Methods for fabricating display structures

• US 9,575,354 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2015
• Issued: 02/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Mathew, Dinesh C., Wilson, Thomas W. Jr., Yin, Victor H., Posner, Bryan W., Ligtenberg, Chris, Degner, Brett W., Augenbergs, Peteris K., Zhong, John Z., Hotelling, Steve, Youngs, Lynn, Sung, Kuo-Hua
• Primary Examiner(s): CHEN, WEN YING PATTY
• Application Number:
  US14/729,859
• Publication Number:
  US 20150268510A1
• Time in Patent Office: 629 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133388 with constructional differences between the display region and the peripheral region
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133514 Colour filters
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133528 Polarisers
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13452 Conductors connecting driver circuitry and terminals of panels
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13454 Drivers integrated on the active matrix substrate G02F1/136277 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/136218 Shield electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2203/01 transmissive
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2211/44 Optical arrangements or shielding arrangements, e.g. filters or lenses
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 9/205 Applying optical coatings or shielding coatings to the vessel of flat panel displays, e.g. applying filter layers, electromagnetic interference shielding layers, anti-reflection coatings or anti-glare coatings
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/108 Flash, trim or excess removal

Abstract

An electronic device display may have a color filter layer and a thin film transistor layer. A layer of liquid crystal material may be interposed between the color filter layer and the thin film transistor layer. A layer of polarizer may be laminated onto the surface of the color filter layer. Laser trimming may ensure that the edges of the polarizer are even with the edges of the color filter layer. The thin film transistor layer may have an array of thin film transistors that control pixels of the liquid crystal material in the display. Driver circuitry may be used to control the array. The driver circuitry may be encapsulated in a planarized encapsulant on the thin film transistor layer or may be mounted to the underside of the color filter layer. Conductive structures may connect driver circuitry on the color filter layer to the thin film transistor layer.

Claims

1. An electronic device having a display that includes an array of display pixels and having an electronic component, wherein the display comprises:

a color filter layer;

a thin-film transistor layer;

liquid crystal material interposed between the color filter layer and the thin-film transistor layer;

an opaque layer interposed between the color filter layer and the thin-film transistor layer, wherein the opaque layer forms a border around the array of display pixels, wherein the opaque layer has an opening in the border, and wherein the electronic component receives light through the opening; and

a display driver integrated circuit disposed directly behind the opaque layer.

2. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the opaque layer comprises a black ink layer.

3. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the opaque layer comprises material formed on a surface of the color filter layer.

4. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the opaque layer comprises material formed on a surface of the thin-film transistor layer.

5. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the thin-film transistor layer comprises a glass substrate.

6. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the color filter layer comprises a glass substrate.

7. The electronic device defined in claim 6 wherein the display further comprises a polarizer having an opening aligned with the opening in the opaque layer.

8. The electronic device defined in claim 7 wherein the opening in the polarizer comprises a circular hole and wherein the electronic component comprises a camera.

9. The electronic device defined in claim 7 wherein an outer edge of the polarizer is aligned with an outer edge of the glass substrate.

10. The electronic device defined in claim 9 wherein an outer edge of the opaque layer is aligned with the outer edge of the glass substrate and the outer edge of the polarizer.

11. The electronic device defined in claim 10 wherein the polarizer comprises a central portion that overlaps the liquid crystal material and wherein the opening in the polarizer is located between the central portion of the polarizer and the outer edge of the polarizer.

12. An electronic device having a display that includes an array of display pixels and having an electronic component, wherein the display comprises:

a color filter substrate;

a thin-film transistor substrate;

liquid crystal material interposed between the color filter substrate and the thin-film transistor substrate;

an opaque layer interposed between the color filter substrate and the thin-film transistor substrate, wherein the opaque layer forms a border around the array of display pixels and has an opening in the border, and wherein the electronic component receives light through the opening; and

a polarizer having four unbroken straight outer edges and a central portion that overlaps the liquid crystal material, wherein the polarizer has an opening that overlaps the opening in the opaque layer, and wherein portions of the polarizer are interposed between the opening in the polarizer and each of the four unbroken straight outer edges of the polarizer.

13. The electronic device defined in claim 12 wherein the opaque layer comprises opaque ink and wherein the electronic component comprises a camera.

14. The electronic device defined in claim 12 further comprising display driver circuitry interposed between the opaque layer and the thin-film transistor substrate.

15. The electronic device defined in claim 12 wherein the opaque layer is located on a surface of the color filter substrate.

16. The electronic device defined in claim 12 wherein the opaque layer is located on a surface of the thin-film transistor substrate.

21. The electronic device defined in claim 12, wherein the opening in the polarizer comprises an opening that is completely surrounded by portions of the polarizer.

17. A display, comprising:

a color filter layer and a thin-film transistor layer that form an array of display pixels;

a display driver integrated circuit that controls the array of display pixels;

an opaque layer interposed between the color filter layer and the thin-film transistor layer that directly overlaps the display driver integrated circuit and that has an opening, wherein the opaque layer forms a border around the array of display pixels and wherein the opening is located between the array of display pixels and an outer edge of the opaque layer; and

a polarizer having a camera window that overlaps the opening in the opaque layer.

18. The display defined in claim 17 wherein the display pixels comprise liquid crystal display pixels.

19. The display defined in claim 17 further comprising first and second substrates, wherein the opaque layer and the display driver integrated circuit are interposed between the first and second substrates.

20. The display defined in claim 19 wherein the outer edge of the polarizer is aligned with an outer edge of at least one of the first and second substrates.

22. The display defined in claim 17 wherein the camera window comprises a circular opening.

23. The display defined in claim 22, wherein the circular opening is completely surrounded by portions of the polarizer.