Display device and method of manufacturing the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10459278-B2
Application number	US-201715854444-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 26, 2017
Priority date	Dec 29, 2016
Publication date	Oct 29, 2019
Grant date	Oct 29, 2019

Abstract

A display device and a method of manufacturing the same are disclosed. The display device includes a lower substrate, subpixels positioned on the lower substrate, and a fine alignment key positioned in at least one of the subpixels. The method of manufacturing the display device includes forming an alignment key outside a target substrate and forming a fine alignment key inside an active area defined as a display area on the target substrate, aligning the target substrate and a mask substrate using the alignment key and the fine alignment key, and performing an exposure operation using the target substrate and the mask substrate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A display device having an alignment structure, the display device, comprising:
a lower substrate layer having an upper surface at a first height;
a plurality of subpixels layers positioned on the lower substrate layer, the subpixel layers including a plurality of layers of different materials and having an upper subpixel layer having an upper surface at a second height;
a keyhole positioned within the subpixel layers, the keyhole including a recess that exposes the upper surface at the first height of the lower substrate layer; and
a fine alignment key layer positioned within the keyhole, the fine alignment key layer being comprised of at least one material layer positioned within the recess, the at least one material layer having an exposed upper surface at a third height that is less than the second height and greater than the first height, the alignment structure exposing the lower substrate layer, the upper subpixel layer and the fine alignment key layer with each having different heights of upper surfaces exposed during alignment.

2. The display device of claim 1 , wherein the fine alignment key is positioned in at least one non-opening of the subpixels.

3. The display device of claim 1 , wherein the fine alignment key is disposed inside the keyhole in an island shape.

4. The display device of claim 1 , wherein the fine alignment key is formed of at least one material formed on the lower substrate.

5. The display device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of subpixels include:
a subpixel in which the fine alignment key is disposed inside the keyhole; and
a subpixel in which a fine dummy pattern is disposed inside the keyhole.

6. The display device of claim 5 , wherein the fine alignment key and the fine dummy pattern have the same height.

7. The display device of claim 1 , further comprising an upper substrate positioned opposite the lower substrate, the upper substrate including a light leakage prevention layer at a location corresponding to the keyhole.

8. A display device having an alignment structure, the display device, comprising:
a first substrate layer having a first surface as an upper surface;
a plurality of subpixel layers positioned on the first substrate layer, the subpixel layers having a plurality of layers of different materials having an upper subpixel layer as a second surface as an upper surface that is above the first surface of the first substrate;
a keyhole positioned within the subpixel layers, the keyhole including a recess that exposes the first surface as an upper of the first substrate layer; and
a fine alignment key layer positioned within the keyhole, the fine alignment key layer being comprised of at least one material layer positioned within the recess, the at least one material layer having a third surface exposed as an upper surface that is above the first surface but is below the second surface,
wherein the alignment structure exposes the first substrate layer, the upper subpixel layer and the fine alignment key layer with different heights of the first surface layer, the second surface of the subpixel layer, and third surface of the fine alignment key layer during alignment.

9. The display device of claim 8 wherein the keyhole is positioned in a dummy region of the display device.

10. The display device of claim 8 wherein the keyhole is positioned in a non-opening region of the display device that does not emit light and the plurality of subpixel layers include at least two color filters of different colors that aligned with one directly above the other.

11. The display device of claim 10 wherein the two color filters are in direct contact with each other.

12. The display device of claim 9 , wherein the display device includes:
an active subpixel in which the fine alignment key is disposed inside the keyhole; and
a dummy subpixel in which a fine dummy pattern is disposed inside the keyhole.

13. The display device of claim 12 , wherein the fine alignment key and the fine dummy pattern have the same height.

14. The display device of claim 12 wherein the active subpixel in which the fine alignment key is disposed includes a light emitting pixel.

15. The display device of claim 12 wherein the dummy subpixel in which the fine dummy pattern is disposed includes plurality of layers disposed on top of each other that not are etched within that subpixel during the various pattern and etching steps and the dummy pixel does not emit light.

16. The display device of claim 15 wherein the plurality of subpixel layers disposed on top of each other include a gate layer in direct contact with a source and drain electrode layer.

17. The display device of claim 15 wherein the plurality of subpixel layers disposed on top of each other include at least two different color filter layers.

18. An alignment structure of a display device, comprising:
a lower substrate comprised of a first type of material having an upper surface at a first height;
a subpixel positioned on the lower substrate, the subpixel having a plurality of layers of different materials that includes a second type of material as an upper layer having an upper surface at a second height exposing the second type of material;
a keyhole positioned within the subpixel, the keyhole being a recess that exposes the first type of material on the upper surface at the first height; and
a fine alignment key positioned within the keyhole, the fine alignment key being comprised of at least one material layer of a third type of material positioned within the recess, the third type of material layer having an upper surface at a third height exposing the third type of material that is less than the second height and greater than the first height, the upper surfaces of the subpixel, keyhole and fine alignment key exposing three different types of material at three distinct, different heights during alignment.

Assignees

• Lg Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Junghoon
• Sung Yoochul
• Ha Yeonock
• Kim Byounghee

Classifications

• G02F1/1333 Primary

  Constructional arrangements; {Manufacturing methods}(G02F1/135, G02F1/136 take precedence) · CPC title

• G02F1/133753

  with different alignment orientations or pretilt angles on a same surface, e.g. for grey scale or improved viewing angle · CPC title

• G02F1/133305

  Flexible substrates, e.g. plastics, organic film · CPC title

• G03F9/7073

  Alignment marks and their environment (marks specific to masks G03F1/42; marks specific to molds or stamps G03F7/0002; overlay marks G03F7/70633; marks applied to semiconductor devices H10W46/00) · CPC title

• H01L51/0011

  Electricity · mapped topic