# US 2010/0167476 A1 · Photoresist composition and method of fabricating thin film transistor substrate

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- Number: US 2010/0167476 A1
- Document ID: US20100167476A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 12/620,988
- Filed: 2009-11-18
- Published: 2010-07-01
- Earliest claimed: 2008-12-29
- Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Sang-Hyun Yun; Wook-Seok Jeon; Jung-In Park; Hi-Kuk Lee; Byung-Uk Kim; Dong-Min Kim; Seung-Ki Kim; Ja-Hun Byeon
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20100167476A1

## CPC

- G03F 7/0236: {Condensation products of carbonyl compounds and phenolic compounds, e.g. novolak resins}
- H10D 30/0316: {of lateral bottom-gate TFTs comprising only a single gate}
- H10D 30/0321: {comprising silicon, e.g. amorphous silicon or polysilicon}
- G03F 7/022: Quinonediazides (G03F7/075 takes precedence)
- H10D 86/0231: {using masks, e.g. half-tone masks}
- G03F: PHOTOMECHANICAL PRODUCTION OF TEXTURED OR PATTERNED SURFACES, e.g. FOR PRINTING, FOR PROCESSING OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; MATERIALS THEREFOR; ORIGINALS THEREFOR; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED THEREFOR; (phototypographic composing devices B41B; photosensitive materials or processes for photographic purposes G03C; electrophotography, sensitive layers or processes therefor G03G)
- H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES

## Abstract

The present invention relates to a photoresist composition for digital exposure and a method of fabricating a thin film transistor substrate. The photoresist composition for digital exposure includes a binder resin including a novolak resin and a compound represented by the chemical formula (1), a photosensitizer including a diazide-based compound, and a solvent: wherein R1-R9 each include a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, or a benzyl group, a is an integer from 0 to 10, b is an integer from 0 to 100, and c is an integer from 0 to 10.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A photoresist composition for digital exposure, comprising:
a binder resin comprising a novolak resin and a compound represented by chemical formula (1);
a photosensitizer comprising a diazide-based compound; and
a solvent:
wherein R1-R9 each comprise a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, or a benzyl group, a is an integer from 0 to 10, b is an integer from 0 to 100, and c is an integer from 0 to 10.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The photoresist composition of claim 1, wherein the photoresist composition comprises 5 to 30 weight % of the binder resin, the photoresist composition comprises 2 to 10 weight % of the photosensitizer, and the remainder of the photoresist composition comprises the solvent, based on a total weight of the photoresist composition.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The photoresist composition of claim 1, wherein the novolak resin has a weight average molecular weight ranging from 2,000 to 20,000, and the compound represented by the chemical formula (1) has a weight average molecular weight ranging from 2,000 to 20,000.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The photoresist composition of claim 3, wherein the novolak resin and the compound represented by the chemical formula (1) are mixed in a mixing ratio by weight ranging from 1:99 to 80:20.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The photoresist composition of claim 3, wherein the novolak resin comprises a meta-cresol novolak component and a para-cresol novolak component, the meta-cresol novolak component and the para-cresol component comprising a mixing ratio by weight ranging from 30:70 to 70:30.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The photoresist composition of claim 1, wherein the photo sensitizer further comprises a compound represented by chemical formula (2):
wherein R1-R4 each comprise 2-diazo-1-naphthol-5-sulfonyl, a hydrogen atom, or an alkyl group, and R5-R8 each comprise a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, or a benzyl group.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The photoresist composition of claim 6, wherein the diazide-based compound and the compound represented by chemical formula (2) are mixed in a mixing ratio by weight ranging from about 1:99 to 80:20.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The photoresist composition of claim 7, wherein the diazide-based compound is at least one selected from the group consisting of 2,3,4-trihydroxybenzophenone-1,2-naphthoquinone diazide-5-sulfonate and 2,3,4,4′-tetrahydroxybenzophenone-1,2-naphthoquinone diazide-5-sulfonate.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The photoresist composition of claim 1, wherein the solvent is at least one selected from the group consisting of propyleneglycol monoethylether acetate (PGMEA), ethyl lactate (EL), ethyl cellosolve acetate (ECA), 2-methoxyethylacetate, γ-butyrolactone (GBL), methyl methoxy propionate (MMP), ethyl-β-ethoxypropionate (EEP), propylene glycol monomethyl ether (PGME), n propyl acetate (nPAC), and n-butyl acetate (nBA).

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The photoresist composition of claim 1, further comprising at least one selected from the group consisting of a coloring agent, a dying agent, a streation preventing agent, a plasticizer, an adhesion promoting agent, a photospeed enhancer, and a surfactant.

### Claim 11

A method of fabricating a thin film transistor (TFT) substrate using a photoresist composition, the method comprising:
forming a gate electrode on a substrate;
forming a gate insulating film on the gate electrode;
forming a semiconductor layer on the gate insulating film;
forming a source electrode and a drain electrode on the semiconductor layer; and
forming a pixel electrode connected to the drain electrode, wherein at least one of the respective steps comprises a photolithography process, which comprises the steps of:
forming a layer made of either a conductive material or a non-conductive material;
forming a composition comprising a binder resin having a novolak resin and a compound represented by the chemical formula (1), a photosensitizer comprising a diazide-based compound, and a solvent;
forming a photoresist film using the composition;
forming a photoresist pattern by exposing and developing the photoresist film; and
etching the layer using the photoresist pattern:
wherein R1-R9 each comprise a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, or a benzyl group, a is an integer from 0 to 10, b is an integer from 0 to 100, and c is an integer from 0 to 10.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the exposing is performed using a digital exposure apparatus.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein the digital exposure apparatus comprises a micro-mirror device and a laser beam oscillator.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein the photoresist composition comprises 5 to 30 weight % of the binder resin, the photoresist composition comprises 2 to 10 weight % of the photosensitizer, and the remainder of the photoresist composition comprises the solvent, based on a total weight of the photoresist composition.

### Claim 15 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein the novolak resin has a weight average molecular weight ranging from 2,000 to 20,000, and the compound represented by the chemical formula (1) has a weight average molecular weight ranging from 2,000 to 20,000.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein the novolak resin and the compound represented by the chemical formula (1) are mixed in a mixing ratio by weight ranging from 1:99 to 80:20.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein the novolak resin comprises a meta-cresol novolak component and a para-cresol component, the meta-cresol novolak component and the para-cresol novolak component comprising a mixing ratio by weight ranging from 30:70 to 70:30.

### Claim 18 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein the photosensitizer further comprises a compound represented by the chemical formula (2):
wherein R1-R4 each comprise 2-diazo-1-naphthol-5-sulfonyl, a hydrogen atom, or an alkyl group, and R5-R8 each comprise a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group or a benzyl group.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, wherein the diazide-based compound and the compound represented by the chemical formula (2) are mixed in a mixing ratio by weight ranging from about 1:99 to 80:20.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, wherein the diazide based photosensitive compound is at least one selected from the group consisting of 2,3,4-trihydroxybenzophenone-1,2-naphthoquinone diazide-5-sulfonate and 2,3,4,4′-tetrahydroxybenzophenone-1,2-naphthoquinone diazide-5-sulfonate.

### Claim 21 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein the solvent is at least one selected from the group consisting of propyleneglycol monoethylether acetate (PGMEA), ethyl lactate (EL), ethyl cellosolve acetate (ECA), 2-methoxyethylacetate, γ-butyrolactone (GBL), methyl methoxy propionate (MMP), ethyl-β-ethoxypropionate (EEP), propylene glycol monomethyl ether (PGME), n propyl acetate (nPAC), and n-butyl acetate (nBA).

### Claim 22 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein the photoresist composition further comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of a coloring agent, a dying agent, a streation preventing agent, a plasticizer, an adhesion promoting agent, a photospeed enhancer, and a surfactant.