Display Panel Transistor Layout With Self-Aligned Insulating Cutoff
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing display panel fabrication processes face challenges in achieving precise alignment and overlap of electrodes and insulating layers, leading to contact resistance issues and structural irregularities that affect transistor performance and overall display quality.
Innovation Solution
A self-alignment process is employed to etch the insulating layer using the metal layer as a mask, ensuring consistent cut-off positions of electrodes and insulating sections, thereby improving the alignment and reducing film thickness and process costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional fabrication processes are used to form insulating layers and metal layers separately, then manufacturing flexibility is maintained, but alignment precision between electrodes and insulating sections deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the formation of the insulating layer and metal layer into a single integrated structure. The insulating layer and metal layer are formed simultaneously as a combined layer structure, where the metal layer is embedded within the insulating layer. This integration ensures precise alignment between electrodes and insulating sections while maintaining manufacturing flexibility through a unified fabrication process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs preliminary action by pre-forming the combined insulating and metal layer structure before subsequent processing steps. The metal layer is positioned and secured within the insulating layer during the initial formation stage, establishing precise alignment early in the fabrication process. This preliminary positioning prevents alignment issues in later stages while keeping the overall process manageable.
2Reliability
If separate fabrication steps are used for insulating layer and metal layer, then process adaptability is maintained, but contact resistance increases due to misalignment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the insulating layer and metal layer into a single integrated structure formed in one fabrication step. This merging eliminates the misalignment issues that occur with separate fabrication steps, ensuring low contact resistance between electrodes and insulating sections. The unified structure maintains high reliability while the single-step process preserves fabrication efficiency.
3Manufacturing precision
If traditional multi-layer fabrication is used, then structural flexibility is maintained, but film thickness increases affecting device performance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple traditional layers into a single combined insulating-metal layer structure. This integration reduces the total film thickness by eliminating redundant interfaces and intermediate layers. The unified structure maintains the necessary functional flexibility while achieving better thickness control and improved device performance through reduced overall layer complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A display panel includes: a substrate; an active layer; a first insulating layer; and a first metal layer. The first insulating layer includes a first insulating section and a second insulating section. The first metal layer includes a first electrode, a first gate and a second electrode. The active layer, the first electrode, the first gate and the second electrode form a transistor. The first electrode and the second electrode are electrically connected to the active layer. The first gate at least partially overlaps with the active layer, and at least partially overlaps with the first insulating section, and the first electrode at least partially overlaps with the second insulating section. The first gate includes a first side; and on the first side, a cut-off position of the first gate is the same as a cut-off position of the first insulating section.