Liquid Crystal Display Spacer Structure for Uniform Cell Gap
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Solution Overview
Problem
Liquid crystal displays face challenges in maintaining a uniform cell gap, leading to image quality issues due to difficulties in accurately aligning pixel electrodes and color filters, and the formation of smears and active unfilled areas caused by the lack of material exposure margins during the creation of column and sub-column spacers.
Innovation Solution
A liquid crystal display structure featuring a first insulating substrate with color filters, a light blocking member, and a spacer system that includes a main column spacer and first and second sub-column spacers positioned on both sides of the main column spacer, which are formed to secure a stable step height and prevent smear phenomena.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a multi step element is formed to simultaneously form the light blocking member and the spacer, then the manufacturing process integrates multiple functions, but it is difficult to stably form the step between main column spacer and sub-column spacer due to lack of material exposure margin
Solution Approach 1:
The spacer structure is segmented into a main column spacer and multiple sub-column spacers positioned at different locations. This segmentation allows each spacer component to be formed with appropriate material exposure margins, enabling stable step formation between the main column spacer and sub-column spacers while maintaining the integrated manufacturing process.
2Device complexity
If the main column spacer and sub-column spacer are formed with similar heights, then the manufacturing process is simplified, but smear phenomenon and active unfilled areas occur that prevent liquid crystal from filling
Solution Approach 1:
The spacer structure extends into the vertical dimension with the main column spacer having a greater height than the sub-column spacers. This height differentiation creates a stepped configuration that guides liquid crystal flow and prevents smear phenomenon while ensuring complete filling of the display panel, thereby improving reliability without excessive complexity.
3Ease of manufacture
If the cell gap is non-uniform, then manufacturing tolerances are easier to accommodate, but image quality deteriorates due to non-uniform display over the whole screen
Solution Approach 1:
The spacer structure, comprising the main column spacer and sub-column spacers, is formed in advance before liquid crystal injection. This preliminary action establishes a pre-defined cell gap configuration that maintains uniformity across the display panel, accommodating manufacturing tolerances while ensuring consistent image quality through the strategically positioned spacer elements.
Data Source
AI summary
A liquid crystal display includes: a first insulating substrate; a plurality of color filters positioned on the first insulating substrate; a light blocking member positioned on the plurality of color filters; a second insulating substrate facing the first insulating substrate; and a spacer positioned between the first insulating substrate and the second insulating substrate, wherein the spacer includes a main column spacer and first and second sub-column spacers, and the first and second sub-column spacers are positioned at both sides of the main column spacer.