LCD Panel Column Spacer Design for Stress Dispersion
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Solution Overview
Problem
In liquid crystal display (LCD) panels, the alignment of TFT and color filter substrates is prone to errors as substrate sizes increase, leading to defects and decreased aperture ratio, and column spacers face a trade-off between deformation under pressure and stress distribution, affecting liquid crystal injection margin.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of an LCD panel design featuring a first substrate with thin film transistors, a color filter layer, and a second substrate with main and sub column spacers, where the sub column spacer is recessed on the first substrate, allowing for efficient stress dispersion and increased liquid crystal injection margin.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the number of column spacers is increased to reduce stress on each spacer, then stress distribution improves, but pressure deformation decreases and liquid crystal injection margin is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The column spacer is divided into two distinct parts: a head portion and a body portion. The head portion has a larger cross-sectional area than the body portion, creating a segmented structure that allows different regions to serve different functions - the head portion bears and distributes stress while the body portion maintains flexibility for pressure deformation
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the column spacer are given different cross-sectional areas to optimize local functions. The head portion has a larger cross-sectional area for stress distribution, while the body portion has a smaller cross-sectional area for maintaining deformation flexibility. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between stress distribution and injection margin
2Productivity
If the number of column spacers is decreased to increase liquid crystal injection margin, then liquid crystal injection margin improves, but stress on each spacer increases causing deformation or breakage
Solution Approach 1:
The column spacer is divided into a head portion and a body portion with different cross-sectional areas. This segmentation allows the structure to maintain fewer spacers for better injection margin while the enlarged head portion compensates by providing superior stress distribution capability
Solution Approach 2:
The column spacer employs a composite structure with varying cross-sectional areas along its length. This composite design creates a structure that is both stress-resistant (through the larger head portion) and deformation-flexible (through the smaller body portion), resolving the contradiction between reliability and productivity
Data Source
AI summary
An LCD panel includes a first substrate including a first substrate material, a plurality of thin film transistors (“TFTs”) formed on the first substrate material each having a drain electrode, and an organic layer formed on the plurality of TFTs which further includes a color filter layer, a second substrate disposed opposite to the first substrate and including a second substrate material, a main column spacer having a first end connected to the first substrate, and a second end connected to the second substrate, a sub column spacer having a first end connected to one of the first and second substrates, and a second end being spaced apart from the other one of the first and second substrates, and a recessed portion formed in at least one of the first and second substrates corresponding to the sub column spacer.