Active matrix substrate, method for manufacturing active matrix substrate, liquid crystal panel, method for manufacturing liquid crystal panel, liquid crystal display device, liquid crystal display unit, and television receiver

• US 8,659,712 B2
• Filed: 07/23/2009
• Issued: 02/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2008
• 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: Tsubata, Toshihide
• Primary Examiner(s): CHIEN, LUCY P
• Application Number:
  US13/123,718
• Publication Number:
  US 20110194031A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,678 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 349/38
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/134345 Subdivided pixels, e.g. for grey scale or redundancy
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/136213 Storage capacitors associated with the pixel electrode
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/136259 Repairing; Defects

Abstract

An active matrix substrate of the present invention for use in a liquid crystal panel includes a scanning signal line (16x), a data signal line (15x), and a transistor (12a) connected to the scanning signal line (16x) and the data signal line (15x), with first and second pixel electrodes (17a and 17b) provided in each pixel (101), one of the pixel electrodes (17a) being connected to the data signal line (15x) via the transistor (12a). The active matrix substrate includes first and second capacitor electrodes (37a and 38a) electrically connected to the pixel electrode (17a), capacitors being formed between the capacitor electrodes (37a and 38a) and the other pixel electrode (17b), respectively. This makes it possible to improve yields of manufacture of capacitively-coupled pixel-division type active matrix substrates and liquid crystal panels including the same.

Claims

1. An active matrix substrate including a scanning signal line, a data signal line, and a transistor connected to the scanning signal line and the data signal line, with first and second pixel electrodes provided in each pixel region, the first pixel electrode being connected to the data signal line via the transistor,

the active matrix substrate comprising first and second capacitor electrodes electrically connected to one of the first and second pixel electrodes, and

a capacitor being formed between the other one of the first and second pixel electrodes and the first capacitor electrode, a capacitor being formed between the other pixel electrode and the second pixel electrode, wherein

at least part of the first capacitor electrode overlaps the other pixel electrode via an interlayer insulating film covering a channel of the transistor, and at least part of the second capacitor electrode overlaps the other pixel electrode via the interlayer insulating film,

the interlayer insulating film is composed of an inorganic insulating film and an organic insulating film that is thicker than the inorganic insulating film,

the interlayer insulating film has its organic insulating film removed in at least part of the interlayer insulating film that overlaps the first capacitor electrode and in at least part of the interlayer insulating film that overlaps the second capacitor electrode,

the interlayer insulating film has a thin-film part, obtained by removing the organic insulating film, which includes a region that overlaps part of the first capacitor electrode and part of the second capacitor electrode,

the first and second capacitor electrodes are disposed side by side along the direction along which the scanning signal line extends, and

the first capacitor electrode straddles one side of the thin-film part, and the second capacitor electrode straddles a side opposite to that side.

2. The active matrix substrate as set forth in claim 1, wherein one conducting electrode of the transistor, the first capacitor electrode, and the second capacitor electrode exist in one layer.

3. The active matrix substrate as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

each of the first and second pixel electrodes has an outer periphery consisting of a plurality of sides;

one of the sides of the first pixel electrode and one of the sides of the second pixel electrode are adjacent to each other; and

each of the first and second pixel electrodes is disposed in such a way as to overlap a space between the two adjacent sides, the first pixel electrode, and the second pixel electrode.

4. The active matrix substrate as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

the transistor has one conducting electrode connected to the first pixel electrode via a contact hole, with the conducting electrode connected to the first capacitor electrode via a drawing wire drawn from the conducting electrode; and

the first pixel electrode and the second capacitor electrode are connected to each other via a contact hole.

5. The active matrix substrate as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

the transistor has one conducting electrode connected to the first pixel electrode via a contact hole, with the first pixel electrode and the first capacitor electrode connected to each other via a contact hole; and

the first pixel electrode and the second capacitor electrode are connected to each other via a contact hole.

6. The active matrix substrate as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

the transistor has one conducting electrode connected to the first pixel electrode via a contact hole; and

the second pixel electrode and the first capacitor electrode are connected to each other via a contact hole, with the second pixel electrode and the second capacitor electrode connected to each other via a contact hole.

7. The active matrix substrate as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first and second pixel electrode are arranged along a row-wise direction, it being assumed that the row-wise direction is a direction along which the scanning signal line extends.

8. The active matrix substrate as set forth in claim 7, wherein as for two pixel regions that are adjacent to each other along the row-wise direction, the pixel electrode in one of the pixel regions and the second pixel electrode in the other pixel region are adjacent to each other along the row-wise direction.

9. The active matrix substrate as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first pixel electrode surrounds the second pixel electrode.

10. The active matrix substrate as set forth in claim 1, wherein the second pixel electrode surrounds the first pixel electrode.

11. The active matrix substrate as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a retention capacitor wire that forms a capacitor with the first pixel electrode or an electric conductor electrically connected the first pixel electrode and forms a capacitor with the second pixel electrode or an electric conductor electrically connected the second pixel electrode.

12. The active matrix substrate as set forth in claim 11, wherein the retention capacitor wire extends along the same direction as the scanning signal line in such a way as to pass transversely across the center of the pixel region.

13. The active matrix substrate as set forth in claim 11, wherein each of the first and second capacitor electrodes forms a capacitor with the retention capacitor wire.

14. The active matrix substrate as set forth in claim 1, wherein the thin-film part overlaps either the first or second pixel electrode.

15. The active matrix substrate as set forth in claim 1, wherein a space between the first and second pixel electrodes functions as an alignment controlling structure.

16. The active matrix substrate as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

the first pixel electrode surrounds the second pixel electrode;

the second pixel electrode has an outer periphery including two sides that are parallel to each other, and the first pixel electrode has an outer periphery including a side facing one of the two sides across a first space and a side facing the other side across a second space;

the first capacitor electrode is disposed in such a way as to overlap the first pixel electrode, the first space, and the second pixel electrode, and the second capacitor electrode is disposed in such a way as to overlap the second pixel electrode, the second space, and the first pixel electrode.

17. A liquid crystal panel comprising an active matrix substrate as set forth in claim 1.

18. A liquid crystal display unit comprising:

a liquid crystal panel as set forth in claim 17; and

a driver.

19. A liquid crystal display device comprising:

a liquid crystal display unit as set forth in claim 18; and

a light source device.

20. A television receiver comprising:

a liquid crystal display device as set forth in claim 19; and

a tuner section for receiving a television broadcast.