LCD Spacer Pillar Structure for Simpler Substrate Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing liquid crystal display (LCD) manufacturing processes face challenges in simplifying the production of post spacers, which limits manufacturing efficiency and fails to meet the requirements for spacer height differences and elasticity, affecting the alignment and assembly of LCD substrates.
Innovation Solution
The proposed solution involves a display panel design where the color filter substrate includes spacer pillars with spacer layers made of the same material as the color filter layers, and these spacer pillars are in direct contact with protrusions on the array substrate, forming a support structure that satisfies the height and elasticity requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If post spacers are provided between substrates to maintain stable liquid crystal display panel and uniform cell gap, then the alignment and assembly of substrates is improved, but the manufacturing process complexity increases due to separate production of spacers
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the post spacer production with the color filter layer formation process by using the same coating and drying equipment. The spacer material is applied simultaneously with the color filter material, and both are dried together in the same drying chamber, eliminating separate spacer production steps and reducing manufacturing process complexity while maintaining alignment stability
Solution Approach 2:
The invention makes the color filter coating equipment perform multiple functions by enabling it to deposit both color filter material and spacer material. The same coating head, drying chamber, and process parameters are used for both functions, making the equipment universal and eliminating the need for dedicated spacer production equipment
2Manufacturing precision
If separate production process for post spacers is used, then spacer height control is achieved, but manufacturing efficiency decreases and productivity is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The invention combines spacer material deposition with color filter material deposition in a single coating pass. The coating head deposits both materials simultaneously, and the drying chamber processes both layers together, eliminating multiple production cycles and significantly improving manufacturing efficiency while maintaining precise spacer height control through optimized coating parameters
Solution Approach 2:
The invention applies spacer material in advance during the color filter formation process itself, rather than producing spacers separately afterward. By incorporating spacer material application into the early stages of panel manufacturing, the process achieves both preliminary spacer placement and color filter formation in one operation, boosting overall productivity
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional spacer production method is used, then manufacturing process is established, but it fails to meet requirements for spacer height differences and elasticity
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies different materials and optimization parameters for different spacer locations. Main spacers use one material formulation optimized for height, while auxiliary spacers use another formulation optimized for elasticity and filling capability. This local quality differentiation allows the established manufacturing process to meet diverse spacer performance requirements simultaneously
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes material parameters and coating parameters to achieve different spacer properties. By adjusting material composition, coating thickness, and drying conditions, the process can produce spacers with varying heights and elasticities. This parameter flexibility enables the conventional manufacturing setup to adapt to diverse spacer requirements without process reconfiguration
Data Source
AI summary
A display panel includes an array substrate and a color filter substrate, where the color filter substrate includes a first substrate, spacer pillars, and color filter layers, each spacer pillar is in the spacing region, and each pixel region is provided with a color filter layer. Each spacer pillar includes at least one spacer layer each made of the same material as the color filter layer in one of the pixel regions. The array substrate includes a second substrate and a support layer, where the support layer is on a side of the second substrate facing the color filter substrate, and includes a body layer and a plurality of protrusions on a side of the body layer away from the second substrate, where each protrusion is each opposite to at least one of the spacer pillars. At least one of the spacer pillars is each supported on the corresponding protrusion.