# US 9,753,317 B2 · Methods for trimming polarizers in displays using edge protection structures

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- Number: US 9,753,317 B2
- Document ID: US9753317B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/915,024
- Filed: 2013-06-11
- Published: 2014-06-26
- Granted: 2017-09-05
- Earliest claimed: 2012-12-21
- Assignees: Apple Inc.
- Applicants: Apple Inc.
- Inventors: Nathan K. Gupta; Mohd Fadzli A. Hassan; Kuan-Ying Lin; Yu-Cheng Chen
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9753317B2

## CPC

- G02F 1/133351: {Manufacturing of individual cells out of a plurality of cells, e.g. by dicing}
- B23K 26/361: for deburring or mechanical trimming (B23K26/351 takes precedence)
- C03B 33/0222: {Scoring using a focussed radiation beam, e.g. laser}
- C03B 33/07: Cutting armoured, {multi-layered, coated} or laminated, glass products
- C03B 33/074: {Glass products comprising an outer layer or surface coating of non-glass material}
- C03B 33/076: {Laminated glass comprising interlayers}
- B32B 2255/00: Coating on the layer surface
- G02F 1/133528: {Polarisers}
- 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
- B23K: SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM
- C03B: MANUFACTURE, SHAPING, OR SUPPLEMENTARY PROCESSES
- B32B: LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM

## Abstract

An electronic device is provided with a display such as a liquid crystal display. The display has a layer of liquid crystal material sandwiched between an upper display layer such as a color filter layer and a lower display layer such as a thin-film-transistor layer. An upper polarizer is formed on the upper surface of the color filter layer. A lower polarizer is formed on the lower surface of the thin-film-transistor layer. To protect display layers such as the color filter layer and the thin-film-transistor layer, a coating is deposited on a peripheral edge of the display layer. A laser is used to cut through portions of the polarizer that overhang the display layer while also cutting through the coating on the peripheral edge of the display layer. Following laser trimming operations, the coating is flush with an edge surface of the polarizer.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An electronic device, comprising:
a display layer having a peripheral edge surface, wherein the display layer includes a color filter substrate and a thin-film transistor substrate and wherein the peripheral edge surface comprises a portion of the color filter substrate and a portion of the thin-film transistor substrate;
a polarizer having a peripheral edge surface and having an inner surface attached to and in physical contact with the display layer; and
a coating having opposing inner and outer surfaces, wherein the inner surface is on the peripheral edge surface of the display layer, and wherein the polarizer extends beyond the peripheral edge surface of the display layer such that the outer surface of the coating is coplanar with the peripheral edge surface of the polarizer.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the coating comprises light-cured adhesive.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the coating comprises polymer.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the coating comprises silicone.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the peripheral edge surface of the display layer is curved.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the coating and the peripheral edge surface of the polarizer form an outermost edge surface of the electronic device.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the display layer comprises at least one layer of glass.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the display layer comprises:
liquid crystal material interposed between the color filter substrate and the thin-film-transistor substrate.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The electronic device defined in claim 1 further comprising:
an electronic device housing, wherein the peripheral edge surface of the polarizer and the coating abut an inner surface of the electronic device housing.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the display layer and the coating each have an upper surface, wherein the polarizer is in physical contact with the upper surface of the display layer, and wherein the upper surface of the coating is coplanar with the upper surface of the display layer.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the coating and the polarizer share a laser-cut edge.

### Claim 12

A method, comprising:
attaching an inner surface of a polarizer layer to a display layer such that the inner surface of the polarizer layer is in physical contact with the display layer;
coating a peripheral edge surface of the display layer with a coating layer, wherein the display layer comprises a color filter substrate and a thin-film transistor substrate and wherein the peripheral edge surface comprises a portion of the color filter substrate and a portion of the thin-film transistor substrate; and
while the peripheral edge surface of the display layer is coated with the coating layer, trimming the polarizer layer and the coating to form a planar edge surface, wherein the coating layer has opposing inner and outer surfaces, wherein the inner surface is on the peripheral edge surface, wherein the planar edge surface is formed from a peripheral edge surface of the polarizer layer and the outer surface of the coating layer, and wherein the polarizer layer extends beyond the peripheral edge surface of the display layer.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method defined in claim 12 wherein forming the display layer comprises machining a display layer that includes the color filter substrate attached to the thin-film-transistor substrate.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The method defined in claim 12 further comprising:
with surface activation equipment, activating the peripheral edge surface of the display layer prior to coating the peripheral edge surface of the display layer with the coating layer.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method defined in claim 14 wherein the surface activation equipment comprises plasma surface activation equipment.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The method defined in claim 14 wherein activating the peripheral edge surface of the display layer comprises:
with a computer-controlled positioner, moving a plasma jet around the peripheral edge surface of the display layer; and
with the plasma jet, discharging plasma onto the peripheral edge surface of the display layer as the plasma jet is moved by the computer-controlled positioner.

### Claim 17 (depends on 12)

The method defined in claim 12 wherein the coating layer comprises a light-curable coating layer, the method further comprising:
with a light source, curing the light-curable coating layer.

### Claim 18 (depends on 12)

The method defined in claim 12 wherein the coating layer comprises a thermal-cure coating layer, the method further comprising:
with a heat source, curing the thermal-cure coating layer.

### Claim 19

A method, comprising:
laminating an oversized polarizer onto a glass substrate having a peripheral edge so that an overhanging portion of the polarizer overhangs the peripheral edge and so that the oversized polarizer is in physical contact with the glass substrate, wherein the glass substrate comprises a color filter substrate and a thin-film transistor substrate and wherein the peripheral edge of the glass substrate comprises a portion of the color filter substrate and a portion of the thin-film transistor substrate;
with coating deposition equipment, dispensing a coating onto the peripheral edge, wherein the coating has an inner surface on the peripheral edge; and
with a laser, cutting through the overhanging portion of the polarizer and the coating such that an outer surface of the coating is coplanar with a peripheral edge surface of the polarizer, wherein the polarizer extends beyond the peripheral edge of the glass substrate after cutting through the overhanging portion of the polarizer.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The method defined in claim 19 wherein the laser comprises an infrared laser.

### Claim 21 (depends on 19)

The method defined in claim 19 wherein the laser comprises a visible light laser.

### Claim 22 (depends on 19)

The method defined in claim 19 wherein the cutting comprises using a camera to determine relative positions between the peripheral edge of the glass substrate and a laser beam.

### Claim 23 (depends on 19)

The method defined in claim 19 wherein cutting through the overhanging portion of the polarizer and the coating comprises exposing a planar edge surface, wherein the planar edge surface includes the peripheral edge surface of the polarizer and the outer surface of the coating.