GATE-DRIVING APPARATUS AND DISPLAY DEVICE INCLUDING THE SAME

• US 20100225621A1
• Filed: 02/22/2010
• Published: 09/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: LEE, Sok, LEE, June-Woo, JUNG, Hyung-Gi, LEE, Jeong-Young
• Granted Patent: US 8,553,017 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/204
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0413 Details of dummy pixels or dummy lines in flat panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0426 Layout of electrodes and connections
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/0281 Arrangement of scan or data electrode driver circuits at the periphery of a panel not inherent to a split matrix structure
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/0286 Details of a shift registers arranged for use in a driving circuit
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/04 Display protection
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/36 using liquid crystals
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3611 Control of matrices with row and column drivers
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3674 Details of drivers for scan electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3677 suitable for active matrices only
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3685 Details of drivers for data electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3688 suitable for active matrices only

Abstract

A gate driving apparatus includes a first stage which outputs a first gate output signal, and a second stage which outputs a second gate output signal. The first stage includes: a transistor which includes a gate electrode, a source electrode and a drain electrode; and a dummy transistor which includes a dummy gate electrode, a dummy source electrode and a dummy drain electrode. The gate electrode receives the second gate output signal, and the dummy source electrode is connected to the source electrode or the drain electrode of the transistor and prevents static electricity from flowing to the first stage.

Claims

1. A gate driving apparatus comprising:

a first stage which outputs a first gate output signal; and

a second stage which outputs a second gate output signal, wherein the first stage comprises;

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

a dummy transistor comprising a dummy gate electrode, a dummy source electrode and a dummy drain electrode, wherein

the gate electrode receives the second gate output signal, and

the dummy source electrode is connected to one of the source electrode and the drain electrode to prevent static electricity from reaching the first stage.

2. The gate driving apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first stage comprises:

a first output unit which provides a gate signal;

a second output unit which receives the second gate output signal from the second stage and discharges the first gate output signal to a gate-off voltage;

a discharging unit which receives the second gate output signal from the second stage and discharges a pull-up node to the gate-off voltage; and

a holding unit which holds the pull-up node at the gate-off voltage.

3. The gate driving apparatus of claim 2, wherein the dummy transistor is disposed in the second output unit.

4. The gate driving apparatus of claim 2, wherein the dummy transistor is disposed in the discharging unit.

5. The gate driving apparatus of claim 2, wherein the dummy transistor is disposed in the holding unit.

6. The gate driving apparatus of claim 1, wherein the dummy gate electrode is electrically floated.

7. The gate driving apparatus of claim 1, wherein the dummy drain electrode is electrically floated.

8. The gate driving apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the gate electrode and the dummy gate electrode are disposed adjacent to each other,

one of the source electrode and the drain electrode extends from one of a source line and a drain line, respectively, to overlap at least a portion of the gate electrode, and

the dummy source electrode extends from the one of the source line and the drain line to overlap at least a portion of the dummy gate electrode.

9. The gate driving apparatus of claim 8, wherein the gate electrode is electrically insulated from the dummy gate electrode.

10. The gate driving apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first stage further comprises:

a first pad which receives the second gate output signal from the second stage;

a gate line which provides the first gate output signal to a display region; and

a second pad connected to the first pad and the transistor,

wherein the first pad and the second pad are connected by a bridge line.

11. The gate driving apparatus of claim 10, wherein

the first pad is disposed on a first side of the gate line, and

the second pad is disposed on a second side, opposite the first side, of the gate line.

12. The gate driving apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

a gate-insulating film disposed on the gate line and the second pad; and

a passivation layer disposed on the first pad and the gate-insulating film,

wherein the bridge line is disposed on the passivation layer.

13. The gate driving apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a dummy pad disposed on the gate-insulating film between the gate line and the second pad.

14. The gate driving apparatus of claim 13, wherein the bridge line comprises:

a first bridge line which connects the first pad and the dummy pad; and

a second bridge line which connects the dummy pad and the second pad.

15. The gate driving apparatus of claim 10, wherein the bridge line comprises a transparent conductive material.

16. A display device comprising:

a substrate comprising a display region and a non-display region surrounding the display region; and

a gate driver comprising a gate driving apparatus disposed in the non-display region,

wherein the gate driving apparatus comprises a first stage which outputs a first gate output signal and a second stage which outputs a second gate output signal,

wherein the first stage comprises;

a signal reception unit which receives the second gate output signal; and

an antistatic unit connected to the signal reception unit and which prevents static electricity from flowing to the first stage.

17. The display device of claim 16, wherein

the signal reception unit comprises a transistor comprising a gate electrode, a source electrode and a drain electrode,

the antistatic unit comprises a dummy transistor comprising a dummy gate electrode, a dummy source electrode and a dummy drain electrode, and

the dummy source electrode is connected to one of the source electrode and the drain electrode of the transistor.

18. The display device of claim 17, wherein one of the dummy gate electrode and the dummy drain electrode is electrically floated.

19. The display device of claim 17, wherein the gate driving apparatus comprises a single component disposed on the substrate.

20. The display device of claim 17, wherein the first stage further comprises:

a first pad which receives the second gate output signal from the second stage;

a gate line which provides the first gate output signal to the display region; and

a second pad connected to the first pad and the transistor,

wherein the first pad and the second pad are connected by a bridge line.