# US 10,310,342 B2 · Display device and manufacturing method thereof

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- Number: US 10,310,342 B2
- Document ID: US10310342B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/471,892
- Filed: 2017-03-28
- Published: 2017-10-05
- Granted: 2019-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2016-03-29
- Assignees: Samsung Display Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Samsung Display Co., Ltd
- Inventors: Sungjin Mun; Namwook Lee; Kihun Jeong; Xinxing Li; Hyeongjun Jin
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10310342B2

## CPC

- G02F 1/13452: {Conductors connecting driver circuitry and terminals of panels}
- G02F 1/133345: {Insulating layers (G02F1/1335, G02F1/1337, G02F1/135, G02F1/136 take precedence)}
- G02F 1/133512: {Light shielding layers, e.g. black matrix (G02F1/136209 takes precedence)}
- G02F 1/1339: Gaskets; Spacers; Sealing of cells
- G02F 1/13394: {spacers regularly patterned on the cell subtrate, e.g. walls, pillars (G02F1/133377 takes precedence)}
- G02F 1/13458: {Terminal pads}
- G02F 1/136227: {Through-hole connection of the pixel electrode to the active element through an insulation layer}
- G02F 1/136222: {Colour filters incorporated in the active matrix substrate}
- G02F 1/136236: {using a grey or half tone lithographic process}
- G02F 1/1368: in which the switching element is a three-electrode device {(G02F1/136277 takes precedence)}
- H10D 86/441: {Interconnections, e.g. scanning lines}
- H10D 86/451: {characterised by the compositions or shapes of the interlayer dielectrics}
- H10D 86/60: wherein the TFTs are in active matrices
- G02F: OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS
- H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES

## Abstract

A display device includes: a first substrate including a display area and a non-display area; a gate line in the display area and a gate pad in the non-display area, the gate line extending in a first direction; a data line in the display area, the data line extending in a second direction intersecting the first direction; a thin film transistor at an intersection point among the gate line and the data line; a step-difference pattern on the gate pad; and a protective layer including a first protective layer on the thin film transistor and a second protective layer on the step-difference pattern and the gate pad. The second protective layer has a height less than a height of the first protective layer.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A display device comprising:
a first substrate having a display area and a non-display area;
a gate line in the display area and a gate pad in the non-display area, the gate line extending in a first direction;
a data line in the display area, the data line extending in a second direction intersecting the first direction;
a thin film transistor at an intersection point among the gate line and the data line;
a step-difference pattern on the gate pad; and
a protective layer comprising a first protective layer on the thin film transistor and a second protective layer on the step-difference pattern and the gate pad,
wherein the second protective layer has a height less than a height of the first protective layer; and the protective layer on the step-difference pattern has a height greater than a height of the second protective layer on the gate pad.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step-difference pattern has a thickness greater than a thickness of the second protective layer.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second protective layer has a protective-layer contact hole extending to the gate pad, and
the display device further comprises a transparent electrode on the second protective layer, the transparent electrode connected to the gate pad through the protective-layer contact hole.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The display device as claimed in claim 3, further comprising:
a second substrate opposing the first substrate; and
a common electrode on the second substrate.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The display device as claimed in claim 4, further comprising:
a conductive ball disposed between the common electrode and the transparent electrode to connect the common electrode and the transparent electrode.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The display device as claimed in claim 5, further comprising:
a light shielding portion on the protective layer and the transparent electrode; and
a column spacer protruding from the light shielding portion.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The display device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the light shielding portion has a light-shielding-portion hole in the non-display area, and
the light-shielding-portion hole has a diameter larger than a diameter of the conductive ball.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step-difference pattern comprises a color filter.

### Claim 9

A method of manufacturing a display device, the method comprising:
preparing a first substrate having a display area and a non-display area;
forming a gate line in the display area and forming a gate pad in the non-display area;
forming a data line in the display area, the data line intersecting the gate line;
forming a thin film transistor connected to the gate line and the data line;
forming a step-difference pattern on the gate pad; and
forming a protective layer comprising forming a first protective layer on the thin film transistor and forming a second protective layer on the step-difference pattern and the gate pad, the second protective layer having a protective-layer contact hole extending to the gate pad,
wherein the second protective layer has a height less than a height of the first protective layer; and the second protective layer on the step-difference pattern has a height greater than a height of the second protective layer on the gate pad.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the forming of the first protective layer and the forming of the second protective layer are performed in substantially a same process.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the forming of the first protective layer and the forming of the second protective layer comprise:
coating a photosensitive composition in the display area and the non-display area;
disposing an exposure mask above the photosensitive composition and irradiating light to the photosensitive composition; and
developing and curing the exposed photosensitive composition.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the exposure mask comprises a light transmissive pattern, a semi-light-transmissive pattern, and a light shielding pattern.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the photosensitive composition is a positive-type photoresist, and the semi-light-transmissive pattern is disposed above a second protective layer forming area.

### Claim 14 (depends on 9)

The method as claimed in claim 9, further comprising forming a color filter on the first substrate before the forming the protective layer.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the forming of the color filter and the forming of the step-difference pattern are performed in substantially a same process.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the forming of the step-difference pattern comprises forming the step-difference pattern to have a greater thickness than a thickness of the second protective layer.

### Claim 17 (depends on 9)

The method as claimed in claim 9, further comprising: after forming the protective layer,
forming a transparent electrode on the second protective layer, the transparent electrode connected to the gate pad through the protective-layer contact hole; and
disposing a conductive ball above the transparent electrode, the conductive ball connecting the transparent electrode and a common electrode.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The method as claimed in claim 17, further comprising: after the forming the transparent electrode, forming a light shielding portion and a column spacer protruding from the light shielding portion on the protective layer and the transparent electrode.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The method as claimed in claim 18, further comprising defining a light-shielding-portion hole in the light shielding portion, the light-shielding-portion hole having a diameter larger than a diameter of the conductive ball.