Active matrix substrate, method of making the substrate, and display device

• US 7,459,723 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2006
• Issued: 12/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2000
• 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: Okamoto, Masaya, Saito, Yuichi, Okada, Yoshihiro, Ban, Atsushi, Yamakawa, Shinya, Ohgami, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Thien F
• Application Number:
  US11/450,810
• Publication Number:
  US 20060231840A1
• Time in Patent Office: 908 Days
• Field of Search: 257/59, 257/72, 257 88- 93
• US Class Current: 257/59
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1362 Active matrix addressed cells G02F1/134336, G02F1/134363 take precedence
• 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 27/1288 employing particular masking sequences or specially adapted masks, e.g. half-tone mask
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/66765 Lateral single gate single channel transistors with inverted structure, i.e. the channel layer is formed after the gate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/78603 characterised by the insulating substrate or support H01L29/78657 takes precedence

Abstract

An active matrix substrate includes base substrate, gate lines, data lines, thin-film transistors and pixel electrodes. The gate lines are formed on the base substrate. The data lines are formed over the gate lines. Each of the data lines crosses all of the gate lines with an insulating film interposed therebetween. The thin-film transistors are formed over the base substrate. Each of the thin-film transistors is associated with one of the gate lines and operates responsive to a signal on the associated gate line. Each of the pixel electrodes is associated with one of the data lines and one of the thin-film transistors and is electrically connectable to the associated data line by way of the associated thin-film transistor. Each of the pixel electrodes and the associated thin-film transistor are connected together by way of a conductive member. Each of the pixel electrodes crosses one of the gate lines, while the conductive member for the pixel electrode crosses another one of the gate lines that is adjacent to the former gate line.

Claims

1. An active matrix substrate comprising:

a base substrate;

a plurality of gate lines formed on the base substrate;

a plurality of data lines, each said data line crossing all of the gate lines with a first insulating film interposed therebetween;

a plurality of thin-film transistors formed over the base substrate, each said thin-film transistor being associated with one of the gate lines and operating responsive to a signal on the associated gate line;

a plurality of lower-level pixel electrodes, each said lower-level pixel electrode being associated with one of the data lines and one of the thin-film transistors and being electrically connectable to the associated data line by way of the associated thin-film transistor; and

a plurality of upper-level pixel electrodes located over the lower-level pixel electrodes with a second insulating film interposed therebetween, each said upper-level pixel electrode being associated with, and electrically connected to, one of the lower-level pixel electrodes by way of an associated contact hole,

wherein each said upper-level pixel electrode and the associated lower-level pixel electrode together makes up a pixel electrode, which is connected to the thin-film transistor, associated with the lower-level pixel electrode, by way of a conductive member, and

wherein the data lines, the conductive members and the lower-level pixel electrodes have all been formed by patterning the same conductive film, and

wherein each said lower-level pixel electrode crosses one of the gate lines, while the conductive member for the lower-level pixel electrode crosses another one of the gate lines that is adjacent to the former gate line.

2. The active matrix substrate of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of storage capacitance lines formed on the base substrate;

each said storage capacitance line crossing all of the data lines with the first insulating film interposed therebetween;

wherein each said lower-level pixel electrode crosses not only one of the gate lines but also one of the storage capacitance lines, while the conductive member for the lower-level pixel electrode crosses not only another one of the gate lines that is adjacent to the former gate line but also another one of the storage capacitance lines that is adjacent to the former storage capacitance line.