Flexible Tape Trace Layout for Misalignment-Tolerant Display Connections
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional mini-LED and micro-LED display devices face complex process steps and short circuits due to low alignment accuracy in the etching of side wires, leading to reduced yield rates.
Innovation Solution
A flexible tape with metal traces on a flexible base is used to connect terminals on a display panel, eliminating the need for separate front, side, and back wires, and improving alignment accuracy by ensuring metal traces do not connect adjacent or misaligned terminals, thus preventing short circuits.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional front wire, side wire and back wire are used to connect terminals, then connection between first terminal and second terminal is achieved, but process steps become complex and alignment accuracy deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the front wire, side wire and back wire into a single flexible tape structure. The flexible tape includes a base layer with metal traces that simultaneously provide front connection, side connection and back connection functions, eliminating the need for separate wire structures and reducing overall complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible tape serves multiple functions: it provides electrical connection between terminals, acts as a structural support element, and enables alignment tolerance compensation. The metal traces on the flexible tape can function as front wire, side wire and back wire depending on their position and configuration
2Ease of manufacture
If side wire is etched with conventional laser etching, then side wire connection is formed, but alignment accuracy is low causing position offset and short circuits
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible tape acts as an intermediary element between the first terminal and second terminal. Instead of directly etching wires on the rigid substrate which causes alignment issues, the flexible tape with pre-formed metal traces provides a compliant connection path that can accommodate alignment variations
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state and properties of the connection structure from rigid etched wires to flexible tape with metal traces. This parameter change allows the connection structure to deform and adapt to alignment deviations, transforming a precision-critical rigid process into a tolerance-friendly flexible process
Data Source
AI summary
A flexible tape for connecting a first terminal of a first surface and a second terminal of a second surface of a display panel. The surfaces are arranged opposite to each other. The flexible tape includes a flexible base and metal traces. At least some traces connect the terminals. A maximum line width of the traces is a first line width. A maximum line distance between two adjacent ones of the traces is a first line distance. A minimum line width of the first terminal is a second line width. A minimum line distance of the first terminal is a second line distance. An alignment deviation exists for the first and second terminals. The first line width is less than a difference between the second line distance and the alignment deviation, the first line distance is less than a difference between the second line width and the alignment deviation.