Glass has been chosen as a substrate in liquid crystal display devices for at least three reasons: first, it is transparent; second, it can withstand the chemical and physical conditions to which it is exposed during display processing; and third, it can be manufactured at reasonable cost in thin sheets with precisely controlled dimensions. Liquid crystal displays are passive displays which are dependent upon external sources of light for illumination. They are fabricated as segmented displays or in one of two basic matrix configuration. The needs of the two types of substrates differ. The first type is intrinsic matrix addressed, relying upon the threshold properties of the liquid crystal material. The second type is extrinsic matrix or active matrix addressed in which an array of diodes, metal-insulator-metal devices, or thin film transistors (TFTs) supplies an electronic switch to each pixel. In both designs, however, two sheets of glass form the structure of the display.
Intrinsically addressed liquid crystal displays are fabricated employing thin film deposition at temperatures of about 350.degree. C., followed by photolithographic patterning. Because of the low temperature requirements involved in the process, soda lime silicate glass having a silica barrier layer thereon to prevent migration of Na+ ions has been used extensively as substrates therefor. A higher performance version of intrinsically addressed liquid crystal displays, termed the super twisted nematic, has an added substrate requirement, viz., extremely precise flatness. That requirement has demanded that the soda lime silicate glass employed in those displays be polished. Alternatively, Corning Code 7059 glass, a barium boroaluminosilicate glass marketed by Corning Incorporated, Corning, N.Y., which is precision formed into sheet requiring no surface polishing utilizing the downdraw fusion pipe, such as is described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,338,696 (Dockerty) and 3,682,609 (Dockerty), has been employed.
Extrinsically addressed liquid crystal displays can be subdivided into two categories: the first based upon metal-insulator-metal or amorphous silicon (a-Si) devices; and the second based upon polycrystalline silicon (poly-Si) devices. Devices formed from poly-Si are processed at substantially higher temperatures than those employed with a-Si thin film transistors. Those temperatures have demanded the use of glasses hibiting higher strain points than soda lime silicate glasses and Corning Code 7059 glass to preclude thermal deformation of the sheet during processing. The lower the strain point of the glass, the greater this dimensional change. A practical solution to that problem is to develop glasses demonstrating high strain points so that the dimensional change is minimized during device processing at temperatures of about 600.degree. C.
Contamination of thin film transistors by Na+ ions migrating from the glass substrate is a major concern during processing. That problem has led to the use of a coating on the substrate glass to provide a barrier against migrating of any alkali.
Therefore, glasses suitable as candidates for substrates in liquid crystal display devices utilizing poly-Si thin film transistors must comply with the following needs:
(1) the glass composition will be essentially free from alkali metal oxides;
(2) the glass must be relatively inert to the chemicals used in display processing; and
(3) the glass must demonstrate a strain point of at least 625.degree. C. and preferably much higher.
The glasses disclosed in Ser. No. 07/743,799 and Ser. No. 07/743,802 were designed to be used in forming sheet via the downdraw fusion pipe process and, hence, required compositions exhibiting a viscosity at the liquidus temperature greater than about 1.5.times.10.sup.5 poises.