Array Substrate Guide Structure for Uniform Silicon Nanowire TFT Channels
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Solution Overview
Problem
Achieving uniformity and controllability in the size of silicon-based nanowires used as thin film transistor channels is crucial for display devices, as existing methods struggle to ensure consistent semiconductor characteristics and size uniformity.
Innovation Solution
The method involves forming a guide structure on a base substrate, where a catalyst particle and amorphous silicon film grow into silicon-based nanowires along the guide structure, utilizing the eutectic point and Gibbs free energy difference to achieve high-density and uniform nanowires, with the option to use different materials for the active layers to enhance transistor performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional methods are used to form thin film transistor channels, then the manufacturing process is simpler, but the size uniformity and controllability of the semiconductor material cannot be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
A guide structure is introduced as an intermediary component to control the growth of silicon-based nanowires. The guide structure serves as a template that directs nanowire formation, ensuring uniform size and precise positioning. This mediator enables precise control of nanowire dimensions without directly forming the semiconductor material itself, resolving the contradiction between manufacturing precision and device complexity by adding a controllable intermediate element.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide structure is formed in advance before the silicon-based nanowire growth process. This preliminary action establishes a predefined template that controls subsequent nanowire formation, ensuring size uniformity and positional accuracy. By performing the guiding structure creation beforehand, the method enables precise control over nanowire characteristics while maintaining a systematic manufacturing approach.
2Reliability
If silicon-based nanowires are used as thin film transistor channels, then mobility and stability are improved, but achieving uniform and controllable size becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The dimensions of the guide structure are precisely controlled by adjusting formation parameters such as deposition thickness and patterning dimensions. By changing these parameters, the width and spacing of guide structures are optimized to produce nanowires with uniform and controllable sizes. This parameter control enables simultaneous achievement of high reliability through nanowire usage and manufacturing precision in nanowire dimensions.
3Manufacturing precision
If uniform nanowire size is achieved, then display device performance is improved, but the manufacturing process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The guide structure serves multiple functions: it acts as a growth template for nanowires, a positioning reference for subsequent processing steps, and a structural element that defines active region boundaries. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components and processes, enabling uniform nanowire size achievement while maintaining ease of manufacture through a consolidated approach.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach results in thin film transistors with silicon-based nanowires of uniform and controllable size, improving mobility, reducing border sizes, enabling faster switching speeds, and preventing heat-induced device characteristic drift, while allowing for flexible and large-size panel applications.
Implementation Method 1
utilizing the eutectic point and Gibbs free energy difference to achieve high-density and uniform nanowires
Implementation Method 2
utilizing the eutectic point and Gibbs free energy difference to achieve high-density and uniform nanowires
Implementation Method 3
a catalyst particle and amorphous silicon film grow into silicon-based nanowires along the guide structure
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are an array substrate and a display panel. The array substrate includes: a base substrate; a first thin film transistor on the base substrate; where the first thin film transistor includes: a first gate electrode, a first active layer, a first source electrode, and a first drain electrode; where the first active layer includes: at least one guide structure extending in a first direction; a silicon-based nanowire, disposed on a side of the guide structure facing away from the base substrate; and an extending direction of the silicon-based nanowire is same as an extending direction of the guide structure.