Ultra-Thin Glass Substrate Etching via Protective Film Masking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing techniques for reducing the thickness of glass substrates in display devices, such as liquid crystal and organic EL panels, face challenges like substrate breakage during etching and limited flexibility due to the fragility of thin glass panels.
Innovation Solution
A method involving adhering large glass boards, connecting wiring members before etching, and applying a chemical polishing protective film to mask areas not intended for etching, allowing for controlled thickness reduction while preventing substrate breakage and enhancing flexibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If the thickness of the glass substrate is reduced to achieve thinner and more flexible display panels, then the weight and rigidity are improved, but the substrate becomes more fragile and prone to breakage during manufacturing and operation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a protective film to the glass substrate before etching to prevent breakage during the thickness reduction process. This preliminary protective action allows the substrate to be thinned to fragile thickness levels without suffering from the expected breakage problems, thereby resolving the contradiction between achieving thinness and maintaining strength during manufacturing.
2Length of moving object
If chemical etching is applied to reduce glass substrate thickness, then the thickness is decreased, but the substrate may break due to deflection in the etchant solution
Solution Approach 1:
The protective film is applied to the glass substrate before immersion in the etchant solution. This preliminary protection prevents the substrate from breaking due to deflection forces in the etchant, enabling reliable thickness reduction while maintaining substrate integrity throughout the etching process.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective film acts as an intermediary between the glass substrate and the etchant solution. It allows the etching process to proceed while preventing direct harmful interactions between the etchant and the substrate that would cause breakage, thus resolving the reliability issue during etching.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the glass substrate is thinned to increase flexibility, then the flexibility and weight are improved, but the substrate breaks during wiring connection by thermo-compression bonding
Solution Approach 1:
The protective film is applied to the glass substrate before wiring connection by thermo-compression bonding. This preliminary protection prevents the thin, flexible substrate from breaking during the bonding process, allowing the substrate to achieve the desired flexibility while maintaining sufficient strength during subsequent manufacturing steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective film serves as an intermediary that allows the thin substrate to undergo thermo-compression bonding without breaking. It distributes the bonding stresses and prevents direct stress concentration on the fragile substrate, thereby enabling flexibility improvement while preventing breakage during wiring connection.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enables further reduction in glass substrate thickness, weight, and increased flexibility of the display panels, preventing breakage during wiring connection and etching processes, and allowing for the formation of ultra-thin, curved display panels.
Implementation Method 1
there has been proposed a technique which reduces a plate thickness of a glass board by chemical polishing (hereinafter, also referred to as an etching)
Implementation Method 2
a wiring member (flexible printed circuit board: FPC) is connected with a TFT substrate having a small thickness by thermo-compression bonding
Data Source
AI summary
The invention provides a display device which can reduce breaking of a TFT substrate at the time of connecting a wiring member to the TFT substrate after decreasing a thickness of the TFT substrate and a manufacturing method of the display device. A TFT substrate and a counter substrate are adhered to each other to form a display panel. After connecting a wiring member to a line connection portion of the display panel, a portion of the display panel to be etched is masked. An etching protective film formed of an organic film is applied to the masked display panel by coating. Thereafter, a mask is peeled off together with the etching protective film formed on the mask and the display panel is immersed in an etchant thus polishing an exposed surface of a glass substrate to a predetermined thickness. Thereafter, a chemical polishing protective film formed on a wiring member is removed.