Materials Science & Technology

Open Degradation on ITO Lines for

an LCD Driver

Peter Jacob, Empa Dbendorf Dept. 173

 Setup
LCD-driver IC directly glued onto connecting ITO
lines on LCD glass
Glue includes silver particles
2-step protector: soft silicone gel and hard top
mould compound
Mould compound

Silicone gel

LCD Driver Chip Au bump

ITO Line

LCD Glass Carrier

Empa, , 2
 Failure Description

After some time of operation, repeatingly LCD

segments failed to display correctly
Electrical analysis has shown that always the
same ITO line to the LCD driver was open
No specific or unusual setup, current density or
other observations were made considering this
line

Empa, , 3
Optical setup, image taken through the glass

Optical
microscope
inspection has
always shown
the same attack
points: one
small line right
from the big one
was completely
open, the wider
line right from
the thick one
never was
attacked

Empa, , 4
 Voltage Potentials and electrochemical
evaluation of the situation
VLCD is the line
with the
maximum
0 potential on-
0-3V ? Accu 1 +8.6V
Accu 2 - site. Compared
VLCD
3 to neighbour
V
potentials,
electrolytic
cells have been
generated,
Border line of consuming
inner mold material of the
minus side.

Empa, , 5
 Cross sectional drawing
Humidity enclosure, acting
as an electrolyte

Hard mould compound

Silicone gel

Au bump
LCD Driver Chip ITO Line

Glue with
ITO Open
conductive balls LCD Glass Carrier

Empa, , 6
 Conclusions

Humidity and electrical field strength can

generate electrolytical reactions on LCD-ITO
lines finally causing opens
Device and ITO/ LCD layout should consider to
arrange pins in a manner which avoids abrupt
potential changes of neighboured lines. Vdd and
Vss lines are best arranged at corners, where
enough space is available to reduce field
strength
After a suiable redesign enhancing critical
spaces, no further reliability problems occured

Empa, , 7