ARRAY SUBSTRATE AND DISPLAY PANEL
20230161209 · 2023-05-25
Assignee
Inventors
- Zhixiong JIANG (Shenzhen, Guangdong, CN)
- Sheng SUN (Shenzhen, Guangdong, CN)
- Yoonsung UM (Shenzhen, Guangdong, CN)
- Woosung SON (Shenzhen, Guangdong, CN)
- Meng CHEN (Shenzhen, Guangdong, CN)
- Wuguang LIU (Shenzhen, Guangdong, CN)
- Jubin LI (Shenzhen, Guangdong, CN)
- Zhiwei TAN (Shenzhen, Guangdong, CN)
- Haiyan QUAN (Shenzhen, Guangdong, CN)
- Kaili QU (Shenzhen, Guangdong, CN)
- Chuwei LIANG (Shenzhen, Guangdong, CN)
- Ziqi LIU (Shenzhen, Guangdong, CN)
- Lintao LIU (Shenzhen, Guangdong, CN)
- Ting LI (Shenzhen, Guangdong, CN)
- Sikun HAO (Shenzhen, Guangdong, CN)
Cpc classification
G02F1/1368
PHYSICS
H01L27/1222
ELECTRICITY
G02F1/133707
PHYSICS
H01L27/124
ELECTRICITY
H01L29/78696
ELECTRICITY
International classification
G02F1/1368
PHYSICS
G02F1/1335
PHYSICS
Abstract
The present disclosure provides an array substrate and a display panel including the same. The array substrate includes a plurality of pixel units. Each of the pixel units includes a main pixel electrode, a sub-pixel electrode, a first thin film transistor (TFT) electrically connected to the sub-pixel electrode, a second TFT electrically connected to the first TFT, and a third TFT electrically connected to the main pixel electrode. The first TFT includes a first channel and a first semiconductor layer. The first channel includes two or more subchannels. The first semiconductor layer includes two or more semiconductor sublayers. Each of the semiconductor sublayers is disposed in a corresponding subchannel.
Claims
1. An array substrate, comprising: a base substrate; and a plurality of pixel units disposed on the base substrate in an array, wherein each of the pixel units comprises: a main pixel electrode; a sub-pixel electrode; a first thin film transistor (TFT) electrically connected to the sub-pixel electrode and comprising: a first source electrode; a first drain electrode; a first channel, wherein at least a portion of the first channel is disposed between the first source electrode and the first drain electrode, and the first channel comprises two or more subchannels; and a first semiconductor layer comprising two or more semiconductor sublayers, wherein each of the semiconductor sublayers is disposed in a corresponding subchannel; a second TFT electrically connected to the first TFT and comprising: a second source electrode; a second drain electrode; a second channel disposed between the second source electrode and the second drain electrode; and a second semiconductor layer disposed in the second channel; and a third TFT electrically connected to the main pixel electrode.
2. The array substrate according to claim 1, wherein the first channel comprises a first subchannel and a second subchannel, the first semiconductor layer comprises a first semiconductor sublayer disposed in the first subchannel and a second semiconductor sublayer disposed in the second subchannel, and the first subchannel or the second subchannel are disposed between the first source electrode and the first drain electrode.
3. The array substrate according to claim 2, wherein: the first TFT and the second TFT are connected through the first source electrode and the second source electrode, or through the first drain electrode and the second drain electrode; the second TFT is disposed near the first TFT; the first subchannel is disposed between the first TFT and the second TFT; and in the first channel, at least the second subchannel is disposed between the first source electrode and the first drain electrode.
4. The array substrate according to claim 2, wherein the first subchannel and the second subchannel are I-shaped and are disposed between the first source electrode and the first drain electrode.
5. The array substrate according to claim 4, wherein: the first subchannel and the second subchannel are disposed parallel to each other; the first channel is U-shaped and is disposed between the first source electrode and the first drain electrode; and the first subchannel and the second subchannel are respectively disposed in two parallel sides of the U-shaped first channel.
6. The array substrate according to claim 4, wherein the first channel is L-shaped and is disposed between the first source electrode and the first drain electrode, and the first subchannel and the second subchannel are respectively disposed in two sides of the L-shaped first channel.
7. The array substrate according to claim 6, wherein the first subchannel is in communication with the second subchannel, and the first semiconductor sublayer and the second semiconductor sublayer are integrated as one.
8. The array substrate according to claim 6, wherein the first subchannel and the second subchannel are spaced apart, and the first semiconductor sublayer and the second semiconductor sublayer are spaced apart between the first source electrode and the first drain electrode.
9. The array substrate according to claim 2, wherein the first subchannel and the second subchannel are U-shaped and are disposed between the first source electrode and the first drain electrode.
10. A display panel, comprising a color filter substrate, an array substrate, and a liquid crystal layer disposed between the color filter substrate and the array substrate, wherein the array substrate comprises: a base substrate; and a plurality of pixel units disposed on the base substrate in an array, wherein each of the pixel units comprises: a main pixel electrode; a sub-pixel electrode; a first thin film transistor (TFT) electrically connected to the sub-pixel electrode and comprising: a first source electrode; a first drain electrode; a first channel, wherein at least a portion of the first channel is disposed between the first source electrode and the first drain electrode, and the first channel comprises two or more subchannels; and a first semiconductor layer comprising two or more semiconductor sublayers, wherein each of the semiconductor sublayers is disposed in a corresponding subchannel; a second TFT electrically connected to the first TFT and comprising: a second source electrode; a second drain electrode; a second channel disposed between the second source electrode and the second drain electrode; and a second semiconductor layer disposed in the second channel; and a third TFT electrically connected to the main pixel electrode.
11. The display panel according to claim 10, wherein the first channel comprises a first subchannel and a second subchannel, the first semiconductor layer comprises a first semiconductor sublayer disposed in the first subchannel and a second semiconductor sublayer disposed in the second subchannel, and the first subchannel or the second subchannel are disposed between the first source electrode and the first drain electrode.
12. The display panel according to claim 11, wherein: the first TFT and the second TFT are connected through the first source electrode and the second source electrode, or through the first drain electrode and the second drain electrode; the second TFT is disposed near the first TFT; the first subchannel is disposed between the first TFT and the second TFT; and in the first channel, at least the second subchannel is disposed between the first source electrode and the first drain electrode.
13. The display panel according to claim 11, wherein the first subchannel and the second subchannel are I-shaped and are disposed between the first source electrode and the first drain electrode.
14. The display panel according to claim 13, wherein: the first subchannel and the second subchannel are disposed parallel to each other; the first channel is U-shaped and are disposed between the first source electrode and the first drain electrode; and the first subchannel and the second subchannel are respectively disposed in two parallel sides of the U-shaped first channel.
15. The display panel according to claim 13, wherein the first channel is L-shaped and is disposed between the first source electrode and the first drain electrode, and the first subchannel and the second subchannel are respectively disposed in two sides of the L-shaped first channel.
16. The display panel according to claim 15, wherein the first subchannel is in communication with the second subchannel, and the first semiconductor sublayer and the second semiconductor sublayer are integrated as one.
17. The display panel according to claim 15, wherein the first subchannel and the second subchannel are spaced apart, and the first semiconductor sublayer and the second semiconductor sublayer are spaced apart between the first source electrode and the first drain electrode.
18. The display panel according to claim 11, wherein the first subchannel and the second subchannel are U-shaped and are disposed between the first source electrode and the first drain electrode.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0025] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure, a brief description of accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments of the present disclosure will be given below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings in the following description are merely some embodiments of the present disclosure. For those skilled in the art, other drawings may be obtained from these accompanying drawings without creative labor.
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[0033]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0034] The following description of various embodiments of the present disclosure with reference to the accompanying drawings is used to illustrate specific embodiments that can be practiced. Directional terms mentioned in the present disclosure, such as “above”, “below”, “front”, “back”, “left”, “right”, “inside”, “outside”, “side”, are merely used to indicate the direction of the accompanying drawings. Therefore, the directional terms are used for illustrating and understanding the present disclosure rather than limiting the present disclosure. In the figures, elements with similar structures are indicated by the same reference numerals.
[0035] In the description of the present disclosure, it should be understood that location or position relationships indicated by terms, such as “center”, “longitudinal”, “transverse”, “length”, “width”, “thickness”, “up”, “down”, “front”, “rear”, “left”, “right”, “vertical”, “horizontal”, “top”, “bottom”, “within”, “outside”, “clockwise”, and “counterclockwise” are location or position relationships based on illustration of the accompanying drawings, are merely used for describing the present disclosure and simplifying the description instead of indicating or implying the indicated apparatuses or elements should have specified locations or be constructed and operated according to specified locations, and Thereof, should not be intercepted as limitations to the present disclosure. Furthermore, terms such as “first” and “second” are used merely for description, but shall not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating a number of the indicated technical feature. Hence, the feature defined with “first” and “second” may explicitly or implicitly includes one or more such features. In the description of the present disclosure, a term “a plurality of” means “two or more” unless otherwise specifically limited.
[0036] In the present disclosure, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified or defined, the terms such as “mount”, “connect”, and “connection” should be interpreted in a broad sense. For example, a connection may be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection. A connection may be a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or a mutual communication. A connection may be a direct connection or may be an indirect connection by using an intermediate medium. A connection may be an internal connection or an interaction between two elements. It may be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that the specific meanings of the aforementioned terms in the present disclosure can be understood depending on specific situations.
[0037] In the present disclosure, unless otherwise specifically specified or limited, a structure in which a first feature is “on” or “under” a second feature may comprise an embodiment in which the first feature directly contacts the second feature, and may also comprise an embodiment in which the first feature and the second feature are not in direct contact with each other, but are contacted via an additional feature formed therebetween. Furthermore, a structure in which a first feature is “on”, “above”, or “on top of” a second feature may comprise an embodiment in which the first feature is right or obliquely “on”, “above”, or “on top of” the second feature, or just means that a sea-level elevation of the first feature is greater than a sea-level elevation of the second feature. A structure in which a first feature “under”, “below”, or “on bottom of” a second feature may include an embodiment in which the first feature is right “beneath,” “below,” or “on bottom of” the second feature, and may also comprises an embodiment in which the first feature is right or obliquely “under”, “below”, or “on bottom of” the second feature, or just means that a sea-level elevation of the first feature is less than a sea-level elevation of the second feature.
[0038] The following description provides different embodiments or examples illustrating various structures of the present invention. In order to simplify the description of the present disclosure, only components and settings of specific examples are described below. They are only examples and are not intended to limit the present invention. Furthermore, reference numerals and/or letters may be repeated in different examples of the present disclosure. Such repetitions are for simplicity and clarity, which per se do not indicate relations among the discussed embodiments and/or settings. Furthermore, the present disclosure provides various examples of specific processes and materials, but those skilled in the art can be aware of application of other processes and/or use of other materials.
[0039] Technical solutions of the present disclosure are described below in conjunction with specific embodiments.
[0040] Please refer to
[0041] The first TFT 14 comprises a first source electrode 141, a first drain electrode 142, a first channel 143, and a first semiconductor layer 144. At least a portion of the first channel 143 is disposed between the first source electrode 141 and the first drain electrode 142. The first semiconductor layer 144 is disposed in the first channel 143. The second TFT 15 comprises a second source electrode 151, a second drain electrode 152, a second channel 153 disposed between the second source electrode 151 and the second drain electrode 152, and a second semiconductor layer 154 disposed in the second channel 153.
[0042] The first channel 143 comprises two or more subchannels. The first semiconductor layer 144 comprises two or more semiconductor sublayers. Each of the semiconductor sublayers is disposed in a corresponding subchannel.
[0043] It can be understood that an actual manufacturing process of a channel of a TFT comprises: sequentially forming a gate metal layer, an insulating layer, and a source/drain metal layer, then patterning the source/drain metal layer by an exposure process, and then forming a sub-channel of a sub-TFT and a voltage-dividing channel of a voltage-dividing TFT by an etching process and the patterned source/drain metal layer. A Nikon machine comprising a combination of prisms 100 as shown in
[0044] It should be noted that, as mentioned above, light has a large diffraction angle at the prism connecting portion 101, which causes a size of an opening of a pattern of the insulating layer corresponding to the prism connecting portion 101 to become larger. Therefore, when the source/drain metal layer is etched, a part of the metal layer at openings at both ends of a channel is etched too much, which not only causes the width W of the channel to become shorter, but also causes a length L of the channel to become longer. The length L of the channel is a distance between a source electrode and a drain electrode. In a current structural design, difference between channel lengths of TFTs is small. Increasing channel lengths has little effect on a voltage-dividing ratio of a voltage-dividing TFT to a sub-TFT, so it is not considered herein. In practical applications, a number of pixel units corresponding to the prism connecting portion 101 may reach 200, so the pixel units have a great influence and may make a display panel display unevenly. In addition, the width W of the channel described herein is based on a width of a semiconductor actually filled in the channel.
[0045] The first TFT 14, the second TFT 15, and the third TFT 16 may be a top gate structure, a bottom gate structure, or the like. In this embodiment, the first TFT 14, the second TFT 15, and the third TFT 16 are all bottom gate structures. The first TFT 14, the second TFT 15, and the third TFT 16 share a gate metal layer 17. The first TFT 14 is connected to the sub-pixel electrode 13. The second TFT 15 is connected to the first TFT 14. The first TFT 14 and the second TFT 15 are configured to control the brightness of the sub-pixel. The third TFT 16 is connected to the main pixel electrode 12. The third TFT 16 is configured to control the brightness of the main pixel. The second semiconductor layer 154 fills the second channel 153. The semiconductor sublayers fill the subchannels. In addition, in a specific structure, the first source electrode 141 and the first drain electrode 142 of the first TFT 14 can be interchanged, the second source electrode 151 and the second drain electrode 152 of the second TFT 15 can be interchanged, and a third source electrode and a third drain electrode of the third TFT 16 can be interchanged, which will not be described in detail herein.
[0046] In an embodiment, the first channel 143 comprises a first subchannel 1431 and a second subchannel 1432. The first semiconductor layer 144 comprises a first semiconductor sublayer 1441 disposed in the first subchannel 1431 and a second semiconductor sublayer 1442 disposed in the second subchannel 1432. The first subchannel 1431 and/or the second subchannel 1432 are disposed between the first source electrode 141 and the first drain electrode 142. It can be understood that the first sub-channel 1431 and the second sub-channel 1432 can be disposed between the first source electrode 141 and the first drain electrode 142, or only one of them is disposed between the first source electrode 141 and the first drain electrode 142. In a structure with at least three TFTs, two source electrodes or two drain electrodes of any two TFTs may be integrated as one, so that a portion of the first channel 143 is disposed between the first source electrode 141 and the first drain electrode 142. That is, the first subchannel 1431 or the second subchannel 1432 is disposed between the first source electrode 141 and the first drain electrode 142.
[0047] In an embodiment, as shown in
[0048] Specifically, the first TFT 14 and the second TFT 15 are connected through the first drain electrode 142 and the second drain electrode 152. The second drain electrode 152 of the second TFT 15 is disposed near the first source electrode 141 of the first TFT 14. The first subchannel 1431 is disposed between the second drain electrode 152 and the first source electrode 141. It can be understood that the first TFT 14 and the second TFT 15 are connected through the first drain electrode 142 and the second drain electrode 152, that is, the first TFT 14 and the TFT 15 share a drain electrode. Therefore, the first subchannel 1431 is not disposed between the first source electrode 141 and the first drain electrode 142. Furthermore, in the first channel 143, at least the second subchannel 1432 is disposed between the first source electrode 141 and the first drain electrode 142. The first channel 143 may further comprise a third subchannel 1433 and the like, which may be disposed between the first source electrode 141 and the first drain electrode 142 together with the second subchannel 1432. For a specific structure, reference may be made to other embodiments in which the first channel 143 is entirely disposed between the first source electrode 141 and the first drain electrode 142, and details are not described herein.
[0049] In an embodiment, as shown in
[0050] Specifically, as shown in
[0051] In an embodiment, as shown in
[0052] In an embodiment, as shown in
[0053] In an embodiment, as shown in
[0054] Table 1 shows an amount of change in the voltage-dividing ratio of the first TFT 14 to the second TFT 15 in each of the array substrates 10 of
TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 changes in voltage-dividing ratios of different array substrate structures Actual ratio First TFT’s Second TFT’s of first TFT’s width W1 width W2 width W1 to (μm) (μm) second TFT’s W1 W2 width W2 design Change design Change (if Δw = Change value amount value amount 0.3 μm) amount Theoretical 26.6 0 6 0 6/26.6 = 22.6% 0% reference current 26.6 2Δw 6 2Δw (6 − 2Δw)/ 1.79% reference (26.6 − 2Δw) = 20.7% Structures 26.6 4Δw 6 2Δw (6 − 2Δw)/ 1.30% of FIG. 2 (26.6 − 4Δw) = and FIG. 3 21.3% Structures 26.6 4Δw 6 2Δw (6 − 2Δw)/ 1.30% of FIG. 4 (26.6 − 4Δw) = to FIG. 6 21.3% Structure 26.6 6Δw 6 2Δw (6 − 2Δw)/ 0.78% of FIG. 7 (26.6 − 6Δw) = 21.7%
[0055] Table 1 shows data of five groups. The five groups are a theoretical reference, a current reference, the structures of
[0056] Calculated in the above manner, taking Δw=0.3 μm as an example, in the current reference, change amounts of W1 and W2 in a current TFT structure are both 2Δw. An actual voltage-dividing ratio of the current reference is (6-2Δw)/(26.6-2Δw)=20.7%. An amount of change in the actual voltage-dividing ratio of 20.7% of the current reference with respect to the ideal voltage-dividing ratio of 22.6% is 1.30%. Amounts of changes in the voltage-dividing ratios of the structures of
[0057] Based on the aforementioned array substrates 10, the present disclosure further provides a display panel. As shown in
[0058] In the present invention, the first channel 143 is divided into the two or more subchannels, and each of the subchannels is provided with one of the semiconductor sublayers, so that a number of the subchannels of the first TFT 14 is greater than a number of the second channel 153 of the second TFT 15, thereby increasing an amount of change in a width of the channel of the first TFT 14. Compared with a current TFT structure, the present invention reduces an amount of change in an actual channel width ratio of the second TFT 15 to the first TFT 14 due to an exposure amount at a prism connecting portion 101 and reduces influence of change in the exposure amount at the prism connecting portion 101 on a voltage-dividing ratio of the second TFT 15 to the first TFT 14. Therefore, the present invention reduces an amount of change in the brightness of the sub-pixel corresponding to the prism connecting portion 101 and improves the problem of an uneven display of a display panel.
[0059] The present application has been described in the above preferred embodiments, but the preferred embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the present application, and those skilled in the art may make various modifications without departing from the scope of the present application. The scope of the present application is determined by claims.