Corrosion-Resistant Bridge Wire for LCD Test Pad Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Corrosion of test pads in liquid crystal display (LCD) devices spreads to signal lines, causing device malfunction due to exposure to air, as conventional test pads are not designed to prevent corrosion from spreading.
Innovation Solution
The use of bridge wires made from corrosion-resistant materials like indium tin oxide (ITO) or indium zinc oxide (IZO) connects test pads to signal lines, preventing corrosion from spreading, and the test pads are formed from the same material as pixel electrodes to integrate seamlessly with the display region.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If test pads are disposed in the peripheral region connected to signal lines for visual testing, then testing functionality is enabled, but corrosion spreads from test pads to signal lines causing device malfunction
Solution Approach 1:
The connection between test pads and signal lines is divided into two separate segments: the test pad portion and the signal line, connected through a bridge wire. This segmentation isolates the corrosion-prone test pad from the critical signal line, allowing testing functionality while protecting signal line integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
A bridge wire serves as an intermediary component connecting the test pad to the signal line. This intermediary structure acts as a buffer that prevents direct corrosion transmission from the test pad to the signal line, maintaining both testing capability and signal line reliability.
2Ease of operation
If test pads are exposed to air in the peripheral region for testing access, then testing is enabled, but corrosion occurs and spreads to connected signal lines
Solution Approach 1:
The harmful corrosion propagation path is extracted from the system by introducing a bridge wire that does not transmit corrosion. The test pad remains accessible in the peripheral region, but the corrosion effect is taken out of the transmission chain to the signal line.
Solution Approach 2:
The bridge wire acts as a sacrificial or disposable component that can corrode without affecting the critical signal line. It serves as a protective barrier that absorbs the harmful corrosion effect, ensuring the longevity of the signal line.
3Productivity
If conventional test pad structures are used for visual testing, then testing functionality is achieved, but corrosion spreads to signal lines causing device malfunction
Solution Approach 1:
The test pad structure is segmented into a test pad portion and a signal line portion, connected by a bridge wire. This segmentation allows efficient visual testing while preventing corrosion spread, maintaining both productivity and reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The bridge wire serves as an intermediary that enables testing functionality while mediating the corrosion risk. It allows the test pad to remain accessible for efficient testing while protecting the signal line from corrosion, maintaining device functionality.
Data Source
AI summary
A display device includes a display panel having a display region and a peripheral region. Signal lines disposed in the peripheral region provide an image display signal to the display region. A test pad portion is disposed in the peripheral region and connected to at least some of the signal lines. The test pad portion includes a test pad, an extension line extending from the test pad, and a bridge wire connecting the extension line to an associated signal line. The bridge wire is formed of a corrosion resistant material. The signal line is protected from corrosion by connecting the signal line to the test pad portion via the bridge wire, which prevents corrosion of the test pad from spreading to the signal line. The bridge wire can be protected from corrosion by disposing it under a sealing member of the panel.