SiOC Alignment Layer for LCD Panel Manufacturing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The manufacturing process of liquid crystal display (LCD) panels is complex and costly due to the need for multiple processes, including printing and etching, to define the alignment direction of the alignment layer, which increases processing time and material costs.
Innovation Solution
The use of a silicon oxycarbide (SiOC) alignment layer, which is insensitive to deposition temperature and can be modified by ion beam bombardment, allowing for a simpler manufacturing method and improved alignment direction control without separate etching and exposure processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If printing and etching processes are used to define alignment direction, then alignment direction can be defined, but the number of processes increases resulting in increased processing time and material cost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the printing and etching processes from the manufacturing sequence by using a deposition process that directly forms the alignment layer with the desired alignment direction, removing unnecessary intermediate steps while maintaining alignment precision
Solution Approach 2:
The deposition process serves multiple functions simultaneously: it forms the alignment layer material and defines the alignment direction in a single step, making the process universal and eliminating the need for separate printing and etching operations
2Manufacturing precision
If printing and etching processes are used to define alignment direction, then alignment direction can be defined, but material cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the expensive printing and etching processes and replaces them with a more economical deposition process that achieves the same alignment direction definition with reduced material consumption and lower cost
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a cost-effective deposition process that consumes minimal materials to achieve the alignment function, replacing expensive and material-intensive printing and etching operations with a more economical alternative
3Temperature
If SiOC alignment layer is used, then deposition temperature insensitivity is achieved, but alignment direction control requires ion beam bombardment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material composition to SiOC, which fundamentally alters the deposition temperature sensitivity parameter, making the process insensitive to temperature variations and enabling broader process windows
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach reduces manufacturing complexity and costs while maintaining high transmittance and electrical stability, improving display quality and efficiency in LCD panels.
Implementation Method 1
the alignment direction of the SiOC alignment layer can be changed by ion beam bombardment
Implementation Method 2
depositing an alignment layer on the upper and lower substrates, the alignment layer comprising an inorganic substance containing silicon (Si), oxygen (O), and carbon (C)
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a liquid crystal display (“LCD”) panel and manufacturing method thereof. The LCD panel in accordance with the present invention includes a lower substrate including a thin film transistor and a pixel electrode, an upper substrate including a common electrode facing the lower substrate, a liquid crystal layer formed between the upper and lower substrates, and an alignment layer formed of an inorganic substance containing silicon (Si), oxygen (O), and carbon (C) on the upper and lower substrates. The transmittance of light through the LCD panel is high and is practically independent of the deposition temperature of the SiOC alignment layer over a wide range of deposition temperatures. The deposition of the alignment layer can be performed over a wide range of deposition temperatures while maintaining high levels of light transmission.