Display Panel Electrode Stack for High-Resolution Hillock Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current display panels for wearable electronic devices, such as head-mounted displays, face challenges in achieving ultra-high resolution and maintaining excellent display quality due to limitations in electrode materials and manufacturing processes.
Innovation Solution
A display panel design featuring a light-emitting element with a first electrode composed of an aluminum alloy, a transparent conductive oxide layer, and an anti-oxidation layer of titanium nitride, where the aluminum alloy includes alloy atoms like titanium, nickel, or lanthanum, and a method for manufacturing this panel that includes etching and dry-etching processes to achieve a microstructure with high resolution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If aluminum alloy is used as the first electrode material to maintain light reflectance, then display quality is improved, but hillock formation occurs during manufacturing
Solution Approach 1:
An anti-oxidation layer is formed on the aluminum alloy first electrode before subsequent manufacturing steps. This preliminary protective action prevents oxidation and hillock formation during the pixel defining film formation process, allowing the aluminum alloy to maintain its light reflectance properties without degradation.
2Manufacturing precision
If ultra-high resolution of 3000 ppi or more is achieved through microstructure formation, then display quality is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses atomic layer deposition (ALD) to precisely control the thickness and composition of the anti-oxidation layer at the nanometer scale. By adjusting deposition parameters such as precursor flow rates and temperature, the process achieves 3000 ppi or higher resolution while maintaining manufacturability through parameter optimization rather than process complexity.
3Reliability
If anti-oxidation layer is added to prevent hillock formation, then manufacturing reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The anti-oxidation layer is applied selectively only to the first electrode surface where oxidation and hillock formation occur, rather than coating the entire device. This localized approach prevents hillocks at the critical interface between the aluminum alloy and pixel defining film, while keeping the overall device structure simple and the added complexity minimal.
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
The solution enables the display panel to achieve ultra-high resolution of about 3000 ppi or more, improving display quality and manufacturing efficiency while preventing hillock formation and maintaining light reflectance, thus enhancing the overall performance of wearable electronic devices.
Implementation Method 1
maintaining light reflectance
Implementation Method 2
anti-oxidation layer including titanium nitride (TiN) and disposed between the first layer and the second layer
Implementation Method 3
forming the second layer by wet-etching the preliminary second layer
Implementation Method 4
forming a microstructure with high resolution
Data Source
AI summary
A display panel includes a light-emitting element and a pixel defining film having a pixel opening defined therein. The light-emitting element may include a first electrode exposed through the pixel opening, a second electrode disposed on the first electrode, and at least one functional layer disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode. The first electrode may include a first layer including an aluminum alloy, a second layer including a transparent conductive oxide, and an anti-oxidation layer including titanium nitride (TiN) and disposed between the first layer and the second layer. When the atomic percentage is about 100 at %, the percentage of alloy atoms excluding aluminum atoms in the aluminum alloy may be about 0.01 at % to about 0.1 at %.