Display TFT Test Patterns for Non-Destructive Characterization
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Solution Overview
Problem
In the manufacturing process of display apparatuses, it is challenging to non-destructively monitor and evaluate the characteristics of thin film transistors, which are crucial for ensuring display quality, as traditional inspection methods are often destructive and do not allow for real-time monitoring of the actual substrate.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating test patterns with test thin film transistors in the peripheral region of the display apparatus, which are designed to have the same material and shape as the pixel transistors, allowing for the evaluation of transistor characteristics and compensation of driving voltages based on sensed data, enabling continuous quality assessment both during and after manufacturing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If traditional destructive inspection methods are used to evaluate thin film transistor characteristics, then manufacturing precision can be improved, but the substrate cannot be monitored continuously and production time is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates test patterns that are copies of the actual pixel structures, including identical thin film transistor designs, semiconductor patterns, and electrode configurations. These test patterns are formed in the peripheral region using the same manufacturing processes as the display region, allowing non-destructive evaluation of TFT characteristics without affecting the actual display pixels, thus enabling continuous monitoring while maintaining manufacturing precision
Solution Approach 2:
The test patterns are formed in advance during the manufacturing process before the display apparatus is completed. By preliminarily creating these test structures with the same TFT characteristics as the display region, the system enables ongoing monitoring and compensation throughout manufacturing and even after completion, eliminating the need for destructive post-manufacturing inspection
2Manufacturing precision
If test patterns are added to evaluate thin film transistor characteristics, then display quality can be improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by confining the test patterns to the peripheral region of the display apparatus, separate from the display region. The test patterns include test thin film transistors with the same structure as pixel transistors but are located in non-display areas, allowing quality evaluation without affecting the visual display area or adding complexity to the functional display structure
Solution Approach 2:
The test patterns serve multiple functions: they evaluate thin film transistor characteristics during manufacturing, enable compensation for TFT variations, and provide ongoing quality monitoring after the display is completed. This multi-functionality justifies the added structural elements by delivering comprehensive quality control benefits across different stages of the product lifecycle
3Measurement precision
If destructive inspection is performed on actual substrates, then measurement precision can be improved, but the substrate is damaged and cannot be used further
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates identical copies of the thin film transistor structures in the test patterns, including the same semiconductor patterns, gate electrodes, source and drain electrodes, and insulating layers. These test pattern copies allow destructive or intensive measurements to be performed on the test structures without damaging the actual display pixels, enabling precise transistor characteristic measurement while preserving substrate usability for the display function
Solution Approach 2:
The test patterns act as intermediaries between the manufacturing process and the final display product. They provide a separate test structure that can be measured and evaluated without directly impacting the display region, serving as a mediator that enables precise characterization of TFT properties while protecting the integrity of the actual display pixels
Data Source
AI summary
A display apparatus includes a base substrate including a display region in which an image is displayed and a peripheral region that is a non-display region adjacent to the display region, a plurality of pixels disposed on the base substrate in the display region, each of the pixels including a thin film transistor that includes an oxide semiconductor pattern, a data driver disposed in the peripheral region and configured to provide a data voltage to the pixels, and a plurality of test patterns disposed on the base substrate in the peripheral region, each of the test patterns including a test thin film transistor that includes a test oxide semiconductor pattern.