Photomask, laminate comprising photomask, photomask preparation method, pattern forming apparatus using photomask and pattern forming method using photomask

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10732500-B2
Application number	US-201615580239-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 28, 2016
Priority date	Jul 28, 2015
Publication date	Aug 4, 2020
Grant date	Aug 4, 2020

Abstract

The present specification relates to a photomask, a laminate including the photomask, a method for manufacturing the photomask, a device for forming a pattern using the photomask, and a method for forming a pattern using the photomask.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A photomask comprising:
a substrate;
a shielding mask pattern provided on the substrate; and
a transparent planarization layer located on a surface of the substrate provided with the shielding mask pattern,
wherein:
the shielding mask pattern is a metal pattern,
the metal pattern is formed with at least one of copper (Cu), aluminum (Al), nickel (Ni), and gold (Au),
the shielding mask pattern has a thickness of greater than or equal to 100 nm and less than or equal to 500 nm,
the transparent planarization layer has a thickness of greater than or equal to 30 μm and less than or equal to 500 μm,
the thickness of the transparent planarization layer is larger than a thickness of the shielding mask pattern, and
the transparent planarization layer has surface roughness (Ra) of 0.1 nm to 20 nm.

2. The photomask of claim 1 , wherein a distance from one point where the transparent planarization layer is in contact with the substrate to a surface of the transparent planarization layer opposite to the surface adjoining the substrate provided with the shielding mask pattern is higher than a height of the shielding mask pattern.

3. The photomask of claim 1 , wherein the transparent planarization layer includes a silicone-based resin.

4. The photomask of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is a flexible substrate.

5. The photomask of claim 1 , wherein the photomask is stored as being wound around a roll so as to be used in a roll-to-roll process.

6. A laminate comprising:
an exposure target including a base plate and a photoresist layer provided on the base plate; and
a photomask of claim 1 ,
wherein the photoresist layer of the exposure target is in contact with the transparent planarization layer of the photomask.

7. The laminate of claim 6 , wherein the photoresist layer is a positive photoresist layer.

8. The laminate of claim 6 , wherein the exposure target further includes a metal layer provided between the base plate and the photoresist layer.

9. A device for forming a pattern comprising:
a base plate unwinding unit and an exposure target winding unit;
a coating unit coating a photoresist on a base plate supplied from the base plate unwinding unit;
a drying unit drying an exposure target comprising the base plate coated with the photoresist;
a photomask supplying unit supplying a photomask including a shielding mask pattern provided on a substrate and a transparent planarization layer located on a surface of the substrate provided with the shielding mask pattern;
a photomask collecting unit collecting the photomask;
a laminate unit pressurizing the exposure target and the photomask so that the photoresist of the base plate of the exposure target is in contact with the transparent planarization layer of the photomask; and
an exposure unit irradiating light from a side of the substrate of the photomask,
wherein the laminate unit includes two pairs of pressure rolls, and the exposure unit is provided between the two pairs of pressure rolls.

10. The device for forming a pattern of claim 9 , wherein the base plate supplied from the base plate unwinding unit is a base plate provided with a metal layer on one surface, and the coating unit coats the photoresist on the metal layer.

11. The device for forming a pattern of claim 9 , wherein the drying unit is an infrared drying unit.

12. The device for forming a pattern of claim 9 , further comprising a developing unit developing the exposure target exposed by the exposure unit.

13. A method for manufacturing a photomask comprising:
forming a shielding mask pattern on a substrate, wherein the shielding mask pattern is a metal pattern, wherein the metal pattern is formed with at least one of copper (Cu), aluminum (Al), nickel (Ni), and gold (Au); and
forming a transparent planarization layer located on a surface of the substrate provided with the shielding mask pattern, wherein the transparent planarization layer has a thickness of greater than or equal to 30 μm and less than or equal to 500 μm.

14. The method for manufacturing a photomask of claim 13 , wherein the forming of the transparent planarization layer includes coating a composition including a silicone-based resin on a surface of the substrate provided with the shielding mask pattern; and
drying and curing the composition.

15. A method for forming a pattern comprising:
preparing an exposure target including a photoresist layer provided on a base plate;
laminating so that the photoresist layer of the exposure target is in contact with a transparent planarization layer of the photomask, wherein the transparent planarization layer has a thickness of greater than or equal to 30 μm and less than or equal to 500 μm, which including a shielding mask pattern provided on a substrate and the transparent planarization layer located on a surface of the substrate provided with the shielding mask pattern, wherein the shielding mask pattern is a metal pattern, wherein the metal pattern is formed with at least one of copper (Cu), aluminum (Al), nickel (Ni), and gold (Au);
exposing by irradiating light from a side of the substrate of the photomask; and
separating the photomask from the exposure target after the exposing.

16. The method for forming a pattern of claim 15 , further comprising forming a photoresist pattern by developing the exposed exposure target after separating the photomask.

17. The method for forming a pattern of claim 15 , wherein the exposure target further includes a metal layer provided between the base plate and the photoresist layer.

18. The method for forming a pattern of claim 17 , further comprising:
forming a photoresist pattern by developing the exposed exposure target after separating the photomask; and
forming a metal pattern by etching a part of the metal layer where the photoresist pattern is not formed.

Assignees

• Lg Chemical Ltd

Inventors

• Son Yong Goo
• Lee Seung Heon

Classifications

• G03F1/48 Primary

  Protective coatings · CPC title

• G03F1/38 Primary

  Masks having auxiliary features, e.g. special coatings or marks for alignment or testing; Preparation thereof · CPC title

• G03F7/7035

  Proximity or contact printers · CPC title

• G03F7/30

  Imagewise removal using liquid means · CPC title

• G03F7/2014

  Contact or film exposure of light sensitive plates such as lithographic plates or circuit boards, e.g. in a vacuum frame · CPC title