US006531330B2

(12) United States Patent

Lay et al.

(54)

METHOD OF FABRICATING THIN FILM

TRANSISTOR FLAT PANEL DISPLAY

(10) Patent N0.:

(45) Date of Patent:

(56)

US 6,531,330 B2
Mar. 11, 2003

References Cited
U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS

(75) Inventors: Chung-Wen Lay, Taipei (TW);

Meng-Yueh Wu, Hsinchu (TW)

(73) Assignee: AU Optronics Corp., Hsinchu (TW)

(*)

Notice:

6,372,535 B1 *
2002/0121639 A1 *

4/2002 Lyu
9/2002 S0 et al.

* cited by examiner

Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this

patent is extended or adjusted under 35

Primary ExaminerJohn F. Niebling

U.S.C. 154(b) by 0 days.

Assistant ExaminerStanetta Isaac

(74) Attorney, Agent, or FirmLadas & Parry

(21) Appl. No.: 10/200,831

Jul. 22, 2002
(22) Filed:
Prior Publication Data
(65)

(57)

A method of fabricating a thin ?lm transistor (TFT) ?at

panel display. The method merely comprises four mask steps

of: (1) using the ?rst mask process for patterning the ?rst

US 2003/0017636 A1 Jan. 23, 2003

(30)
Jul.

conductive layer/gate insulating layer/amorphous silicon

Foreign Application Priority Data

23, 2001

ABSTRACT

..................................... .. 90117932 A

(51)
(52)

Int. Cl.7 .............................................. .. H01L 21/00

(58)

Field of Search ........................ .. 438/30, 149, 151,

US. Cl. ....................... .. 438/30; 438/149; 438/151;

438/479; 438/517
438/479, 517

layer of the TFT, (2) using the second mask process for

de?ning the passivation layer and the etching stopper, (3)

using the third mask process for forming the Source/Drain,
and (4) using the fourth mask process for forming the pixel
electrode, Whereby simplifying the fabricating process of the

TFT ?at panel display.

12 Claims, 19 Drawing Sheets

ll

DLp

/
103

101
102

~~100

103

101
102

U.S. Patent

Mar. 11,2003

Sheet 1 0f 19

US 6,531,330 B2

3
1

FIG. 1A ( PRIOR ART )

5 2
40
IIIIIII

\\\\\\\\\\\\\ W .\\\\\\\\\\\\~ 3
~~1

FIG. 1B ( PRIOR ART )

2

6 40

W/////////1

~~3
~~1

FIG. 1C ( PRIOR ART )

2

7,8

6 40

7,8

\ I

WKWQ

FIG. 1D ( PRIOR ART )

~9

W3

U.S. Patent

Mar. 11,2003

Sheet 2 0f 19

US 6,531,330 B2

DLg

L'----

evDL

FIG.2A

DLg
opl 0p2

DL

'LLjl'JL
BL B

'

\JDL

5%
0p3

FIG. 2B

U.S. Patent

Mar. 11,2003

Sheet 3 0f 19

FIG. 2D

US 6,531,330 B2

U.S. Patent

Mar. 11,2003

Sheet 4 0f 19

11

US 6,531,330 B2

fDLp

fDLg

1 \

/ / \

1 ( 101\

@400

1 ( 101\

103

103

102

102

FIG. 3A

11

0P3

104

111

//\

f//\

I(\

104

K/(\
DLg

103

101

102

103 101
102

#03104

@100

U.S. Patent

Mar. 11,2003

Sheet 5 0f 19

II

0p3

1
/

104g

\
1 1

104 (IS)

I I

"?g/3|
'
'

1 102( 1

101

~\./105

1\
/ 11

11
103

US 6,531,330 B2

@9104

T/ /\

K1 102( 1

104

103

~100

101

DLg

FIG. 3C

11

110107

1513
101111
107-

103
1

S\
1 1 /D
106dm1 [22227
/102 IILW'L ' 1 '
106105
I

/ 11

1 1

7 //\

) 1

104

k\ 1 102( 1

101

DLp

103

DLg

101

~V104

~~100

U.S. Patent

Mar. 11,2003

Sheet 6 0f 19

US 6,531,330 B2

FIG. 4A

11

0P3

104

i KDLp
202

202

opl ) /0p2
202

i
104*

'- ~202

1'1

I ( 101\

103

102

104

/W

~V104

~~100

f ( \

103 101
102

DLg

U.S. Patent

Mar. 11,2003

Sheet 7 0f 19

II

US 6,531,330 B2

0p3

IS

>DLp

106

106

104

104
100

DLg

FIG. 4C

FIG. 4D

U.S. Patent

Mar. 11,2003

Sheet 8 0f 19

US 6,531,330 B2

Dig
B

DL

f B.

*i-____m?______i

i-ui

gym

FIG.5A

DLg
opl 0p2

DL

lili

BL

|_ _J
0p3

FIG. 5B

U.S. Patent

Mar. 11,2003

Sheet 9 0f 19

FIG. 5C

US 6,531,330 B2

U.S. Patent

Mar. 11,2003

Sheet 10 0f 19

US 6,531,330 B2

f-DLp

f DLg
1 1

/ /\

/ / \

I ( 101\

/ (

103

103

102

102

FIG. 6A

II

0P3

104

101

~100

U.S. Patent

Mar. 11,2003

Sheet 11 0f 19

11

0P3
,

US 6,531,330 B2

104

l KDLP

106J/

105d/

N106
1

1
104-I

105

/ 1

I ( 101\

7 / /\

103

12,104

~100

I ( \

104

103 101
102

102

DLg

FIG. 6C

11

107

104

103

103

102 \

106105

102

|\][l

107

2
V A

Quinn;

106105
W

11

\ K

T/ \

) 1

104

K! ( \

101

DLp

103 101
102

DLlg

104

~~100

U.S. Patent

Mar. 11,2003

Sheet 12 0f 19

Dig:

DL

f B.

US 6,531,330 B2

'

Al ____ ____L__t

i?-i

ML

__l

FIG. 7A

DLg
0p10p2

DL

iiili
B i B.

'

Km

+1
FIG. 7B

U.S. Patent

Mar. 11,2003

Sheet 14 0f 19

/ /\
103

US 6,531,330 B2

101

103

102

V100

101
102

FIG. 8A

11

0P3

104g

104

f / /\

k103I ( 101\

/ ( 10]\

103

\h

104

I02

102

DLg

"@104

~w~100

U.S. Patent

Mar. 11,2003

104VJ// /\\1

Sheet 15 0f 19

US 6,531,330 B2

1 102( 101\

103

7/

K1103102( 101\

104

DLg

FIG.8C

II

FIG. 8D

~~104

U.S. Patent

Mar. 11,2003

Sheet 16 0f 19

US 6,531,330 B2

DLg
DLp

4-\/DL

FIG. 9A

SL\'

0p1 0p2

0 0

FIG. 9B

U.S. Patent

Mar. 11,2003

Sheet 18 0f 19

/ DLp

US 6,531,330 B2

DLg \

FIG. 10A

106
r II.

III]

? SL

2'4

1 )

,6

'/

71:

1 1

\_/106

M104

"'4

\ / //103 ( 101\ 100(

104104

104

D'Lg

FIG. 10B

102

U.S. Patent

Mar. 11,2003

Sheet 19 0f 19

11

US 6,531,330 B2

S107(T2)

103 103 limlios

1%
/\
/ 104
\
106

SL

305

1 J 1 /\ H 7//\
1 (1
/ \ W 103l 101\
101
106106104106
DLp

104

104

DLg

FIG. 10C

102

1
(
100