Product Code: ICAL07_M1107

A Novel Laser Technique for Patterning Black Matrix in LCD Manufacture
Authors:
Jozef Wendland, Powerlase Limited; Crawley Great Britain
Paul Harrison, Powerlase Limited; Crawley Great Britain
Matt Henry, Powerlase Limited; West Sussex Great Britain
Presented at ICALEO 2007

Liquid Crystal Displays (LCDs) represent the most widely manufactured form of Flat Panel Display (FPD) in the world today. This market is extremely price sensitive and so competition is fierce. In an attempt to reduce costs, manufacturers are always interested in new technology to gain a lead on their competition. In recent years laser use has been increasing in the manufacture of FPDs most notably as a replacement for wet-etch lithography to pattern ITO thin films on the screens of Plasma Display Panels. In this paper the authors describe a new laser-based technique which allows the direct patterning of the Black Matrix resin used as a contrast enhancer between the RGB pixels in an LCD. This technique solves the problems experienced in previous attempts at laser processing of this material: edge taper, feature variation, residue and debris. This technique has the potential to displace wet-etch lithography for this process by offering both cost and quality advantages over the incumbent technology.