Patent Document

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the priority benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2006-0137120, filed on Dec. 28, 2006, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention relates to a thin film transistor substrate applied to a liquid crystal display device and a fabricating method thereof, and more particularly, to a thin film transistor substrate and a fabricating method thereof reduced the time required in the process and enhanced the productivity. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0005]    Recently, a flat display device is widely used as a display device with benefits of thinner, lighter and less power consumption than a cathode ray tube (CRT). The flat display device comprises a liquid crystal display (LCD) and an organic light emitting diode (OLED). 
         [0006]    Generally, the liquid crystal display device is divided in three types such as a transmitting type, a transreflective type and a reflective type according to the light source type. The transmitting type is a model that a backlight unit is disposed at the rear of the liquid crystal display panel, and light of the backlight unit is transmitted to the liquid crystal display panel. The reflective type is a model that natural light is reflected from the liquid crystal display panel, and the power consumption of the liquid crystal display device is reduced through restricting the use of the backlight unit occupying 70% of the power consumption. The transreflective type is a model that benefits of the transmitting type and the reflective type applied to, and light of the backlight unit is transmitted to the liquid crystal display panel and natural light is reflected from the liquid crystal display panel. Therefore, the transreflective type may keep adequate luminance for displaying independent on the change of the brightness around the liquid crystal display device. 
         [0007]    A fabricating method of the reflective type liquid crystal display device and the transreflective type liquid crystal display device comprises steps of forming an organic passivation layer on a thin film transistor substrate, exposing the organic passivation layer by a mask, and developing the organic passivation layer, thereby forming a prominence and depression pattern. After forming the prominence and depression pattern, a reflective layer is formed on at least one part of the prominence and depression pattern. If the reflective layer is formed on the entire of the prominence and depression pattern, the reflective type is manufactured. If the reflective layer is formed on the one part of the prominence and depression pattern, the reflective type is manufactured. 
         [0008]    However, the process for metal layers like a thin film transistor and the process for the organic passivation layer are different. Thus, the process for metal layers and the process for the organic passivation layer are underwent at the different places. Accordingly, metal layers like a thin film transistor are formed on the substrate in the place for forming metal layers, and the organic passivation layer is formed on the substrate after moving the substrate from the place for forming metal layers to the place for forming the organic passivation layer. After forming the prominence and depression pattern on the organic passivation layer, the substrate will be moved to the place for forming metal layers for the next stage and a pixel electrode and a reflective layer are formed on the organic passivation layer. 
         [0009]    The above method of forming layers on the substrate by moving the substrate from the place to the other place is required a lot of time, thereby dropping the productivity. Moreover, the substrate and layers may be contaminated during moving the substrate, and faculties may be occurred due to the impact from shaking. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0010]    Accordingly, it is an aspect of the present invention to provide a thin film transistor substrate (and a display device having the thin film transistor substrate) and a fabricating method thereof, which reduce the time required in the process and enhance the productivity. 
         [0011]    Additional aspects and/or advantages of the present invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the present invention. 
         [0012]    The foregoing and/or other aspects of the present invention are also achieved by providing a thin film transistor substrate comprising according to an embodiment: a gate wire and a data wire formed to cross each other on an insulating substrate and define a pixel area; a thin film transistor formed on the intersection of the gate wire and the data wire; an inorganic insulating layer covering the thin film transistor and having a surface that a prominence and depression pattern formed on; and a reflective layer provided on the prominence and depression pattern. 
         [0013]    According to an aspect of the present invention, the prominence and depression pattern is provided in at least one part of the pixel area. 
         [0014]    According to an aspect of the present invention, the prominence and depression pattern is formed into an embossing shape, the ratio of the height of the prominence and depression pattern to the width of the prominence and depression pattern is approximately 10:1. 
         [0015]    According to an aspect of the present invention, the height of the prominence and depression pattern is in the range of approximately 1000 Å to 5000 Å. 
         [0016]    According to an aspect of the present invention, the prominence and depression pattern comprises at least one of SiNx, SiO 2  and SiON. 
         [0017]    According to an aspect of the present invention, the thin film transistor comprises a drain electrode, the inorganic insulating layer having a drain contact hole exposing the drain electrode. 
         [0018]    The foregoing and/or other aspects of the present invention are also achieved by providing a fabricating method for a thin film transistor substrate comprising according to an embodiment: forming a gate wire on an insulating substrate; forming a data wire crossed with the gate wire and defining a pixel area; forming a thin film transistor on the intersection of the gate wire and the data wire; forming an inorganic insulating layer covering the thin film transistor; forming a prominence and depression pattern on the surface of the inorganic insulating layer; and forming a reflective layer on the prominence and depression pattern. 
         [0019]    According to an aspect of the present invention, forming the prominence and depression pattern comprises forming an organic photosensitive layer on the inorganic insulating layer, disposing a mask for the diffraction exposure over the organic photosensitive layer, forming a photosensitive layer pattern corresponding to the prominence and depression pattern by exposing the organic photosensitive layer to light through the mask and developing the organic photosensitive layer, and etching the inorganic insulating layer through the photosensitive layer pattern. 
         [0020]    According to an aspect of the present invention, the mask comprises a slit mask including a blocking part, a slit part and a transmitting part, and the ratio of the width of the blocking part to the width of the slit part is approximately 3:4. 
         [0021]    According to an aspect of the present invention, the slit part is provided into the structure that the gap between slits is getting wider, as the slit part is far from the blocking part. 
         [0022]    According to an aspect of the present invention, the mask comprises a halftone mask including a blocking part, semi-transmitting part and a transmitting part, and the ratio of the width of the blocking part to the width of the semi-transmitting part is approximately 3:4. 
         [0023]    According to an aspect of the present invention, the semi-transmitting part is provided into the structure that the transmittance is getting higher, as the semi-transmitting part is far from the blocking part. 
         [0024]    According to an aspect of the present invention, the photosensitive pattern is formed to be tapered to the center of the prominence and depression pattern. 
         [0025]    According to an aspect of the present invention, the mask is disposed over the inorganic insulating layer in the alignment that the center of the blocking part is corresponding to the center of the prominence and depression pattern. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0026]    The above and/or other aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which: 
           [0027]      FIG. 1  is a schematic view illustrating a thin film transistor substrate according to the present invention; 
           [0028]      FIG. 2  is a sectional view of a liquid crystal display device along line II-II in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0029]      FIG. 3  is an exploded sectional view of a prominence and depression patter according to the present invention; 
           [0030]      FIG. 4   a  through  FIG. 4   f  are sectional views illustrating a fabricating method of the thin film transistor substrate in order according to a first embodiment of the present invention; and 
           [0031]      FIG. 5  is a sectional view illustrating a fabricating method of the thin film transistor substrate according to a second embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0032]    Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout. 
         [0033]    As to the following description, the expression that a layer is formed on another layer comprises not only two layers are contact but also the other layer is interposed between two layers. 
         [0034]    Moreover, the following description discloses a liquid crystal display device among flat display devices as an embodiment. However, the point of the following description may be applied to the other flat display device such as an organic light emitting diode and a plasma display panel. The following description discloses a transreflective type liquid crystal display device as an embodiment, but a reflective type liquid crystal display device also applied to. 
         [0035]      FIG. 1  is a schematic view illustrating a thin film transistor substrate according to an embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 2  is a sectional view of a liquid crystal display device along line II-II in  FIG. 1 . 
         [0036]    Generally, the liquid crystal display device comprises a liquid crystal display panel and a back light unit. The liquid crystal display panel comprises a thin film transistor substrate  100  comprising a thin film transistor (TFT) (T) as a switching and a driving device for driving and controlling each pixel, a color filter substrate (not shown) aligned to and adhered to the thin film transistor substrate  100 , and a liquid crystal layer (not shown) sandwiched between the thin film transistor substrate  100  and the color filter substrate. The backlight unit is disposed at the rear of the liquid crystal display panel for providing light to the rear of the thin film transistor substrate  100  because the liquid crystal display panel is not a self-radiating device. 
         [0037]    The thin film transistor substrate  100  comprises an insulating substrate  110 , a lot of gate wires  121 ,  122 ,  123  and a lot of data wires  161 ,  162 ,  163 ,  164  are provided on the insulating substrate  110  in matrix formation, the thin film transistor (TFT)(T) formed at a crossed area of the gate wire  121 ,  122 ,  123  and the data wire  161 ,  162 ,  163 , and a pixel electrode  180  connected to the thin film transistor (T). An electric field is occurred through voltage differences between the pixel electrode  180  and a common electrode (not shown), and liquid crystal molecules in liquid crystal layer (not shown) are aligned according to the electric field. A transmittance of light passing through the liquid crystal display panel is controlled according to the alignment of the liquid crystal molecules. 
         [0038]    The insulating substrate  110  comprising an insulating material such as glass, quartz, ceramic and plastic. It is preferable but not necessary that the plastic substrate employed as the insulating substrate  110  when the thin film transistor substrate  100  according to the present invention is applied to a flexible liquid crystal display device. The plastic substrate may comprise at least one of polycarbonate, polyamide, polynorborneen (PNB), PES, PAR, polyethylenapthanate (PEN), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET). 
         [0039]    The gate wire  121 ,  122 ,  123  is formed on the insulating substrate  110 . The gate wire  121 ,  122 ,  123  may be formed as a layer or multi-layer. The gate wire  121 ,  122 ,  123  comprises a gate line  121  formed in a horizontal direction, a gate electrode  122  connected to the gate line  121 , and a gate pad  123  provided at the end of the gate line  121 . The gate pad  123  is connected to a gate driver (not shown) and supplied a gate signal from the gate driver (not shown). 
         [0040]    A gate insulating layer  130  comprises SiNx and SiO 2 , and covers the gate wire  121 ,  122 ,  123  on the insulating substrate  110 . 
         [0041]    A semiconductor layer  140  comprising amorphous silicon or poly silicon is formed on the insulating layer  130  of the gate electrode  122 . An ohmic contact layer  150  comprising n+ hydrogenated amorphous silicon doped with silicide or n type dopant is formed on the semiconductor layer  140 . The ohmic contact layer  150  is removed at channel area defined as a space between a source electrode  162  and a drain electrode  163 . 
         [0042]    The data wire  161 ,  162 ,  163 ,  164  is formed on the ohmic contact layer  150  and the gate insulating layer  130 . The data wire  161 ,  162 ,  163 ,  164  may be formed as a layer or multi-layer comprising metals. The data wire  161 ,  162 ,  163 ,  164  comprises a data line  161  formed in a vertical direction to be crossed with the gate line  121  and defined a pixel area, a source electrode  162  branched out from the date line  161  and extended to on the ohmic contact layer  150 , a drain electrode  163  separated form the source electrode  162  and formed on the ohmic contact layer  150  positioned on the opposite side of the source electrode  162 , and a data pad  164  provided at the end of the data line  161 . The data pad  164  is connected to a data driver (not shown) and supplied a data signal from the data driver (not shown). 
         [0043]    An inorganic insulating layer  170  is formed on the data wire  161 ,  162 ,  163 ,  164  and the semiconductor layer  140  that is not covered with the data wire  161 ,  162 ,  163 ,  164 . The inorganic insulating layer  170  comprises a drain contact hole  171  exposing the drain electrode  163 , a gate pad contact hole  172  connected to the gate driver (not shown) for supplying the gate line  121  with the gate signal, a data pad contact hole  173  connected to the data driver (not shown) for supplying the data line  161  with the data signal, and a prominence and depression pattern  175 . The prominence and depression pattern  175  formed on the inorganic insulating layer  170  diffuses light and enhances the reflexibility. Especially, the reflexibility of the front side is enhanced through the prominence and depression pattern  175 . 
         [0044]    The prominence and depression pattern  175  according to the present invention, as shown in  FIG. 3 , is formed into an embossing shape with the width (x) and the height (y), and tapered to the center of the prominence and depression pattern  175 . The prominence and depression pattern  175  is formed to have the ratio of the height (y) of the prominence and depression pattern  175  to the width (x) of the prominence and depression pattern  175  is 10:1 for achieving the optimum reflexibility. As an embodiment, the height (y) of the prominence and depression pattern  175  is in the range of 1000 Å to 5000 Å. The inorganic insulating layer  170  would be formed with the thickness of 1000 Å to 5000 Å because of the material characteristic of inorganic insulating materials. Thus, the prominence and depression pattern  175  would be formed with height (y) of 1000 Å to 5000 Å. In the other hand, the inorganic insulating layer  170  may be formed into the multi-layers for forming the prominence and depression pattern  175  higher. 
         [0045]    The reflective layer  178  is formed on the inorganic insulating layer  170  having the prominence and depression pattern  175 . The pixel area defined by the gate line  121  and the data line  161  is divided into the transmittance area not covered with the reflective layer  178  and the reflective area covered with the reflective layer  178 . Light of the backlight unit transmits the liquid crystal display panel at the transmittance area. Natural light entered to the liquid crystal display panel may be reflected from the reflective layer  178  and went out of the liquid crystal display panel at the reflective area. The reflective layer  178  is formed into a layer comprising aluminum or silver mainly, but two layers comprising a lower layer comprising aluminum and an upper layer comprising molybdenum in some cases. The prominence and depression pattern would be formed on the reflective layer  178  due to the prominence and depression pattern  175  of the inorganic insulating layer  170 . 
         [0046]    The pixel electrode  180  is formed on the reflective layer  175 . The pixel electrode  180  comprises a transmittable material such as ITO (indium tin oxide) or IZO (indium zinc oxide). The pixel electrode  180  is connected to the drain electrode  163  electrically through the drain contact hole  171 . A contact auxiliary member  181 ,  182  is formed on the gate pad contact hole  172  and the data pad contact hole  173 . The contact auxiliary member  181 ,  182  also comprises a transmittable material such as TTO (indium tin oxide) or IZO (indium zinc oxide). The prominence and depression pattern  175  would be formed on the pixel electrode  180  due to the prominence and depression pattern  175  of the reflective layer  178 . 
         [0047]    The following is an illustration for the fabrication method of the thin film transistor substrate according to the first embodiment of the present invention. 
         [0048]    First, as shown in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , a gate wire material is formed on the insulating substrate  110 , and then the gate wire  121 ,  122 ,  123  comprising the gate line  121 , the gate electrode  122  and the gate pad  123  is formed by patterning the gate wire material through the photolithography with using mask. 
         [0049]    After forming the gate wire  121 ,  122 ,  123 , the gate insulating layer  130 , the semiconductor layer  140  and the ohmic contact layer  150  are formed on the gate wire  121 ,  122 ,  123  and the insulating substrate  110  not covered with the gate wire  121 ,  122 ,  123  orderly. Afterward, the semiconductor layer  140  and the ohmic contact layer  150  are patterned to be remained only on the gate insulating layer  130  of the gate electrode  122 . 
         [0050]    Thereafter, a data wire material is formed on the insulating substrate  110 , and then the data wire  161 ,  162 ,  163 ,  164  is formed by patterning the data wire material through the photolithography with using mask. The data wire  161 ,  162 ,  163 ,  164  comprises the data line  161  crossed to the gate line  121 , the source electrode  162  branched out from the date line  161  and extended to on the ohmic contact layer  150 , the drain electrode  163  separated from the source electrode  162  and formed on the ohmic contact layer  150  positioned on the opposite side of the source electrode  162 , and the data pad  164  provided at the end of the data line  161 . Afterward, the ohmic contact layer  150  is divided on either side of the semiconductor layer  140  by etching the ohmic contact layer  150  not covered with the data wire  161 ,  162 ,  163 ,  164 , thereby exposing one part of the semiconductor layer  140 . In this process, most of the ohmic contact layer  150  and a portion of the semiconductor layer  140  are removed. It is preferable but not necessary that oxygen plasma treatment is done for stabilizing the semiconductor layer  140  exposed. Thus, the thin film transistor (T) is fabricated. 
         [0051]    After fabricating the thin film transistor (T) as shown in  FIG. 4   a , the inorganic insulating layer  170  is formed to cover the thin film transistor (T) through PECVD (plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition) on the pixel area. The inorganic insulating layer  170  is formed to have a thickness (d) of 1000 Å to 5000 Å. 
         [0052]    Afterward, as shown in  FIG. 4   b , an organic photosensitive layer  200  is formed on the inorganic insulating layer  170  through the slit coating method and the spin coating method, and then a mask  300  is disposed over the organic photosensitive layer  200 . The organic photosensitive layer  200  may be a positive type that an exposed part is removed or a negative type that a non-exposed part is removed. 
         [0053]    The mask  300  according to the present invention is the mask for the diffraction exposure such as a slit mask comprising a blocking part, a slit part and a transmitting part. The mask  300  according to the present invention is disposed over the organic photosensitive layer  200  in the alignment that the center of the blocking part is corresponding to the center of the prominence and depression pattern  175 . The ratio of the width (B) of the blocking part to the width (A) of the slit part is 3:4. The reason why the mask  300  has above the ratio is to form the photosensitive layer pattern  250  (refer to  FIG. 4   c ) having a uniformed size through exposure and development of the organic photosensitive layer  200 . The reason why the photosensitive layer pattern  250  (refer to  FIG. 4   c ) is formed into a uniformed size is to form the prominence and depression pattern  175  (refer to  FIG. 4   d ) having an optimum size (height:width=1:10) by etching process using the photosensitive layer pattern  250  (refer to  FIG. 4   c ) as a mask, and form the prominence and depression pattern  175  (refer to  FIG. 4   d ) having a uniformed size. The slit part  320  of the mask  300  according to the present invention is provided into the structure that the gap between slits is getting wider, as the slit part  320  is far from the blocking part  310 . The reason why the slit part  320  having above structure is to differ the amount of exposure according to the position, thereby forming the photosensitive layer pattern  250  (refer to  FIG. 4   c ) to be tapered through exposure and development of the organic photosensitive layer  200 . 
         [0054]    Thereafter, as shown in  FIG. 4   c , the photosensitive layer pattern  250  (refer to  FIG. 4   c ) is formed through developing the exposed organic photosensitive layer  200  (refer to  FIG. 4   b ). The photosensitive layer pattern  250  is provided on where the prominence and depression pattern  175  (refer to  FIG. 4   d ) is formed and covering the thin film transistor (T). The photosensitive layer pattern  250  comprises an opening  251  exposing a part of the inorganic insulating layer  170  corresponding to the drain electrode  163  of the thin film transistor (T). The prominence and depression pattern  175  is formed tapered due to above structure of the slit part  320 . 
         [0055]    In the next time, as shown in  FIG. 4   d , the prominence and depression pattern  175 , the drain contact hole  171 , the data pad contact hole  173  (refer to  FIG. 1 ), and gate pad contact hole  172  (refer to  FIG. 1 ) is formed through etching the inorganic insulating layer  170  (refer to  FIG. 4   c ) using the photosensitive layer pattern  250  (refer to  FIG. 4   c ). In other words, the inorganic insulating layer  170  (refer to  FIG. 4   c ) exposing by the photosensitive layer pattern  250  (refer to  FIG. 4   c ) is removed. The inorganic insulating layer  170  (refer to  FIG. 4   c ) disposing under the photosensitive layer pattern  250  (refer to  FIG. 4   c ) is not removed or removed a little. More specifically, the inorganic insulating layer  170  (refer to  FIG. 4   c ) where the photosensitive layer pattern  250  (refer to  FIG. 4   c ) is thin is removed a little, and the inorganic insulating layer  170  (refer to  FIG. 4   c ) where the photosensitive layer pattern  250  (refer to  FIG. 4   c ) is thick is not removed. A dry etching method may be applied for removing the photosensitive layer pattern  250  (refer to  FIG. 4   c ). Thus, the tapered prominence and depression pattern  175  is formed. 
         [0056]    After forming the tapered prominence and depression pattern  175 , as shown in  FIG. 4   e , the reflective layer  178  is formed to cover the prominence and depression pattern  175  on the entire surface of the inorganic insulating layer, and then the reflective layer  178  is patterned to remove the rest without the reflective layer  178  on the prominence and depression pattern  175 . The reflective layer  178  is formed into a layer comprising aluminum or silver mainly, but two layers comprising a lower layer comprising aluminum and an upper layer comprising molybdenum in some cases. Light of the backlight unit transmits the liquid crystal display panel at the transmittance area where the reflective layer  178  is not formed on. Natural light entered to the liquid crystal display panel may be reflected from the reflective layer  178  and went out of the liquid crystal display panel at the reflective area where the reflective layer  178  is formed on. 
         [0057]    Afterward, as shown in  FIG. 4   f , the pixel electrode  180  is formed to cover the reflective layer  178  on the entire surface, and then the pixel electrode  180  is patterned to divide it according to each pixel electrode  180 . The pixel electrode  180  comprises a transmittable material such as ITO (indium tin oxide) or IZO (indium zinc oxide). The pixel electrode  180  is connected to the drain electrode  163  electrically through the drain contact hole  171 . 
         [0058]    Hence, the thin film transistor substrate  100  is completed. 
         [0059]    The following is an illustration for the fabrication method of the thin film transistor substrate according to the second embodiment of the present invention. 
         [0060]    Features distinguished from the above embodiment may be described in the below described another embodiment, and omitted or comprised description parts are same with above first embodiment. 
         [0061]    The mask  400  according to the second embodiment comprises a halftone mask including a blocking part  410 , semi-transmitting part  420  and a transmitting part  430 , and the ratio of the width (B) of the blocking part  410  to the width (A) of the semi-transmitting part  420  is 3:4. The semi-transmitting part  420  is provided into the structure that the transmittance is getting higher, as the semi-transmitting part  420  is far from the blocking part  410 . More specifically, as shown in  FIG. 5 , the semi-transmitting part  420  comprises a lot of sub-parts, and each sub-part has different transmittance. Transmittance of the sub-parts near to the blocking part  410  is low, and Transmittance of the sub-parts near to the transmitting part  430  is high relatively. Accordingly, as shown in  FIG. 5 , the photosensitive layer pattern  250  is formed into a stair-shape. Afterward, the photosensitive layer pattern  250  is transformed into an embossing-shape or a fluent curve formation by applying heat to the photosensitive layer pattern  250 . 
         [0062]    Although a few embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims and their equivalents.

Technology Category: 5