| HS Code | 670182 |
| Chemical Composition | Acrylate-based polymer with photoinitiator and solvents |
| Viscosity | 2-50 cP at 25°C |
| Solids Content | 20-40% |
| Specific Gravity | 1.0-1.2 g/cm³ |
| Photospeed | 10-100 mJ/cm² depending on exposure wavelength |
| Resolution | 1-5 μm line/space |
| Adhesion To Substrate | Excellent on glass and ITO surfaces |
| Thermal Stability | Stable up to 200-250°C |
| Storage Life | 6-12 months at 5-10°C in dark conditions |
| Developer Compatibility | Soluble in aqueous alkaline developer such as TMAH 2.38% |
| Optical Transmittance | Greater than 90% for transparent positive-tone films |
| Dielectric Constant | 3.0-4.0 at 1 MHz |
As an accredited LCD Photoresist factory, we enforce strict quality protocols—every batch undergoes rigorous testing to ensure consistent efficacy and safety standards.
| Packing | LCD photoresist is supplied in 1-liter amber glass bottles with PTFE-lined caps, sealed under inert gas. |
| Container Loading (20′ FCL) | Load LCD photoresist drums securely in 20′ FCL, brace tightly, protect from light/moisture, label properly, and ensure ventilation. |
| Shipping | Ship LCD photoresist as UN1993 Flammable Liquid, n.o.s. (Class 3), if not otherwise classified. Use grounded, sealed containers compatible with solvents; avoid heat, sparks, and sunlight. Segregate from oxidizers and foodstuffs. Apply flammable labels, mark accordingly, and follow IMDG/IATA/ADR regulations for temperature control and secondary containment. |
| Storage | Store LCD photoresist in tightly sealed, opaque original containers in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area. Maintain stable temperatures around 20–25°C, away from direct sunlight, heat, and ignition sources. Prevent exposure to air, moisture, and contamination. Keep separated from oxidizers and incompatible materials. Always follow manufacturer’s storage guidelines and handle with appropriate PPE. |
| Shelf Life | Shelf life is typically 6–12 months when stored unopened in a cool, dark, dry environment. |
During fabrication of TFT-LCD color filters on 10.5G substrates measuring 2,940 mm × 3,370 mm, negative-tone acrylate photoresist carrying dispersed organic pigments is slit-coated onto a black-matrix-patterned glass substrate at a wet film thickness of 2.0–2.8 µm. The compliance anchor for the cured color filter layer is RoHS Directive 2011/65/EU Annex II with verification by IEC 62321-5:2013; lead and cadmium are limited to 1,000 mg/kg and 100 mg/kg, while halogen content is held below 900 ppm chlorine, 900 ppm bromine, and 1,500 ppm total halogens according to IEC 61249-2-21. Formulation addition ratios as supplied fall within a total solids range of 18–28 wt% in propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate and 3-methoxybutyl acetate; pigment loading relative to total solids is 12–25 wt%, alkali-soluble acrylic binder is 25–45 wt%, multifunctional acrylate monomer is 20–35 wt%, and photoinitiator is 2–5 wt%. The downstream production process proceeds through vacuum drying at 90–110°C for 90–120 s, proximity exposure at i-line 365 nm with 40–90 mJ/cm², spray development with 0.04–0.05 wt% potassium hydroxide or 0.4 wt% tetramethylammonium hydroxide, and post-bake at 220–230°C for 20–30 min. Terminal product types include smartphone a-Si and LTPS LCD modules, 4K monitor panels, notebook panels, and automotive central information displays requiring ΔE < 3 after 1,000 h at 85°C / 85% RH.
On production slit-coating lines equipped with a slot-die gap of 100–150 µm and coating speeds of 100–200 mm/s, wet film thickness uniformity of ±2% across the long axis is required to avoid cross-subpixel color mixing. A production-scale failure mode has been identified when pigment dispersant depletion occurs under pump recirculation above 15 L/min at >35°C, raising particle counts above 0.5 µm from 3 particles/mL to 12 particles/mL; the resulting pixel edge roughness after development reaches 0.3–0.6 µm and exceeds the ±0.3 µm critical dimension tolerance specified for 500–800 ppi-class mobile display color filters.
Because the primary formulation limitation is the trade-off between optical density per unit film thickness and dispersion stability of high-structure carbon black in a photocurable acrylic matrix, carbon black loading in production spin coating of post-develop films at 1.0–1.5 µm is varied from 15 wt% to 30 wt% of total solids; below 15 wt%, OD per 1.0 µm falls beneath 3.0, and above 30 wt%, the liquid resist viscosity rises beyond 500 mPa·s at 25°C while flocculation accelerates after 72 h at 20–25°C. The compliance anchor for this light-shield layer includes RoHS Directive 2011/65/EU Annex II limits through IEC 62321-5:2013, and automotive display outgassing is screened by VDA 278:2011-10 for total volatile organic compound and fogging condensate. Liquid resist metal contamination is specified below 50 ppb total chromium, sodium, and iron by ICP-MS because residual ions migrate into adjacent indium tin oxide and raise sheet resistance. Formulation addition ratios supplied for the acrylic black matrix system are 15–30 wt% carbon black, 2–6 wt% dispersant relative to carbon black, 30–50 wt% alkali-soluble acrylic binder, 10–20 wt% multifunctional acrylate monomer, 1–3 wt% photoinitiator, with the balance propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate/cyclohexanone. The line sequence applies low-pressure drying at 80–100 Pa for 60–90 s, proximity exposure at 365 nm with 50–150 mJ/cm², post-exposure bake at 100–120°C for 60 s, spray development with 0.04–0.05 wt% KOH, and final cure at 220–230°C for 30 min. Terminal product types include LCD modules for televisions, industrial monitors, automotive dashboards, and outdoor digital signage, where the black matrix must retain optical density after 500 h at 85°C / 85% RH.
| Carbon black loading wt% on total solids | Post-develop film thickness µm | Optical density per µm | Liquid resist viscosity mPa·s at 25°C |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | 1.2 | 3.2–3.6 | 30–60 |
| 20 | 1.0 | 3.8–4.1 | 60–120 |
| 25 | 1.0 | 4.2–4.5 | 120–250 |
| 30 | 0.9 | 4.5–4.8 | 250–500 |
Representative process window data from supplier technical disclosures are tabulated above; selection within these ranges is target-coater specific because developer nozzle pressure and substrate size alter undercut rate. A production-scale failure mode recorded with carbon black dispersant concentration below 2 wt% relative to pigment resulted in agglomeration during 7-day shipment, an OD drop of 0.4–0.6 per µm, and pinhole counts above 5 defects/cm² after development.
Photo spacer photoresist is formulated as a negative-tone acrylic layer that is patterned on array substrates to form columnar cell-gap control features; the critical process window is constrained by post-bake shrinkage of 2–5%, which can shift the final spacer height by 0.06–0.15 µm. For a target spacer height of 2.8 µm, the total height distribution across a 10.5G panel must remain within ±0.2 µm to prevent gravity mura at the panel center and spacer compression at the seal edge. Compliance is anchored to ASTM D3359-17 Method B classification 5B on indium tin oxide and silicon nitride, ISO 2409:2013 classification 0, and SEMI S2-0718 for coater/developer tool integration. Formulation addition ratios supplied by photoresist manufacturers typically include 20–35 wt% alkali-soluble acrylic resin, 5–10 wt% dipentaerythritol hexaacrylate, 0.5–2.0 wt% oxime-ester photoinitiator, 0.05–0.3 wt% silane adhesion promoter, and 60–75 wt% PGMEA/ethyl lactate; total solids are 28–40 wt%. The production process proceeds by spin coating at 500–1,200 rpm for 30–50 s, vacuum contact exposure at 365 nm with 50–100 mJ/cm², post-exposure bake at 110–130°C for 60–90 s, puddle development in 2.38 wt% tetramethylammonium hydroxide for 40–60 s, and final cure at 230–250°C for 30–40 min. Cured spacers must exhibit pencil hardness ≥3H under 500 g load and compressive modulus 3.0–4.0 GPa by nanoindentation to resist cell gap variation under liquid crystal fill pressure. Terminal product types include automotive instrument clusters, avionics displays, industrial HMI panels, and high-brightness outdoor LCD modules requiring cell gap retention over 1,000 h at 85°C / 85% RH.
A recurrent production bottleneck is post-exposure bake hotplate uniformity on 10.5G substrates; if the edge-zone temperature falls by 1.5°C relative to center, spacer top width increases by approximately 0.5 µm and the developed spacer loses 0.10–0.20 µm in post-bake height. Lines equipped with multi-zone hotplates maintaining ±0.5°C control and nitrogen purge at 100–200 L/min show reduced lot-to-lot spacer height variation, while lines using single-zone hotplates report bimodal height distributions requiring rework.
In via-hole and source/drain patterning for a-Si and IGZO thin-film transistor backplanes, positive-tone novolac/diazonaphthoquinone photoresist is spin-coated at 1.2–2.5 µm dry film thickness to serve as a wet-etch mask for aluminum, molybdenum, copper, and indium tin oxide layers. The liquid resist is supplied with novolac resin at 15–25 wt%, diazonaphthoquinone photoactive compound at 2–5 wt%, and solvent at 70–80 wt%; viscosity is controlled to 10–50 mPa·s at 25°C so that spin speeds from 1,500 rpm to 4,000 rpm can be used without bubble entrapment on 10.5G substrates. The compliance anchor includes REACH Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 Annex XVII restrictions for benzene and certain glycol ethers and RoHS Directive 2011/65/EU for the final display module; sodium and potassium are specified below 10 ppb by ICP-MS because the resist contacts semiconductor-grade deposited films. The downstream production sequence consists of soft-bake at 90–110°C for 60–120 s, g/h/i-line exposure at 30–100 mJ/cm², puddle development in 2.38 wt% tetramethylammonium hydroxide at 23±1°C for 40–60 s, hard-bake at 110–130°C for 60–90 s, wet etching in 0.5–1.0 wt% hydrofluoric acid buffer for silicon nitride passivation or halogen acid metal etchants, and stripping with 1.0–3.0 wt% sodium hydroxide. Production track systems use point-of-dispense filtration at 0.1 µm, and batch-to-batch particle counts must remain below 5 particles/mL at 0.5 µm to avoid via-hole scum. Insufficient developer puddle refresh below 60 s leaves scum densities of 10–20 defects/cm² in vias smaller than 5 µm. Terminal product types include LCD modules for desktop monitors, notebook computers, industrial tablets, and automotive navigation units based on a-Si and IGZO TFT arrays.
Deposition of a transparent overcoat on RGB color filter arrays with 0.2–0.4 µm step height uses a photocurable acrylate formulation designed to planarize the black matrix and RGB pixel topography before indium tin oxide sputtering. The formulation addition ratio includes alkali-soluble acrylic copolymer at 20–30 wt%, high-transparency polyfunctional acrylate monomer at 5–12 wt%, photoinitiator at 1–3 wt%, fluorosurfactant leveling agent at 0.1–0.5 wt%, and 60–70 wt% PGMEA/ethyl lactate. Compliance for the cured overcoat is anchored to RoHS Directive 2011/65/EU Annex II, halogen thresholds in IEC 61249-2-21, and outgassing screening by ASTM E595-15 with total mass loss below 1.0% and collected volatile condensable material below 0.1%; transmittance is specified as >95% over 400–700 nm by ISO 13468-1:2019. The production process applies slit coating at 1.5–2.0 µm wet thickness, vacuum dry at 90–110°C for 90 s, i-line exposure at 30–80 mJ/cm², spray development in 0.05 wt% KOH, and post-bake at 230°C for 20–30 min. Terminal product types include LCD panels for medical monitors, surgical displays, industrial inspection monitors, and color-critical graphic arts displays where surface planarization below 0.05 µm peak-to-valley is required before indium tin oxide sputtering.
For wet-etch definition of indium tin oxide pixel electrodes and peripheral fan-out lines using a heated mixture of hydrochloric acid and nitric acid at 35–45°C, positive-tone ITO patterning resists are selected. The resist must retain adhesion at the exposed ITO edge under lateral etch undercut of 0.5–1.0 µm; failure to do so produces lifted resist lips and open lines below 1.5 µm design rule. The liquid formulation is a novolac/diazonaphthoquinone system supplied at 20–30 wt% solids, with novolac resin 12–22 wt%, DNQ photoactive compound 3–6 wt%, adhesion promoter 0.1–0.3 wt%, and PGMEA solvent balance; viscosity is held at 12–25 mPa·s. Compliance includes RoHS Directive 2011/65/EU Annex II for the final etched module, IEC 62321-5:2013 for lead analysis, and SEMI S2-0718 equipment safety integration during acid etch tool hookup. The process sequence is spin coating at 1,500–3,000 rpm for 1.5–2.0 µm dry film, soft-bake at 95–105°C for 90 s, exposure at 50–100 mJ/cm² with a 365 nm aligner, development in 2.38 wt% tetramethylammonium hydroxide at 23±1°C for 40–55 s, post-bake at 110–130°C for 60 s, etching in 3:1:1 hydrochloric acid/nitric acid/deionized water at 40°C, and stripping with 2–3 wt% potassium hydroxide. Terminal product types include passive and active matrix LCD modules for point-of-sale terminals, test instruments, medical monitors, and high-response industrial panels in which the ITO electrode sheet resistance after patterning is specified at 10–30 Ω/sq.
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As a photo-imageable coating formulated for flat-panel display lithography, LCD photoresist is applied to glass substrates up to Generation 10.5 and patterned to define color filter pixels, black matrix grids, photo spacers, and thin-film transistor mask levels. The material is deposited by slit coating or spin coating, exposed through photomasks at g-, h-, and i-line wavelengths, and developed in dilute alkaline media. Unlike semiconductor resists used on 300 mm wafers, these products are formulated with high-solids pigment dispersions or carbon black loadings to produce cured film thicknesses from 1.0 µm to 5.0 µm after solvent removal. The term LCD photoresist therefore denotes a family of display-specific resists rather than a single chemistry.
Negative-tone color filter grades typically contain methacrylate or novolac binder resins, multifunctional acrylate monomers, photoinitiator systems, dispersed organic pigments, and propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate or ethyl 3-ethoxypropionate solvent. Photoinduced crosslinking reduces developer solubility in the exposed region, leaving a raised pixel pattern after puddle development. Positive-tone grades based on diazonaphthoquinone–novolac chemistry are used for TFT mask and etching steps; the exposed region becomes alkali-soluble and is removed in dilute tetramethylammonium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide developer. The dissolution contrast between exposed and unexposed film is governed by molecular weight distribution, degree of substitution, and the quencher-to-photoacid ratio in chemically amplified formulations.
Liquid properties fall within supplier-controlled ranges: viscosity at 25 °C of 3–20 mPa·s, nonvolatile content of 15–35 wt%, and particle retention rating of 0.1–0.5 µm in final filtration. Pigment-dispersed grades require high-shear dispersion to prevent agglomeration that causes coating streaks and color mura. The solvent blend is balanced for die lip drying behavior and vacuum drying uniformity; PGMEA is common, but higher-boiling co-solvents are added when the resist is used on slow-throughput slit coaters in high-humidity cleanrooms.
Specification ranges differ by product class. The table below lists representative industrial values, not universal release limits; panel makers align the incoming inspection plan to the exposure tool and developer chemistry used on the fab line.
| Property | Color filter negative resist | Black matrix negative resist | Photo spacer negative resist | TFT positive resist |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Viscosity at 25 °C (mPa·s) | 5–12 | 8–15 | 10–25 | 3–10 |
| Nonvolatile content (wt%) | 18–30 | 20–28 | 25–35 | 15–25 |
| Cured film thickness (µm) | 1.8–3.0 | 1.0–1.5 | 2.5–4.5 | 1.0–2.0 |
| Resolution capability (µm) | 3–10 | 2–6 | 3–8 | 1–3 |
| Exposure energy at i-line (mJ/cm²) | 80–150 | 100–200 | 100–200 | 50–120 |
| Postbake temperature (°C) | 220–240 | 220–250 | 230–250 | 120–150 |
| Postbake thickness loss (%) | 10–20 | 10–15 | 8–15 | 5–10 |
| Optical density at 550 nm (µm-1) | not applicable | >4.0 | not applicable | not applicable |
| Adhesion after postbake (ASTM D3359) | 5B | 5B | 5B | 5B |
Batch-to-batch pigment dispersion variance appears as low-frequency thickness ripple and chromaticity drift on slit coaters. Suppliers therefore control bead-mill residence time and cooling-jacket temperature before final filtration; incoming inspection commonly includes cone/plate viscosity at multiple shear rates and spectrophotometric dispersion stability.
Commercial product families are coded by supplier prefix and pigment dispersion series, with model suffixes indicating chromaticity coordinate, optical density, or film thickness target. No universal coding standard exists across manufacturers. A representative black matrix grade is supplied as a carbon black-dispersed negative resist in PGMEA with viscosity 8–15 mPa·s at 25 °C, solids content 20–28 wt%, and cured-film optical density greater than 4.0 µm-1 at 550 nm. A representative photo spacer grade is formulated as a transparent acrylate system with postbake film thickness 2.5–4.5 µm and elastic recovery above 80% after indentation. Published data for a specific commercial model on a Generation 10.5 production line is limited because final film properties are adjusted to the coater gap, developer nozzle pressure, and postbake oven profile selected by the panel maker. Model-specific values must therefore be taken from the manufacturer datasheet and verified by in-fab incoming inspection.
The primary divergence is substrate scale and feature geometry. A Generation 10.5 glass sheet measures 2.94 m × 3.37 m; this imposes uniform coating across an area more than 100 times larger than a 300 mm wafer. Film thickness in LCD patterning is 1–5 µm, compared with 0.1–1.0 µm for DUV chemically amplified resists. Resolution requirements are correspondingly relaxed: LCD black matrix and thin-film transistor resists typically resolve 1.5–10 µm features, while ArF immersion resists operate below 0.1 µm. Exposure is performed with g-, h-, and i-line radiation rather than 248 nm or 193 nm lasers, reducing photospeed and absorbance constraints but requiring formulations with low optical absorption at all three wavelengths.
Processing chemistry also differs. Color filter and black matrix resists are usually developed in dilute inorganic alkaline solutions such as 0.04–0.06 wt% potassium hydroxide or sodium carbonate, not the 0.26 N tetramethylammonium hydroxide used in semiconductor tracks. Thermal budgets are higher for display materials: color filter and photo spacer resists may be postbaked at 220–250 °C for 30–60 min to stabilize optical density and mechanical recovery, while many DUV resists use post-exposure bake near 100–130 °C for 60–90 s. Outgassing limits for flat-panel cleanrooms are evaluated under SEMI F21-1102, and residual solvent levels are controlled to avoid lens hazing in proximity and projection exposure tools.
Equipment compatibility also separates the two material classes. Display fabs use large-area proximity aligners or 1:1 projection steppers configured for glass substrates, while semiconductor lithography uses reduction steppers with numerical apertures above 0.9 and liquid immersion capability. The photoresist must therefore be optimized for mask-to-substrate gap uniformity, long exposure field stitching, and panel-scale development rather than for high-contrast resist blur at the wafer scale.
In color filter fabrication, the resist is coated after black matrix formation and patterned sequentially for red, green, and blue pixels. The cured film must maintain chromaticity coordinates after indium tin oxide deposition and wet etching, and the crosslinked film must withstand thermal stress without cracking or interlaminar adhesion loss. Pigment loading is balanced against UV penetration: excessive pigment reduces through-cure at 365 nm, while insufficient pigment shifts color saturation and requires thicker films. Black matrix resists are patterned to form a low-reflectance grid; optical density is the critical release criterion because light leakage into the TFT channel lifts off-state current and degrades contrast. Photo spacer resists are coated on the color filter substrate and photolithographically defined as cylindrical or trapezoidal posts. Compression set and rebound are more important than resolution, and postbake conditions are set to raise crosslink density without inducing yellowing.
Positive-tone mask resists for TFT array processing must resist wet and dry etch chemistries for aluminum, molybdenum, copper, and indium gallium zinc oxide. Adhesion to sputtered metal films and glass is controlled by the binder resin acid number and silane coupling additives. The developed resist edge must not leave organic residues after plasma ashing or solvent stripping, because residual carbon across a channel region changes carrier mobility and gate dielectric quality.
Slit coating on large panels uses a coating gap and volumetric feed rate adjusted to the wet film thickness required for the target dry film. For a resist with 25 wt% solids and a dry film target of 1.5 µm, the wet film thickness is approximately 6.0 µm; solvent loss during vacuum drying and prebake then determines the exposure thickness. Uniformity across the panel is controlled by maintaining constant die-to-substrate gap, minimizing solvent evaporation from the coating meniscus, and matching solvent vapor pressure to the cleanroom humidity. A residual solvent content above specification causes developer scum and line edge roughness; overbaking above the supplier maximum causes dark film retention and reduced photospeed.
The exposure step on proximity and projection aligners is constrained by the gap between mask and substrate. A larger proximity gap increases the Fresnel diffraction contribution and reduces linewidth stability. Exposure energy at i-line is commonly set between 80 mJ/cm² and 150 mJ/cm² for negative-tone color filter and black matrix resists, but the exact value depends on photoacid generator concentration and the quencher diffusion length. Development is performed in a puddle or shower process at 23–25 °C; breakthrough time and endpoint time must be separated to avoid overdeveloping the pixel edge. Postbake shrinkage is a critical manufacturing parameter for photo spacers because final height and taper angle determine liquid crystal cell gap. The final film thickness loss after postbake is typically 10–20% of the developed film thickness, and this value is validated by profilometry after each formulation change.
Total thickness variation is measured by spectroscopic reflectometry or stylus profilometry on glass coupons cut from production panels. Published data for cross-line thickness variation on a specific Gen 10.5 slit coater is limited, but panel fabs commonly specify total thickness variation below ±3% for black matrix and photo spacer layers in initial tool qualification. The critical processing window for prebake is narrow: at a supplier-recommended set point of 100 °C, a deviation of ±5 °C can shift development rate relative to baseline for pigment-dispersed negative resists; the exact drift is formulation-dependent and should be established by development rate monitor glass coupons. This requires closed-loop hotplate or oven zone control and periodic profiling with thermocouple-instrumented glass substrates.
If the cleanroom amine concentration is not controlled, the photoacid in chemically amplified color filter resists is neutralized before post-exposure bake, producing tapered profiles and incomplete curing at the substrate interface. Condensation on cold resin drums must be avoided; refrigerated storage at 5–10 °C is followed by equilibration at 23±1 °C for 8–12 h before coating. Incompatibility with amine-based adhesion promoters or solventborne cleaning agents must be evaluated, because free amine species can diffuse into the photoresist film and quench the acid catalyst. For TFT-grade materials, total metal ion contamination of sodium, potassium, calcium, and iron is typically specified below 100 ppb because mobile ions shift thin-film transistor threshold voltage. Cartridge filtration at 0.1–0.5 µm is required during dispense, and pot life after solvent dilution is limited by particle agglomeration and viscosity drift. At relative humidity above 60%, the substrate should receive a dehydration bake immediately before coating to prevent interfacial adhesion loss.
| Standard or regulation | Application | Method or clause |
|---|---|---|
| ASTM D4287-00 | Cone/plate viscosity at 25 °C | Shear rate 10–100 s-1 |
| ISO 3251:2019 | Nonvolatile content verification | Forced-air oven at 150 °C for 60 min |
| SEMI F21-1102 | Outgassing classification for cleanroom materials | Quartz crystal microbalance and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry |
| RoHS Directive 2011/65/EU Annex II | Restricted substances in homogeneous materials | Cd 100 ppm, Pb 1000 ppm |
| REACH Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 Annex XVII | Restriction and SVHC communication | SDS Sections 3 and 15 |
