Spacer Design for Electro-Optical Device Adhesion
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Solution Overview
Problem
In electro-optical devices, such as liquid crystal displays, spacers are difficult to stabilize the distance between substrates while maintaining a high opening ratio, as the area occupied by spacers on pixel electrodes increases, leading to decreased optical characteristics and stability issues.
Innovation Solution
The electro-optical device incorporates a spacer with a first portion overlapping and a second portion not overlapping with the pixel electrode, allowing for increased adhesiveness and stability without reducing the opening ratio, using an inorganic material for the spacer and a layered structure with insulating layers to enhance adhesiveness and prevent peeling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the spacer area on the pixel electrode is increased to improve adhesiveness, then the spacer can stabilize the distance between substrates, but the opening ratio decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The spacer is divided into two distinct portions: a first portion that overlaps with the pixel electrode to provide adhesiveness, and a second portion that does not overlap with the pixel electrode to maintain the opening ratio. This segmentation allows each portion to fulfill its specific function without compromising the other requirement.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the spacer have different spatial relationships with the pixel electrode. The first portion is positioned to overlap with the pixel electrode for strong adhesion, while the second portion is positioned outside the pixel electrode area to avoid reducing the opening ratio. This local differentiation of quality resolves the contradiction between adhesiveness and opening ratio.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the spacer area on the pixel electrode is increased to improve distance stabilization, then the spacer can maintain substrate spacing, but the display area decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The spacer structure is segmented into two functional portions: the first portion overlaps with the pixel electrode to provide anchoring and stabilize the distance between substrates, while the second portion extends beyond the pixel electrode area to maintain substrate spacing without occupying display area, thus preserving the opening ratio and display area.
Solution Approach 2:
The spacer is designed to extend in multiple spatial dimensions relative to the pixel electrode. By having portions both overlapping and non-overlapping with the pixel electrode in the plan view, the spacer utilizes spatial arrangement in different dimensions to achieve distance stabilization while minimizing impact on display area.
3Area of stationary object
If the opening ratio is maintained high, then the display quality is improved, but the spacer adhesiveness to pixel electrode is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The spacer is segmented into a first portion that overlaps with the pixel electrode to ensure sufficient adhesiveness, and a second portion that does not overlap to maintain the opening ratio. This segmentation allows the system to achieve both high opening ratio and adequate adhesiveness simultaneously by distributing the spacer's area across different functional zones.
Solution Approach 2:
The spacer exhibits local quality differentiation where the first portion has high overlap with the pixel electrode for strong adhesion, while the second portion has no overlap to preserve the opening ratio. This local differentiation allows the overall structure to satisfy both contradictory requirements of adhesiveness and opening ratio.
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 configuration stabilizes the distance between substrates, improves adhesiveness, and maintains a high opening ratio, enhancing the display quality and resolution of the electro-optical device.
Implementation Method 1
an electro-optical layer coupled between the pixel electrode and the common electrode, the electro-optical layer having optical characteristics varying according to an electric field
Data Source
AI summary
An electro-optical device includes a first substrate including a layered body including a plurality of insulating layers, and a pixel electrode disposed at the layered body, a second substrate including a common electrode, an electro-optical layer disposed between the pixel electrode and the common electrode, the electro-optical layer having optical characteristics varying according to an electric field, a spacer coupled to the first substrate, the spacer defining a distance between the pixel electrode and the common electrode, in which the spacer has a first portion overlapping with the pixel electrode when viewed in a thickness direction of the first substrate, and a second portion not overlapping with the pixel electrode when viewed in the thickness direction.