LCD Cell Gap Uniformity via Thin Film Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Liquid crystal display devices face the challenge of maintaining a uniform cell gap between the display and non-display areas, leading to inconsistent performance due to differences in the cross-sectional structures and spacer configurations.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a liquid crystal display device design where the distance from the substrate to the end of the thin film layer and column spacers in both the display and non-display areas is identical, ensuring a uniform cell gap through identical stacking structures and spacer configurations, including the use of main and auxiliary column spacers to maintain the cell gap and improve liquid crystal layer fluidity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the column spacer is provided on the light-shielding layer in both display and non-display areas, then the structure is simplified, but the cell gap becomes non-uniform due to different cross-sectional structures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by providing the thin film layer selectively in the non-display area to compensate for the height difference caused by the absence of the transistor layer. This local structural modification ensures that the column spacer maintains uniform distance from both the first and second substrates across different areas, resolving the cell gap uniformity issue while preserving the simplified manufacturing approach
2Manufacturing precision
If the thin film layer is extended to the non-display area, then the cell gap uniformity is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the thin film layer provision into display and non-display areas, applying it only where needed to maintain cell gap uniformity. This selective segmentation adds minimal structural complexity while effectively solving the uniformity problem, rather than uniformly complicating the entire device structure
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a liquid crystal display device including first and second substrates, each of the substrates having a display area and a non-display area; a liquid crystal layer between the first and second substrates; a column spacer in each of the display area and the non-display area on the first substrate; and a thin film layer stack in each of the display area and the non-display area on the second substrate, wherein a distance from the second substrate to an end of the thin film layer stack in the display area is identical to a distance from the second substrate to an end of the thin film layer stack in the non-display area.