Display Substrate Drain Pixel Electrode Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
The manufacturing process for display substrates is complex and costly due to the numerous patterning processes required for conductive and insulating layers, particularly as the number of target layers increases, leading to increased manufacturing costs and reduced productivity.
Innovation Solution
A method of fabricating display substrates where the drain electrode and pixel electrode are simultaneously formed through a single process, reducing the number of process steps and photo masks needed, and improving productivity by integrating these components on the same layer with overlapping gate electrodes for insulation and light blocking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If multiple patterning processes are performed individually for each target layer, then the manufacturing precision and reliability are improved, but the device complexity and manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple patterning processes into a single integrated process by forming the drain electrode and pixel electrode simultaneously in one photolithography step. This merging approach reduces the total number of patterning processes from multiple individual steps to a single unified process, thereby decreasing device complexity and manufacturing costs while maintaining the required precision through carefully designed photomask patterns that define both electrodes in one exposure and development cycle.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a universal photomask design that serves multiple functions: it simultaneously defines the drain electrode pattern, pixel electrode pattern, and their relative positioning. This single photomask performs what would traditionally require multiple separate photomasks, reducing the number of target layers to be patterned individually and simplifying the overall manufacturing process while maintaining precise control over electrode geometry and alignment.
2Manufacturing precision
If multiple patterning processes are performed for conductive and insulating layers, then the manufacturing precision is improved, but the productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the patterning of drain electrode and pixel electrode into a single process step, eliminating the need for separate patterning operations for each electrode. This consolidation reduces the total process time and increases manufacturing throughput while maintaining precision through the unified photolithography approach that defines both electrodes simultaneously with a single exposure and development sequence.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary positioning and pattern definition in the single integrated patterning step, where the photomask is designed to pre-establish the correct spatial relationships between drain electrode and pixel electrode. This preliminary action in one step eliminates the need for subsequent separate patterning operations, thereby improving productivity without sacrificing the precision that would otherwise require multiple controlled steps.
3Manufacturing precision
If the number of target layers to be patterned increases, then the manufacturing precision is improved, but the manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple patterning targets (drain electrode and pixel electrode) into a single patterning operation using one photomask. This reduces the number of separate patterning processes required, thereby decreasing manufacturing costs associated with multiple photomasks, multiple exposure steps, and multiple development cycles, while still achieving the necessary manufacturing precision through the carefully designed unified pattern.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a universal photomask that simultaneously patterns multiple target layers (drain electrode and pixel electrode) in one go. This multi-functional approach eliminates the need for separate photomasks and separate patterning processes for each electrode, reducing material costs, process costs, and time costs while maintaining the precision required for proper electrode formation and alignment.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a display substrate including a pixel electrode and a thin film transistor formed thereon. The thin film transistor includes a gate electrode, a source electrode, and a drain electrode, and the pixel electrode is formed by extending the drain electrode thereby reducing the required number of process steps and photo masks.