Electro-optical device

• US 8,525,960 B2
• Filed: 10/25/2005
• Issued: 09/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 138 East LCD Advancements Limited (Vector Capital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Murade, Masao
• Primary Examiner(s): Merlin, Jessica M
• Application Number:
  US11/257,067
• Publication Number:
  US 20060038932A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,870 Days
• Field of Search: 349 5- 10, 349/38, 349110-111
• US Class Current: 349/110
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/136213 Storage capacitors associated with the pixel electrode
• 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 1/1368 in which the switching element is a three-electrode device G02F1/136277 takes precedence

Abstract

An electro-optical device includes a substrate on which a TFT, a data line, a scanning line, a capacitance line, a first intermediate conductive layer, a second intermediate conductive layer, and a pixel electrode are formed. A first contact hole, via which the drain of the TFT and the first intermediate conductive layer are connected to each other, is formed in an area which overlaps, in plan view, with the data line. The above-described structure of this electro-optical device, which includes the intermediate conductive layer disposed between the pixel electrode and the pixel switching TFT, allows an increase in the pixel aperture ratio and also an increase in the storage capacitance. Besides, degradation in the quality of a displayed image due to steps formed, in the vicinity of the pixel electrode, on the surface of an alignment film is minimized.

Claims

1. An electro-optical device, comprising:

a substrate;

a plurality of pixel electrodes disposed above a plane of the substrate;

a light-shielding conductive layer disposed above the plane of the substrate, the light-shielding conductive layer having a first portion extending along a first direction, a second portion extending along a second direction that intersects the first direction, and a third portion connected to the first portion and the second portion, the first portion disposed between a first pixel electrode of the plurality of pixel electrodes and a second pixel electrode of the plurality of pixel electrodes adjacent along the second direction to the first pixel electrode when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the plane of the substrate, the second portion disposed between the first pixel electrode and a third pixel electrode of the plurality of pixel electrodes adjacent along the first direction when viewed from the direction perpendicular to the plane of the substrate;

a first data line extending along the first direction, the first data line overlapping at least a part of the first portion of the light-shielding conductive layer;

a second data line extending along the first direction;

a switching element including a gate electrode, a semiconductor layer, and an insulation layer between the gate electrode and the semiconductor layer, the semiconductor layer including a source region electrically connected to the first data line, a channel region overlapping the gate electrode, and a drain region electrically connected to the first pixel electrode; and

a capacitor electrode that forms a storage capacitor together with the source region or the drain region, the capacitor electrode having a fourth portion extending along the first direction and a fifth portion extending along the second direction, the fourth portion overlapping at least a part of the first portion of the light-shielding conductive layer and at least a part of the first data line, the fifth portion overlapping at least a part of the second portion of the light-shielding conductive layer, the fifth portion being disposed between the first data line and the second data line when viewed from the direction perpendicular to the plane of the substrate,

each of the source region, the channel region, and the drain region overlapping at least a part of the first data line, and

the source region or the drain region having a sixth portion extending along the first direction and a seventh portion extending along the second direction, the sixth portion overlapping at least a part of the first portion of the light-shielding conductive layer and at least a part of the first data line, the seventh portion overlapping at least a part of the second portion of the light-shielding conductive layer, the seventh portion being disposed between the first data line and the second data line when viewed from the direction perpendicular to the plane of the substrate.

2. The electro-optical device according to claim 1, the storage capacitor being disposed so as to overlap the first data line.

3. The electro-optical device according to claim 2, the light-shielding conductive layer being wider than the capacitor electrode.

4. A projector, comprising:

a light valve including the electro-optical device of claim 1.

5. The electro-optical device according to claim 1,

wherein the first data line is disposed within the light-shielding conductive layer in plan view,

wherein the first and second capacitor electrodes are narrower than the light-shielding conductive layer.

6. The electro-optical device according to claim 1, the light-shielding conductive layer having an island shape.

7. The electro-optical device according to claim 1, wherein the forth portion and the fifth portion of the capacitor electrode does not overlap the third portion of the light-shielding conductive layer.

8. An electro-optical device, comprising:

a substrate;

a plurality of pixel electrodes disposed above a plane of the substrate;

a light-shielding conductive layer disposed above the plane of the substrate, the light-shielding conductive layer having a first portion extending along a first direction, a second portion extending along a second direction that intersects the first direction, and a third portion connected to the first portion and the second portion, the first portion disposed between a first pixel electrode of the plurality of pixel electrodes and a second pixel electrode of the plurality of pixel electrodes adjacent along the second direction to the first pixel electrode when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the plane of the substrate, the second portion disposed between the first pixel electrode and a third pixel electrode of the plurality of pixel electrodes adjacent along the first direction when viewed from the direction perpendicular to the plane of the substrate;

a first data line extending along the first direction, the first data line overlapping at least a part of the first portion of the light-shielding conductive layer;

a second data line extending along the first direction;

a switching element including a gate electrode, a semiconductor layer, and an insulation layer between the gate electrode and the semiconductor layer, the semiconductor layer including a source region electrically connected to the first data line, a channel region overlapping the gate electrode, and a drain region electrically connected to the first pixel electrode; and

a capacitor electrode that forms a storage capacitor together with the source region or the drain region, the capacitor electrode having a fourth portion extending along the first direction and a fifth portion extending along the second direction, the fourth portion overlapping at least a part of the first portion of the light-shielding conductive layer and at least a part of the first data line, the fifth portion overlapping at least a part of the second portion of the light-shielding conductive layer, the fifth portion being disposed between the first data line and the second data line when viewed from the direction perpendicular to the plane of the substrate,

the semiconductor layer overlapping at least a part of the first data line, and

the source region or the drain region having a sixth portion extending along the first direction and a seventh portion extending along the second direction, the sixth portion overlapping at least a part of the first portion of the light-shielding conductive layer and at least a part of the first data line, the seventh portion overlapping at least a part of the second portion of the light-shielding conductive layer, the seventh portion being disposed between the first data line and the second data line when viewed from the direction perpendicular to the plane of the substrate.

9. The electro-optical device according to claim 8, the storage capacitor being disposed so as to overlap the first data line.

10. The electro-optical device according to claim 9, the light-shielding conductive layer being wider than the capacitor electrode.

11. A projector, comprising:

a light valve including the electro-optical device of claim 8.

12. The electro-optical device according to claim 8, the light-shielding conductive layer having an island shape.

13. An electro-optical device, comprising:

a substrate;

a plurality of pixel electrodes disposed above a plane of the substrate;

a first data line extending along a first direction;

a second data line extending along the first direction;

a light-shielding conductive layer disposed above the plane of the substrate, the light-shielding conductive layer having a first portion extending along the first direction, a second portion extending in a second direction that intersects the first direction, and a third portion connected to the first portion and the second portion, the first portion disposed between a first pixel electrode of the plurality of pixel electrodes and a second pixel electrode of the plurality of pixel electrodes adjacent along the second direction to the first pixel electrode when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the plane of the substrate, the second portion disposed between the first pixel electrode and a third pixel electrode of the plurality of pixel electrodes adjacent along the first direction when viewed from the direction perpendicular to the plane of the substrate;

a switching element including a semiconductor layer, the semiconductor layer overlapping the light-shielding conductive layer and including a channel region, a source region electrically connected to the first data line, and a drain region electrically connected to the first pixel electrode with the light-shielding conductive layer; and

a capacitor electrode that forms a storage capacitor together with the source region or the drain region, the capacitor electrode having a fourth portion extending along the first direction and a fifth portion extending along the second direction, the fourth portion overlapping at least a part of the first portion of the light-shielding conductive layer and at least a part of the first data line, the fifth portion overlapping at least a part of the second portion of the light-shielding conductive layer, the fifth portion being disposed between the first data line and the second data line when viewed from the direction perpendicular to the plane of the substrate,

each of the source region, the channel region, and the drain region overlapping at least a part of the first data line, and

the source region or the drain region having a sixth portion extending along the first direction and a seventh portion extending along the second direction, the sixth portion overlapping at least a part of the first portion of the light-shielding conductive layer and at least a part of the first data line, the seventh portion overlapping at least a part of the second portion of the light-shielding conductive layer, the seventh portion being disposed between the first data line and the second data line when viewed from the direction perpendicular to the plane of the substrate.

14. The electro-optical device according to claim 13, a width of the first portion being larger than a width of the first data line.

15. The electro-optical device according to claim 13, a width of the fourth portion being narrower than a width of the first portion.

16. A projector, comprising:

a light valve including the electro-optical device of claim 13.

17. The electro-optical device according to claim 13, the light-shielding conductive layer having an island shape.

18. An electro-optical device, comprising:

a substrate;

a plurality of pixel electrodes disposed above a plane of the substrate;

a first data line extending along a first direction;

a second data line extending along the first direction;

a light-shielding conductive layer disposed above the plane of the substrate, the light-shielding conductive layer having a first portion extending along the first direction, a second portion extending in a second direction that intersects the first direction, and a third portion connected to the first portion and the second portion, the first portion overlapping at least a part of the first data line when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the plane of the substrate, the second portion being disposed between the first data line and the second data line when viewed from the direction perpendicular to the plane of the substrate;

a switching element including a semiconductor layer, the semiconductor layer overlapping the light-shielding conductive layer and including a channel region, a source region electrically connected to the first data line, and a drain region electrically connected to a pixel electrode with the light-shielding conductive layer; and

a capacitor electrode that forms a storage capacitor together with the source region or the drain region, the capacitor electrode having a fourth portion extending along the first direction and a fifth portion extending along the second direction, the fourth portion overlapping at least a part of the first portion of the light-shielding conductive layer and at least a part of the first data line, the fifth portion overlapping at least a part of the second portion of the light-shielding conductive layer, the fifth portion being disposed between the first data line and the second data line when viewed from the direction perpendicular to the plane of the substrate,

each of the source region, the channel region, and the drain region overlapping at least a part of the first data line, and

the source region or the drain region having a sixth portion extending along the first direction and a seventh portion extending along the second direction, the sixth portion overlapping at least a part of the first portion of the light-shielding conductive layer and at least a part of the first data line, the seventh portion overlapping at least a part of the second portion of the light-shielding conductive layer, the seventh portion being disposed between the first data line and the second data line when viewed from the direction perpendicular to the plane of the substrate.

19. The electro-optical device according to claim 18, the storage capacitor being disposed so as to overlap the first data line.

20. The electro-optical device according to claim 18, the light-shielding conductive layer having an island shape.