METHOD OF MANUFACTURING DISPLAY DEVICE USING BOTTOM SURFACE EXPOSURE
A method for manufacturing a display device includes forming a plurality of light blocking patterns on a first surface of a transparent substrate, wherein a first light blocking pattern of the plurality of light blocking patterns has a different line width than a second light blocking pattern of the plurality of light blocking patterns. An insulating layer is formed on the first surface of the transparent substrate and the light blocking patterns. A conductive layer is formed on the insulating layer. A photo-resist layer is formed on the conductive layer. The photo-resist layer is exposed with ultraviolet rays through a second surface of the transparent substrate, wherein the first and second surfaces of the transparent substrate are opposite to each other. The photo-resist layer is developed. The conductive layer is etched using the photo-resist layer as a mask. The photo-resist layer is removed.
This application is a Continuation of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/139,037, filed Apr. 26, 2016, which claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2015-0133055, filed in the Korean Intellectual Property Office on Sep. 21, 2015, the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.
TECHNICAL FIELDExemplary embodiments of the present invention relate to a display device manufacturing method, and more particularly, to a display device manufacturing method using a bottom surface exposure process.
DISCUSSION OF THE RELATED ARTA display device manufacturing method using a photo patterning method may be used to form a metal or transparent electrode pattern on a substrate through exposure and development of a photo-resist layer. The photo-resist layer may be disposed on the substrate and may be exposed to ultraviolet rays using an opaque pattern disposed on the substrate as a mask. In this case, it is difficult to form a metal or transparent electrode pattern that is different from the mask. Thus, an application range of the bottom surface exposure is limited to the case of forming a metal or transparent electrode pattern that corresponds to the mask.
SUMMARYAccording to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a method for manufacturing a display device includes forming a plurality of light blocking patterns on a first surface of a transparent substrate, wherein a first light blocking pattern of the plurality of light blocking patterns has a different line width than a second light blocking pattern of the plurality of light blocking patterns. An insulating layer is formed on the first surface of the transparent substrate and the light blocking patterns. A conductive layer is formed on the insulating layer. A photo-resist layer is formed on the conductive layer. The photo-resist layer is exposed with ultraviolet rays through a second surface of the transparent substrate, wherein the first and second surfaces of the transparent substrate are opposite to each other. The photo-resist layer is developed. The conductive layer is etched using the photo-resist layer as a mask. The photo-resist layer is removed.
In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, portions of the photo-resist layer that correspond to the plurality of light blocking patterns remain on the transparent substrate after developing the photo-resist layer.
In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of light blocking patterns are formed by depositing material on the first surface of the transparent substrate, wherein the material that is deposited on the first surface of the transparent substrate to form the plurality of light blocking patterns passes through a pattern mask.
In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a light blocking pattern of the plurality of light blocking patterns includes a metal.
In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the conductive layer includes a metal or a transparent electrode.
In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the etching includes wet-etching.
In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the etching includes etching the conductive layer such that a width of a conductive layer pattern that overlaps a corresponding photo-resist pattern is smaller than a width of the corresponding photo-resist pattern.
In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, after the etching is performed, conductive layer patterns having width equal to or less than a threshold amount are completely etched and conductive layer patterns having width greater than a threshold amount remain on the transparent substrate.
In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, an ultraviolet lamp is used to expose the photo-resist layer with ultraviolet rays.
According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a method for manufacturing a display device includes forming a red pixel, a green pixel, and a blue pixel on a first surface of a transparent thin film encapsulation layer and forming a black matrix between adjacent pixels, from among the red, green, and the blue pixels. A transparent electrode is formed on a second surface of the thin film encapsulation layer, wherein the first and second surfaces of the transparent thin film encapsulation layer are opposite to each other. A photo-resist layer is formed on the transparent electrode layer. The photo-resist layer is exposed with ultraviolet rays through the first surface of the transparent thin film encapsulation layer. The photo-resist layer is developed. The transparent electrode layer is etched using the photo-resist layer as a mask. The photo-resist layer is removed.
In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a portion of the photo-resist layer that corresponds to the black matrix remains on the transparent thin film encapsulation layer after developing the photo-resist layer.
In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the black matrix is formed by depositing material on the first surface of the transparent thin film encapsulation layer, wherein the material that is deposited on the first surface of the transparent thin film encapsulation layer to form the black matrix passes through a pattern mask.
In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the black matrix includes a plurality of black matrix patterns, wherein a first black matrix pattern of the plurality of black matrix patterns has a width that is different from a width of a second black matrix pattern of the plurality of black matrix patterns.
In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the transparent electrode layer includes indium zinc oxide (IZO) or indium tin oxide (ITO).
In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the etching includes wet-etching.
In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the etching over-etches the transparent electrode layer such that the width of the transparent conductive layer is smaller than the width of the photo-resist layer in a portion corresponding to the black matrix.
In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the exposure is performed by irradiating ultraviolet rays using an ultraviolet ray lamp.
In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a method for manufacturing a display device includes forming first and second light blocking patterns on a transparent substrate. An insulating layer is formed on the first and second light blocking patterns. A conductive layer is formed on the insulating layer. A photo-resist layer is formed on the conductive layer. A region of the photo-resist layer that does not overlap the first and second light blocking patterns is exposed with ultraviolet rays by using the first and second light blocking patterns as a mask, wherein the ultraviolet rays enter the transparent substrate from a surface of the transparent substrate that is opposite to a surface of the transparent substrate on which the first and second light blocking patterns are formed. The photo-resist layer is developed. The conductive layer is wet-etched using the exposed photo-resist layer as a mask. The photo-resist layer is removed.
In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the first light blocking pattern has a width greater than that of the second light blocking pattern.
In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, after the wet etching, a portion of the conductive layer that overlaps the first light blocking pattern remains on the transparent substrate and a portion of the conductive layer that overlaps the second light blocking pattern is completely etched.
The above and other features and aspects of the present invention will become more apparent by describing in detail exemplary embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings. The disclosed exemplary embodiments of the present invention may be modified in various different ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
Like reference numerals may designate like elements throughout the specification. Accordingly, a repetitive description of elements already described may be omitted for brevity.
In the drawings, the relative proportions and ratios of elements may be exaggerated or diminished in size for clarity and convenience of illustration. When a part or element is said to be “over” or “on”another part or element, the part or element may be disposed directly over or on the other part or element, or intervening parts or elements may be disposed therebetween.
Hereinafter, a display device manufacturing method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to
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A conductive layer 16 is formed on the insulating layer 14. This corresponds to step S103 of
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Since the plurality of light blocking patterns 12 respectively have different line widths, the portions of the photo-resist layer 18 and the portions of the conductive layer 16 corresponding to the light blocking patterns 12 or photo-resist layer patterns 18 of the photo-resist layer 18 may have irregular or different widths. A portion of the conductive layer 16 having a wide width may remain in place after the wet-etching (e.g., with a smaller width) and a portion of the conductive layer 16 having a narrow width may be removed by the wet-etching. Accordingly, the wet-etching process reduces the width of the portions of the conductive layer 16, for example, the conductive layer patterns 16, corresponding to the photo-resist layer patterns 18 of the photo-resist layer 18. In addition, the wet-etching process completely etches the conductive layer patterns 16 corresponding to the photo-resist layer patterns 18 of the photo-resist layer 18 depending on the width of the respective photo-resist layer patterns 18 of the photo-resist layer 18. For example, the wet-etching completely etches conductive layer patterns 16 having a width equal to or less than a threshold amount and reduces the width of conductive layer patterns 16 having a width greater than the threshold amount.
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Patterns of the black matrixes 22 may be formed to be different from each other such that the widths of the transparent electrode patterns 26 may be formed to be different from each other. As shown in
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As described, in a display device manufacturing method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, when a metal or transparent electrode pattern is formed, a lower opaque light blocking pattern or a black matrix is formed to have predetermined and/or varying line width. Then, a bottom surface exposure method is used to adjust the line width of the metal or transparent electrode pattern at a specific location and selectively short-circuit a first metal or transparent electrode pattern with a second metal or transparent electrode pattern at the specific location. Accordingly, a degree of freedom in the forming of patterns in increased.
While the inventive concept has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the inventive concept.
Claims
1. A display device, comprising:
- a transparent thin film encapsulation layer comprising a first surface and a second surface, wherein the first surface and the second surface are opposite to each other;
- a red pixel, a green pixel, and a blue pixel disposed on the first surface;
- a black matrix disposed on the first surface and disposed between adjacent pixels among the red, green, and blue pixels; and
- a transparent electrode layer disposed on the second surface,
- wherein a width of the transparent electrode layer is smaller than a width of the black matrix.
2. The display device of claim 1, wherein the transparent electrode layer completely overlaps the black matrix.
3. The display device of claim 1, wherein the transparent electrode layer directly contacts the second surface.
4. The display device of claim 1, wherein the black matrix directly contacts the first surface.
5. The display device of claim 1, wherein the black matrix includes a plurality of black matrix patterns, wherein a first black matrix pattern of the plurality of black matrix patterns has a width that is different from a width of a second black matrix pattern of the plurality of black matrix patterns.
6. The display device of claim 1, wherein the transparent electrode layer includes indium zinc oxide (IZO) or indium tin oxide (ITO).
7. The display device of claim 1, wherein the transparent electrode layer is formed by a photolithography process.
8. The display device of claim 7, wherein the photolithography process comprises exposing a photo-resist layer on the transparent electrode layer with ultraviolet rays through the first surface of the transparent thin film encapsulation layer and etching the transparent electrode layer using the photo-resist layer as a mask.
9. The display device of claim 8, wherein the etching over-etches the transparent electrode layer such that the width of the transparent electrode layer is smaller than a width of the photo-resist layer in a portion of the photo-resist layer overlapping with a corresponding portion of the black matrix.
Type: Application
Filed: Dec 5, 2017
Publication Date: Apr 5, 2018
Inventors: Hoon Kang (Suwon-si), Bum Soo Kam (Yongin-Si), Se Yoon Oh (Yongin-Si), Chong Sup Chang (Hwaseong-Si)
Application Number: 15/831,547