Display Panel Metal Layer Merging for Aperture Ratio
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Solution Overview
Problem
High pixel density in display panels leads to increased metal line density, resulting in a higher number of metal film layers and consequently more masks and processes, which complicates manufacturing and reduces efficiency.
Innovation Solution
The display panel design includes a substrate with a first metal layer, a second metal layer containing gate and source/drain electrodes in the same layer, and data lines in the same layer as the first metal layer, allowing for reduced film thickness and the formation of gate and source/drain electrodes through a single mask process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If high pixel density is pursued to improve display performance, then display quality is improved, but metal line density increases resulting in more metal film layers and more masks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the gate electrode and source/drain electrode into the same metal layer (second metal layer), and places data lines in the same metal layer (first metal layer) as the source/drain electrode. This consolidation reduces the total number of metal film layers required, directly addressing the technical contradiction by lowering device complexity while maintaining high pixel density for improved display performance
2Manufacturing precision
If high pixel density is pursued to improve display performance, then display quality is improved, but the number of masks and processes increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple electrode functions into fewer metal layers. Specifically, the gate electrode and source/drain electrode share the second metal layer, and data lines share the first metal layer with the source/drain electrode. This merging reduces the number of separate patterning processes and masks required, thereby improving ease of manufacture while achieving high pixel density for better display performance
3Manufacturing precision
If multiple metal film layers are used to accommodate high metal line density, then pixel density can be maintained, but film thickness increases reducing aperture ratio
Solution Approach 1:
The patent reduces the total number of metal film layers by merging electrodes and signal lines into shared layers. By placing the gate electrode and source/drain electrode in the same second metal layer, and data lines in the same first metal layer as the source/drain electrode, the overall film thickness is reduced. This allows maintenance of high pixel density while increasing the aperture ratio, as fewer layers mean less cumulative thickness blocking the display area
Data Source
AI summary
A display panel and a display device are provided. The display panel includes a substrate, a first metal layer disposed on a side of the substrate, a second metal layer disposed on a side of the first metal layer away from the substrate, and a data line disposed in the same layer as the first metal layer and electrically connected to the source electrode; the second metal layer includes a gate electrode and a source/drain electrode disposed in the same layer as the gate electrode, and the source/drain electrode includes a source electrode; and an extension direction of the source electrode is parallel to an extension direction of the data line in a top view.