Display panel and method of manufacturing the same

• US 8,704,309 B2
• Filed: 01/18/2012
• Issued: 04/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: JOLED Inc.
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Takeuchi, Takayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Fourson, III, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): JEAN BAPTISTE, WILNER
• Application Number:
  US13/352,921
• Publication Number:
  US 20120299021A1
• Time in Patent Office: 825 Days
• Field of Search: 257/88, 257/149, 257/347, 257/59, 257/359, 438/34, 438/14, 438/149, 438/283, 438/30, 438/151
• US Class Current: 257/359
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/136259 Repairing; Defects
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1259 Multistep manufacturing methods
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/123 Connection of the pixel electrodes to the thin film transistors [TFT]

Abstract

Drive units arranged on a transistor array substrate include faulty drive units. The pixel electrodes include first pixel electrodes and second pixel electrodes, the first pixel electrodes corresponding one-to-one to the faulty drive units, and the second pixel electrodes corresponding one-to-one to the non-faulty drive units, a portion of each second pixel electrode is embedded in the contact hole corresponding thereto, and is in contact with a power supply pad of the non-faulty drive unit corresponding thereto, so that the second pixel electrode is electrically connected to the non-faulty drive unit. Each first pixel electrode is electrically insulated from the faulty drive unit corresponding thereto, and is connected by a connector to any of the second pixel electrodes adjacent thereto. A surface of each connector facing the interlayer insulation film is entirely in contact with the interlayer insulation film.

Claims

1. A display panel, comprising:

a transistor array substrate having a plurality of drivers arranged in a matrix, each driver including a thin-film transistor element;

an interlayer insulation film formed on the transistor array substrate and having contact holes, the contact holes corresponding one-to-one to the drivers; and

a plurality of pixel electrodes arranged on the interlayer insulation film in a matrix, the pixel electrodes corresponding one-to-one to the drivers, wherein

the drivers include faulty drivers and non-faulty drivers,

the pixel electrodes include first pixel electrodes and second pixel electrodes, the first pixel electrodes corresponding one-to-one to the faulty drivers, and the second pixel electrodes corresponding one-to-one to the non-faulty drivers,

a portion of each second pixel electrode is embedded in the contact hole corresponding thereto, and is in contact with a power supply pad of the non-faulty driver corresponding thereto, so that the second pixel electrode is electrically connected to the non-faulty driver,

each first pixel electrode is electrically insulated from the faulty driver corresponding thereto,

each first pixel electrode is connected by a connector to any of the second pixel electrodes adjacent thereto, the connector being made of conductive material,

a surface of each connector facing the interlayer insulation film is entirely in contact with the interlayer insulation film, and

at least one of the first pixel electrodes is divided into parts, and each part is connected to a different one of the second pixel electrodes adjacent to the at least one of the first pixel electrodes.

2. The display panel of claim 1, wherein

the pixel electrodes and the connectors are made of a same material, and

the first pixel electrodes, the second pixel electrodes, and the connectors are integrated in one piece.

3. The display panel of claim 2, wherein

the first pixel electrodes, the second pixel electrodes, and the connectors are integrated in one piece by etching an electrode material film having portions coated with resist material, the portions corresponding to the pixel electrodes and the connectors.

4. The display panel of claim 1, wherein

a power supply path to each first pixel electrode is cut off so that the first pixel electrode is electrically insulated from the faulty driver corresponding thereto, the power supply path being included in the thin-film transistor element of the driver corresponding to the first pixel electrode.

5. The display panel of claim 1, wherein

each first pixel electrode is formed so as not to cover the contact hole corresponding thereto.

6. A display panel, comprising:

a transistor array substrate having a plurality of drivers arranged in a matrix, each driver including a thin-film transistor element;

an interlayer insulation film formed on the transistor array substrate and having contact holes, the contact holes corresponding one-to-one to the drivers; and

a plurality of pixel electrodes arranged on the interlayer insulation film in a matrix, the pixel electrodes corresponding one-to-one to the drivers, wherein

the drivers include faulty drivers and a non-faulty drivers,

the pixel electrodes include first pixel electrodes and second pixel electrodes, the first pixel electrodes corresponding one-to-one to the faulty drivers, and the second pixel electrodes corresponding one-to-one to the non-faulty drivers,

a portion of each second pixel electrode is embedded in the contact hole corresponding thereto, and is in contact with a power supply pad of the non-faulty driver corresponding thereto, so that the second pixel electrode is electrically connected to the non-faulty driver,

each first pixel electrode is electrically insulated from the faulty driver corresponding thereto,

each first pixel electrode is connected by a connector to any of the second pixel electrodes adjacent thereto, the connector being made of conductive material,

a surface of each connector facing the interlayer insulation film is entirely in contact with the interlayer insulation film, and

each first pixel electrode is formed so as not to cover the contact hole corresponding thereto.

7. The display panel of claim 6, wherein

the pixel electrodes and the connectors are made of a same material, and

the first pixel electrodes, the second pixel electrodes, and the connectors are integrated in one piece.

8. The display panel of claim 7, wherein

the first pixel electrodes, the second pixel electrodes, and the connectors are integrated in one piece by etching an electrode material film having portions coated with resist material, the portions corresponding to the pixel electrodes and the connectors.

9. A method of manufacturing a display panel, comprising:

preparing a substrate;

forming a transistor array substrate by arranging drivers on the substrate in a matrix, each driver including a thin-film transistor element;

forming an interlayer insulation film on the transistor array substrate, the interlayer insulation film having contact holes, the contact holes corresponding one-to-one to the drivers; and

arranging a plurality of pixel electrodes on the interlayer insulation film in a matrix, the pixel electrodes corresponding one-to-one to the drivers, wherein

the drivers include faulty drivers and non-faulty drivers,

the pixel electrodes include first pixel electrodes and second pixel electrodes, the first pixel electrodes corresponding one-to-one to the faulty drivers, and the second pixel electrodes corresponding one-to-one to the non-faulty drivers,

a portion of each second pixel electrode is embedded in the contact hole corresponding thereto, and is in contact with a power supply pad of the non-faulty driver corresponding thereto, so that the second pixel electrode is electrically connected to the non-faulty driver,

each first pixel electrode is electrically insulated from the faulty driver corresponding thereto,

each first pixel electrode is connected by a connector to any of the second pixel electrodes adjacent thereto, the connector being made of conductive material, and

a surface of each connector facing the interlayer insulation film is entirely in contact with the interlayer insulation film,

the connectors are formed by using a same material as the pixel electrodes,

the arranging of the pixel electrodes includes;

forming an electrode material film on the interlayer insulation film;

forming a resist film on the electrode material film;

patterning the resist film into portions corresponding in shape to the pixel electrodes;

adding resist material to any of the portions of the resist film located between each first pixel electrode and any of the second pixel electrodes adjacent thereto, thereby filling a gap between each first pixel electrode and any of the second pixel electrodes adjacent thereto;

removing a portion of the resist film corresponding to a central portion of at least one of the first pixel electrodes by using laser; and

integrally forming the first pixel electrodes, the second pixel electrodes, and the connectors in one piece by etching the electrode material film after the removing of the portion of the resist film,

the resist material is added to portions of the resist film corresponding to gaps between the at least one first pixel electrode and two of the second pixel electrodes adjacent thereto, thereby filling the gaps with the resist material, and

the at least one first pixel electrode is divided into parts, and each part of the first pixel electrode is connected to a different one of the second pixel electrodes adjacent thereto.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

cutting off a power supply path to each first pixel electrode before the interlayer insulative film is formed, so that the first pixel electrode is electrically insulated from the faulty driver corresponding thereto, the power supply path being included in the thin-film transistor element of the driver corresponding to the first pixel electrode.

11. A method of manufacturing a display panel, comprising:

preparing a substrate;

forming a transistor array substrate by arranging drivers on the substrate in a matrix, each driver including a thin-film transistor element;

forming an interlayer insulation film on the transistor array substrate, the interlayer insulation film having contact holes, the contact holes corresponding one-to-one to the drivers; and

arranging a plurality of pixel electrodes on the interlayer insulation film in a matrix, the pixel electrodes corresponding one-to-one to the drivers, wherein

the drivers include faulty drivers and non-faulty drivers,

the pixel electrodes include first pixel electrodes and second pixel electrodes, the first pixel electrodes corresponding one-to-one to the faulty drivers, and the second pixel electrodes corresponding one-to-one to the non-faulty drivers,

a portion of each second pixel electrode is embedded in the contact hole corresponding thereto, and is in contact with a power supply pad of the non-faulty driver corresponding thereto, so that the second pixel electrode is electrically connected to the non-faulty driver,

each first pixel electrode is electrically insulated from the faulty driver corresponding thereto,

each first pixel electrode is connected by a connector to any of the second pixel electrodes adjacent thereto, the connector being made of conductive material,

a surface of each connector facing the interlayer insulation film is entirely in contact with the interlayer insulation film,

the connectors are formed by using a same material as the pixel electrodes,

the arranging of the pixel electrodes includes;

forming an electrode material film on the interlayer insulation film;

forming a resist film on the electrode material film;

patterning the resist film into portions corresponding in shape to the pixel electrodes;

adding resist material to any of the portions of the resist film located between each first pixel electrode and any of the second pixel electrodes adjacent thereto, thereby filling a gap between each first pixel electrode and any of the second pixel electrodes adjacent thereto;

removing portions of the resist film corresponding to the contact holes corresponding to the first pixel electrodes by using laser; and

integrally forming the first pixel electrodes, the second pixel electrodes, and the connectors in one piece by etching the electrode material film after the removing of the portions of the resist film, and

each first pixel electrode is formed so as not to cover the contact hole corresponding thereto.

12. A method of manufacturing a display panel, comprising:

preparing a substrate;

forming a transistor array substrate by arranging drivers on the substrate in a matrix, each driver including a thin-film transistor element;

detecting, from among the drivers arranged on the substrate, a faulty driver including a faulty thin-film transistor element;

acquiring positional information of the faulty driver detected in the detecting;

cutting off at least part of a wiring or a thin-film transistor element of the faulty driver indicated by the acquired positional information, so that the faulty driver is electrically insulated,

forming an interlayer insulation film on the transistor array substrate, the interlayer insulation film having contact holes, the contact holes corresponding one-to-one to the drivers; and

arranging a plurality of pixel electrodes on the interlayer insulation film in a matrix, the pixel electrodes corresponding one-to-one to the drivers, wherein

the drivers include faulty drivers and non-faulty drivers,

the pixel electrodes include first pixel electrodes and second pixel electrodes, the first pixel electrodes corresponding one-to-one to the faulty drivers, and the second pixel electrodes corresponding one-to-one to the non-faulty drivers,

a portion of each second pixel electrode is embedded in the contact hole corresponding thereto, and is in contact with a power supply pad of the non-faulty driver corresponding thereto, so that the second pixel electrode is electrically connected to the non-faulty driver,

each first pixel electrode is electrically insulated from the faulty driver corresponding thereto,

the arranging of the pixel electrodes includes;

forming an electrode material film on the interlayer insulation film;

forming a resist film on the electrode material film;

patterning the resist film into portions corresponding in shape to the pixel electrodes;

adding resist material to any of the portions of the resist film located between each first pixel electrode and any of the second pixel electrodes adjacent thereto, thereby filling a gap between each first pixel electrode and any of the second pixel electrodes adjacent thereto;

removing a portion of the resist film corresponding to a central portion of at least one of the first pixel electrodes by using laser; and

integrally forming the first pixel electrodes, the second pixel electrodes, and the connectors in one piece by etching the electrode material film after the removing of the portion of the resist film,

the resist material is added to portions of the resist film corresponding to gaps between the at least one first pixel electrode and two of the second pixel electrodes adjacent thereto, thereby filling the gaps with the resist material, and

the at least one first pixel electrode is divided into parts, and each part of the first pixel electrode is connected to a different one of the second pixel electrodes adjacent thereto.

13. A method of manufacturing a display panel, comprising:

preparing a substrate;

forming a transistor array substrate by arranging drivers on the substrate in a matrix, each driver including a thin-film transistor element;

detecting, from among the drivers arranged on the substrate, a faulty driver including a faulty thin-film transistor element;

acquiring positional information of the faulty driver detected in the detecting;

forming an interlayer insulation film on the transistor array substrate, the interlayer insulation film having contact holes, the contact holes corresponding one-to-one to the drivers; and

arranging a plurality of pixel electrodes on the interlayer insulation film in a matrix, the pixel electrodes corresponding one-to-one to the drivers, wherein

the drivers include faulty drivers and non-faulty drivers, and

the pixel electrodes include first pixel electrodes and second pixel electrodes, the first pixel electrodes corresponding one-to-one to the faulty drivers, and the second pixel electrodes corresponding one-to-one to the non-faulty drivers, and

the arranging of the pixel electrodes includes;

forming an electrode material film on the interlayer insulation film;

forming a resist film on the electrode material film;

patterning the resist film into portions corresponding in shape to the pixel electrodes;

adding resist material to any of the portions of the resist film located between each first pixel electrode and any of the second pixel electrodes adjacent thereto, thereby filling a gap between each first pixel electrode and any of the second pixel electrodes adjacent thereto;

removing portions of the resist film corresponding to the contact holes corresponding to the first pixel electrodes by using laser; and

integrally forming the first pixel electrodes, the second pixel electrodes, and the connectors in one piece by etching the electrode material film, each first pixel electrode being formed so as not to cover the contact hole corresponding thereto.