Electrode Layout With Enlarged Insulating Opening to Prevent Shorts
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Solution Overview
Problem
High electrode resistance in electronic devices leads to conductivity issues, and increasing the thickness of the conductive layer to reduce resistance results in etching residue and short circuits.
Innovation Solution
An electronic device design featuring a substrate with an insulating layer having a first opening with an enlarged part, overlapping with a spacer in the normal direction, and a conductive layer forming electrodes with a spacing area that aligns with the opening, reducing etching residue and short circuit risks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the thickness of the conductive layer is increased to reduce electrode resistance, then the conductivity is improved, but etching residue occurs leading to short circuits
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a vertical dimension solution by creating an enlarged opening in the insulating layer that extends downward to expose the substrate. This vertical exposure allows the conductive layer to be patterned with sufficient spacing between electrodes without requiring excessive conductive layer thickness, thereby preventing etching residue while maintaining low resistance through optimized horizontal spacing rather than vertical thickness.
Solution Approach 2:
The insulating layer with its enlarged opening acts as an intermediary structure that mediates between the conflicting requirements. The opening provides a controlled pathway that allows electrode spacing to be achieved through lateral positioning rather than relying on thick conductive layers, thus preventing short circuits while maintaining electrical conductivity through optimized electrode geometry.
2Reliability
If the thickness of the conductive layer is increased to reduce resistance, then the electrode resistance is reduced, but the manufacturing precision deteriorates due to etching residue
Solution Approach 1:
The solution shifts from controlling electrode spacing through conductive layer thickness (vertical dimension) to controlling spacing through lateral positioning enabled by the enlarged opening in the insulating layer. This dimensional shift allows precise electrode placement without the manufacturing defects associated with thick conductive layer etching.
Solution Approach 2:
The insulating layer is patterned with the enlarged opening before forming the conductive layer. This preliminary structuring establishes the precise lateral boundaries for electrode placement, ensuring that subsequent conductive layer deposition and patterning can achieve accurate spacing without the complications of etching thick conductive materials.
3Reliability
If the conductive layer thickness is increased to improve conductivity, then the electrode performance is improved, but the device complexity increases due to short circuit risks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves the complexity issue by moving the spacing control mechanism from the conductive layer thickness domain to the insulating layer opening domain. This separation of functions allows the conductive layer to be optimized for conductivity without bearing the burden of spacing control, thereby reducing short circuit risks and overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the spacing control function from the conductive layer by implementing it in the insulating layer structure. The insulating layer with its enlarged opening handles the spacing and isolation function, while the conductive layer focuses solely on providing low-resistance electrical pathways, simplifying the overall design and reducing interdependencies that lead to complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic device is provided, which includes: a first substrate; a second substrate disposed opposite to the first substrate; a plurality of first electrodes disposed on the first substrate; an insulating layer disposed between the first substrate and the plurality of first electrodes; and a first spacer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, wherein the insulating layer has a first opening, the first opening includes a first enlarged part, and the first enlarged part and the first spacer are overlapped in a normal direction of the first substrate. A manufacturing method of the electronic device is also provided.