Display panel and method of manufacturing the same

Abstract

In a display panel and a method of manufacturing the display panel, a gate line, a data line, and source and drain electrodes including a same material as the data line are formed on a substrate constituting the display panel, and the data line includes an aluminum based alloy containing sufficient nickel to inhibit corrosion during dry etching. The corrosion resistance of the AlNi-containing alloy helps prevent corrosion of the data line, the source electrode, and the drain electrode during selective dry etching that shapes these lines and electrodes.

1 . A display panel comprising:
 a first substrate;   a second substrate facing the first substrate;   a gate line arranged on the first substrate;   a data line arranged on the first substrate to define a pixel area together with the gate line, the data line including an aluminum based alloy containing nickel;   a source electrode branched from the data line to include a same material as the data line;   a drain electrode spaced apart from the source electrode to include a same material as the data line; and   a pixel electrode electrically connected to the drain electrode and arranged in the pixel area.   
   
   
       2 . The display panel of  claim 1 , wherein the gate line comprises a same material as the data line. 
   
   
       3 . The display panel of Claim  1 , wherein the aluminum based alloy further comprises lanthanum. 
   
   
       4 . The display panel of  claim 1 , wherein the aluminum based alloy further comprises boron. 
   
   
       5 . The display panel of  claim 1 , wherein each of the data line, the source electrode, and the drain electrode comprises a conductive layer comprising at least one of molybdenum, titanium, and tantalum. 
   
   
       6 . The display panel of  claim 5 , wherein the aluminum based alloy comprising the conductive layer has a (111) preferential orientation. 
   
   
       7 . The display panel of  claim 5 , wherein the conductive layer has a thickness of about 50 angstroms to about 1000 angstroms. 
   
   
       8 . The display panel of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 a gate electrode branched from the gate line; and   a semiconductor pattern arranged on the gate electrode and under the source and drain electrodes and making contact with the conductive layer.   
   
   
       9 . A method of manufacturing a display panel, comprising:
 preparing a first substrate;   forming a gate line on the first substrate;   forming a semiconductor pattern partially overlapped with the gate line;   forming a data line on the first substrate to define a pixel area together with the gate line;   forming a source electrode branched from the data line in the pixel area;   forming a drain electrode spaced apart from the source electrode in the pixel area and the drain electrode comprising a same material as the source electrode;   forming a pixel electrode electrically connected to the drain electrode in the pixel area; and   combining the first substrate and the second substrate,   wherein the source and drain electrodes are formed by:
 forming on the first substrate, an aluminum based alloy layer containing a sufficient amount of nickel to substantially inhibit corrosion during dry etching of the aluminum based alloy layer; and 
   patterning the aluminum based alloy layer.   
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the gate line comprises a same material as the data line. 
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the aluminum based alloy layer further comprises lanthanum. 
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the aluminum based alloy layer further comprises boron. 
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the data line, the source electrode, and the drain electrode are formed by:
 forming a conductive layer comprising at least one of molybdenum, titanium, and tantalum on the first substrate prior to forming the aluminum based alloy layer; and   patterning the conductive layer.   
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the aluminum based alloy comprising the conductive layer has a (111) preferential orientation. 
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the semiconductor pattern is formed under the source and drain electrodes and makes contact with the conductive layer. 
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the conductive layer has a thickness of about 50 angstroms to about 1000 angstroms. 
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the data line, the source electrode, and the drain electrode are shaped by a dry etching method.