CONNECTION STRUCTURE, ELECTRO-OPTICAL DEVICE, AND METHOD FOR PRODUCTION OF ELECTRO-OPTICAL DEVICE

• US 20080149937A1
• Filed: 12/21/2007
• Published: 06/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: MORIWAKI, Minoru
• Granted Patent: US 8,072,080 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 257/72
• 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 1/136286 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

Abstract

The invention provides a connection structure including: a first electro-conductive film that is formed on a substrate; an insulation film that is formed on the first electro-conductive film, an end surface of the insulation film facing in a direction in which an end surface of the first electro-conductive film faces; and a second electro-conductive film that extends from the upper surface of the insulation film to reach the end surface of the first electro-conductive film across the end surface of the insulation film, the second electro-conductive film being electrically connected to the first electro-conductive film via the end surface of the first electro-conductive film.

Claims

1. A connection structure comprising:

a substraite;

a first electro-conductive film located over the substrate;

an insulation film located over the first electro-conductive film, an end surface of the insulation film facing in a direction in which an end surface of the first electro-conductive film faces; and

a second electro-conductive film that extends from the upper surface of the insulation film to reach the end surface of the first electro-conductive film across the end surface of the insulation film, the second electro-conductive film being electrically connected to the first electro-conductive film via the end surface of the first electro-conductive film.

2. An electro-optical device comprising:

a plurality of data lines and a plurality of scanning lines that intersect with each other on a substrate;

a plurality of pixels located at positions corresponding to intersections at the plurality of data lines and the plurality of scanning lines that intersect with each other, each pixel including a pixel electrode an open region, and a non-open region, the open regions isolates one open region from another open region in a layout of the plurality of pixels arrayed adjacent to one another;

a first electro-conductive film that is formed at a non-open region, the first electro-conductive film being electrically connected to the pixel electrode, the first electro-conductive film having an end surface that faces toward the open region;

an insulation film that is formed on the first electro-conductive film, an end surface of the insulation film facing toward the open region; and

a second electro-conductive film that extends from the upper surface of the insulation film to reach the end surface of the first electro-conductive film across the end surface of the insulation film, the second electro-conductive film being electrically connected to the first electro-conductive film via the end surface of the first electro-conductive film.

3. The electro-optical device according to claim 2, wherein the second electro-conductive film is an island-pattern relay layer that electrically connects the first electro-conductive film and the pixel electrode;

and a portion of the second electro-conductive film that extends on the upper surface of the insulation film is formed at the same layer as the data line.

4. The electro-optical device according to claim 2, wherein the first electro-conductive film is a semiconductor film;

and the second electro-conductive film has a titanium film that contacts the semiconductor film.

5. The electro-optical device according to claim 4, wherein the second electro-conductive film has a metal film having an electric conductivity higher than that of the titanium film;

and the second electro-conductive film further has a protective film that protects the metal film.

6. A method for producing an electro-optical device, comprising:

a first step of forming a first electro-conductive film at a non-open region that isolates one open region from another open region in a layout of a plurality of pixels arrayed adjacent to one another, each one of the plurality of pixels being formed at a position corresponding to each intersection formed by a plurality of data lines and a plurality of scanning lines that intersect with each other on a substrate;

a second step of forming an insulation film so as to cover the first electro-conductive film;

a third step of removing a part of the insulation film so as to expose an end surface of the first electro-conductive film toward the open region; and

a fourth step of forming a second electro-conductive film that extends from the upper surface of the insulation film to reach the end surface of the first electro-conductive film across an end surface of the insulation film, both of the end surface of the insulation film and the end surface of the first electro-conductive film being exposed as a result of the third step, the second electro-conductive film being electrically connected to the first electro-conductive film via the end surface of the first electro-conductive film.

7. The method for producing an electro-optical device according to claim 6, wherein, in the third step, the part of the insulation film is removed by dry etching.

8. An electro-optical device comprising:

a plurality of data lines and a plurality of scanning lines that intersect with each other on a substrate;

a plurality of pixels located at positions corresponding to intersections at the plurality of data lines and the plurality of scanning lines that intersect with each other, each pixel including a pixel electrode an open region, and a non-open region, the open regions isolates one open region from another open region in a layout of the plurality of pixels arrayed adjacent to one another;

an electro-conductive layer including a first region, a second region, an isolation region, a first portion, and a second portion, the isolation region being located between the first region and the second region, the first portion being located in the first region, the second portion being located in the second region, the electro-conductive layer being located at the non-open region, the first region and the second region in a non-overlapping condition each other in plan view with respect to the substrate;

a first insulating portion that has a first sloped surface, which is inclined downward with respect to the upper surface of the first portion when viewed along a direction from the first region toward the second region across an isolation region, the first insulating portion being formed to partially cover the surface of the first portion, leaving an exposed portion of the first region, the exposed portion of the first region constituting a first-portion region, the exposed first-portion region of the first region being closer to the isolation region than an unexposed region of the first region;

a second insulating portion that has a second sloped surface, which is inclined downward with respect to the upper surface of the second portion when viewed along a direction from the second region toward the first region across the isolation region that is formed between the first region and the second region, the second insulating portion being formed to partially cover the surface of the second portion, leaving an exposed portion of the second region, the exposed portion of the second region constituting a second-portion region, the exposed second-portion region of the second region being closer to the isolation region than an unexposed region of the second region, the second insulating portion being formed on the same layer as that of the first insulating portion;

a first electro-conductive film that extends from the upper surface of the first insulating portion onto the first sloped surface, the first electro-conductive film further extending from the first sloped surface to reach the upper surface of the first portion; and

a second electro-conductive film that extends from the upper surface of the second insulating portion onto the second sloped surface, the second electro-conductive film further extending from the second sloped surface to reach the upper surface of the second portion, the second electro-conductive film having an electric potential that is not the same as one supplied to the first electro-conductive film.

9. The electro-optical device according to claim 8, wherein the electro-conductive layer is a semiconductor layer;

a partial region of the semiconductor layer extending within the isolation region formed between the first region and the second region thereof is a channel region;

the first portion is a data-line-side electro-conductive portion that provides an electric connection at the data-line side when viewed from the channel region; and

the second portion is a pixel-electrode-side electro-conductive portion that provides an electric connection at the pixel-electrode side when viewed from the channel region.

10. The electro-optical device according to claim 9, wherein each of the first electro-conductive film and the second electro-conductive film has a titanium film that contacts the semiconductor layer.

11. The electro-optical device according to claim 10, wherein each of the first electro-conductive film and the second electro-conductive film has a metal film having an electric conductivity higher than that of the titanium film;

and each of the first electro-conductive film and the second electro-conductive film further has a protective film that protects the metal film.