High-performance active matrix substrate with high signal quality

• US 8,975,638 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2011
• Issued: 03/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2010
• 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: Mitsumoto, Kazuyori, Yoshida, Masahiro, Horiuchi, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Pert, Evan
• Assistant Examiner(s): RAMALLO, GUSTAVO G
• Application Number:
  US13/976,552
• Publication Number:
  US 20130292681A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,174 Days
• Field of Search: 345/107, 345/214, 257/59, 257/72, 257/88, 257/443, 257/E27.131, 257/E27.132, 257/E27.138, 257/E27.152, 257/E51.005, 257/E29.151, 257/E23.112, 438/149, 438/688, 438/689, 349/38, 349/39, 349/111, 349/42, 349/43, 349/139, 349/199, 349/37, 361/301.1
• US Class Current: 257/72
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/136213 Storage capacitors associated with the pixel electrode
• CPC Class Codes: H10B 99/22 including field-effect components

Abstract

The active matrix substrate is provided with: first and second scan lines (20a, 20b) that extend in a first direction; first and second signal lines (30a, 30b) that extend in a second direction; first and second pixels (10a, 10b) that are arranged adjacent to each other along the second direction; an auxiliary capacitor line (40); first and second pixel electrodes (60a, 60b); a first TFT (50a); a second TFT (50b); an auxiliary capacitor electrode (42) that is connected to the auxiliary capacitor line (40) and extends below the first and second pixel electrodes (60a, 60b); a first auxiliary capacitor counter electrode (62a) that is connected to the first pixel electrode (60a); and a second auxiliary capacitor counter electrode (62b) that is connected to the second pixel electrode (60b).

Claims

1. An active matrix substrate, comprising:

a plurality of scan lines extending along a first direction, the plurality of scan lines including a first scan line and a second scan line that are adjacent to each other;

a plurality of signal lines extending along a second direction, the plurality of signal lines including a first signal line and a second signal line that are adjacent to each other;

a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix, the plurality of pixels including a first pixel and a second pixel that are adjacent to each other along the second direction;

an auxiliary capacitance line;

a first pixel electrode for the first pixel and a second pixel electrode for the second pixel that are disposed in a region surrounded by the first scan line, the second scan line, the first signal line, and the second signal line;

a first TFT for the first pixel, the first TFT being connected to the first signal line;

a second TFT for the second pixel, the second TFT being connected to the second signal line;

an auxiliary capacitance electrode connected to the auxiliary capacitance line, the auxiliary capacitance electrode extending under the first pixel electrode and the second pixel electrode;

a first auxiliary capacitance opposite electrode for the first pixel, the first auxiliary capacitance opposite electrode being connected to the first pixel electrode; and

a second auxiliary capacitance opposite electrode for the second pixel, the second auxiliary capacitance opposite electrode being connected to the second pixel electrode,

wherein the auxiliary capacitance line extends along the second direction,

wherein the first TFT is positioned on a positive side of the auxiliary capacitance line along the first direction,

wherein the second TFT is positioned on a negative side of the auxiliary capacitance line along the first direction,

wherein the auxiliary capacitance line extends along the second direction while bending,

wherein the first auxiliary capacitance opposite electrode is positioned on said positive side of the auxiliary capacitance line along the first direction, and

wherein the second auxiliary capacitance opposite electrode is positioned on said negative side of the auxiliary capacitance line along the first direction.

2. The active matrix substrate according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary capacitance line has a section extending along the second direction and a section extending at an angle relative to the second direction in the first and second pixels.

3. The active matrix substrate according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary capacitance line has a section extending in a straight line along the first direction in the first pixel, a section extending in a straight line along the second direction at a boundary between the first and second pixels, and a section extending in a straight line along the first direction in the second pixel.

4. The active matrix substrate according to claim 1, further comprising a second auxiliary capacitance line extending along the first direction, the second auxiliary capacitance line being connected to the auxiliary capacitance electrode,

wherein the auxiliary capacitance electrode and the second auxiliary capacitance line are made of the same material.

7. The active matrix substrate according to claim 1, further comprising:

a fifth pixel adjacent to the first pixel across the first signal line;

a sixth pixel adjacent to the second pixel across the first signal line;

a fifth TFT for the fifth pixel, the fifth TFT being connected to the first scan line;

a sixth TFT for the sixth pixel, the sixth TFT being connected to the second scan line;

a fifth auxiliary capacitance opposite electrode for the fifth pixel, the fifth auxiliary capacitance opposite electrode being connected to a pixel electrode of the fifth pixel;

a sixth auxiliary capacitance opposite electrode for the sixth pixel, the sixth auxiliary capacitance opposite electrode being connected to a pixel electrode of the sixth pixel; and

another auxiliary capacitance line that extends along the second direction, passing through the fifth pixel and the sixth pixel,

wherein the fifth TFT and the fifth auxiliary capacitance opposite electrode are positioned on the negative side of said another auxiliary capacitance line along the first direction, and

wherein the sixth TFT and the sixth auxiliary capacitance opposite electrode are positioned on the positive side of said another auxiliary capacitance line along the first direction.

5. An active matrix substrate, comprising:

a plurality of scan lines extending along a first direction, the plurality of scan lines including a first scan line and a second scan line that are adjacent to each other;

a plurality of signal lines extending along a second direction, the plurality of signal lines including a first signal line and a second signal line that are adjacent to each other;

a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix, the plurality of pixels including a first pixel and a second pixel that are adjacent to each other along the second direction;

an auxiliary capacitance line;

a first pixel electrode for the first pixel and a second pixel electrode for the second pixel that are disposed in a region surrounded by the first scan line, the second scan line, the first signal line, and the second signal line;

a first TFT for the first pixel, the first TFT being connected to the first signal line;

a second TFT for the second pixel, the second TFT being connected to the second signal line;

an auxiliary capacitance electrode connected to the auxiliary capacitance line, the auxiliary capacitance electrode extending under the first pixel electrode and the second pixel electrode;

a first auxiliary capacitance opposite electrode for the first pixel, the first auxiliary capacitance opposite electrode being connected to the first pixel electrode; and

a second auxiliary capacitance opposite electrode for the second pixel, the second auxiliary capacitance opposite electrode being connected to the second pixel electrode,

wherein the auxiliary capacitance line extends along the second direction,

wherein the first TFT is positioned on a positive side of the auxiliary capacitance line along the first direction,

wherein the second TFT is positioned on a negative side of the auxiliary capacitance line along the first direction,

wherein the auxiliary capacitance line extends in a straight line along the second direction,

wherein the first auxiliary capacitance opposite electrode is divided into a first section and a second section, the first section being positioned on said positive side of the auxiliary capacitance line along the first direction, the second section being positioned on said negative side of the auxiliary capacitance line along the first direction, and

wherein the second auxiliary capacitance opposite electrode is divided into a first section and a second section, the first section being positioned on said positive side of the auxiliary capacitance line along the first direction, the second section being positioned on said negative side of the auxiliary capacitance line along the first direction.

6. The active matrix substrate according to claim 5, wherein the first section of the first auxiliary capacitance opposite electrode is connected to a drain electrode of the first TFT,

wherein the first section and the second section of the first auxiliary capacitance opposite electrode are respectively connected to the first pixel electrode through contact holes,

wherein the second section of the second auxiliary capacitance opposite electrode is connected to a drain electrode of the second TFT, and

wherein the first section and the second section of the second auxiliary capacitance opposite electrode are respectively connected to the second pixel electrode through contact holes.

8. An active matrix substrate, comprising:

a plurality of scan lines extending along a first direction, the plurality of scan lines including a first scan line and a second scan line that are adjacent to each other;

a plurality of signal lines extending along a second direction, the plurality of signal lines including a first signal line and a second signal line that are adjacent to each other;

a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix, the plurality of pixels including a first pixel and a second pixel that are adjacent to each other along the second direction;

an auxiliary capacitance line;

a first pixel electrode for the first pixel and a second pixel electrode for the second pixel that are disposed in a region surrounded by the first scan line, the second scan line, the first signal line, and the second signal line;

a first TFT for the first pixel, the first TFT being connected to the first signal line;

a second TFT for the second pixel, the second TFT being connected to the second signal line;

an auxiliary capacitance electrode connected to the auxiliary capacitance line, the auxiliary capacitance electrode extending under the first pixel electrode and the second pixel electrode;

a first auxiliary capacitance opposite electrode for the first pixel, the first auxiliary capacitance opposite electrode being connected to the first pixel electrode; and

a second auxiliary capacitance opposite electrode for the second pixel, the second auxiliary capacitance opposite electrode being connected to the second pixel electrode,

wherein the auxiliary capacitance line extends along the first direction,

wherein the first TFT and the first auxiliary capacitance opposite electrode are positioned on a positive side of the auxiliary capacitance line along the second direction, and

wherein the second TFT and the second auxiliary capacitance opposite electrode are positioned on a negative side of the auxiliary capacitance line along the second direction.

9. The active matrix substrate according to claim 8, wherein a width of the auxiliary capacitance line at third intersections where the auxiliary capacitance line and the plurality of signal lines intersect is smaller than a width of the auxiliary capacitance line in other areas than the third intersections at boundaries between the plurality of pixels.

10. The active matrix substrate according to claim 9, wherein a width of the plurality of scan lines at fourth intersections where the plurality of signal lines and the plurality of scan lines intersect is smaller than a width of the plurality of scan lines at boundaries between the plurality of pixels.

11. The active matrix substrate according to claim 10, wherein a width of the plurality of signal lines at the third intersections and the fourth intersections is smaller than a width of the plurality of scan lines in other areas then the third intersections and the fourth intersections.