Micro-LED Display Layout With Backside Drivers for Smaller Pixel Pitch
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing micro-LED displays face challenges in reducing pixel pitch and increasing resolution due to the need for separate pixel drivers on the same surface as the micro-LEDs, leading to high manufacturing complexity and cost, and limitations in reducing pixel size for devices like laptops and smartphones.
Innovation Solution
Implementing micro-LED arrays on one side of a substrate with corresponding drivers on the opposite side, using conductive paths in the substrate to electrically couple them, and reducing the number of drivers by using matrix drivers that control multiple pixels, thereby allowing for closer pixel placement and increased resolution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If separate pixel drivers are placed on the same surface as micro-LEDs, then each pixel can be controlled independently, but the device complexity and manufacturing cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the pixel driver circuitry with the micro-LED array by fabricating both on the same substrate. The driver transistors are integrated alongside the micro-LED pixels, eliminating the need for separate driver components and reducing manufacturing complexity while maintaining independent pixel control capability
Solution Approach 2:
The substrate serves multiple functions: it acts as both the mechanical support for the micro-LED array and the integration platform for the driver circuitry. This multi-functional substrate design reduces the number of separate components needed and simplifies the overall device structure
2Ease of operation
If separate pixel drivers are placed on the same surface as micro-LEDs, then each pixel can be controlled independently, but the manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
By combining the pixel drivers and micro-LEDs into a single integrated structure on one substrate, the patent reduces the number of fabrication steps and materials needed. This integration approach lowers manufacturing cost while preserving full pixel control functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the substrate into functional regions where driver transistors and micro-LED pixels are separately fabricated but electrically connected through shared conductive structures. This segmentation allows for optimized manufacturing of each component type while maintaining cost-effectiveness through batch processing
3Manufacturing precision
If pixel size is reduced to increase resolution, then more pixels can be packed into smaller devices, but the need for separate drivers per pixel increases complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The integration of drivers with pixels on the same substrate enables the patent to achieve smaller pixel pitches without proportionally increasing driver complexity. The shared substrate platform allows dense pixel packing while maintaining manageable driver configuration through systematic circuit design
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a two-dimensional arrangement where drivers and pixels occupy the same plane to a three-dimensional integration where drivers are fabricated in different layers or regions on the substrate. This dimensional approach allows smaller pixel sizes and higher resolution while keeping driver complexity controlled through spatial separation
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture for a micro-LED display are disclosed. An example apparatus for a micro-LED display includes a substrate, a micro-LED matrix on a first side of the substrate, a driver circuit on a second side of the substrate, the second side opposite the first side, and a conductive path in the substrate to extend between the first side and the second side to electrically couple the micro-LED matrix to the driver circuit.