THIN FILM TRANSISTOR LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY

• US 20070126006A1
• Filed: 02/05/2007
• Published: 06/07/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InnoLux Corporation
• Original Assignee: CHI MEI Optoelectronics Corporation
• Inventors: Lin, Lih-Nian
• Granted Patent: US 7,755,092 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 1/136222 Colour filters incorporated in the active matrix substrate
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/136259 Repairing; Defects

Abstract

A display includes a thin film transistor, a repair structure for repairing a defect in a signal line coupled to the thin film transistor, the repair structure including a first repair metal layer and a second repair metal layer. The transistor includes a gate electrode, a source electrode, and a drain electrode. A dielectric layer is disposed above the thin film transistor and the repair structure, the dielectric layer defining a repair opening to expose the second repair metal layer, the dielectric layer also defining a contact window that exposes at least one of the source and drain electrodes. A floating electrode is electrically connected to the second repair metal layer through the repair opening, the floating electrode being electrically floated.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a thin film transistor comprising a gate electrode, a source electrode, and a drain electrode;

a repair structure for repairing a defect in a signal line coupled to the thin film transistor, the repair structure comprising a first repair metal layer and a second repair metal layer;

a dielectric layer disposed above the thin film transistor and the repair structure, the dielectric layer defining a repair opening to expose the second repair metal layer, the dielectric layer also defining a contact window that exposes at least one of the source and drain electrodes; and

a floating electrode that is electrically connected to the second repair metal layer through the repair opening, the floating electrode being electrically floated.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a liquid crystal cell that is controlled by the thin film transistor.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a transparent pixel electrode electrically connected to one of the source and drain electrodes through the contact window.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the floating electrode is transparent to visible light.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the gate electrode comprises a portion of a first metal layer, and the source and drain electrodes comprise portions of a second metal layer.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 where the first repair metal layer comprises a portion of the first metal layer, and the second repair metal layer comprises a portion of the second metal layer.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one color filter disposed above the thin film transistor and positioned away from the repair opening.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the at least one color filter comprises at least two color filters.

9. An apparatus comprising:

a thin film transistor (TFT) substrate;

a first metal layer disposed on the TFT substrate, the first metal layer comprising a gate electrode and a first repair metal layer;

an insulation layer disposed above the first metal layer;

a second metal layer disposed above the insulation layer, the second metal layer comprising a source electrode, a drain electrode, and a second repair metal layer, wherein the second repair metal layer at least partially overlap the first repair metal layer to form a repair structure, and the gate electrode, the source electrode, and the drain electrode together form a thin film transistor;

a dielectric layer disposed above the first metal layer, the insulation layer, and the second metal layer, the dielectric layer defining a repair opening and a contact window, the repair opening exposing the second repair metal layer, and the contact window exposing the source or drain electrode; and

a floating electrode electrically connected to the second repair metal layer through the repair opening, the floating electrode being electrically floated.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a transparent pixel electrode connected to the source or drain electrode through the contact window.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising at least one color filter disposed above the thin film transistor and positioned away from the repair opening.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the at least one color filter comprises at least two color filters.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising an opposite substrate, spaced apart from the TFT substrate, wherein the first metal layer, the insulation layer, and the second metal layer are disposed between the TFT substrate and the opposite substrate.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a common electrode disposed on the opposite substrate.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a liquid crystal layer disposed between the TFT substrate and the opposite substrate.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising an orientation layer disposed between the first TFT array substrate and the liquid crystal layer.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising an orientation layer disposed between the opposite substrate and the liquid crystal layer.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a photo spacer disposed between the first and second substrates.

19. An apparatus comprising:

a repair structure for repairing a defect in a signal line coupled to a thin film transistor of a flat panel display, the repair structure comprising a first repair metal layer and a second repair metal layer, the first and second repair metal layers being formed from the same metal layers that are used to form a gate electrode, a source electrode, and a drain electrode of the thin film transistor;

a dielectric layer disposed above the thin film transistor and the repair structure, the dielectric layer defining a repair opening to expose the second repair metal layer, the dielectric layer also defining a contact window that exposes at least one of the source and drain electrodes; and

a floating electrode that is electrically connected to the second repair metal layer through the repair opening, the floating electrode being electrically floated.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising a pixel electrode that is electrically connected to the drain or source through the contact window.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein the floating electrode and the pixel electrode are formed from the same metal layer.

22. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein the floating electrode and the pixel electrode are both transparent to visible light.

23. A liquid crystal display comprising:

a thin film transistor (TFT) substrate;

a first metal layer disposed on the TFT substrate, the first metal layer comprising gate electrodes, and first repair metal layers;

an insulation layer disposed above the first metal layer;

a second metal layer disposed above the insulation layer, the second metal layer comprising source electrodes, drain electrodes, and second repair metal layers, wherein the second repair metal layers at least partially overlap the first repair metal layers to form repair structures, and the gate electrodes, the source electrodes, and the drain electrodes together form thin film transistors;

a dielectric layer disposed above the first metal layer, the insulation layer, and the second metal layer, the dielectric layer defining repair openings and contact windows, the repair openings exposing the second repair metal layers, and the contact windows exposing the source or drain electrodes;

transparent floating electrodes disposed on the dielectric layer, each floating electrode being electrically connected to one of the second repair metal layers through one of the repair openings, the floating electrodes being electrically floated;

transparent pixel electrodes disposed on the dielectric layer, each pixel electrode being electrically connected to one of the source or drain electrode through one of the contact windows;

an opposite substrate, spaced apart from the TFT substrate, the opposite substrate having a common electrode; and

a liquid crystal layer disposed between the TFT array substrate and the opposite substrate.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising at least one color filter disposed above each of at least some of the thin film transistors and positioned away from the repair openings.