Active matrix liquid crystal display device

• US 6,781,643 B1
• Filed: 05/18/2000
• Issued: 08/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Vista Peak Ventures LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: NEC LCD Technologies Limited (NEC Corporation)
• Inventors: Watanabe, Takahiko, Watanabe, Makoto
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Robert H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DI GRAZIO, JEANNE A
• Application Number:
  US09/573,185
• Time in Patent Office: 1,559 Days
• Field of Search: 349/38, 349/39, 349/54, 349/43, 349/122, 349/138, 349/52, 349/140, 359/59, 359/60, 359/79, 257/72, 257/59
• US Class Current: 349/38
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/136213 Storage capacitors associated with the pixel electrode
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0876 Supplementary capacities in pixels having special driving circuits and electrodes instead of being connected to common electrode or ground; Use of additional capacitively coupled compensation electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3648 using an active matrix G09G3/367 - G09G3/3696 take precedence

Abstract

In an active matrix liquid crystal display device having a thin film transistor array substrate (250) comprising a plurality of scan lines formed on an insulating substrate (100), a plurality of signal lines formed to cross the scan lines, thin film transistors formed near intersections between the scan lines and signal lines, respectively, pixel electrodes connected to one electrodes of the thin film transistors, respectively, and additional capacity portions connected to pixel electrodes (5) connected to source electrodes (4) of the thin film transistors, respectively; in order to provide a higher contrast and to allow driving at a lower voltage, a part of the additional capacity portion is formed, via insulating film (115) and semiconductor (120), between the pixel electrode (5) and that scan line (11) which is connected to a gate electrode (1) of the thin film transistor for switching the pixel electrode (5).

Claims

1. An active matrix liquid crystal display device comprising:

a plurality of scan lines formed on an insulating substrate;

a plurality of signal lines formed to cross said scan lines;

thin film transistors formed near intersections between said scan lines and signal lines, respectively;

pixel electrodes connected to an electrode of said thin film transistors, respectively;

an area surrounded by;

(a) one of said plurality of scan lines;

(b) another one of said plurality of scan lines at a preceding stage;

(c) one of said plurality of signal line which crosses said scan lines; and

(d) another one of said plurality of signal lines which crosses said scan lines thereby forming a unit pixel;

said plurality of scan lines and said plurality of signal lines thereby forming a plurality of unit pixels, each said unit pixel having one of said thin film transistors and one of said pixel electrodes associated with each said unit pixel;

an accumulation capacity portion formed by said pixel electrode overlapping with said scan line at the preceding stage via insulating film;

an additional capacity portion formed in at least one of said plurality of unit pixels, said additional capacity portion formed by overlapping said pixel electrode associated with said at least one unit pixel, via an insulating film and a semiconductor film each associated with said associated pixel electrode, over the scan line at an applicable stage to be connected to a gate electrode of said thin film transistor associated with the same said at least one unit pixel, said associated thin film transistor for switching said associated pixel electrode of said unit pixel; and

said pixel electrode at the next stage overlaps with said scan line at the applicable stage via insulating film to thereby form an accumulation capacity portion for said pixel electrode at the next stage.

2. An active matrix liquid crystal display device of claim 1, wherein said semiconductor film is formed of a semiconductor constituting an active area of said transistor.

3. An active matrix liquid crystal display device of claim 2, wherein said semiconductor film is one selected from an amorphous silicon film and a polycrystal silicon film.

4. An active matrix liquid crystal display device comprising:

a plurality of scan lines formed on an insulating substrate;

a plurality of signal lines formed to cross said scan lines;

thin film transistors formed near intersections between said scan lines and signal lines, respectively;

pixel electrodes connected to an electrode of said thin film transistors, respectively;

an area surrounded by;

(a) one of said plurality of scan lines;

(b) another one of said plurality of scan lines at a preceding stage;

(c) one of said plurality of signal line which crosses said scan lines; and

(d) another one of said plurality of signal lines which crosses said scan lines thereby forming a unit pixel;

said plurality of scan lines and said plurality of signal lines thereby forming a plurality of unit pixels, each said unit pixel having one of said thin film transistors and one of said pixel electrodes associated with each said unit pixel;

an accumulation capacity portion formed between a pixel electrode at a next stage and said scan line at an applicable stage to be connected via insulating film to a gate electrode of said thin film transistor associated with said at least one unit pixel; and

an additional capacity portion formed in at least one of said plurality of unit pixels, said additional capacity portion formed by overlapping said pixel electrode associated with said at least one unit pixel, via an insulating film and a semiconductor film each associated with said associated pixel electrode, over the scan line at the applicable stage to be connected to a gate electrode of said thin film transistor associated with said at least one unit pixel, said associated thin film transistor for switching said associated pixel electrode of said unit pixel,

said semiconductor film being formed in an area separated from said accumulation capacity portion formed between a pixel electrode at a next stage and said scan line at the applicable stage via insulating film.

5. An active matrix liquid crystal display device of claim 4, wherein said additional capacity portion and said accumulation capacity portion are separated from each other in a widthwise direction of said scan line at the applicable stage.

6. An active matrix liquid crystal display device comprising:

a plurality of scan lines formed on an insulating substrate;

a plurality of signal lines formed to cross said scan lines;

thin film transistors formed near intersections between said scan lines and signal lines, respectively;

pixel electrodes connected to an electrode of said thin film transistors, respectively;

an area surrounded by;

(a) one of said plurality of scan lines;

(b) another one of said plurality of scan lines at a preceding stage;

(c) one of said plurality of signal line which crosses said scan lines; and

(d) another one of said plurality of signal lines which crosses said scan lines thereby forming a unit pixel;

said plurality of scan lines and said plurality of signal lines thereby forming a plurality of unit pixels, each said unit pixel having one of said thin film transistors and one of said pixel electrodes associated with each said unit pixel;

an accumulation capacity portion formed by a pixel electrode overlapping with said scan line at the preceding stage via insulating film;

an additional capacity portion formed in at least one of said plurality of unit pixels, said additional capacity portion formed by overlapping said pixel electrode associated with said at least one unit pixel, via an insulating film and a semiconductor film each associated with the same said associated pixel electrode, over the scan line at an applicable stage to be connected to a gate electrode of said thin film transistor associated with said at least one unit pixel, said associated thin film transistor for switching said associated pixel electrode of said unit pixel;

said pixel electrode at the next stage overlapping with said scan line at the applicable stage via insulating film to thereby form an accumulation capacity portion for said pixel electrode at the next stage;

said insulating film and semiconductor film constituting said additional capacity portion having a constitution identical with that of the insulating film and semiconductor film constituting said transistor; and

the size of said additional capacity portion is determined to be capable of applying a voltage larger than a voltage applied from the exterior, to said liquid crystal layer.

7. An active matrix liquid crystal display device of claim 6, wherein a length of said additional capacity portion along an extending direction of said scan line is shorter than a length of said accumulation capacity portion along the extending direction of said scan line.