In-Cell Touch Backplane Substrate Simultaneous Patterning
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Solution Overview
Problem
The manufacturing of in-cell type touch panels for liquid crystal display devices faces challenges in reducing the number of masks and processes, particularly due to the need for touch electrodes that interfere with thin film transistors, leading to increased complexity and costs.
Innovation Solution
A backplane substrate design that includes a substrate with thin film transistors, interlayer dielectric layers, sensing lines, common electrodes, and pixel electrodes, where the interlayer dielectric layers are simultaneously patterned to reduce the number of masks and processes, allowing for connections between the thin film transistor and pixel electrode, and between the sensing line and common electrode to be made through the same process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If touch electrodes are vertically connected to avoid interfering with thin film transistors, then touch sensing functionality is maintained, but the number of masks and manufacturing processes increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the formation of contact holes through multiple interlayer dielectric layers into a single simultaneous patterning process. The sensing line is formed on the first interlayer dielectric layer, and contact holes are formed through both the first and second interlayer dielectric layers in one step, merging multiple manufacturing steps into one to reduce process complexity while maintaining touch electrode connectivity
Solution Approach 2:
The contact hole formation process serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides electrical connection through the first interlayer dielectric layer to the thin film transistor, provides connection through the second interlayer dielectric layer to the sensing line, and maintains structural integrity of both dielectric layers. This multi-functional approach reduces the need for separate masking and etching processes
2Device complexity
If the touch panel is implemented at the display panel (in-cell type), then the number of substrates is decreased and bonding process is omitted, but touch electrodes must be added to the display panel increasing manufacturing complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the touch electrode structure into the display panel's existing interlayer dielectric structure. The sensing line is formed within the first interlayer dielectric layer, and contact holes are formed simultaneously through both interlayer dielectric layers, combining touch panel manufacturing with display panel manufacturing processes to reduce overall manufacturing complexity
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention is for a backplane substrate including an in-cell type touch panel advantageous to reducing the number of masks and the number of processes, a liquid crystal display device including the same, and a method of manufacturing the same, includes a plurality of interlayer dielectric layers disposed above a drain electrode of a thin film transistor are simultaneously patterned after forming a sensing line and a common electrode.