Device and method for protecting gate terminal and lead

Abstract

A resist region covering the gate terminal and lead of the gate electrode line and between a passivation layer and a gate insulating layer is used to protect the gate terminal and lead. The resist region is located at a scribing line on margin of the color filter substrate of a panel, thereby the resist region can protect the passivation layer and the gate insulating layer from cracking, and the gate terminal and the lead from corrosion after a portion of the color filter substrate is removed along the scribing line.

Description

BACKGROUND [0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention generally relates to a device and method for protecting gate terminal and lead, and more particularly to a device and method for protecting gate terminal and lead at stage of scribing and spalling. [0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art [0004] In fabrication of thin film transistor (TFT) liquid crystal display (LCD) device, an array substrate and a color filter substrate are provided respectively, in which thin film transistor array on the array substrate are formed by thin film deposition, lithographic process, and etching step of semiconductor process. Having been formed the two substrates, an assembling process, a scribing step, and a spalling step are performed. The scribing and spalling steps are to remove peripheral regions on the color filter substrate such that contact plugs of gate terminals on the array substrate can be exposed. [0005] The scribing and spalling steps can be shown in FIG. 1, wherein a ...

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Benefits of technology

[0007] In accordance with the present invention, a resist region between the passivation and the gate insulating layer on the array substrate is provided. When the panel is scribed and spalled, the resist region can provide sufficient strain to protect the gate insulating layer and passivation layer from breaking.

[0008] It is another object of this invention to provide a less activity resist region compared to the gate terminal and lead of gate line to prevent gate line from corrosion.

[0010] It is still another object of this invention that formation of the resist region can be combined to the present TFT fabrication process without increasing TFT fabrication cycle time.

[0011] In one embodiment, a device for protecting a gate terminal and lead at stage of scribing and spalling a LCD panel is provided, wherein the LCD panel comprises a first substrate with thin film transistor array thereon and a second substrate thereon within color filter opposite to the thin film transistor array. The device comprises a resist region covering the gate terminal and lead of the gate electrode line and between a passivation layer and a gate insulating layer, and located at a scribing line on margin of the second substrate of the panel, thereby the resist region can protect the passivation layer, and the gate insulating layer from cracking, the gate terminal and lead from corrosion after a portion of the second substrate is removed along the scribing line.

[0012] A method for protecting a gate terminal and lead at stage of scribing and spalling a LCD panel is also provided. The method comprises steps of forming the gate electrode and the gate electrode line on a first substrate, wherein the first substrate is also called array substrate or lower substrate, and the gate electrode line comprises the gate terminal and the lead. Then, a blanket gate insulating layer is deposited on the gate electrode, the gate electrode line, and the substrate. Next, an island semiconductor layer is formed on the gate electrode and a source electrode and a drain electrode on the island semiconductor layer, and a resist region is simultaneously formed on the gate insulating layer and covering the gate terminal and the lead of a gate electrode line, wherein the resist region is located at a scribing line on margin of a second substrate with color filter thereon. Afterward, a blanket passivation layer is deposited on the source electrode, the drain electrode, and the resist region thereby the resist region can protect the passivation layer, and the gate insulating layer from cracking, the gate terminal and the lead from corrosion after a portion of the second substrate is removed along the scribing line.

Problems solved by technology

This will cause the display panel fail.

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