Adjusting Photoresist Curing Temperature to Eliminate Electrostatic Breakdown from Etching Residues

Abstract

A narrow-bezel display is preferred by geological researchers for endowing intelligent navigation terminals with the desired large screen. Etching residues of indium tin oxide (ITO) induce electrostatic breakdown of the unit of the gate driver on the array (GOA), and cause the screen to suffer from abnormal display. In this work, adjusting the photoresist curing temperature is proposed to reduce the electrostatic breakdown. Five ITO films with different crystal structures are prepared at varied curing temperatures. A systematic investigation is conducted on the film composition, surface morphology, photoresist pattern, residual distribution, and device assembly verification. The results show that the suitable temperature of 100 °C leads to an ITO film with the desired performances, i.e., the best photoresist pattern, the lowest crystallinity, and the least etching residues. Moreover, a 20-in. GOA display assembled with ITO film cured at 100 °C exhibits the lowest incidence of electrostatic breakdown (∼3.5%). This work optimizes the industrial preparation of ITO films to lower incidence of electrostatic breakdown in GOA and make a narrow bezel display applicable for geological expeditions.