Liquid crystal display device and method of making same

• US 7,271,870 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2004
• Issued: 09/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Liquid Crystal Display Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Ono, Kikuo, Suzuki, Nobuyuki, Tanaka, Masahiro, Nakayoshi, Yoshiaki
• Primary Examiner(s): NGO, HUYEN LE
• Application Number:
  US10/990,497
• Publication Number:
  US 20060012727A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,034 Days
• Field of Search: 349/43, 349/149, 349/152
• US Class Current: 349/149
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1345 Conductors connecting electrodes to cell terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13452 Conductors connecting driver circuitry and terminals of panels
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13458 Terminal pads
• 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 1/136218 Shield electrodes
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/41733 for thin film transistors with insulated gate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/78618 characterised by the drain or the source properties, e.g. the doping structure, the composition, the sectional shape or the contact structure silicide contacts, electrodes in general H01L29/458
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/78669 with inverted-type structure, e.g. with bottom gate

Abstract

A display device includes a substrate, a gate line formed over the substrate, a first insulating film formed over the substrate and the gate line, a semiconductor film formed over the first insulating film, a drain electrode formed over the semiconductor film, a source electrode formed over the semiconductor film, a data line connected to the drain electrode and formed over the first insulating film, a second insulating film formed over the source electrode and the data line, a pixel electrode electrically connected to the source electrode and formed over the second insulating film, and a transparent conductive film connected to the data line through a contact hole formed in the second insulating film. The transparent conductive film includes a first portion which none of the first insulating film and the second insulating film underlie.

Claims

1. A display device comprising:

a substrate;

a gate line formed over the substrate;

a first insulating film formed over the substrate and the gate line;

a semiconductor film formed over the first insulating film;

a drain electrode formed over the semiconductor film;

a source electrode formed over the semiconductor film;

a data line connected to the drain electrode and formed over the first insulating film;

a second insulating film formed over the source electrode and the data line;

a pixel electrode electrically connected to the source electrode and formed over the second insulating film; and

a transparent conductive film connected to the data line through a contact hole formed in the second insulating film,

wherein the transparent conductive film includes a first portion which none of the first insulating film and the second insulating film underlie.

2. A display device according to claim 1,

wherein the transparent conductive film is electrically connected to an external drive circuit.

3. A display device according to claim 1,

wherein the transparent conductive film includes a first edge disposed between the contact hole and the gate line, and

wherein a distance from the contact hole to the first portion is greater than a distance from the contact hole to the first edge.

4. A display device according to claim 3,

wherein a lower surface of the transparent conductive film in the first portion is nearer to a surface of the substrate than a lower surface of the transparent conductive film in the contact hole.

5. A display device according to claim 1,

wherein the semiconductor film is formed between the data line and the first insulating film.

6. A display device according to claim 5,

wherein the semiconductor film comprises an i-type semiconductor layer and an impurity doped semiconductor layer disposed between the i-type semiconductor layer and the data line.

7. A display device according to claim 6,

wherein the transparent conductive film includes a first edge disposed between the contact hole and the gate line, and

wherein a distance from the contact hole to the first portion is greater than a distance from the contact hole to the first edge.

8. A display device according to claim 6,

wherein a lower surface of the transparent conductive film in the first portion is nearer to a surface of the substrate than a lower surface of the transparent conductive film in the contact hole.

9. A display device according to claim 6,

wherein the i-type semiconductor layer extends beyond an end portion of the data line.

10. A display device according to claim 9,

wherein the transparent conductive film is connected to the data line through the contact hole formed in the second insulating film adjacent to the end portion.

11. A display device comprising:

a substrate;

a gate line formed over the substrate;

a first insulating film formed over the substrate and the gate line;

a semiconductor film formed over the first insulating film;

a drain electrode formed over the semiconductor film;

a source electrode formed over the semiconductor film;

a data line connected to the drain electrode and formed over the first insulating film;

a second insulating film formed over the source electrode and the data line;

a pixel electrode electrically connected to the source electrode and formed over the second insulating film; and

a transparent conductive film connected to the data line through a contact hole formed in the second insulating film,

wherein the transparent conductive film includes a first portion which none of the first insulating film and the second insulating film underlie, and wherein the transparent conductive film includes a first edge disposed between the contact hole and the gate line, and

wherein a distance from the contact hole to the first portion is greater than a distance from the contact hole to the first edge.

12. A display device according to claim 11,

wherein the semiconductor film is formed between the data line and the first insulating film, and comprises an i-type semiconductor layer and an impurity doped semiconductor layer disposed between the i-type semiconductor layer and the data line.

13. A display device according to claim 12,

wherein the i-type semiconductor layer extends beyond an end portion of the data line.

14. A display device comprising:

a substrate;

a gate line formed over the substrate;

a first insulating film formed over the substrate and the gate line;

a semiconductor film formed over the first insulating film;

a drain electrode formed over the semiconductor film;

a source electrode formed over the semiconductor film;

a data line connected to the drain electrode and formed over the first insulating film;

a second insulating film formed over the source electrode and the data line;

a pixel electrode electrically connected to the source electrode and formed over the second insulating film; and

a transparent conductive film connected to the data line through a contact hole formed in the second insulating film,

wherein the transparent conductive film includes a first portion which none of the first insulating film and the second insulating film underlie, and

wherein a lower surface of the transparent conductive film in the first portion is nearer to a surface of the substrate than a lower surface of the transparent conductive film in the contact hole.

15. A display device according to claim 14,

wherein the transparent conductive film includes a first edge disposed between the contact hole and the gate line, and

wherein a distance from the contact hole to the first portion is greater than a distance from the contact hole to the first edge.

16. A display device according to claim 14,

wherein the semiconductor film is formed between the data line and the first insulating film, and comprises an i-type semiconductor layer and an impurity doped semiconductor layer disposed between the i-type semiconductor layer and the data line.

17. A display device according to claim 14,

wherein the i-type semiconductor layer extends beyond an end portion of the data line.