode, The first contact hole and the second contact hole are arranged so that they do not overlap with each other in a plan view. The electro-optical apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The third transparent layer has a third contact hole for electrically connecting the first conductive layer and the transistor, The third contact hole and the first contact hole are arranged so as to overlap each other in a plan view. The electro-optical apparatus according to claim 4.

6. The first contact hole, the second contact hole, and the third contact hole are each provided with a connecting member. The electro-optical apparatus according to claim 5.

7. An electronic device comprising an electro-optical apparatus as described in any one of claims 1 to 3.

8. An electronic device comprising the electro-optical device described in claim 4.

9. A step of forming a first conductive layer, The steps include forming a lens layer on the first conductive layer, A step of forming a mask made of a metallic material containing WSi on the lens layer, A step of forming a first contact hole in the lens layer via the mask, The process includes removing the mask with an etchant, The step of forming the first conductive layer includes the steps of forming a third layer made of a metallic material containing W, forming a second layer on the third layer made of an insulating material containing SiO2 having a smaller etching rate for the etchant than the mask, and forming a first layer on the second layer made of a metallic material containing WSi. In the step of removing the mask, remove a portion of the first layer and the second layer. A method for manufacturing electro-optical devices.

10. A step of forming a first conductive layer, The steps include forming a lens layer on the first conductive layer, A step of forming a mask made of a metal material containing W on the lens layer, A step of forming a first contact hole in the lens layer via the mask, The process includes removing the mask with an etchant, The step of forming the first conductive layer comprises the steps of forming a third layer made of W, or a metallic material containing TiN and AL; forming a second layer on the third layer made of an insulating material containing SiO2 or SiN having a smaller etching rate for the etchant than the mask; and forming a first layer on the second layer made of a metallic material containing W. In the step of removing the mask, remove a portion of the first layer and the second layer. A method for manufacturing electro-optical devices.

11. In the step of forming the first conductive layer, the second layer is formed in an island shape at a position overlapping with the first contact hole. A method for manufacturing an electro-optical apparatus according to claim 9 or 10.

12. A step of filling the first contact hole with the first connecting member, The process includes the step of forming a second conductive layer so as to be in contact with the first connecting member, A method for manufacturing an electro-optical apparatus according to claim 9 or 10.

13. The steps include forming a light-transmitting layer on the second conductive layer, A step of forming a second contact hole in the light-transmitting layer at a position that does not overlap with the first contact hole, The process involves filling the second contact hole with a second connecting member, The process includes the step of forming a pixel electrode so as to be in contact with the second connecting member, A method for manufacturing an electro-optical apparatus according to claim 12.

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