Butterfly-Shaped OLED Spacer Design for Mask Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
In the display device industry, photo spacers are often crushed during processes like exposure and evaporation, leading to direct contact with masks, which causes damage to substrate layers and results in yield loss due to scratching.
Innovation Solution
A display panel design featuring spacers with a butterfly-shaped cross-section, composed of sub-supporting columns, that increase the cross-sectional area and compressive strength to support masks uniformly, reducing the risk of crushing and ensuring better protection of substrate layers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional rectangular spacers are used, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the spacers are easily crushed under mask pressure causing yield loss
Solution Approach 1:
The spacer is divided into multiple sub-supporting columns (first, second, third, and fourth sub-supporting columns) arranged around a central axis. This segmentation increases the cross-sectional area and compressive strength without significantly complicating the manufacturing process, as all columns can be formed simultaneously through a single exposure and development cycle.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a simple rectangular cross-section to a multi-column arrangement in a circular pattern. This dimensional reorganization increases the moment of inertia and compressive strength by distributing the mask pressure across multiple support points, thereby improving reliability while maintaining manufacturing simplicity.
2Strength
If spacer cross-sectional area is increased to prevent crushing, then compressive strength improves, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The spacer cross-section is segmented into multiple sub-supporting columns rather than using a solid rectangular block. This segmentation achieves higher compressive strength through increased moment of inertia while keeping the fabrication process simple, as the segmented structure is formed through standard photolithography exposure and development.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the geometric parameters of the spacer by arranging sub-supporting columns at specific distances from the center (e.g., 5-15 μm for first and second columns, 2-10 μm for third and fourth columns). These parameter optimizations enhance compressive strength while maintaining compatibility with existing manufacturing capabilities.
3Area of stationary object
If spacers are positioned close to sub-pixel grooves for compact design, then device area is reduced, but mask contact and film damage risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The spacer employs a circular or radially symmetric cross-sectional arrangement of sub-supporting columns rather than rectangular corners. This curved geometry distributes mask pressure more uniformly and eliminates stress concentration points, reducing the risk of mask scratching and film damage while maintaining compact positioning near sub-pixel grooves.
Solution Approach 2:
The spacer provides enhanced local support quality through multiple sub-supporting columns positioned at different radial distances. The first and second sub-supporting columns are positioned farther from the center to provide outer support, while the third and fourth columns are positioned closer to provide inner support, creating a graduated support structure that protects against mask contact.
Data Source
AI summary
The present application proposes a display panel, including a display area and a non-display area surrounding the display area, wherein the display panel includes: a plurality of metal traces and a plurality of color resist blocks located in the display area; and a test key located in the non-display area, wherein the test key includes a plurality of color resist patterns and a plurality of metal patterns, each of the color resist patterns corresponds to a corresponding one of the color resist blocks, each of the metal patterns corresponds to one of the metal traces, and each of the color resist patterns is disposed correspondingly between adjacent ones of the metal patterns.