Display device, optical mask, and method for manufacturing display device using the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016274402-A1
Application number	US-201514857209-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 17, 2015
Priority date	Mar 19, 2015
Publication date	Sep 22, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Exemplary embodiments relate to a display device, an optical mask, and a method for manufacturing a display device using the same. The display device including: a first substrate and a second substrate facing the first substrate; a thin film transistor disposed on the first substrate; a first insulating layer disposed on the thin film transistor; and a light blocking member disposed on the first insulating layer. The light blocking member includes a spacer for maintaining a cell gap between the first substrate and the second substrate and a main light blocking portion having an upper surface that is lower than an upper surface of the spacer, and the light blocking member further includes a furrow at a border between the spacer and the main light blocking portion, the furrow having a surface lower than the upper surface of the main light blocking portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A display device comprising:
a first substrate and a second substrate facing the first substrate; a thin film transistor disposed on the first substrate; a first insulating layer disposed on the thin film transistor; and a light blocking member disposed on the first insulating layer, wherein the light blocking member includes a spacer for maintaining a cell gap between the first substrate and the second substrate and a main light blocking portion having an upper surface that is lower than an upper surface of the spacer, and wherein the light blocking member further comprises a furrow at a border between the spacer and the main light blocking portion, the furrow having a surface lower than the upper surface of the main light blocking portion.

2 . The display device of claim 1 , wherein:
a depth of the furrow is equal to or less than about 25% of a thickness of the main light blocking portion with reference to the upper surface of the main light blocking portion.

3 . The display device of claim 2 , wherein:
the furrow has a closed curve surrounding the spacer.

4 . The display device of claim 3 , wherein:
a width of the spacer is about 5 μm to about 15 μm.

5 . The display device of claim 4 , further comprising:
a signal line connected to the thin film transistor, wherein the spacer overlaps at least one of the thin film transistor and the signal line.

6 . The display device of claim 5 , wherein:
the main light blocking portion overlaps at least a portion of the signal line.

7 . The display device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a pixel electrode disposed on the thin film transistor and connected to the thin film transistor, wherein the light blocking member is disposed on the pixel electrode.

8 . A method for manufacturing a display device, comprising:
forming a thin film transistor on a first substrate; forming a first insulating layer on the thin film transistor; and coating a light blocking material layer on the first insulating layer and exposing the light blocking material layer using an optical mask, wherein the optical mask includes: an island-type first region for transmitting at least a portion of light: a plurality of ring-type opaque regions provided around the first region and separated from each other: and a second region provided between the plurality of ring-type opaque regions and transmitting at least a portion of light.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein:
widths of the ring-type opaque regions and a width of the second region are greater than 0 μm and equal to or less than about 2 μm, respectively.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein:
the optical mask further includes a half-tone region provided outside the plurality of ring-type opaque regions and transmitting a portion of light.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein:
the ring-type opaque regions and the second region form a closed curve, respectively.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein:
the first region is a transparent region having a higher light transmission ratio than the half-tone region; and a width of the transparent region is about 5 μm to about 15 μm.

13 . The method of claim 10 , wherein:
the first region is a transparent region having a higher light transmission ratio than the half-tone region, and the second region is the a half-tone region that transmits a portion of light.

14 . The method of claim 10 , wherein:
the first region and the second region are half-tone regions that transmit a portion of light.

15 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
forming a main light blocking portion corresponding to the half-tone region by exposing the light blocking material layer using the optical mask; forming a spacer corresponding to the first region by exposing the light blocking material layer using the optical mask; and forming a furrow corresponding to the plurality of ring-type opaque regions and the second region by exposing the light blocking material layer using the optical mask, the furrow having a surface lower than an upper surface of the main light blocking portion.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein:
a depth of the furrow is equal to or less than about 25% of a thickness of the main light blocking portion with reference to the upper surface of the main light blocking portion.

17 . An optical mask for manufacturing a display device, comprising:
an island-type first region configured to transmit at least a portion of light; a plurality of ring-type opaque regions provided around the island-type first region and separated from each other; and a second region provided between the plurality of ring-type opaque regions and configured to transmit at least a portion of light.

18 . The optical mask of claim 17 , wherein:
widths of the ring-type opaque regions and a width of the second region are greater than 0 μm and equal to or less than about 2 μm, respectively.

19 . The optical mask of claim 18 , wherein:
the optical mask further includes a half-tone region provided outside the plurality of ring-type opaque regions and configured to transmit a portion of light.

20 . The optical mask of claim 19 , wherein:
the first region is a transparent region having a higher light transmission ratio than the half-tone region, and the second region is configured to transmit a portion of light.

21 . The optical mask of claim 19 , wherein:
the first region and the second region are half-tone regions configured to transmit a portion of light.

Assignees

• Samsung Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Jang Chang-Soon
• Kim Hee Ra
• Shim Yi Seop
• Huh Chul

Classifications

• H10D86/0231

  using masks, e.g. half-tone masks · CPC title

• H10D86/60

  wherein the TFTs are in active matrices · CPC title

• H10D86/40

  characterised by multiple TFTs · CPC title

• G02F1/13394 Primary

  spacers regularly patterned on the cell subtrate, e.g. walls, pillars (G02F1/133377 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G02F2001/13398

  Physics · mapped topic