Wire grid polarizer, display device including the same, and method of manufacturing the same
阅读说明:本技术 线栅偏振器、包括其的显示装置及其制造方法 (Wire grid polarizer, display device including the same, and method of manufacturing the same ) 是由 吕伦钟 孙正河 李周炯 赵亨彬 于 2015-11-25 设计创作,主要内容包括:本发明涉及一种线栅偏振器及其制造方法。线栅偏振器包括基板和在基板上的多个导电线图案,该多个导电线图案配置为彼此平行地形成。其中每个导电线图案包括第一导电线图案、绝缘层和第二导电线图案,第一导电线图案和第二导电线图案彼此电绝缘并具有不同的形状。(The present invention relates to a wire grid polarizer and a method of manufacturing the same. The wire grid polarizer includes a substrate and a plurality of conductive line patterns on the substrate, the plurality of conductive line patterns configured to be formed parallel to each other. Wherein each of the conductive line patterns includes a first conductive line pattern, an insulating layer, and a second conductive line pattern, the first conductive line pattern and the second conductive line pattern being electrically insulated from each other and having different shapes.)
1. A method of manufacturing a wire grid polarizer, the method comprising:
performing a first process of forming a first conductive line pattern layer, an insulating layer, a second conductive line pattern layer, a hard mask layer, and a mask layer on a substrate;
performing a second process of patterning the mask layer to form a plurality of heights on the mask layer;
performing a third process of removing the hard mask layer from regions where the mask layer was completely removed during the second process and removing a portion of the mask layer that remains elsewhere;
performing a fourth process of removing the second conductive line pattern layer from the region where the hard mask layer was removed during the third process;
performing a fifth process of removing the insulating layer from a region where the second conductive line pattern layer was removed during the fourth process and removing the hard mask layer from a region where the part of the remaining mask layer was removed during the third process; and
a sixth process of removing the first conductive line pattern layer from the region where the insulating layer was removed during the fifth process and removing the second conductive line pattern layer from the region where the hard mask layer was removed during the fifth process is performed.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the second process comprises patterning the mask layer with a photoresist method that involves using a multi-tone mask.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the second process comprises patterning the mask layer using a nano-imprint method that involves imprinting a mold on the mask layer at a plurality of depths.
4. The method of claim 3, further comprising removing any remaining mask layer after imprinting the mold.
5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
performing a seventh process of removing the remaining hard mask layer and removing the insulating layer from the region where the second conductive line pattern layer was removed during the sixth process.
Technical Field
The invention relates to a wire grid polarizer, a display device including the same, and a method of manufacturing the same.
Background
An array of parallel wires in which conductor lines are arranged parallel to each other to polarize light from an electromagnetic wave is generally referred to as a "wire grid polarizer".
In response to incident unpolarized light, a wire grid polarizer having a period smaller than the wavelength of the incident light reflects polarized light in a direction parallel to its lines and transmits polarized light perpendicular to its line direction therethrough. Wire grid polarizers are advantageous over absorptive polarizers because they allow the reflected polarized light to be reused.
Wire grid polarizers are typically formed from conductive materials. However, if the conductive material is naturally oxidized, an oxide layer is formed on the surface of the conductive material. The oxide layer typically has a high index of refraction, the higher the index of refraction of the wire grid polarizer, the lower its transmission and extinction ratio for visible light.
Disclosure of Invention
Exemplary embodiments provide a wire grid polarizer having excellent optical properties, a display device having the wire grid polarizer, and a method of manufacturing the wire grid polarizer.
However, the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to those set forth herein. The above and other exemplary embodiments of the inventive concept will become more apparent to those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains by referencing the detailed description given below.
According to an exemplary embodiment, there is provided a wire-grid polarizer including a substrate and a plurality of conductive line patterns formed on the substrate, the plurality of conductive line patterns being formed to be parallel to each other, wherein each of the conductive line patterns includes a first conductive line pattern, an insulating layer, and a second conductive line pattern, wherein the first conductive line pattern and the second conductive line pattern are electrically insulated from each other and have different shapes.
According to another aspect, there is provided a wire-grid polarizer including a substrate and a plurality of conductive line patterns formed on the substrate, wherein each of the conductive line patterns includes a plurality of layers and at least one insulating layer disposed between the plurality of layers, and at least some of the conductive line patterns have a different shape from the remaining conductive line patterns.
According to another exemplary embodiment of the inventive concept, there is provided a method of manufacturing a wire grid polarizer, the method including: performing a first process of forming a first conductive line pattern layer, an insulating layer, a second conductive line pattern layer, a hard mask layer, and a mask layer on a substrate; performing a second process of patterning the mask layer to form a plurality of heights on the mask layer; performing a third process of removing the hard mask layer from the region where the mask layer is completely removed during the second process and removing a portion of the mask layer remaining elsewhere; performing a fourth process of removing the second conductive line pattern layer from the region where the hard mask layer was removed during the third process; performing a fifth process of removing the insulating layer from the region where the second conductive line pattern layer is removed during the fourth process and removing the hard mask layer from the region where a portion of the mask layer remaining during the third process is removed; and performing a sixth process of removing the first conductive line pattern layer from the region where the insulating layer was removed during the fifth process and removing the second conductive line pattern layer from the region where the hard mask layer was removed during the fifth process.
According to an exemplary embodiment, a wire grid polarizer having excellent optical properties may be provided.
Other features and exemplary embodiments will be apparent from the following detailed description, the accompanying drawings, and the claims.
Drawings
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a wire grid polarizer according to an exemplary embodiment of the inventive concept.
Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along line a-a' of fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along line B-B' of fig. 1.
Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a wire-grid polarizer according to another exemplary embodiment of the inventive concept.
Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along line a-a' of fig. 4.
Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a wire-grid polarizer according to another exemplary embodiment of the inventive concept.
Fig. 7 is a schematic view of a lower panel of a display device according to an exemplary embodiment of the inventive concept.
Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken along line C-C' of fig. 7.
Fig. 9, 10A, 10B, 11A, 11B, 12A, 12B, 13A, 13B, 14A, 14B, 15A, and 15B are cross-sectional views illustrating a method of manufacturing a wire grid polarizer according to an exemplary embodiment of the inventive concept.
Fig. 16A, 16B, 17A, and 17B are sectional views illustrating a method of manufacturing a mask pattern according to an exemplary embodiment of the inventive concept.
Fig. 18A and 18B are sectional views illustrating a method of manufacturing a mask pattern according to another exemplary embodiment of the inventive concept.
Detailed Description
Various aspects and features of the disclosure and methods for accomplishing the same will become apparent by reference to the embodiments, which are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the concepts presented herein are not limited to the disclosed embodiments, and may be embodied in various forms. The matters defined in the description, such as a particular construction and elements, are nothing but specific details provided to assist those of ordinary skill in the art in a comprehensive understanding of the inventive concepts, which concepts are defined solely within the scope of the disclosure. In the present description, like reference numerals are used for like elements in the various drawings. In the drawings, the size and relative sizes of layers and regions may be exaggerated for clarity of illustration.
The term "on" used to indicate that an element is located on another element or layer at a different layer includes the case where an element is directly located on another element or layer and the case where an element is located on another element via another layer or another element.
Although the terms "first", "second", and the like are used to describe various constituent elements, such constituent elements are not limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one constituent element from another constituent element. Therefore, in the following description, the first constituent element may be similar to the second constituent element. Hereinafter, embodiments of the inventive concept will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a wire grid polarizer in accordance with an exemplary embodiment, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A 'of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B' of FIG. 1.
Referring to fig. 1 to 3, a wire grid polarizer according to an exemplary embodiment may include a
An appropriate material for the
In the line pattern region, the first
The first and second
In an exemplary embodiment, the first
The
In an exemplary embodiment, the refractive index of the
The widths of the first
In the non-line pattern region, the first
The insulating
In the line pattern region, the insulating
The first
Examples of different additional usage purposes of the first
Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a wire grid polarizer according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line a-a' of fig. 4.
The line pattern regions of the wire grid polarizer according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention are the same as the line pattern regions of fig. 1 and thus are not shown in fig. 4.
Referring to fig. 4 and 5 with further reference to fig. 3, a wire grid polarizer in accordance with another exemplary embodiment of the present invention may include wire pattern regions and non-wire pattern regions. The line pattern region may include a
The line pattern region may include at least one line pattern block (block) including a first
The first
In an exemplary embodiment, the second
Except for the above, the wire grid polarizer of fig. 4 and 5 is substantially similar to the wire grid polarizer of fig. 1 to 3, and thus a detailed description thereof will be omitted.
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a wire-grid polarizer in accordance with another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
Referring to fig. 6 with further reference to fig. 1 through 3, a wire grid polarizer according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention may include a
The reflective layer may correspond to a region where the nano-pattern (i.e., the line pattern) is not formed, and may be formed in a region corresponding to a non-open portion of the display device having the wire grid polarizer according to another exemplary embodiment. For example, the reflective layer may be formed in a line region or a transistor region, but the inventive concept is not limited thereto.
The wire grid polarizer of fig. 6 is otherwise substantially similar to the wire grid polarizer of fig. 1-3, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted.
Fig. 7 is a schematic view of a lower panel of a display device according to an exemplary embodiment, and fig. 8 is a sectional view taken along line C-C' of fig. 7.
Referring to fig. 7 and 8, a lower panel of the display device according to an exemplary embodiment may be a Thin Film Transistor (TFT) panel. The gate electrode G and the gate lines Gj-1 and Gj are disposed on the protective layer 170, and the gate insulating layer GI is disposed on the gate electrode G, the gate lines Gj-1 and Gj, and the protective layer 170. A semiconductor layer ACT is disposed on the gate insulating layer GI to at least partially overlap the gate electrode G, and a source electrode S and a drain electrode D are disposed on the semiconductor layer ACT to be insulated from each other. A passivation layer PL is disposed on the gate insulating layer GI, the source electrode S, the semiconductor layer ACT, and the drain electrode D, and a pixel electrode PE is disposed on the passivation layer PL and electrically connected to the drain electrode D through a contact hole through which at least a portion of the drain electrode D is exposed.
In the exemplary embodiment of fig. 7, the
In the exemplary embodiment of fig. 7, the second conductive
In the non-line pattern region, the first and second
The protective layer 170 may be formed of any insulating material, for example, SiOx, SiNx, or SiOC, but the inventive concept is not limited thereto.
The display device according to an exemplary embodiment may additionally include: a backlight unit (not shown) disposed under the lower substrate and emitting light; a liquid crystal panel (not shown) including a lower substrate, a liquid crystal layer (not shown), and an upper substrate (not shown); and an upper polarizer (not shown) disposed over the liquid crystal panel.
The transmission axes of the upper polarizer and the wire grid polarizer may be orthogonal to each other or parallel to each other. In exemplary embodiments, the upper polarizer may be implemented as a wire grid polarizer, or as a typical polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) -based polarizing film. In another exemplary embodiment, the upper polarizer may not be provided.
The backlight unit may include, for example, a Light Guide Plate (LGP) (not shown), one or more light source units (not shown), a reflective member (not shown), and one or more optical sheets (not shown).
The LGP, which changes a path of light emitted from the light source unit such that the light is transmitted toward the liquid crystal layer, may include a light incident surface on which the light is received and a light emitting surface through which the light exits the LGP in a direction of the liquid crystal layer. The LGP may be formed of a light-transmitting material having a predetermined refractive index, such as Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) or PC. However, the inventive concept is not limited to any particular LGP composition.
Light incident on one or both sides of the LGP may have an incident angle smaller than a critical angle of the LGP, and thus may enter the LGP. On the other hand, light incident on the top or bottom surface of the LGP may have an incident angle greater than the critical angle of the LGP, and thus may undergo total internal reflection and be uniformly distributed throughout the LGP rather than being emitted outward from the LGP.
A plurality of diffusion patterns may be formed on one of a top surface and a bottom surface of the LGP, for example, on a bottom surface of the LGP opposite to a light emitting face of the LGP, for guiding light to be emitted upward. More specifically, in order for light transmitted within the LGP to be emitted upward, a diffusion pattern may be printed with ink on one surface of the LGP, but the inventive concept is not limited thereto. That is, fine grooves or protrusions may be formed on the LGP as a diffusion pattern, or various other modifications may be made to the diffusion pattern without departing from the scope of the present invention.
A reflecting member (not shown) may be additionally provided between the LGP and the lower receiving member (not shown). The reflective member reflects light emitted from a bottom surface of the LGP, which is opposite to and faces a light emitting surface of the LGP, thus providing the light back to the LGP. The reflective member may be formed as a film, but the present invention is not limited thereto.
The light source unit may be disposed to face the light incident surface of the LGP. The number of light source units provided may vary. For example, only one light source unit may be provided on one side of the LGP. Alternatively, three or more light source units may be provided to correspond to three or more sides of the LGP. In yet another alternative embodiment, a plurality of light source units may be provided to correspond to only one side of the LGP. The backlight unit has been described above as an example of an edge type backlight unit in which one or more light source units are provided on one or more side surfaces of an LGP, but this is not a limitation of the inventive concept. That is, the inventive concept is also applicable to a direct type backlight unit or another light source device, such as a surface type light source device.
Each light source unit may include a white Light Emitting Diode (LED) emitting white light or a plurality of LEDs emitting red (R), green (G) and blue (B) light. In response to each light source unit including a plurality of LEDs emitting R light, G light, and B light, white light may be realized by turning on all the LEDs to mix the R light, G light, and B light together.
The upper substrate may be a Color Filter (CF) substrate. For example, the upper substrate may include a black matrix (not shown) that is provided at the bottom of a member formed of a transparent insulating material such as glass or plastic and prevents light from leaking from the member. The upper substrate may also include red (R), green (G), and blue (B) CF (not shown) and a common electrode (not shown) which is an electric field generating electrode formed of a transparent conductive oxide such as Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) or Indium Zinc Oxide (IZO), but the inventive concept is not limited thereto. That is, the CF may be provided at the lower substrate, and the common electrode may be provided at the lower panel together with the pixel electrode (not shown). The black matrix may be provided at the lower panel, in which case the black matrix may be formed integrally with a spacer (not shown).
A liquid crystal layer including liquid crystal molecules that rotate a polarization axis of incident light is aligned in a predetermined direction and disposed between the upper and lower substrates. The liquid crystal layer may be a Twisted Nematic (TN) mode, a Vertical Alignment (VA) mode, or a horizontal alignment mode having positive dielectric anisotropy, such as an in-plane switching (IPS) mode or a Fringe Field Switching (FFS) mode, but the present invention is not limited thereto.
Fig. 9 to 15B are sectional views illustrating a method of manufacturing a wire grid polarizer according to an exemplary embodiment.
Referring to fig. 9, a first conductive
An appropriate material for the
The first and second conductive line pattern layers 121 and 123 may be formed of a metal material. More specifically, the first and second conductive line pattern layers 121 and 123 may be formed of a metal selected from the group consisting of Al, Cr, Au, Ag, Cu, Ni, Fe, W, Co, Mo, or an alloy thereof, an oxide thereof, or a nitride thereof, but this is not a limitation of the inventive concept.
In an exemplary embodiment, the first and second conductive line pattern layers 121 and 123 may include Al, or may also include Ti or Mo on top of Al, but the present invention is not limited thereto. More specifically, in response to the first and second conductive line pattern layers 121 and 123 formed of Al alone, the protrusion may be generated during a subsequent process according to the temperature of the subsequent process. As a result, the top surfaces of the first and second conductive line pattern layers 121 and 123 may become irregular, and the optical properties of the first and second conductive line pattern layers 121 and 123 may be deteriorated. In order to prevent the generation of the protrusion, Ti or Mo may be additionally formed on Al.
The insulating
The
The
The first conductive
Fig. 10A to 15B are sectional views taken along line a-a 'or B-B' of fig. 1.
Referring to fig. 10A and 10B, a plurality of line-mask patterns 140A and non-line mask patterns 140B may be formed by multi-patterning of the
The
Fig. 16A to 17B are sectional views illustrating the fabrication of a
The multi-patterning of the
Referring to fig. 16A and 16B, a first conductive
Referring to fig. 17A and 17B, a
The
Fig. 18A and 18B are sectional views illustrating the fabrication of a
The multi-patterning of the
Referring to fig. 18A and 18B, a first conductive
The line mask pattern 140A and the non-line mask pattern 140B of fig. 10A and 10B may be obtained using the above-described process.
Referring to fig. 11A and 11B, a plurality of hard
Referring to fig. 12A and 12B, a plurality of second
By utilizing an etching condition having a high etching selectivity ratio of the second conductive
Referring to fig. 13A and 13B, a plurality of insulating
The insulating
Referring to fig. 14A and 14B, a plurality of first
A wire grid polarizer may be used as shown in fig. 14A and 14B. Alternatively, an additional process of patterning the insulating
Although the preferred embodiments have been described for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the inventive concept as disclosed in the accompanying claims.
This application claims priority from korean patent application No.10-2014-0173737, filed in 5.12.2014 in the korean intellectual property office, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
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