Active matrix display device and methods for correcting defect thereof

• US 6,191,832 B1
• Filed: 07/18/1997
• Issued: 02/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Nakakura, Yukihiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Dudek, James A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, DUNG T
• Application Number:
  US08/896,424
• Time in Patent Office: 1,313 Days
• Field of Search: 349/192, 349/44, 349/54, 349/55
• US Class Current: 349/54
• 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

Abstract

An active matrix display device of the present invention includes: a plurality of pixel electrodes arranged in a matrix; a plurality of switching elements connected to the respective pixel electrodes; a plurality of scanning lines for supplying a scan voltage to the switching elements; a plurality of signal lines for supplying a signal voltage to the switching elements, provided so as to cross the scanning lines; and a bypass spare line for avoiding at least one of a disconnected portion and a leak portion, formed so as to overlap at least one of the scanning line and the signal line with an insulating film interposed therebetween, wherein the bypass spare line and at least one of the scanning line and the signal line are electrically connected to each other.

Claims

1. An active matrix display device comprising:

a plurality of pixel electrodes arranged in a matrix;

a plurality of switching elements connected to the respective pixel electrodes;

a plurality of scanning lines for supplying a scan voltage to the switching elements;

a plurality of signal lines for supplying a signal voltage to the switching elements, provided so as to cross the scanning lines;

an insulating film between the matrix of pixel electrodes and the scanning lines and signal lines, and

a bypass spare line for avoiding at least one of a disconnected portion and a leak portion, formed so as to overlap at least one of the scanning line and the signal line with the insulating film interposed between the bypass spare line and the at least one of the scanning line and the signal line, and the bypass spare line and pixel electrodes being on a same side of the insulating film;

wherein the bypass spare line and at least one of the scanning line and the signal line are electrically connected to each other.

2. An active matrix display device according to claim 1, wherein the bypass spare line is formed so as to avoid an intersection of the scanning line and the signal line.

3. An active matrix display device according to claim 1, wherein the bypass spare line and at least one of the scanning line and the signal line are electrically connected to each other via a contact hole formed through the insulating film, and the contact hole is formed at a position which is apart from the intersection of the line overlapping the bypass spare line and a crossing line by a predetermined distance.

4. An active matrix display device according to claim 1, wherein the bypass spare line and at least one of the scanning line and the signal line are electrically connected to each other via a contact hole formed through the insulating film, and the contact hole is formed on each end of the line overlapping the bypass spare line.

5. An active matrix display device according to claim 1, wherein the bypass spare line is made of an opaque conductor.

6. An active matrix display device according to claim 1, wherein the insulating film covering the signal lines is made of an organic insulating film, and the pixel electrodes are provided on the insulating film.

7. An active matrix display device according to claim 1, wherein a second insulating film is provided so as to cover the bypass spare line, and the pixel electrodes are provided on the second insulating film.

8. An active matrix display device according to claim 7, wherein at least one of the insulating film and the second insulating film is an organic insulating film.

9. A method for correcting a defect of an active matrix display device comprising:

a plurality of pixel electrodes arranged in a matrix;

a plurality of switching elements connected to the respective pixel electrodes;

a plurality of scanning lines for supplying a scan voltage to the switching elements;

a plurality of signal lines for supplying a signal voltage to the switching elements, provided so as to cross the scanning lines;

an insulating film between the matrix of pixel electrodes and the scanning lines and signal lines, and

a bypass spare line for avoiding at least one of a disconnected portion and a leak portion, formed so as to overlap at least one of the scanning line and the signal line with the insulating film interposed between the bypass spare line and the at least one of the scanning line and the signal line, and the bypass spare line and the pixel electrodes being on a same side of the insulating film, and

wherein the bypass spare line and at least one of the scanning line and the signal line are electrically connected to each other, and wherein

the method comprising the steps of;

determining the presence of a leak at the intersection of the scanning line end the signal line; and

cutting one of the scanning line and the signal line with which the bypass spare line overlaps.

10. An active matrix display device comprising:

a plurality of pixel electrodes arranged in a matrix;

a plurality of switching elements connected to the respective pixel electrodes;

a plurality of scanning lines for supplying a scan voltage to the switching elements;

a plurality of signal lines for supplying a signal voltage to the switching elements, provided so as to cross the scanning lines;

an insulating film between the matrix of pixel electrodes and the scanning lines and signal lines;

a bypass spare line for avoiding at least one of a disconnected portion and a leak portion, formed so as to overlap at least one of the scanning line and the signal line with the insulating film interposed between the bypass spare line and the at least one of the scanning line and the signal line;

wherein the bypass spare line and at least one of the scanning line and the signal line are electrically connected to each other, and

wherein the bypass spare line is made of a transparent conductor.

11. An active matrix display device comprising:

a plurality of pixel electrodes arranged in a matrix;

a plurality of switching elements connected to the respective pixel electrodes;

a plurality of scanning lines for supplying a scan voltage to the switching elements;

a plurality of signal lines for supplying a signal voltage to the switching elements, provided so as to cross the scanning lines;

an organic insulating film between the matrix of pixel electrodes and the scanning lines and signal lines;

a bypass spare line for avoiding at least one of a disconnected portion and a leak portion, formed so as to overlap at least one of the scanning line and the signal line with the insulating film interposed between the bypass spare line and the at least one of the scanning line and the signal line;

wherein the bypass spare line and at least one of the scanning line and the signal line are electrically connected to each other, and

wherein the bypass spare line is provided on the organic insulating film, and is simultaneously patterned along with the pixel electrodes using an identical material.

12. A method for correcting a defect of an active matrix display device comprising:

a plurality of pixel electrodes arranged in a matrix;

a plurality of switching elements connected to the respective pixel electrodes;

a plurality of scanning lines for supplying a scan voltage to the switching elements;

a plurality of signal lines for supplying a signal voltage to the switching elements, provided so as to cross the scanning lines; and

an insulating film between the pixel electrodes on a first side of the film, and the scanning lines and signal lines on a second side of the film;

the method comprising the steps of;

determining the presence of a disconnection in the scanning lines and the signal lines; and

forming a bypass spare line on the line including the disconnection in an overlapped manner with the spare line on the first side of the insulating film, and electrically connecting the bypass spare line and at least one of the scanning line and the signal line to each other.

13. A method for correcting a leak of an active matrix display device comprising:

a plurality of pixel electrodes arranged in a matrix;

a plurality of switching elements connected to the respective pixel electrodes;

a plurality of scanning lines for supplying a scan voltage to the switching elements;

a plurality of signal lines for supplying a signal voltage to the switching elements, provided so as to cross the scanning lines, and

an insulating film between the pixel electrodes on a first side of the film, and the scanning lines and signal lines on a second side of the film;

the method comprising the steps of;

determining the presence of a leak in the scanning lines and the signal lines; and

cutting at least one of the scanning line and the signal line including an intersection where the leak occurs, at two points with the intersection positioned therebetween;

forming a bypass spare line on the line including the intersection where the leak occurs in an overlapped manner with the spare line on the first side of the insulating film, and electrically connecting the bypass spare line and at least one of the scanning line and the signal line to each other.

14. An active matrix display device comprising:

a plurality of pixel electrodes arranged in a matrix;

a plurality of switching elements connected to the respective pixel electrodes;

a plurality of scanning lines for supplying a scan voltage to the switching elements;

a plurality of signal lines for supplying a signal voltage to the switching elements, provided so as to cross the scanning lines, and

an insulating film between the pixel electrodes on a first side of the film, and the scanning lines and signal lines on a second side of the film;

wherein a bypass spare line overlaps at least one of the scanning line and the signal line where a disconnection occurs with the spare line on the first side of the insulating film, and

the bypass spare line and at least one of the scanning line and the signal line are electrically connected to each other.

15. An active matrix display device according to claim 14, wherein the bypass spare line and at least one of the scanning line and the signal line are electrically connected to each other via a contact hole formed through the insulating film, and the contact hole is formed at a position which is apart from the intersection of the line overlapping the bypass spare line and a crossing line by a predetermined distance.

16. An active matrix display device according to claim 14, wherein the bypass spare line and at least one of the scanning line and the signal line are electrically connected to each other via a contact hole formed through the insulating film, and the contact hole is formed on each end of the line overlapping the bypass spare line.

17. An active matrix display device according to claim 14, wherein the bypass spare line is made of a transparent conductor.

18. An active matrix display device according to claim 14, wherein the bypass spare line is made of an opaque conductor.

19. An active matrix display device according to claim 14, wherein the insulating film covering the signal lines is made of an organic insulating film, and the pixel electrodes are provided on the insulating film.

20. An active matrix display device according to claim 19, wherein the bypass spare line is provided on the organic insulating film, and is simultaneously patterned along with the pixel electrodes using an identical material.

21. An active matrix display device according to claim 14, wherein a second insulating film is provided so as to cover the bypass spare line, and the pixel electrodes are provided on the second insulating film.

22. An active matrix display device according to claim 21, wherein as least one of the insulating film and the second insulating film is an organic insulating film.

23. An active matrix display device comprising:

a plurality of pixel electrodes arranged in a matrix;

a plurality of switching elements connected to the respective pixel electrodes;

a plurality scanning lines for supplying a scan voltage to the switching elements; and

a plurality of signal lines for supplying a signal voltage to the switching elements, provided so as to cross the scanning lines, and

an insulating film between the pixel electrodes on a first side of the film, and the scanning lines and signal lines on a second side of the film;

wherein an intersection between at least one of the scanning lines and the signal lines is bracketed by cuts through the at least one of the scanning lines at two points with the intersection positioned therebetween, a bypass spare line overlaps the cut at least one of the scanning lines with the spare line on the first side of the insulating film, and

the bypass spare line and the cut at least one of the scanning line and the signal line are electrically connected to each other.

24. An active matrix display device according to claim 23, wherein the bypass spare line is formed so as to avoid an intersection of the scanning line and the signal line.

25. A method for correcting a defect of an active matrix display device according to claim 24, the method comprising the steps of:

determining the presence of a leak at the intersection of the scanning line and the signal line; and

cutting one of the scanning line and the signal line with which the bypass spare line overlaps.

26. An active matrix display device according to claim 23, wherein the bypass spare line and at least one of the scanning line and the signal line are electrically connected to each other via a contact hole formed through the insulating film, and the contact hole is formed at a position which is apart from the intersection of the line overlapping the bypass spare line and a crossing line by a predetermined distance.

27. An active matrix display device according to claim 23, wherein the bypass spare line and at least one of the scanning line and the signal line are electrically connected to each other via a contact hole formed through the insulating film, and the contact hole is formed on each end of the line overlapping the bypass spare line.

28. An active matrix display device according to claim 23, wherein the bypass spare line is made of a transparent conductor.

29. An active matrix display device according to claim 23, wherein the bypass spare line is made of an opaque conductor.

30. An active matrix display device according to claim 23, wherein the insulating film covering the signal lines is made of an organic insulating film, and the pixel electrodes are provided on the insulating film.

31. An active matrix display device according to claim 30, wherein the bypass spare line is provided on the organic insulating film, and is simultaneously patterned along with the pixel electrodes using an identical material.

32. An active matrix display device according to claim 23, wherein a second insulating film is provided so as to cover the bypass spare line, and the pixel electrodes are provided on the second insulating film.

33. An active matrix display device according to claim 32, wherein at least one of the insulating film and the second insulating film is an organic insulating film.