Lower substrate, display apparatus having the same and method of manufacturing the same

• US 20050104070A1
• Filed: 10/19/2004
• Published: 05/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TCL China Star Optoelectronics Technology Co. Ltd. (TCL Technology Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Tae, Seung-Gyu, Kim, Bong-Ju, Kim, Hyun-Young, Yoon, Joo-Sun
• Granted Patent: US 7,309,922 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 257/72
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133371 Cells with varying thickness of the liquid crystal layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133555 Transflectors
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/136227 Through-hole connection of the pixel electrode to the active element through an insulation layer
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/12 the substrate being other than a semiconductor body, e.g. an insulating body

Abstract

In a lower substrate, a display apparatus having the lower substrate and a method of manufacturing the lower substrate, the lower substrate includes a pixel area and a circuit area. An image is displayed in the pixel area. A first signal electrode is disposed in a circuit area. A first insulating layer includes an opening, through which the first signal electrode is exposed. A second signal electrode is disposed on the first insulating layer in the circuit area, and spaced apart from the first signal electrode. A second insulating layer is disposed on the first insulating layer, and includes a contact hole, through which the first and second signal electrodes are exposed. A conductive layer electrically connects the first signal electrode to the second signal electrode. Therefore, a manufacturing process is simplified so that a yield of the lower substrate is increased.

Claims

1. A lower substrate comprising:

a first signal electrode disposed in a circuit area;

a first insulating layer having an opening, through which the first signal electrode is exposed;

a second signal electrode disposed on the first insulating layer in the circuit area, and spaced apart from the first signal electrode;

a second insulating layer disposed on the first insulating layer, the second insulating layer including a contact hole, through which the first and second signal electrodes are exposed; and

a conductive layer electrically connecting the first signal electrode to the second signal electrode.

2. The lower substrate of claim 1, wherein the first signal electrode is partially exposed through the opening of the first insulating layer, and the first and second signal electrodes are partially exposed through the contact hole.

3. The lower substrate of claim 1, wherein the conductive layer further comprises a transmission electrode including a transparent conductive material, and a reflection electrode disposed on the transmission electrode, and the reflection electrode includes a reflective material.

4. The lower substrate of claim 3, wherein the reflection electrode corresponds to the transmission electrode.

5. The lower substrate of claim 1, wherein a portion of the conductive layer is disposed in the contact hole.

6. The lower substrate of claim 5, wherein an end portion of the conductive layer is disposed on the second insulating layer to cover the first and second signal electrodes that are partially exposed through the contact hole.

7. The lower substrate of claim 1, wherein the contact hole corresponds to the conductive layer.

8. The lower substrate of claim 3, further comprising:

a gate line disposed in a pixel area;

a data line disposed in the pixel area;

a thin film transistor disposed in the pixel area, the thin film transistor including a gate electrode electrically connected to the gate line, a source electrode electrically connected to the data line and a drain electrode spaced apart from the source electrode; and

a pixel electrode disposed on the second insulating layer,

and wherein the second insulating layer includes another opening, through which the drain electrode is electrically connected to the pixel electrode.

9. The lower substrate of claim 8, wherein the pixel electrode further comprises a transmission electrode including a transparent conductive material and a reflection electrode disposed on the transmission electrode, and the reflection electrode includes a reflective material.

10. The lower substrate of claim 1, wherein the second insulating layer comprises an inorganic insulating layer and an organic insulating layer disposed on the inorganic insulating layer.

11. A lower substrate comprising:

a first signal electrode disposed in a circuit area;

a first insulating layer having an opening, through which the first signal electrode is exposed;

a second signal electrode disposed on the first insulating layer in the circuit area, and spaced apart from the first signal electrode;

a second insulating layer disposed on the first insulating layer, the second insulating layer including a first contact hole, through which the first and second signal electrodes are exposed;

a third insulating layer disposed on the second insulating layer, the third insulating layer including a second contact hole, through which the second insulating layer adjacent to the first contact hole and the first and second signal electrodes are exposed; and

a conductive layer electrically connecting the first signal electrode to the second signal electrode through the first and second contact holes.

12. The lower substrate of claim 11, wherein the first signal electrode is partially exposed through the opening of the first insulating layer, the first and second signal electrodes are partially exposed through the first contact hole, and the second insulating layer adjacent to the first contact hole and the first and second signal electrodes are partially exposed through the second contact hole.

13. The lower substrate of claim 11, wherein the conductive layer further comprises a transmission electrode including a transparent conductive material and a reflection electrode disposed on the transparent electrode, and the reflection electrode includes a reflective material.

14. The lower substrate of claim 13, wherein the transmission electrode corresponds to the second contact hole, and an end portion of the transmission electrode is disposed on the exposed portion of the second insulating layer that is exposed through the second contact hole.

15. The lower substrate of claim 14, wherein the reflection electrode is disposed on the transmission electrode.

16. A display apparatus comprising:

a lower substrate including a first signal electrode disposed in a circuit area, a first insulating layer having an opening, through which the first signal electrode is exposed, a second signal electrode disposed on the first insulating layer in the circuit area and spaced apart from the first signal electrode, a second insulating layer disposed on the first insulating layer to include a contact hole, through which the first and second signal electrodes are exposed, and a conductive layer electrically connecting the first signal electrode to the second signal electrode through the contact hole; and

an upper substrate corresponding to the lower substrate.

17. A display apparatus comprising:

a lower substrate including a first signal electrode disposed in a circuit area, a first insulating layer having an opening, through which the first signal electrode is exposed, a second signal electrode disposed on the first insulating layer in the circuit area and spaced apart from the first signal electrode, a second insulating layer disposed on the first insulating layer to include a first contact hole, through which the first and second signal electrodes are exposed, a third insulating layer disposed on the second insulating layer to include a second contact hole, through which the second insulating layer adjacent to the first contact hole and the first and second signal electrodes are exposed, and a conductive layer electrically connecting the first signal electrode to the second signal electrode through the first and second contact holes; and

an upper substrate corresponding to the lower substrate.

18. A method of manufacturing a lower substrate comprising:

forming a first signal electrode in a circuit area;

forming a first insulating layer in the circuit area where the first signal electrode is formed;

forming a second signal electrode on the first insulating layer, the second signal electrode being spaced apart from the first signal electrode;

forming a second insulating layer in the circuit area where the first insulating layer and the second signal electrode are formed;

patterning the first and second insulating layers to form a contact hole, through which the first and second signal lines are exposed; and

forming a conductive layer electrically connecting the first signal electrode to the second signal electrode.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the second insulating layer further comprises an inorganic insulating layer and an organic insulating layer disposed on the inorganic insulating layer.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the second insulating layer is patterned by:

exposing the organic insulating layer corresponding to the contact hole;

developing the organic insulating layer to remove the exposed organic insulating layer; and

removing the inorganic insulating layer corresponding to the removed organic insulating layer.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the conductive layer is formed by:

forming a transparent electrode including a transparent conductive material; and

forming a reflection electrode on the transparent electrode, the reflection electrode including a reflective material.

22. A method of manufacturing a lower substrate comprising:

forming a first signal electrode in a circuit area;

forming a first insulating layer in the circuit area where the first signal electrode is formed;

forming a second signal electrode on the first insulating layer, the second signal electrode being spaced apart from the first signal electrode;

forming a second insulating layer on the first insulating layer and the second signal electrode;

forming a third insulating layer on the second insulating layer;

patterning the third insulating layer to form a first contact hole, through which the second insulating layer corresponding to the first and second signal electrodes is exposed;

patterning the first and second insulating layers to form a second contact hole, through which the first and second signal lines are exposed, the second contact hole being smaller than the first contact hole; and

forming a conductive layer electrically connecting the first signal electrode to the second signal electrode.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the second insulating layer adjacent to the second contact hole is exposed through the third contact hole, and an end portion of the conductive layer is disposed on the exposed portion of the second insulating layer.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the second insulating layer comprises an inorganic insulating layer, and the third insulating layer comprises an organic insulating layer.

25. A method of manufacturing a lower substrate comprising:

forming a first signal electrode in a circuit area;

forming a first insulating layer in the circuit area where the first signal electrode is formed;

forming a second signal electrode on the first insulating layer, the second signal electrode being spaced apart from the first signal electrode;

forming a second insulating layer on the first insulating layer and the second signal electrode;

forming a third insulating layer on the second insulating layer;

patterning the third insulating layer to form a first contact hole, through which the second insulating layer corresponding to the first and second signal electrodes is exposed;

removing the third insulating layer adjacent to the first contact hole, the exposed portion of the second insulating layer and the first insulating layer corresponding to the exposed portion of the second insulating layer to form a second contact hole, through which the first and second signal lines are exposed; and

forming a conductive layer electrically connecting the first signal electrode to the second signal electrode.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the second insulating layer comprises an inorganic insulating layer, and the third insulating layer comprises an organic insulating layer.