Electro-optical device, method of manufacturing electro-optical device, and electronic apparatus

• US 20060226427A1
• Filed: 04/10/2006
• Published: 10/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 138 East LCD Advancements Limited (Vector Capital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Yamasaki, Yasuji
• Granted Patent: US 7,952,094 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 257/59
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/136209 Light shielding layers, e.g. black matrix, incorporated in the active matrix substrate, e.g. structurally associated with the switching element
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/136213 Storage capacitors associated with the pixel electrode
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/136227 Through-hole connection of the pixel electrode to the active element through an insulation layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/136277 formed on a semiconductor substrate, e.g. of silicon
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/136286 Wiring, e.g. gate line, drain line
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/124 with a particular composition, shape or layout of the wiring layers specially adapted to the circuit arrangement, e.g. scanning lines in LCD pixel circuits wiring structures per se H01L23/52
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1255 integrated with passive devices, e.g. auxiliary capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/78633 with a light shield

Abstract

An electro-optical device including a substrate, data lines and scanning lines, thin film transistors being disposed below the data lines and above the substrate. Storage capacitors are disposed over the data lines in a region opposite to the channel region of the thin film transistors in plan view. Each storage capacitor has a pixel-potential-side electrode, a dielectric film, and a fixed-potential-side electrode that have been formed sequentially. The pixel electrodes are disposed over the storage capacitors so as to correspond to the data lines and the scanning lines on the substrate in plan view, and the pixel electrodes are electrically connected to the pixel-potential-side electrodes and the thin film transistors. This abstract is intended only to aid those searching patents, and is not intended to be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims in any manner.

Claims

1. An electro-optical device comprising:

a substrate;

data lines and scanning lines that extend so as to cross each other;

thin film transistors each having a channel region, the thin film transistors being disposed below the data lines and above the substrate;

storage capacitors which are disposed over the data lines in at least a region opposite to the channel region of the thin film transistor in plan view, each storage capacitor having a pixel-potential-side electrode, a dielectric film, and a fixed-potential-side electrode that have been formed sequentially;

pixel electrodes that are disposed over the storage capacitors so as to correspond to the data lines and the scanning lines in plan view, the pixel electrodes being electrically connected to the pixel-potential-side electrodes and the thin film transistors; and

a first conductive light-shielding film that is formed by at least one of the fixed-potential-side electrodes and pixel-potential-side electrodes.

2. The electro-optical device according to claim 1,

wherein the thin film transistors are disposed so as to correspond to the intersections of the data lines and the scanning lines in plan view such that at least portions of the channel regions of the thin film transistors are covered by the data lines, and

each of the data lines includes a second conductive light-shielding film.

3. The electro-optical device according to claim 1,

wherein each of the scanning lines is disposed on the substrate below the thin film transistors in at least a region opposite to the channel region of the thin film transistor in plan view, each scanning line being electrically connected to a gate of the thin film transistor through a contact hole, and including a third conductive light-shielding film.

4. The electro-optical device according to claim 1,

wherein a planarized interlayer insulating film is laminated on at least one of the group of layers consisting of the scanning lines, the thin film transistors, the data lines, the storage capacitors, and pixel electrodes.

5. The electro-optical device according to claim 1,

wherein the dielectric film is formed in a non-opening region positioned in a gap between an opening region of each e pixel on the substrate in plan view.

6. The electro-optical device according to claim 1,

wherein the dielectric film is formed in a region that does not include an opening region of each pixel on the substrate in plan view.

7. The electro-optical device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a conductive film formed opposite of the channel regions on a side of the data lines that faces the channel regions, the conductive film having a first reflectivity;

each of the data lines including a main body, the main body having a second reflectivity;

wherein the first reflectivity is lower than the second reflectivity.

8. The electro-optical device according to claim 1,

wherein the pixel-potential-side electrode has an edge with a tapered shape, and the pixel-potential-side electrode is opposite to at least the fixed-potential-side electrode with the dielectric film formed therebetween.

9. The electro-optical device according to claim 1,

wherein the fixed-potential-side electrode is formed in at least a region where the pixel-potential-side electrode is formed in plan view.

10. The electro-optical device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a relay layer comprising a conductive film and being formed in the same layer as the data line, the relay layer performing relay connection between the pixel-potential-side electrode and a drain of the thin film transistor.

11. The electro-optical device according to claim 10,

wherein the pixel electrodes are electrically connected to the relay layer by an extending portion of the pixel-potential-side electrodes.

12. An electronic apparatus comprising the electro-optical device according to claim 1.

13. A method of manufacturing an electro-optical device, which includes:

a substrate;

data lines and scanning lines extending on the substrate so as to cross each other;

top-gate-type thin film transistors disposed below the data lines on the substrate and having channel regions;

storage capacitors disposed over the data lines; and

pixel electrodes disposed over the storage capacitors, the method comprising;

forming the thin film transistors in regions corresponding to the intersections of the data lines and the scanning lines on the substrate in plan view;

forming the data lines over the thin film transistors;

forming the storage capacitors over the data lines in at least a region opposite to the channel regions of the thin film transistors on the substrate in plan view such that a pixel-potential-side electrode, a dielectric film and the fixed-potential-side electrode are sequentially laminated, and at least one of the fixed-potential-side electrode and the pixel-potential-side electrode includes a first conductive light-shielding film; and

forming the pixel electrodes on the storage capacitors in every pixel provided so as to correspond to the data lines and the scanning lines in plan view such that the pixel electrodes are electrically connected to the thin film transistors and the pixel-potential-side electrodes.

14. The method of manufacturing an electro-optical device according to claim 13,

wherein the forming of the storage capacitor further comprises:

forming a tapered portion at an edge of the pixel-potential-side electrode by at least one of the processing techniques in the group consisting of wet etching, plasma etching, and O₂ cleaning, the pixel-potential-side electrode being opposite to at least the fixed-potential-side electrode with the dielectric film therebetween.

15. An electro-optical device comprising:

a substrate;

data lines and scanning lines that extend so as to cross each other;

thin film transistors each having a channel region, the thin film transistors being disposed below the data lines and above the substrate and at least a portion of the channel region being covered by the data lines;

storage capacitors which are disposed over the data lines in at least a region opposite to a channel region of the thin film transistor in plan view, each storage capacitor having a pixel-potential-side electrode, a dielectric film, and a fixed-potential-side electrode that have been formed sequentially; and

pixel electrodes that are disposed over the storage capacitors, the pixel electrodes being electrically connected to the pixel-potential-side electrodes and the thin film transistors.