# US 9,040,344 B2 · Method for fabricating array substrate, array substrate and display device

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- Number: US 9,040,344 B2
- Document ID: US9040344B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/984,090
- Filed: 2012-12-13
- Published: 2014-06-19
- Granted: 2015-05-26
- Earliest claimed: 2012-07-20
- Assignees: Boe Technology Group Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Boe Technology Group Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Seungjin Choi; Heecheol Kim; Youngsuk Song; Seongyeol Yoo
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9040344B2

## CPC

- H10D 30/6755: {Oxide semiconductors, e.g. zinc oxide, copper aluminium oxide or cadmium stannate}
- G02F 1/134363: {for applying an electric field parallel to the substrate, i.e. in-plane switching [IPS]}
- H10D 86/201: {the substrates comprising an insulating layer on a semiconductor body, e.g. SOI (H10D86/40 take precedence)}
- H10D 86/423: {comprising semiconductor materials not belonging to the Group IV, e.g. InGaZnO}
- H10D 86/60: wherein the TFTs are in active matrices
- H10P 14/3434: {being oxide semiconductor materials (Group IIB-VIA semiconductor materials H10P14/3424)}
- H10P 14/38: {characterised by treatments done after the formation of the materials}
- G02F 1/134372: {for fringe field switching [FFS] where the common electrode is not patterned}
- G02F 1/136231: {for reducing the number of lithographic steps}
- H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
- G02F: OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

A method for fabricating array substrate, an array substrate and a display device. The method for fabricating the array substrate comprises forming a thin film transistor, a first transparent electrode (14) and a second transparent electrode (19), wherein a multi dimensional electric field is created by the first transparent electrode (17) and the second transparent electrode (19), wherein forming the first transparent electrode (17) comprises: forming a metal oxide film presenting semiconductor properties; forming the first transparent electrode (17) by subjecting a portion of the metal oxide film to metallization treatment, and forming a semiconductor active layer (141) from a portion which is not subjected to the metallization treatment.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for fabricating an array substrate, comprising forming a thin film transistor, a first transparent electrode and a second transparent electrode, wherein a multi dimensional electric field is created by the first transparent electrode and the second transparent electrode, wherein, forming the first transparent electrode comprises:
forming a metal oxide film presenting semiconductor properties;
forming the first transparent electrode by subjecting a portion of the metal oxide film to metallization treatment, and forming a semiconductor active layer from a portion which is not subjected to the metallization treatment,
wherein forming the thin film transistor, the first transparent electrode and the second transparent electrode comprises:
sequentially forming the metal oxide film and an etching barrier layer film on the substrate having a gate line, a gate electrode and a gate insulating layer formed thereon;
forming an etching barrier layer covering a TFT channel region by treating the etching barrier layer film with patterning process;
subjecting the metal oxide film not covered by the etching barrier layer to metallization treatment, to form a metal oxide film having conductor properties; forming the semiconductor active layer from the portion of the metal oxide film that is covered by the etching barrier layer and is not subjected to the metallization treatment;
after the metallization treatment, forming the first transparent electrode and a source connecting electrode, a drain connecting electrode connected to the semiconductor active layer by etching the metal oxide film having conductor properties with a photoresist pattern thereon as a mask;
forming a source electrode, a drain electrode, a data line, a passivation layer and the second transparent electrode on the substrate having the semiconductor active layer, the etching barrier layer and the first transparent electrode formed thereon, wherein the source electrode is electrically connected to the source connecting electrode, and the drain electrode is electrically connected to the drain connecting electrode,
wherein,
the method further comprises forming the gate line, the gate electrode and a common electrode line on the substrate and forming a gate insulating layer on the substrate, the gate line, the gate electrode and the common electrode line, prior to sequentially forming the metal oxide film and the etching barrier layer film on the substrate having the gate line, the gate electrode and the gate insulating layer formed thereon;
forming the source electrode, the drain electrode, the data line, the passivation layer and the second transparent electrode on the substrate having the semiconductor active layer, the etching barrier layer and the first transparent electrode formed thereon comprises: forming the data line, the source electrode, and the drain electrode electrically connected to the first transparent electrode on the substrate having the semiconductor active layer, the etching barrier layer and the first transparent electrode formed thereon, forming the passivation layer containing a first through hole, the first through hole passing through the passivation layer and the gate insulating layer so as to expose the common electrode line; and forming the second transparent electrode on the passivation layer, the second transparent electrode being electrically connected to the common electrode line via the first through hole.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein forming the first transparent electrode by subjecting a portion of the metal oxide film to metallization treatment comprises:
forming the first transparent electrode by subjecting a portion of the metal oxide film to metallization treatment by plasma process or annealing process.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein the first transparent electrode is a pixel electrode or a common electrode.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the metal oxide film is a transparent metal oxide material presenting semiconductor properties.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein the metal oxide material is InGaZnO, InGaO, ITZO, AlZnO.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

An array substrate, fabricated by the method of claim 1.

### Claim 7

A method for fabricating an array substrate, comprising forming a thin film transistor, a first transparent electrode and a second transparent electrode, wherein a multi dimensional electric field is created by the first transparent electrode and the second transparent electrode, wherein, forming the first transparent electrode comprises:
forming a metal oxide film presenting semiconductor properties;
forming the first transparent electrode by subjecting a portion of the metal oxide film to metallization treatment, and forming a semiconductor active layer from a portion which is not subjected to the metallization treatment,
wherein forming the thin film transistor, the first transparent electrode and the second transparent electrode comprises:
sequentially forming the metal oxide film and an etching barrier layer film on the substrate having a gate line, a gate electrode and a gate insulating layer formed thereon;
forming an etching barrier layer covering a TFT channel region by treating the etching barrier layer film with patterning process;
subjecting the metal oxide film not covered by the etching barrier layer to metallization treatment, to form a metal oxide film having conductor properties; forming the semiconductor active layer from the portion of the metal oxide film that is covered by the etching barrier layer and is not subjected to the metallization treatment;
after the metallization treatment forming the first transparent electrode and a source connecting electrode, a drain connecting electrode connected to the semiconductor active layer by etching the metal oxide film having conductor properties with patterning process a photoresist pattern thereon as a mask;
forming a source electrode, a drain electrode, a data line, a passivation layer and the second transparent electrode on the substrate having the semiconductor active layer, the etching barrier layer and the first transparent electrode formed thereon, wherein the source electrode is electrically connected to the source connecting electrode, and the drain electrode is electrically connected to the drain connecting electrode,
wherein,
the method further comprises forming the gate line, the gate electrode, a common electrode line and a gate insulating layer on the substrate, and forming a second through hole on the gate insulating layer for connecting the first transparent electrode with the common electrode line, prior to sequentially forming the metal oxide film and the etching barrier layer film on the substrate having the gate line, the gate electrode and the gate insulating layer formed thereon;
forming the source electrode, the drain electrode, the data line, the passivation layer and the second transparent electrode on the substrate having the semiconductor active layer, the etching barrier layer and the first transparent electrode formed thereon comprises: forming the source electrode, the drain electrode, and the data line on the substrate having the semiconductor active layer, the etching barrier layer and the first transparent electrode formed thereon; forming the passivation layer containing a third through hole, the third through hole passing through the passivation layer so as to expose the drain electrode; and forming the second transparent electrode on the passivation layer, the second transparent electrode being electrically connected to the drain electrode via the third through hole.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein forming the first transparent electrode by subjecting a portion of the metal oxide film to metallization treatment comprises:
forming the first transparent electrode by subjecting a portion of the metal oxide film to metallization treatment by plasma process or annealing process.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the first transparent electrode is a pixel electrode or a common electrode.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein the metal oxide film is a transparent metal oxide material presenting semiconductor properties.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the metal oxide material is InGaZnO, InGaO, ITZO, AlZnO.