Glass Substrate Thickness Tolerance for TFT Exposure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current techniques fail to accurately and quickly form components and structures on glass substrates for flat display panels, particularly due to thickness variations and surface irregularities in large glass sheets, which hinder the precision and speed of the exposure process in TFT production.
Innovation Solution
A glass substrate with a thickness tolerance of less than 6.26 μm is achieved by using a rectangular glass sheet with a specific composition and surface treatment, including the application of an etching gas like hydrogen fluoride to smooth out convex portions and irregularities, ensuring a smooth surface for precise and efficient TFT formation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If large glass sheets are used for flat display panels, then the area of the glass substrate increases, but the thickness variation and surface irregularities worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing surface treatment (etching convex portions and depressing portions) on the glass sheet before the TFT formation process. This preliminary surface conditioning ensures that when the glass sheet is later used for exposure and component formation, the thickness variations and surface irregularities are already corrected, enabling precise focal point adjustment and accurate component formation across the entire large glass substrate area.
2Ease of manufacture
If current techniques are used for forming components on glass substrates, then the process is simpler, but the accuracy and speed of component formation deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary surface treatment (etching convex portions and depressing portions) on the glass sheet before the TFT formation process. This preliminary action corrects thickness variations and surface irregularities in advance, enabling accurate focal point adjustment during exposure and precise component formation, thereby improving manufacturing precision without significantly complicating the overall manufacturing process.
3Area of stationary object
If large glass sheets with thickness variations are used, then the glass substrate area increases, but the focal point adjustment in exposure process becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by etching convex portions and depressing portions on the glass sheet surface before the exposure process. This creates a uniformly flat surface across the entire large glass substrate, enabling easy and accurate focal point adjustment during the exposure process without the complications of thickness variations and surface irregularities that would otherwise exist in large glass sheets.
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
The solution enables the production of large glass substrates with minimal thickness variations, allowing for accurate and rapid formation of components and structures, improving the adjustment of focal points in the exposure process and enhancing productivity in TFT production lines.
Implementation Method 1
application of an etching gas like hydrogen fluoride to smooth out convex portions and irregularities
Data Source
AI summary
A glass substrate comprising a rectangular glass sheet having a first main surface and a second main surface opposite the first main surface, the glass substrate having a first side and a second side which are adjacent to each other in a view along a thickness direction of the glass sheet, in which a thickness tolerance is less than 6.26 μm in a first cross section which is a cross section in the thickness direction of the glass sheet along a straight line parallel to the first side, the thickness tolerance being a difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the thickness of the glass sheet.