Display Panel Metal Crossing Layout to Prevent Line Breakage
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Solution Overview
Problem
In display panel designs, the breakage or abnormality of upper-layer metal lines at crossing points with thicker bottom-layer metal lines or steep taper angles leads to display defects and reduced yield rates, exacerbated by increased loading due to higher resolution and refresh rates.
Innovation Solution
A display panel design featuring a first metal layer with a planarization part and an overlapping part, where the thickness of the overlapping part is less than the planarization part, and the area of their cross-sections are equal, with a distance between edges of the overlapping part and the second metal line being greater than or equal to 3 μm, reducing the climbing angle and likelihood of breakage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If the bottom-layer metal line is made thicker to reduce panel loading, then the loading is reduced, but the climbing part of the upper-layer metal line becomes more prone to breakage or abnormality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating a variable thickness profile in the bottom-layer metal line. The metal line has a thicker planarization part in non-overlapping regions and a thinner overlapping part in crossing regions. This local variation allows the bottom-layer metal to provide sufficient overall loading reduction while minimizing the climbing angle at overlap points, thereby preventing upper-layer metal line breakage.
2Ease of manufacture
If the taper angle of the bottom-layer metal line is increased, then the manufacturing process is simplified, but the climbing part of the upper-layer metal line experiences breakage or abnormality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements local quality by differentiating the taper angle across different regions of the bottom-layer metal line. The planarization part has a larger taper angle for ease of manufacturing, while the overlapping part has a smaller taper angle to reduce the climbing angle for upper-layer metal lines. This regional differentiation resolves the contradiction between manufacturing ease and reliability.
3Weight of moving object
If the metal layer thickness is increased to reduce panel loading, then the loading capacity improves, but the possibility of breakage on the climbing part of upper-layer metal lines increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating a thickness gradient in the bottom-layer metal line. The planarization part maintains greater thickness for loading capacity, while the overlapping part reduces thickness to strengthen the climbing region. This localized thickness optimization simultaneously improves loading capacity and climbing part strength.
Data Source
AI summary
A display panel and a manufacturing method are provided. The display panel includes: a first metal layer including at least one first metal line; an insulating layer covering the first metal layer; and a second metal layer including at least one second metal line overlappingly crossing the at least one first metal line. The at least one first metal line includes a planarization part and an overlapping part overlapping the at least one second metal line. Along a first direction, a thickness of the overlapping part is less than a thickness of the planarization part.