ACTIVE MATRIX SUBSTRATE, DISPLAY DEVICE, AND METHOD FOR TESTING THE ACTIVE MATRIX SUBSTRATE OR THE DISPLAY DEVICE

• US 20130099816A1
• Filed: 06/22/2011
• Published: 04/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kawase, Nobuyuki, Ogasawara, Isao, Ikuta, Kazuhide
• Granted Patent: US 9,614,001 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/762.03
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2601 Apparatus or methods therefor G01R31/2607, G01R31/2642 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/136254 Checking; Testing
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/006 Electronic inspection or testing of displays and display drivers, e.g. of LED or LCD displays testing individual LED's G01R31/2635; testing lamps G01R31/44; testing of optical features of LCD displays G02F1/1309
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3648 using an active matrix G09G3/367 - G09G3/3696 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/156 two-dimensional arrays

Abstract

An active matrix substrate includes a plurality of bus lines (1, 2) provided in a pixel region, a plurality of signal terminals (5) provided in a connection terminal region (K), connection lines (3), additional signal terminals (11), test lines (8), and switching elements (4). The switching elements (4) are divided into a plurality of groups, and can control connections between the bus lines and the test lines (8) on a group basis, and connection elements (12) that each include a diode or a switching element and connect the signal terminals (5) to each other are provided in the connection terminal region (K).

Claims

1. An active matrix substrate comprising:

a plurality of bus lines provided in a pixel region;

a plurality of signal terminals for inputting a driving signal to each of the bus lines, the signal terminals being provided in a connection terminal region situated outside the pixel region;

connection lines for connecting the signal terminals to the bus lines;

additional signal terminals for inputting a signal to the bus lines through different paths from those used in inputting the driving signal from the signal terminals, the additional signal terminals being provided outside the pixel region;

additional connection lines for connecting the bus lines to the additional signal terminals; and

a plurality of switching elements for controlling connections between the bus lines and the additional connection lines,

wherein the switching elements are divided into a plurality of groups, and can control connections between the bus lines and the additional connection lines on a group basis, and

connection elements that each comprise a diode or a switching element and connect the signal terminals to each other are provided in the connection terminal region.

2. The active matrix substrate according to claim 1, wherein the connection elements are each provided between the signal terminals connected to the bus lines belonging to different groups.

3. The active matrix substrate according to claim 1, wherein the connection elements are bidirectional diodes, unidirectional diodes or transistors.

4. The active matrix substrate according to claim 1, wherein each of the signal terminals is connected to only one adjacent signal terminal through the connection element.

5. The active matrix substrate according to claim 1, further comprising a short line that connects the signal terminals and an additional signal terminal for inputting a signal for turning pixels on,

wherein the connection elements are provided between the signal terminals and the short line.

6. The active matrix substrate according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of short lines that connect a plurality of sets of the signal terminals and a plurality of additional signal terminals, respectively,

wherein the connection elements are provided between the signal terminal of the respective sets and the short lines, and

each of the sets includes the signal terminals connected to the switching elements belonging to at least one of the groups.

7. The active matrix substrate according to claim 5, wherein the connection elements are transistors that control connections between the signal terminals, and a drain electrode and a source electrode of each transistor are connected to two signal terminals and a gate electrode of each transistor is connected to the short line.

8. The active matrix substrate according to claim 1, further comprising a shielding film for shielding the connection elements from external light.

9. The active matrix substrate according to claim 1, wherein at least one connection element is provided for every three continuous signal terminals, and connects the signal terminal at the center of the three signal terminals to the signal terminals on both sides.

10. A display device comprising the active matrix substrate according to claim 1.

11. A method for testing an active matrix substrate,

wherein the active matrix substrate comprises:

a plurality of bus lines provided in a pixel region;

a plurality of signal terminals for inputting a driving signal to each of the bus lines, the signal terminals being provided in a connection terminal region situated outside the pixel region;

connection lines for connecting the signal terminals to the bus lines;

connection elements for connecting the signal terminals to each other in the connection terminal region;

additional signal terminals for inputting a signal to each of the bus lines through different paths from those used in inputting the driving signal from the signal terminals, the additional signal terminals being provided outside the pixel region;

additional connection lines for connecting the bus lines to the additional signal terminals; and

a plurality of switching elements for controlling connections between the bus lines and each additional connection line, the switching elements being divided into two or more groups,

the method comprising the steps of;

turning on connections between the additional connection lines and the bus lines belonging to at least one of the groups; and

inputting signals from the additional signal terminals,

wherein the inputted signals are inputted to the bus lines through the switching elements turned on and reach the signal terminals through the connection lines, and are further inputted to other connection lines and bus lines from other signal terminals through the connection elements.

13. The test method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of severing at least a part of the connection elements after testing the pixels using the signals for turning on pixels.

12. A method for testing an active matrix substrate,

wherein the active matrix substrate comprises:

a plurality of bus lines provided in a pixel region;

a plurality of signal terminals for inputting a driving signal to each of the bus lines, the signal terminals being provided in a connection terminal region situated outside the pixel region;

connection lines for connecting the signal terminals to the bus lines;

a short line connected to the signal terminals;

connection elements provided between the signal terminals and the short line;

additional signal terminals for inputting a signal to each of the bus lines through different paths from those used in inputting the driving signal from the signal terminals, the additional signal terminals being provided outside the pixel region;

additional connection lines for connecting the bus lines to the additional signal terminals; and

a plurality of switching elements for controlling connections between the bus lines and the additional connection lines, the switching elements being divided into two or more groups,

the method comprising the steps of;

turning on connections between the additional connection lines and the bus lines belonging to at least one of the groups;

inputting signals from the additional signal terminals;

allowing the inputted signal to be inputted to the bus lines through the switching elements turned on; and

inputting, through the short line and the connection elements, signals for turning on pixels of the bus lines to which the inputted signals have been inputted.