Silver alloy material, circuit substrate, electronic device, and method for manufacturing circuit substrate

Abstract

A circuit substrate of the present invention uses as component materials for gate lines and gate electrodes, silver alloy material containing silver as a main component, and at least one element selected from the group consisting of tin, zinc, lead, bismuth, indium, and gallium. It is especially preferable that the silver alloy material mainly consisting of silver and containing indium is used for the gate lines and the gate electrodes. With this, it is possible to provide silver alloy material whose resistance value, adhesion, plasma resistance, and reflection characteristics can be appropriately adjusted by the adjustment of the content of indium. Further, it is also possible to apply the alloy in accordance with the characteristic required for each part of the circuit substrate.

1 . A silver alloy material for composing lines and/or electrodes formed on an insulation substrate, comprising: 
 silver as a main component; and    at least one element selected from the group consisting of tin, zinc, lead, bismuth, indium, and gallium.    
     
     
         2 . The silver alloy material as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the element includes at least zinc.    
     
     
         3 . The silver alloy material as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the element includes at least indium.    
     
     
         4 . The silver alloy material as set forth in  claim 3 , wherein: 
 a content of indium with respect to silver is in a range of not less than 0.5% by weight and not more than 28% by weight.    
     
     
         5 . The silver alloy material as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein: 
 a composition range of silver and the element is set such that an electric resistivity of the silver alloy material is not more than 10 μΩcm.    
     
     
         6 . The silver alloy material as set forth in  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 at least an element selected from the group consisting of aluminum, copper, nickel, gold, platinum, palladium, cobalt, rhodium, iridium, ruthenium, osmium, titanium, zirconium, hafnium, vanadium, niobium, tantalum, chromium, molybdenum, tungsten, and neodymium.    
     
     
         7 . A circuit substrate, comprising: 
 lines and/or electrodes composed of a silver alloy material for composing lines and/or electrodes formed on an insulation substrate, the silver alloy material containing (i) silver as a main component and (ii) at least one element selected from the group consisting of tin, zinc, lead, bismuth, indium, and gallium.    
     
     
         8 . An electronic device, comprising: 
 a circuit substrate which includes lines and/or electrodes composed of a silver alloy material for composing lines and/or electrodes formed on an insulation substrate, the silver alloy material containing (i) silver as a main component and (ii) at least one element selected from the group consisting of tin, zinc, lead, bismuth, indium, and gallium.    
     
     
         9 . A display device, comprising: 
 a circuit substrate which includes lines and/or electrodes composed of a silver alloy material for composing lines and/or electrodes formed on an insulation substrate, the silver alloy material containing (i) silver as a main component and (ii) at least one element selected from the group consisting of tin, zinc, lead, bismuth, indium, and gallium,    said circuit substrate being used as a circuit substrate for display.    
     
     
         10 . A liquid crystal display device, comprising: 
 a circuit substrate which includes lines and/or electrodes composed of a silver alloy material for composing lines and/or electrodes formed on an insulation substrate, the silver alloy material containing (i) silver as a main component and (ii) at least one element selected from the group consisting of tin, zinc, lead, bismuth, indium, and gallium,    said circuit substrate being used as a circuit substrate for liquid crystal display.    
     
     
         11 . A sputtering target for forming lines and/or electrodes, comprising: 
 silver as a main component; and    at least one element selected from the group consisting of tin, zinc, lead, bismuth, indium, and gallium.    
     
     
         12 . An evaporation source for forming lines and/or electrodes, comprising: 
 silver as a main component; and    at least one element selected from the group consisting of tin, zinc, lead, bismuth, indium, and gallium.    
     
     
         13 . A fluid metal-containing material for forming lines and/or electrodes, comprising: 
 silver as a main component; and    at least one element selected from the group consisting of tin, zinc, lead, bismuth, indium, and gallium.    
     
     
         14 . A method for manufacturing a circuit substrate, comprising the step of: 
 forming lines and/or electrodes on an insulation substrate using either (A) a sputtering target for forming lines and/or electrodes, said sputtering target containing (i) silver as a main component and (ii) at least one element selected from the group consisting of tin, zinc, lead, bismuth, indium, and gallium; (B) an evaporation source for forming lines and/or electrodes, said evaporation source containing (i) silver as a main component and (ii) at least one element selected from the group consisting of tin, zinc, lead, bismuth, indium, and gallium; or (C) a fluid metal-containing material for forming lines and/or electrodes, said fluid metal-containing material containing (i) silver as a main component and (ii) at least one element selected from the group consisting of tin, zinc, lead, bismuth, indium, and gallium.    
     
     
         15 . A silver alloy material for composing (A) lines and/or electrodes or (B) a light reflecting film formed on an insulation substrate, comprising: 
 silver as a main component; and    at least indium.    
     
     
         16 . The silver alloy material as set forth in  claim 15 , wherein: 
 a content of indium with respect to silver is not more than 0.5% by weight.    
     
     
         17 . The silver alloy material as set forth in  claim 15 , wherein: 
 a content of indium with respect to silver is not more than 0.2% by weight.    
     
     
         18 . A circuit substrate, comprising: 
 lines and/or electrodes composed of a silver alloy material for composing (A) lines and/or electrodes or (B) a light reflecting film formed on an insulation substrate, the silver alloy material containing (i) silver as a main component and (ii) at least indium in an amount of not more than 0.5% by weight with respect to silver.    
     
     
         19 . An electronic device, comprising: 
 a circuit substrate which includes lines and/or electrodes composed of a silver alloy material for composing (A) lines and/or electrodes or (B) a light reflecting film formed on an insulation substrate, the silver alloy material containing (i) silver as a main component and (ii) at least indium in an amount of not more than 0.5% by weight with respect to silver.    
     
     
         20 . A display device, comprising: 
 a circuit substrate which includes lines and/or electrodes composed of a silver alloy material for composing (A) lines and/or electrodes or (B) a light reflecting film formed on an insulation substrate, the silver alloy material containing (i) silver as a main component and (ii) at least indium in an amount of not more than 0.5% by weight with respect to silver,    said circuit substrate being used as a circuit substrate for display.    
     
     
         21 . A liquid crystal display device, comprising: 
 a circuit substrate which includes lines and/or electrodes composed of a silver alloy material for composing (A) lines and/or electrodes or (B) a light reflecting film formed on an insulation substrate, the silver alloy material containing (i) silver as a main component and (ii) at least indium in an amount of not more than 0.5% by weight with respect to silver,    said circuit substrate being used as a circuit substrate for liquid crystal display.    
     
     
         22 . A display device, comprising: 
 a light reflecting film composed of a silver alloy material for composing (A) lines and/or electrodes or (B) a light reflecting film formed on an insulation substrate, the silver alloy material containing (i) silver as a main component and (ii) at least indium in an amount of not more than 0.5% by weight with respect to silver,    said light reflecting film being used for display.    
     
     
         23 . A display device, comprising: 
 a light reflecting film composed of a silver alloy material for composing (A) lines and/or electrodes or (B) a light reflecting film formed on an insulation substrate, the silver alloy material containing (i) silver as a main component and (ii) at least indium in an amount of not more than 0.2% by weight with respect to silver,    said light reflecting film being used for display.    
     
     
         24 . A circuit substrate including lines formed on a substrate, wherein: 
 at least two portions in a same line have different characteristics from one another.    
     
     
         25 . A circuit substrate including lines formed on a substrate, wherein: 
 at least two portions in a same line have different composition ratios from one another.    
     
     
         26 . A circuit substrate including lines formed on a substrate, wherein: 
 at least two portions in a same line have different component materials from one another.    
     
     
         27 . The circuit substrate as set forth in  claim 24 , wherein: 
 the same line is composed of a single layer.    
     
     
         28 . The circuit substrate as set forth in  claim 24 , wherein: 
 the same line is composed of multiple layers.    
     
     
         29 . The circuit substrate as set forth in  claim 24 , wherein: 
 the lines are composed of metal mainly consisting of silver, aluminum, or copper.    
     
     
         30 . The circuit substrate as set forth in  claim 29 , wherein: 
 the lines are composed of alloy that contains the metal and at least one metal selected from the group consisting of aluminum, indium, tin, bismuth, gallium, lead, copper, gold, silver, cobalt, nickel, palladium, platinum, rhodium, vanadium, titanium, zirconium, niobium, tantalum, tungsten, hafnium, osmium, and iridium.    
     
     
         31 . The circuit substrate as set forth in  claim 30 , wherein: 
 the lines are composed of silver-indium alloy that contains silver as a main component and indium.    
     
     
         32 . The circuit substrate as set forth in  claim 31 , wherein: 
 the silver-indium alloy contains indium in an amount of not less than 0.5% by weight and not more than 28% by weight with respect to silver.    
     
     
         33 . The circuit substrate as set forth in  claim 24 , wherein: 
 the lines are composed of fluid materials containing a conductive material.    
     
     
         34 . The circuit substrate as set forth in  claim 33 , wherein: 
 the fluid materials containing the conductive material which are used for the portions having different characteristics contain a solvent and/or an organic matter in the same system.    
     
     
         35 . A method for manufacturing a circuit substrate that includes lines formed on the circuit substrate, comprising the step of: 
 forming the lines using an ink-jet method, so that at least two portions in a same line have different characteristics from one another.    
     
     
         36 . An electronic device, comprising: 
 a circuit substrate which includes lines formed on the circuit substrate, at least two portions in a same line having different characteristics from one another in said circuit substrate.    
     
     
         37 . A display device, comprising: 
 a circuit substrate which includes lines formed on the circuit substrate, at least two portions in a same line having different characteristics from one another in said circuit substrate,    said circuit substrate being used as a circuit substrate for display.    
     
     
         38 . A liquid crystal display device, comprising: 
 a circuit substrate which includes lines formed on the circuit substrate, at least two portions in a same line having different characteristics from one another in said circuit substrate,    said circuit substrate being used as a circuit substrate for liquid crystal display.