Liquid Crystal Display Spacer Design for Aperture Ratio
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Solution Overview
Problem
The manufacturing process of liquid crystal displays becomes complicated due to the need for main and auxiliary spacers of different lengths, which complicates the formation and increases the size of the spacers, affecting the aperture ratio and compression characteristics.
Innovation Solution
The design includes first and second spacers with the same length and cross-section, formed on a curved insulating layer, with the second portion overlapping the second signal line, allowing for a simplified manufacturing process and improved aperture ratio by minimizing spacer size and maintaining uniform compression characteristics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If main and auxiliary spacers of different lengths are formed, then the liquid crystal display can maintain uniform interval between display panels, but the manufacturing process becomes complicated and device size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The insulating layer is divided into two portions with different surface heights: a first portion overlapping the thin film transistor and a second portion overlapping the second signal line. This segmentation allows different spacer lengths to be achieved by forming spacers on different height levels of the insulating layer portions, thereby maintaining uniform interval between display panels while avoiding the need for separate main and auxiliary spacer formation processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution transitions from varying spacer lengths in one dimension to varying insulating layer heights in another dimension. By creating portions of the insulating layer with different surface heights, the patent achieves the functional effect of different length spacers while using spacers of the same physical length, thus simplifying the manufacturing process.
2Reliability
If main and auxiliary spacers of different lengths are formed, then the liquid crystal display can maintain uniform interval between display panels, but the spacer size increases affecting aperture ratio
Solution Approach 1:
The insulating layer is designed with local quality variations, having a first portion with a specific height overlapping the thin film transistor and a second portion with a different height overlapping the second signal line. This allows spacers to be positioned at appropriate local heights to maintain uniform liquid crystal layer thickness while minimizing spacer footprint and maximizing aperture ratio.
3Reliability
If main and auxiliary spacers of different lengths are formed, then the liquid crystal display can maintain uniform interval between display panels, but compression characteristics are affected
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the height parameter of the insulating layer portions rather than changing the length parameter of the spacers. By forming a first portion and a second portion of the insulating layer with different surface heights, the solution achieves proper spacer positioning for uniform liquid crystal layer thickness while maintaining uniform compression characteristics across all spacers, as all spacers have the same length and cross-sectional area.
Data Source
AI summary
A liquid crystal display includes a first substrate, a first signal line formed on the first substrate, the first signal line including a first portion and a second portion, wherein the second portion is thinner than the first portion, a second signal line insulated from the first signal line, the second signal line crossing the first signal line, a thin film transistor connected to the second signal line, a pixel electrode connected to the thin film transistor, an insulating layer formed on the first signal line, the second signal line, and the thin film transistor, the insulating layer including a first portion and a second portion, a first spacer formed on the first portion of the insulating layer, and a second spacer formed on the second portion of the insulating layer, wherein the second portion of the insulating layer overlaps the second portion of the first signal line, and the first portion and the second portion of the insulating layer have different surface heights.