Thin-Film Transistor Layout With Integrated Light Shielding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Thin film transistors, particularly in OLED display devices, are sensitive to light and prone to low stability due to illumination, leading to decreased product stability and increased complexity in the fabrication process with separate light shielding layers, which complicates the manufacturing process and increases the number of layers and via holes, making it challenging for high pixels-per-inch products.
Innovation Solution
A thin film transistor design that integrates a light shielding pattern within the metal conductive pattern layer, with the active layer overlapping the light shielding pattern, and using a metal oxide layer where the source and drain electrodes are formed through a conductor transforming process, reducing the number of layers and via holes by integrating the light shielding and signal lines in the same layer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a separate light shielding layer is added to protect the thin film transistor from light, then optical stability is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The light shielding pattern is merged with the metal conductive pattern layer, combining the light shielding function and the signal line function into a single layer structure. This eliminates the need for a separate light shielding layer, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining optical stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The metal conductive pattern layer is designed to serve multiple functions: it acts as both the signal line (source signal line and drain signal line) and the light shielding pattern simultaneously. This multi-functionality reduces the number of layers required while ensuring the thin film transistor is protected from light.
2Reliability
If a separate light shielding layer is added to protect the thin film transistor from light, then optical stability is improved, but manufacturing complexity and number of via holes increase
Solution Approach 1:
The light shielding pattern is formed in the same metal conductive pattern layer as the source signal line and drain signal line, eliminating the need for separate via holes to connect different layers. This simplifies the manufacturing process and reduces the number of via holes required.
3Reliability
If the active layer overlaps with the light shielding pattern, then optical stability is improved, but the layout flexibility is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The light shielding pattern is merged with the signal line layer, allowing the active layer to overlap with this combined structure. This integration provides layout flexibility while ensuring the active layer is protected from light, as the light shielding function is inherent to the same layer structure.
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 design enhances optical stability, simplifies the manufacturing process, reduces the number of layers and via holes, and supports high pixels-per-inch layout designs, improving product yield and display quality.
Implementation Method 1
using a metal oxide layer where the source and drain electrodes are formed through a conductor transforming process
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a thin film transistor, a method of manufacturing the same, and a display device. The thin film transistor includes a metal conductive pattern layer, an interlayer insulating layer, and a metal oxide layer; and the metal conductive pattern layer includes: a light shielding pattern, a source signal line, and/or a drain signal line; the metal oxide layer includes: a source electrode, a drain electrode, and an active layer. An orthographic projection of the active layer on the base substrate has an overlapping region with that of the light shielding pattern; the source electrode extends through the interlayer insulating layer to connect to the source signal line, and/or the drain electrode extends through the interlayer insulating layer to connect to the drain signal line.